Taking the plunge and making an offer :)

kmmr

Go to the borough website and look for planning. My council has a tool where you can zoom in on each street and see what applications have been made (granted or not) for any house or street. Look at houses that are a similar design to yours and see if you can see if any have had applications made. Also, if you go to the house again look along the back of the houses and see if you can see any extensions. Or use googlemaps (aerial view) which might give you an idea of what has been approved before.

Permitted development rights (where you don't need planning permission) most likely won't apply as it is a flat, so you would need planning permission for major changes.

kmmr

Edit: Nothing to see here!

tyllwyd

As a vendor, if I received that email I'd think you were a bit odd, to be honest, and probably a nightmare to deal with because you'd be fussy all through the sale process. All the points you raise are things for you to consider when you decide what offer to make, but not really relevant to the vendor when they decide whether to accept the offer. I'd just make the offer and see what happens. If you say you've found all these other flats for sale at a lower price, my first thought would be why haven't you gone and bought one of them - the answer would have to be that you like this one better - so perhaps it justifies the higher price?

Rockaway_BabyDoll

kmmr wrote: »

p.s. Yes - probably not a good idea to say what you said. I think they can track back where links come from. Might be a bit paranoid, but you can let us know in the end what a good deal it was!

*Cough* EDITED *Cough*

sabretoothtigger

less is more just make the offer and if they ask then you have the good reasoning ready to explain. A good letter to write and never post

They'd want to know if you are a cash buyer or in this case you have secured funding maybe helps your offer seem more likely to clear

satchmeister

All the seller is really interested in is the offer price, have you got anything to sell (ie chain free), have you got finance. Why do you need to justify the price? And highlighting other flats just says how much you really really want this one.

KateLiana27

I think your reasoning is great and you've clearly done your homework well. I also think your offer is fine. That said, I would absolutely NOT send that letter/email. I would feel very insulted as a vendor as you've basically listed all the things that are undesirable about the property, to the point where I would wonder why you want to buy it at all. It's liable to get their backs up and make them LESS likely to accommodate you.

It's almost like someone proposing marriage and then detailing why he/she has decided to settle for you despite all your flaws.

It's absolutely fine to put your offer in writing, but keep it to selling your strong, proceedable position as a buyer, and outlining the conditions of the offer.

devotee

I think you can try that offer, but honestly, I see no chance in hell of seller accepting it. And if you send that letter, you'll be seriously annoying everyone, so yes make an offer by phoning the EA, but no don't send that letter.

Ms_Scarlett_2

Agreed with all the above. Back in 2008 we found a house we liked very much and went through a very stressful negotiation process. It was £225k, we offered £206k, they laughed at us, we listed all the (fairly subjective) things that were wrong with the house and, on poor advice, doggedly pursued the "there's things wrong with this house" tack. Needless to say, relations with the seller deteriorated quickly as they thought we were total mercenary bar stewards, and although they did eventually agree to sell for us for £206k, it was purely because they had no other option. I genuinely believe they hated us for it, and especially when we then had to pull out a fortnight after agreeing because my boyfriend was unexpectedly headhunted for a much better job elsewhere.

My point is, as an FTB there are better tactics to use. Go the "we love it, but the bank just won't give us any money" route. The financials are the same, but it's far less insulting to the buyer and likely to make them much more amenable to your offer as then you're "that nice girl who loves it" rather than "that awful person who's trying to skank us." Just my opinion, but I think psychologically it's a better story that makes you appear a more attractive buyer.

Regina.filangie

I agree with all the previous comments, please don't send the e-mail! By all means put your offer in writing, but the vendor does not need a list of all the things you need to do to it to get it up to your standard - because it indicates that their standards are lower than yours!
I'm a FTB and currently in the process of putting in offers on a house we love. All the agent/vendor need to know is the strength of your buying power i.e. what is your position and how much you are prepared to offer. If there are other properties elsewhere certainly don't draw attention to them!

Good luck with it