No viewings in a month - "illegal" loft conversion

DaftyDuck

I'd just take a different point of view, even though I'd agree with most of the points above to some degree.

One month isn't long. Really not. So, you don't have any viewings yet. It isn't quite as mainstream a house as those that have sold quickly in the area (I have only had a cursory look...), as it has the "problem" bedroom/loft business. Very large houses and very small houses all suffer from slower selling times than your standard 3 bed semi... the market is much smaller, but it is there.

It's a charming cottage. It is very pretty. The kitchen is lovely, and the garden is sweet. The price is about right, there's nothing fundamentally wrong. Sure, the others are all correct; there's a bit of tidying that can be done, carpet ends to tidy, wording to be improved. They aren't deal-killers though, in my opinion. I think it's just chance (in the main) that the buyers who would want your house just aren't there this month...

My suggestions for improvement would be ...

..to improve the look of the bathroom... fantastic size! Stick a few scented candles on the edges of things (windowsill), basket of soaps on the loo back, pretty towels on radiator (buy a new one when hubby isn't looking - one you really love )... make it a pamper's paradise BUT try not to clutter!

... Kitchen... photo with door open (spring is coming, dine al fresco, buy my house and lovely eating area just outside...)

... bedrooms ... pretty book on bedside table, if those fitted cupboards are large, try a door open... may not work, worth a go...

... decking, stick the table in the middle, surround with a few chairs, stick some flowers in a pot... a herb plant from Morrissons for 89p at the moment...!

BUT you can worry yourself into an early grave fussing over all that detail (and I do when I sell), and still nobody will want your house that week. They will in two more weeks. Or not.. It's just chance

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the property or price. It will sell.

notanewuser

Ronaldo_Mconaldo wrote: »

Also, what's the deal with the bathroom, it looks massive compared to any other room in the house. How did that come about?

It obviously used to be the 2nd bedroom (when the house would have been a 2 up 2 down). Somebody has extended the downstairs and moved the kitchen backwards - hence no window in the lounge and instead of an outside loo, put a bathroom in the 2nd bedroom.

I'm afraid I wouldn't look at this house just because of the awful layout. Nobody wants to open the front door into a bedroom. I'd have to knock through the 1st 2 rooms to make a big living/dining room and mess around with the kitchen. Then I'd have to make that bathroom either a lot smaller or more striking in its design. Add that to whatever needs doing to make the loft meet building regs and you're looking at a lot of money to make it livable.

notanewuser

Hard to tell re layout of 768, but the pictures show a lot of character details that yours doesn't have. The stairs look to be in a different place, there are chimneys and fireplaces, cottagey doors and a roll top bath.

Kastanie

DaftyDuck wrote: »

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the property or price.

I disagree. The price appears rather optimistic for the location (which I'm very familiar with), the fact that it's not clear whether it's actually a 1 bed plus loft room, and the fact that at least some work will need doing.

Welshgirl - when you said you "sold" in June, did the sale not go through because of survey issues with the loft room?

notanewuser

Scrap that. Just seen that your neighbour has an upstairs extension. That's what I'd have to do. The extra room would then be either a smaller bathroom or a 2nd bedroom with a proper corridor to it.

Add in building regs for upstairs and that's a 3 bed cottage but a fair bit of £££££ (my guess would be £30k).

If you're moving because you now have a baby and this layout doesn't work for you, then it's not going to appeal to families, or newlyweds etc. that's a big chunk of the market gone.

DannyboyMidlands

I imagine the others were just converted differently. In any case as a buyer I don't care what you bought it as. All I know is that I don't intend to be sleeping behind the front door and any claims that this room is a bedroom are mad.

propertyman

welshgirl78 wrote: »

I guess I would just like to clarify whether this is a usable bedroom (and if not, why are so many houses classed as so) Has there been recent tightenings on building control that may have affected this?

.

But I have explained, from a legal standpoint it isn't -unless you can show that the ability to enforce it has passed and these are long standing principles not a "recent tightening", and explained how to establish that and how to take practical steps to address privacy and building regs concerns,and in turn insure against any action.

It is an unusual layout and it is question of managing or solving, not a simple yes or no.

lenders and surveyors take different views, as I am familiar with a lot of older properties I would look at simple steps to enclose the room as suggested earlier as it is unreasonable to expect properties to fully comply with building regulations and to take a common sense appraoch to managing issues.

If you want a simple answer which makes any issue moot, the answer to that is simple, build a wall and door at the top of the loft room stairs.

tim123456789

propertyman wrote: »

But I have explained, from a legal standpoint it isn't -

I don't think it matter what it is legally.

What matters is what potential buyers see and most of them will see a one bedroom house with a large bathroom and a "play" room in the loft.

Pretending that it has two bedrooms is just wasting their time.

welshgirl78

Thanks again all, Kastanie it didn't get that far, we had to change our minds - not them.

Danny and Tim, noted

propertyman thank you, very constructive comments.

propertyman

tim123456789 wrote: »

I don't think it matter what it is legally..

Sorry but that is the point.

The use and layout is unusual, but the room which is not isolated from the stairwell is one that will raise legal issues with planning and building regs for the valuer when they arrive from the buyers lender.

As said not all lenders or surveyors have a flexible outlook to older adapted properties and are always concerned about LTV in event of a repossession.