Selling as a 3 bed but only planning for a 2 bed

Cakeguts

95.9 square metres is really small for a 3 bed detached house. I don't know how much you are paying for it but you will need to find out how it compares to a local 3 bed semidetached in price because not everyone wants to pay extra for a detached house that is smaller and more expensive than a local semidetached.



It could be really difficult to sell if you ever want to move.

Mutton_Geoff

Cakeguts wrote: »

95.9 square metres is really small for a 3 bed detached house. I don't know how much you are paying for it but you will need to find out how it compares to a local 3 bed semidetached in price because not everyone wants to pay extra for a detached house that is smaller and more expensive than a local semidetached.



It could be really difficult to sell if you ever want to move.

One of the biggest marketing cons in the UK property market has always been the number of bedrooms regardless of size. Many other countries market properties on their sq footage. As cake says, do some comparisons based on the space you're buying, not the number of rooms.


If you want to see what minimum recommended sizes are, look up HMO rules for guidance. When I recently redeveloped my one bed annexe, the bedroom was large and had the possibility to divide into two. My builder was adamant I should split it to maximise profit (although it is never my intention to sell the annexe separately) and after a lot of thought, I'd rather have a nice roomy guest quarters than two bedrooms that would barely make the HMO spec.


https://landlords.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/hmo-minimum-room-sizes-come-force-1-october-2018

MEM62

Dg1980 wrote: »

Thank you for you response, it just seems a bit strange to build it as a 2 bed with a office to get it through planning and then sell as a 3bed.

Hardly strange at all. It is possible that planning for a three-bedroom house may have been problematic so the plans were put through for two but the builder then marketed as three to maximise the market value.

Cakeguts

MEM62 wrote: »

Hardly strange at all. It is possible that planning for a three-bedroom house may have been problematic so the plans were put through for two but the builder then marketed as three to maximise the market value.

I agree with this.



I can see that the planning department thought that it was too small or the plot was too small for a 3 bed property so the planning was passed for a 2 bed plus office. A 2 bed property with an office will not sell for as much as a 3 bed. So it is being marketed as a 3 bed so that more can be charged for it.



What is likely to be happening is that you are buying a 2 bed but paying the price for a 3 bed. The size of the property is in line with a 2 bed but not with a 3 bed so unless you are very careful you will be paying too much for this property.



Do some research and find out how much 2 bed detached houses sell for in the local area. That will tell you how much you are likely to be overpaying for this 2 bed house.

Mutton_Geoff

Cakeguts wrote: »

Do some research and find out how much 2 bed detached houses sell for in the local area. That will tell you how much you are likely to be overpaying for this 2 bed house.

Don't phrase it like that else Crashy will be along in a moment :rotfl:

Doozergirl

The planning department aren't totally stupid. They know that rooms can be used for other things. If a three bed weren't accpetable, they wouldn't be swayed by an application with a study.

I've seen it with a friend looking at new builds recently. The developer literature says 3 bed and a study, the rightmove listing is for 4 beds and that's her own interpretation of the space too, but the room is on a different floor.

950 square feet isn't that small for a three bed, in fact it's about the size of the average 1930s 3 bed semi that is so prevalent in this country.

FreeBear

Dg1980 wrote: »

The room is 3.23m x 2.64m

The third bedroom in my 3 bed semi measures 2.4m x 2.3m - Just big enough for a single bed. Your room would be sumptuous by comparison.

Cakeguts

Doozergirl wrote: »

The planning department aren't totally stupid. They know that rooms can be used for other things. If a three bed weren't accpetable, they wrq

950 square feet isn't that small for a three bed, in fact it's about the size of the average 1930s 3 bed semi that is so prevalent in this country.

There is a modern 3 bed detached on an estate that I know of that is the same size as the semis on that same estate. It is for sale again and owners of it keep trying to sell it for the same price as the other 3 bed detached houses on the same estate that are all much bigger and in better positions and no one will ever pay the price for it because they can get the same amount of space for a lot less.



Buyers aren't stupid either most of them don't want to pay more for a 3 bed detached house than for a similar sized semi. Those that can afford the extra want to buy a bigger 3 bed detached.


The house in question sounds to me as if it could do with being a semi rather than detached.

PasturesNew

The question really isn't "what it is/what it says it is", it's whether the house/layout/flow fits your lifestyle and needs when compared, by price/size/facilities with other houses available in your budget in the areas you want. Plus, availability of any houses in the area/that you can afford.

"Could you have done better for your money?" is the only question to ask yourself.

Don't cut your nose off to spite your face, simply for the sake of a wording used somewhere.

A house is what it is .... room names/uses are just suggestions.

Doozergirl

Cakeguts wrote: »

There is a modern 3 bed detached on an estate that I know of that is the same size as the semis on that same estate. It is for sale again and owners of it keep trying to sell it for the same price as the other 3 bed detached houses on the same estate that are all much bigger and in better positions and no one will ever pay the price for it because they can get the same amount of space for a lot less.



Buyers aren't stupid either most of them don't want to pay more for a 3 bed detached house than for a similar sized semi. Those that can afford the extra want to buy a bigger 3 bed detached.


The house in question sounds to me as if it could do with being a semi rather than detached.

You haven't seen the OPs house, nor been given any info to make any informed opinion of it or the comparable properties in the area. Your own comparison shows that people aren't stupid and won't buy overpriced houses so why assume that the OP is?

The house isn't small, the room isn't small, there are no rules on what can be semi and what can be detached.

There's someone posting on this thread right now that I know has been disappointed by a lack of smaller, detached properties. People who don't need masses of space would still like the benefit of being detached and would pay proportionately more for that benefit.

PN has it. The OP only needs to be concerned that the house represents some value for money compared to what is available locally of a similar size.