Will my neighbour's extension affect the value of my house?

amychurch

Our neighbours are planning to build an extension that we've realised will block our views and sunlight. We have already objected once to their extension, which was eventually rejected anyway. Since they are friends and due to their rejection, they have come to us personally with new plans that will still block our views and sunlight, but obviously not as much. We contacted an estate agent who confirmed that the lack of views and sunlight will more than likely decrease the value of our house, which we knew from the beginning anyway, if we were to sell one day. However, the neighbours are now saying that they think that their extension will actually increase the value of our house somehow? Is this possible? 

Jeepers_Creepers

Will it add to your property's value? No, not a chance. I wonder what your neighb was thinking in saying that?! Perhaps it demonstrates that you, too, could build an extension like this, and that would add value...?

On that point, would adding a similarish extension to your house enable you to regain your views and light? If so, all is not lost.

Other than that, tho', I don't believe there's anything you can do. As I understand it, there is no entitlement to a view, and an extension would only be refused due to reduced light if it really was a serious reduction in light levels - pretty much literally blocking the only source of natural light into that room.

Others will confirm.

I fear, however, you are stuffed. It's hellish, but please try and not take it personally as it's not a 'personal' decision by your neighbs. If it's a genuinely useful extension, and if your house would benefit from something similar - whilst also regaining the lost view in the process - then it might not affect your property's value that much as potential buyers should be able to take this into account. 

AdrianC

"It'll reduce the value of my house" is not an acceptable objection to a planning app. The planners will simply ignore it. Likewise "view".

Light and crowding? They are. They will be considered.

amychurch

AdrianC said:

"It'll reduce the value of my house" is not an acceptable objection to a planning app. The planners will simply ignore it. Likewise "view".

Light and crowding? They are. They will be considered.

Thanks for your reply but that isn't what I asked about. I didn't ask if our reasons for objection were adequate since we already know that the council will not consider house value as a reason for objection. We are now in a stage of trying to compromise first with our neighbours personally, without the council's planning process. Our neighbours have told us face to face that they don't agree with the fact that our house would most likely lose value because of loss of light and views - which, as I stated before, has been confirmed by an estate agent - and, instead, they are claiming that our house would actually increase in value. I was asking if that was possible in any scenario. 

amychurch

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Will it add to your property's value? No, not a chance. I wonder what your neighb was thinking in saying that?! Perhaps it demonstrates that you, too, could build an extension like this, and that would add value...?

On that point, would adding a similarish extension to your house enable you to regain your views and light? If so, all is not lost.

Other than that, tho', I don't believe there's anything you can do. As I understand it, there is no entitlement to a view, and an extension would only be refused due to reduced light if it really was a serious reduction in light levels - pretty much literally blocking the only source of natural light into that room.

Others will confirm.

I fear, however, you are stuffed. It's hellish, but please try and not take it personally as it's not a 'personal' decision by your neighbs. If it's a genuinely useful extension, and if your house would benefit from something similar - whilst also regaining the lost view in the process - then it might not affect your property's value that much as potential buyers should be able to take this into account. 

I think that their reasoning behind the comment was something like "it will show potential buyers that there is potential to build/extend." But what is more likely? That what they're saying is right and our house will increase in value after their extension? Or what we're saying is right and our house will decrease in value?

Scotbot

Err no. Whilst there may be an argument that the extension won't devalue your house how could it possibly increase the value? Mathematically it may increase the average value for the street as it will be more expensive but it will have no effect on the actual  value of your property. 

davidmcn

Objectively I can't see it will make any difference. It might reassure a future buyer that there's a precedent for extensions being permitted, though it may be that there isn't currently much doubt about that anyway.

amychurch

davidmcn said:

Objectively I can't see it will make any difference. It might reassure a future buyer that there's a precedent for extensions being permitted, though it may be that there isn't currently much doubt about that anyway.

We have already built an extension that didn't affect any neighbours whatsoever, so any potential buyers of our house would already be reassured that they would be able to extend if they wanted to. So, basically, what you're saying is that their extension would not make a difference in regards to reassuring potential buyers?

onwards&upwards

amychurch said:

davidmcn said:

Objectively I can't see it will make any difference. It might reassure a future buyer that there's a precedent for extensions being permitted, though it may be that there isn't currently much doubt about that anyway.

We have already built an extension that didn't affect any neighbours whatsoever

Are you sure?  That seems unlikely.

Scotbot

amychurch said:

davidmcn said:

Objectively I can't see it will make any difference. It might reassure a future buyer that there's a precedent for extensions being permitted, though it may be that there isn't currently much doubt about that anyway.

We have already built an extension that didn't affect any neighbours whatsoever, so any potential buyers of our house would already be reassured that they would be able to extend if they wanted to. So, basically, what you're saying is that their extension would not make a difference in regards to reassuring potential buyers?

No they wouldn't.  It would depend what they wanted to do and the fact it has already been extended may actually make further extension more difficult. Permitted development rules are different for houses that have already been extended and full planning permission may be required. 

amychurch

onwards&upwards said:

amychurch said:

davidmcn said:

Objectively I can't see it will make any difference. It might reassure a future buyer that there's a precedent for extensions being permitted, though it may be that there isn't currently much doubt about that anyway.

We have already built an extension that didn't affect any neighbours whatsoever

Are you sure?  That seems unlikely.

We built a conservatory which every other house next to us already had, and we built it outwards to the same length as theirs to keep in theme with the street and we had no objections. So, yeah, I would say it didn't affect the neighbours in any way whatsoever. However, our neighbours are trying to build even more outwards and upwards, despite objections from multiple other houses on the street. Our building history is irrelevant to the question I asked and so is your response.