Buying an empty room in block of flats and extending

cublet

Hi,

This is an odd one and I can't find any information anywhere at all on it so I'd welcome some advice. I own a flat in a listed building which is run by a big management company that do a lot of social and affordable housing. It's a listed building (Grade II) and there is a freeholder.

It's a first floor flat and below me are lots of empty rooms that aren't used for anything. They're just empty - you can see from the street.

I am thinking I would like to buy them from the freeholder and make my flat two floors. It's very small and this would give me more space and increase the value. I'd put in a spiral staircase - although that might need consent.

Has anyone ever heard of anyone doing something like this? I don't even know where to start, who to approach or if the whole idea is just mad. So, all thoughts or advice would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance!

C

Robin9

cublet wrote: »

...................... I'd put in a spiral staircase - although that might need consent..................

Thanks in advance!

C

No might about it - you will .

Talk to the management company.

AdrianC

First thing is to identify whether they're the freeholder's TO sell... They may well be on a lease to somebody else, just as your flat is. Are they a stand-alone unit, or are they part of another ground floor unit?

You can bet you will need consent from the freeholder to do anything as major as rearrange the interior layout in the way you describe. Given that the building is listed, you may well need listed building consent as well as planning permission and building regs sign-off.

All in all, it'll probably be cheaper to move.

davidmcn

What are/were the rooms for? How long have they been unused?

need_an_answer

You are going to be governed by the lease and the freeholder as to whether this is possible,so it may be a non starter if the answer obtained from reading that document and initial enquires is no.

It may be that the spaces below are empty for a reason and as such will need to remain so...smoke vents or areas that were not permitted as part of the original conversion into habitable spaces.There could be a cap on the size or occupants allowed in the building .


If you were however able to buy then you would need to consider extra things like increased service charges and council tax increases because the demised space would be larger.


Things like this are usually undeveloped for a reason and whilst they may appear empty they usually are because of some restriction or covenant


Enquire by all means but if there had been or is the potential to create larger or more living space,I would have expected the freeholder to have maximised the areas sooner

cublet

Thanks all. That's my concern - that it would be cheaper to move.

The rooms have never been used for anything to my knowledge. The building was converted in 2002 - and it really doesn't look if they have been used for anything ever. They are part of the flat block, there is a room where the electricity meters are, one where the lift electricals are - and three empty ones with doors and windows but nothing else. They are off a corridor that leads from the entrance- with the post boxes, front door etc - to where we the communal bins are.

I'll contact the management company. They'll probably think me mad but they are just empty and directly below my flat. I guess it's something that makes some sort of sense in theory, but is rather different in practice.

S

TripleH

Ask the Management company, the worst they can do is say no,

need_an_answer

Does the room form part of what is classed as a communal area for all properties at the moment?

If it is then it may prove costly to amend all the other flats leases to reflect that they have lost part of their communal "space"

Senseicads

Let us know what the management company say!! I'd be interested in whether this is doable or not.
cheers! :-)

eddddy

cublet wrote: »

The rooms have never been used for anything to my knowledge. The building was converted in 2002 - and it really doesn't look if they have been used for anything ever.

Obviously, asking the freeholder about the rooms is a sensible way forward.

But if you want to do your own research as well, you can download the freehold title register (and perhaps plan).

It will list all the leases granted, so you can see if those rooms have been leased out or still belong to the freeholder.

If they've been leased out, you can also download their title register to find out who's leased them.

See: https://eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/eservices/FindAProperty/view/QuickEnquiryInit.do

Each download costs £3.

cloo

Senseicads wrote: »

Let us know what the management company say!! I'd be interested in whether this is doable or not.
cheers! :-)

Yes, I'd also be fascinated to know. I shouldn't be surprised if it turns out there's a reason management can't sell, but it's got to be worth asking.