Buying a house - extensive building work next door

Heres_the_deal

There are a lot of houses out there for circa £1,000,000.  I mean a lot !

PAGER80

Doozergirl said:

PAGER80 said:

AdrianC said:

PAGER80 said:

We are in the process of buying a house in Surrey

What stage of the purchase are you at?

We had a drive-by the property over the weekend and discovered the neighbours are doing some very extensive building work

Did you look at planning apps for the area?

We don't really want to pull out, but we feel the property is now worth less than we offered as it will no longer enjoy the space/separation it once had. ... Do you think it's reasonable to request a price reduction and, if so, how much?  For context the original agreed price was £960k.

Of course, the neighbour could have put in a planning app the day after your purchase completed...

If you think it's affected the value of the property, then - absolutely - reduce your offer. Don't be surprised if the vendor doesn't agree. So would you then walk away?

Of course, the neighbour could have done this at any point after we bought the property, but then we would have had the opportunity to reject or request a modification of their plans if we felt they were unreasonable.  

No you wouldn't.  If it needed planning permission then you could have 'objected' which isn't the same as rejecting or asking nicely if they'll modify something for you.  

All houses come with the risk of neighbouring extensions.  

Indeed.  But a risk means it might never happen so the price should reflect the possibility it never does.  But now we know it definitely is!

Doozergirl

PAGER80 said:

Doozergirl said:

PAGER80 said:

AdrianC said:

PAGER80 said:

We are in the process of buying a house in Surrey

What stage of the purchase are you at?

We had a drive-by the property over the weekend and discovered the neighbours are doing some very extensive building work

Did you look at planning apps for the area?

We don't really want to pull out, but we feel the property is now worth less than we offered as it will no longer enjoy the space/separation it once had. ... Do you think it's reasonable to request a price reduction and, if so, how much?  For context the original agreed price was £960k.

Of course, the neighbour could have put in a planning app the day after your purchase completed...

If you think it's affected the value of the property, then - absolutely - reduce your offer. Don't be surprised if the vendor doesn't agree. So would you then walk away?

Of course, the neighbour could have done this at any point after we bought the property, but then we would have had the opportunity to reject or request a modification of their plans if we felt they were unreasonable.  

No you wouldn't.  If it needed planning permission then you could have 'objected' which isn't the same as rejecting or asking nicely if they'll modify something for you.  

All houses come with the risk of neighbouring extensions.  

Indeed.  But a risk means it might never happen so the price should reflect the possibility it never does.  But now we know it definitely is!

We virtually all have permitted development rights and there is a trend to extend in good areas because it's cheaper than buying bigger.   The risk iff extension is constant.  It does not affect price because we have planning laws.  

In the 9 years I've lived in my house, next door (but one) has gone from a modest 3 bed detached to 2 or 3 times the size.  The house directly across the road has done a hip-to-gable loft extension and gone out at the back; we've built a house in the back garden and next door is adding a cul-de-sac of six houses to theirs!   

If anything, the prices are going up.  The bigger and more prestigious the houses... 

pbhb

I would pull out, I have just pulled out of the house which I found extensive planning permission around it and I have found an even better house since, so don’t give up hope. Perhaps that’s why they are Leaving?

Jeepers_Creepers

Pager80, I find it unlikely that such an amount of work could be carried out without requiring PP. And in any case it would need full BC oversight (unless they have their own surveyor). So the first thing for your solicitor to do is find out 'how' this work conforms and check that it is recorded at the LA's Plan Dept. If it really doesn't, run (and 'shop' them). 

Other than that, what difference does it actually make? I mean you now know what it's going to look like, whereas before you'd be wondering how it could look when it did happen in the future - as it quite likely would have. Which scenario is worse?!

And what would be the chances of you being able to have some control over what they build had you already moved in? I'd suggest almost certainly 'none'. AND you'd pee-off your neighb by your attempts to do so. 

And you thought you'd have a couple of windows on that side? Facing - possibly overlooking - your neighb? 

If you still love 'your' house and would be prepared to live there happily without any resentment whatsoever towards your new neighb (who we should imagine is doing nothing 'wrong'), then by all means try a sizeable reduction - ooh, £50k? I reckon they deserve this just for the audacity of not letting you know in the SIP or any other way. (You can always compromise on that sum...). I think there's every chance that the vendor is pooing themselves over this to some degree, and praying no-one brings it up. Almost certainly any interested party to this house would have reservations with such a change happening next door, and they must surely know this? I reckon you have a good chance of a discount - but you mustn't regret moving in if you succeed. 

AdrianC

A month ago, the OP was two months from completion.
They haven't posted since then, but last visited the forum a couple of days ago.

I wonder if they're even continuing with this purchase...

Alan2020

I think OP has delusions of grandeur. If this is commuter Surrey area, £960k Detatched house is mid range house. They have 1m gap to their boundary which is massive by Surrey commuter belt terms. Their house hasn’t lost any value. It’s just a mid range detached house, equivalent to a £230k Detatched in Liverpool suburbs or Wales. They should buy a proper detached house in Surrey if they want massive gaps, circa £3m or so near commuter points. Otherwise enjoy the house and when you have paid off mortgage, sell and move to Birkenhead and buy a massive detached Victorian villa with in and out driveway for £400k.

Alan2020

To clarify, what OP thinks their house is Danes Hill, Hockering, Woking, GU22 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93973328.html Vs what range OP is paying Woking, Surrey, GU22 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74141823.html Ha ha