Maybe or maybe not next door to a takeaway

oitnb16

Hi

First time buyer here. Seen a number of houses now (10) and fallen in love with one, layout/location/state of repair all up to spec and keen to put in offer....but....the place next door.

Next door is currently a disused takeaway, with planning permission approved to convert back to residential house. Great! Except planning expires in a few months and the current owners of that property (next door) have so far made no visible start on the conversion. It's in a right messy state of disrepair currently, needs completely gutting and a lot of work.

I love the house and don't want to lose it, but not sure I want to risk living next to a takeaway...if the planning expires and it reopens as a takeaway - what impact will that have on the neighbouring house (that I'm looking at)? Pros/cons? No signs of vermin/cockroaches in the house I'm looking at...not yet, anyway.

What to do?! Do I put in an offer? How much below the asking price would be reasonable to offer (as a percentage guide)?

TIA

Cakeguts

Is the house cheap for what it has compared to the others? If you mean by up to spec that it has modern new fittings there is nothing to stop you from making these cosmetic changes to any house you buy. Anything between the brick wall of a house can be changed it is all cosmetic. What you can't change is the location next door to a commercial property which could be converted back to a house. You can often change some of the layout or build an extension but you can't move a house.

So is this house so much better than all the others or is it just that you are attracted to the cosmetic changes that have been made?

glasgowdan

A takeaway next door would make the house very hard to sell in future so I'd be wanting to get it VERY cheap just now to allow for that.

kingfisherblue

I'd walk away. There is no way that I would want to live next door to a building that could potentially revert back to being a takeaway. If you move there and later decide to sell, you could find it very difficult.

There will always be other houses to view. I'd be looking for one without potential problems that include noise, crowds of teenagers, parking problems, cooking smells, possible vermin..... I'm sure that I haven't covered everything.

Take your time, save a bit more. In Spring there are usually loads more houses on the market.

davidmcn

Lenders don't like properties next to take aways - so if you need a mortgage you might struggle to get one, and even if you're a cash buyer it's going to affect the value and marketability.

Hoploz

davidmcn wrote: »

Lenders don't like properties next to take aways - so if you need a mortgage you might struggle to get one, and even if you're a cash buyer it's going to affect the value and marketability.

Beat me to it! Yes, you might find you can't buy it at all if you need a mortgage so I'd keep looking if I were you. if the conversion work begins before the one you're looking at sells then give it consideration again if you haven't found anything else but who knows when that could be!

If you're really keen then you could do some digging and see if you could find out what is likely to happen. The planning info online should have contact details of the applicant so you could contact them and ask what's going on. But obvs even if they tell you they are going to convert it soon, your lender won't accept this until it's done!

BOBS

The fact you have come on here to ask, and taken the time to create an account, makes me think you maybe know in your heart of hearts that this is not the right place to buy.
All the best with house hunting x

fishpond

Buy the one you are interested in, then buy the one next door.

Hoploz

fishpond wrote: »

Buy the one you are interested in, then buy the one next door.

Or even better... Buy the one that's potentially a take away and remove the risk, and then buy the one you're interested in

oitnb16

Hoploz wrote: »

Or even better... Buy the one that's potentially a take away and remove the risk, and then buy the one you're interested in

If only that were feasible!

oitnb16

BOBS wrote: »

The fact you have come on here to ask, and taken the time to create an account, makes me think you maybe know in your heart of hearts that this is not the right place to buy.
All the best with house hunting x

I feel like the place is absolutely right, but it's the place next door is the one that's not right! I think I'm clutching at straws though and you're probably right. That makes me sad! Sigh.