Feel duped

Ld74

We bought a 270 year old cottage, we had a full structural survey carried out and the bank carried out their survey, this was sold as a detached property with underpinning work carried out 40 years ago. All surveys confirmed they were happy no structural issues.

We have been in the property 3 months and I literally saw my neighbours head through a small glazed window (like a square port hole) in our lounge.

From our local pub we could see the neighbour had built an extension on our building.

Looking through planning permissions for the neighbours house we found approval for a dormer extension but the condition was glazed windows were to forever be in place to give neighbours privacy.

This add on what not disclosed by the seller, not picked up in any legal work and not mentioned on the surveys.

It’s more or less a third party wall that we had no idea about.

When looking at the house the add on is not obvious and we cannot see it from our garden, when you go to the pub garden next door it’s very clear.

The solicitor says the seller only had to disclose works done to the property but I feel we were fooled into buying a house advertised detached when in fact it isn’t.

Im concerned what it may be used for if the owner decides to sell I’m also concerned as it was built after the underpinning that it may undermine the work carried out.

So it just goes to show you can do the searches, you can have a full structural survey but the seller can sell you a semi detached house and call it detached as long as they omit to tell you about any planning permissions granted to the neighbours to build onto one of your external walls.

user1977

This is a rather confusing story. Are you saying the houses were already attached, but you somehow failed to see that?

Redwino222

This sounds highly unusual.  I am really struggling to understand and visualise how this was missed, particularly by the surveyors.

could you share - diagram?

Jeepers_Creepers

Ld, when was this neighbouring extension built, do you know?

If the house was described as 'detached', then that is clearly not accurate, and is a pretty significant difference! Get in touch with your conveyancing solicitor and see what they say.

I don't understand this 'porthole' of yours. What's on the other side? Neighb's garden? Or an actual room in the neighb's extension?! Have they fitted a window right against yours?!

And, what do you want/expect to happen? Just enforcing that they fit an obscure window? Damages against the vendor/EA?

Redwino222

Am I right that the window was already in your room and they turned your exterior wall into a party wall?

buy I still really do t see how this could have been missed.  Even by you. Did you not walk around the exterior of the house?  Or look at it on google maps?

UnderOffer

I’ve tried to imagine what the property shape would be, is it your home one side, neighbours home other but with a side return extension? Using the side of your house with square window as their outside wall?

Greymug

Are you one of those guys who buy properties without going to view them?

Tiglet2

How did you manage to view the property and fail to notice it was not detached?  I am struggling to understand this.

You instruct a solicitor in the purchase.  You commission a survey.  But neither of these two professionals are going to know that you were not buying what you thought you were buying.  A solicitor does not visit the property and would not know if it was detached or a semi - that's your choice.  A surveyor carries out a survey on the property - he is not questioning whether it is detached/semi/terraced, nor why should he?

TBagpuss

Like others, I am struggling to understand how you overlooked this when you viewed - do you have photos or a plan which make it clearer? 

Do you think the extension was built in contravention of the planning permission granted? 

What do you want to happen? 

Greymug

Ld74 said:

So it just goes to show you can do the searches, you can have a full structural survey but the seller can sell you a semi detached house and call it detached as long as they omit to tell you about any planning permissions granted to the neighbours to build onto one of your external walls.

It also goes to show what happens when you buy a property without viewing it: you get nasty surprises.

Enjoy your new cottage and let this be a lesson for your future purchases 

pinkteapot

If you don't view a property, at least have a look at Google Maps satellite view, and Streetview... (Unless the extension is too recent to be shown on Google Maps)