Council is stopping me from selling my house! (Planning permission refusal)

seven-day-weekend

I must agree with Mac Mikster - if you price your house correctly it will sell.

TBagpuss

You will be able to sell if yo price the property correctly, taking into account the current condition of the property and the area.

In terms of the problems with students - you mention having made complaints to the council - do you speak to the students directly at all? As with any other neighbours, there will be some who are antisocial and unpleasant, but equally there may well be many who are simply thoughtless, and who would be open to a polite request to keep noise levels low, particularly if you have previously introduced yourselves and been pleasant.

Rosemary7391

I assume you mean every other day during term time? I don't know about selling the house, but I suggest you get yourself together with other families in the area and complain to the university. I know when I was living out as an undergrad my university would've taken a very dim view of such problems with their students. We always got on very well with our neighbours so it is possible. Try taking both approaches - whatever is sensible to sell up and move, and tackling the problems directly with the university.

robatwork

Sounds very unfortunate for you.
However you can't sell it for the price you want, rather than can't sell it.

For example, I estimate your house is worth between £1,000 and £500,000.

If you market it for £1,000 I absolutely guarantee you someone will buy it tomorrow. So there you are - you can sell it at the right price.

So what do you think it's worth, and what have similar houses nearby actually sold for, rather than been on the market for?

[Deleted User]

I don't think the latest them in the responses are overly helpful. The OP may not be able to sell at the price it could sell for - the mortgage amount still owing could be a lot higher. We don't know. I would imagine if the OP is this eager to move, they've already tried lowering the price to what they can. I hope so anyway.

But at the same time, the OP CAN start politely asking students to lower the noise levels anytime they have a party. If the students don't respond then environmental health can be called who normally do take more action than the OP is suggesting. Eventually the students will take the hint.

I doubt there is a party or loud music every night. But as said, things can be done about that. Or the OP could wear headphones and wait for the rezoning to take effect (yes it will take a long time). Applying for C4 when they know the council won't give permission is a bit of a waste of time. But if they want to do this, no one can stop them.

As suggested, the OP could do things like raise a petition, keep a noise diary, addresses of houses making noise, when, type, how often - then forward it to the university the students attend. You might be able to get LA names from 'to Let' signs. Report it to them too.

Rinzler

Thank you for the replies it makes for a very interesting read.

I need to address some things though -

1) As for the complaints we are in contact with Environmental Health quite regularly. You have to imagine my current situation. There are parties and loud music coming from different houses nearly every other day. If we complain about one house, another house will make noise on another day. Over the years we have complained about these houses and yet when they have been visited - a few weeks later they continue to make noise. We have logged so many complaints. The house parties are horrendous. Usually about 15+ students attend and it goes on all night. Do you really think we can ask them to turn the music down when they are all !!!!ed out of their minds? I have tried this before and it causes nothing but conflict or they just laugh it off. When the EH department deals with them. It's time for a new term with brand new tenants and the cycle starts again. Can you imagine living like this? This is why we want to move. I'd love for you to live in my.house for one week to see the extent of the things we have to put up with. We have had eggs thrown at our house, car scratched, litter, property damage, graffiti etc. This is not a good life to live.

2) We own the house outright. We have lowered the price to match even the lowest value house on the road and still nobody wants to buy it. Like I said the BTL investors want the planning permission and the families want nothing to do with this area. Like any of you here you still would want a fair price for your house even if it had to be lowered.

Thank you.

[Deleted User]

Depends how desperate I was to move. What matters more..,money or the peace and quiet you crave?

Its either that or you sit and wait it out.

phoebe1989seb

I remember your previous thread from 2014 and the advice given then about decluttering, redoing your house photos and getting your EA to amend the floorplan.

Sadly, looking at your current RM listing it seems as though you failed to take this advice onboard and as a result your house remains unsold. Perhaps you should at least be looking to address those issues?

As previous posters have said, all property will sell at the right price. As motivated sellers we previously had to take a substantial 'loss' (65k) to get out of an area we were less than happy with and to buy a new house closer to elderly parents. We priced our (extensively restored and immaculately presented ) house to sell and found a buyer in ten days.

ejc81

Rinzler wrote: »

!

In desperation we put the house for sale. It has been 2 years and we have got ZERO interest from families...mainly due to the reputation of this area. The only interest we get is from buy to let investors but once they learn we have not got planning permission granted (change of use), they are immediately disinterested.

You REALLY need to take this off your current agent NOW.

It's been sat on Rightmove for the best part of 2 years at a range of prices. When buyers see this they automatically think 'Why has that not sold yet? There must be a problem, avoid!'

I didn't really look at the listing in detail but I spotted a typo within the first few sentences, and that's just laziness IMO.

I would ring around a few local agents, explain that it's been stuck on the market forever! Then ask the ones that sound sensible to come out and do a market appraisal and ask them what they think it's worth, which buyers they would target, why, and what can you do to help the property appeal to that buyer market.

Any decent agent should be able to give you the right advice to get this sold, at the correct price.

stator

thesaint wrote: »

I would love to be a fly on the wall when they read that letter.
They will be laughing until they cry.

I realise it's a long shot, but unless you can provide case law that shows it doesn't work I recon it's worth trying.
Situations like this are how case law gets created and sometimes it does change the boundaries of the law