Garden is a separate plot with planning

Newbie321

Hi all,
We're looking at a house that has a huge and lovely garden. They are separate plots, although they not physically separated. Both are advertised separately, but there is the option of buying both plots together. As of today, we can't afford both.
The garden plot has planning permission for a house. However the plans involve building road access through the side of the house, within the boundary of the house plot. Otherwise, the garden is an island with neighbour's gardens completely surrounding it.
Hopefully the above makes sense.
Any thoughts please?

Flugelhorn

hmm - if you buy the house then someone else will buy the plot, do some building and you really don't know how it will turn out. How much garden will you have after this?

Newbie321

Still a reasonable garden without it.
As they don't have road access, then it would be tricky for someone to develop there. Unless they plan on splitting the house property, so that we don't purchase the side where the road access will be.
And if they don't sell it yet, can we still use it as a garden?
Still very initial stages.. The viewing is middle of next week. Just want to be armed with questions about it

Norman_Castle

Its unlikely they would offer the plot without access. Ask them exactly what you are buying.
If you only buy the house plot its doubtful you would have legitimate use of the garden but if you don't damage or interfere with it I doubt they would care if you did use it until its sold.

Cakeguts

I don't think you can work out a realistic valuation of the house until another house has been built on the garden plot.

Thrugelmir

Any other neighbours looking to sell parts of their gardens?

G_M

If you bought the house, and assuming the purchase included the side plot through which the other property's access would have to pass, then you would effectively own a 'ransom strip'.

Any developer of the garden plot, whether the current owner or a new one, would have to negotiate with you for access (unless they can find access elsewhere eg another neighbour), and you could ask pretty much any price you wanted.

If the garden plot then didn't sell (because of your ransom strip), you could later offer to buy it cheap.

Caz3121

may be worth seeing if you can view the plans that have been passed.
with our council you can view the applications and plans online

brodawel

If they sell the house before they sell the plot it's likely they will have to pay CGT on the plot when they eventually sell it. Perhaps there might be some bargaining power for you to buy both at a lower price because they won't get as much for the plot if you only buy the house.

davidmcn

G_M wrote: »

If you bought the house, and assuming the purchase included the side plot through which the other property's access would have to pass, then you would effectively own a 'ransom strip'.

Any developer of the garden plot, whether the current owner or a new one, would have to negotiate with you for access (unless they can find access elsewhere eg another neighbour), and you could ask pretty much any price you wanted.

If the garden plot then didn't sell (because of your ransom strip), you could later offer to buy it cheap.

True if this happened, but it would be somewhat bizarre for the sellers to sell the house without excluding a route to access the development plot, or at least reserving suitable rights for a shared access.

BobQ

Have a look on the Council's planning portal, you may find all the papers relating to the planning application. Otherwise ask the estate agent for the same and clarification of what the vendor is proposing to sell for each plot. You cannot assess what the house plot is without this.