Should I buy house with a garage under a coach house?

1865TP

The house we’re looking at is Freehold, built in 2010 by Taylor Wimpey as part of a wider new build area of the town we live in.

I’ve asked the estate agents where the garage electrics are coming from, and they’ve been told by the current homeowner that they’re hooked up to the house we’re looking at.

I’ve attached what I was sent by the estate agents (who spoke to the current owner) in case it helps!

pinkshoes

"and added power as there was restrictions".

What restrictions?!?! I'd be wanting to read any leases/deeds to find out exactly what the agreements are. 

propertyrental

1865TP said:

Thanks for your help all.

An update to this - the current owner says that the garage belongs to the property and isn't leased.

He says that the owner prior to him also owned the coach house above the garage (which has since been sold), so installed electricity to the garage as it was all his anyway.

Is there any way I can verify what he's telling me?

As a first time buyer, this all seems quite messy and complicated!

You've already been advised to obtain the lease. If your seller is right (unlikely) then the Land Registry Titles will confirm whether:

* the house is freehold and the garage is included in the house's freehold, or

* the house is freehold and the garage is also freehold but on a separate title, with the coach house above being leasehold

* the house is leasehold and the garage is on the same leasehold title

* the house and garage are on separate leasehold titles

So for £3 each for the Titles and Plans for each part, you can see who owns what and how.

https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

Have you established where the electricity supplies comes from? Coach house above? House you are buying? Independent supply?

NameUnavailable

This sounds to me that the previous owner of the house and coach house decided to 'convert' the garage regardless of what was in the lease, as only they would be affected in theory.

As the coach house now has a new owner they may not be so willing to agree to having an office below their home where it should just be parking for a car.

As already said you need to establish IF the garage is leasehold and WHAT the lease says, if it is.

1865TP

Thanks for links @propertyrental - I bought the titles and plans for both properties.

I've attached the segment of the title document for the coach house that references the garage, and the land plan for it.

The garage I'd be using is numbered "1".







The title documents of the house I'm looking into buying contain these two notes with a similar date stamp.

BarelySentientAI

So the coach house owns the freehold, and the garage is leasehold.

You need to see the lease for title LL327508

eddddy

So it's a fairly standard set-up - you'd be buying a freehold house with a leasehold garage.

(The estate agent who sent you the note you quoted sounds like they might not have a good understanding about property.)


The lease for the garage will almost certainly say that you can only use it to garage a car. But if the freeholder  - i.e. the owner of the coach house - is happy to 'turn a blind eye' and ignore what you do, you can use it as an office.

But the freeholder (owner of the coach house) could change their mind at any time, and probably tell you to stop using it as an office.

propertyrental

BarelySentientAI said:

So the coach house owns the freehold, and the garage is leasehold.

You need to see the lease for title LL327508

£7 by post on OC2

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-copies-of-documents-registration-oc2

eddddy

propertyrental said:

BarelySentientAI said:

So the coach house owns the freehold, and the garage is leasehold.

You need to see the lease for title LL327508

£7 by post on OC2

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-copies-of-documents-registration-oc2

Or you could ask the seller for a copy of the garage lease. It may be quicker,

They probably got a copy when they bought the house, and most people keep documents like that fairly safely.

They might even have received an electronic copy from their solicitor, which they can forward by email.

silvercar

eddddy said:

So it's a fairly standard set-up - you'd be buying a freehold house with a leasehold garage.

(The estate agent who sent you the note you quoted sounds like they might not have a good understanding about property.)


The lease for the garage will almost certainly say that you can only use it to garage a car. But if the freeholder  - i.e. the owner of the coach house - is happy to 'turn a blind eye' and ignore what you do, you can use it as an office.

But the freeholder (owner of the coach house) could change their mind at any time, and probably tell you to stop using it as an office.

If the owner of the coach house is happy with it, I would get it documented rather than turn a blind eye. And get it documented before you plug in your electric car