How to differentiate a flat from a house/bungalow

PIP83

prowla said:

IMHO, if you own everything between the sky and the ground then it is a house.

What about the grounds, are there shared areas, and are there maintenance fees for their upkeep?

That's what I thought was the definition
There wasn't any charge mentioned in this advert, but I am expecting there will be one with the shared gardens and most of all because an advert for an identical property mentions £70 per quarter service charge.  Just waiting for the solicitor to mention it.

Brie

Did the bank look at the right property?  

When selling MiL's flat a mortgage was refused because it was in poor shape for a brand new block of purpose built flats.  Problem was MiL's flat was in a renovated Victorian vicarage.  The new build block was next door.  

Grumpy_chap

Do the six properties each have their own main access door direct from outside, or is there a shared entrance corridor from which access to the individual properties is gained?

PIP83

Grumpy_chap said:

Do the six properties each have their own main access door direct from outside, or is there a shared entrance corridor from which access to the individual properties is gained?

All got their own direct access from outside.

Grumpy_chap

PIP83 said:

The bank have come back and refused to lend, claiming that it is a freehold flat which goes against their lending policy.

Did the bank do a full survey or just a valuation survey?
The valuation surveys do tend to be rather "brief" in what they actually look at, particularly if the LTV is low.
The basic valuation surveys were sometimes colloquially referred to as "drive by" in so far as the "surveyor" would simply drive by, assess there is a property there and simply say "value high enough".
I can quite imagine that these days, the same valuation survey might simply be done by putting the post code into an online mapping and location image service.  If there is a mixed development of bungalows and some flats and the pin lands on the flats, that is what gets reported back.

prowla

PIP83 said:

prowla said:

IMHO, if you own everything between the sky and the ground then it is a house.

What about the grounds, are there shared areas, and are there maintenance fees for their upkeep?

That's what I thought was the definition
There wasn't any charge mentioned in this advert, but I am expecting there will be one with the shared gardens and most of all because an advert for an identical property mentions £70 per quarter service charge.  Just waiting for the solicitor to mention it.

So the property is freehold but the grounds aren't?

PIP83 said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Do the six properties each have their own main access door direct from outside, or is there a shared entrance corridor from which access to the individual properties is gained?

All got their own direct access from outside.

I nearly asked that, but figured the picture of the block of 6 has 3 dedicated entrances on the side shown (plus 3 more on the opposite/hidden side).

But good to clarify anyway.

Grumpy_chap said:

PIP83 said:

The bank have come back and refused to lend, claiming that it is a freehold flat which goes against their lending policy.

Did the bank do a full survey or just a valuation survey?
The valuation surveys do tend to be rather "brief" in what they actually look at, particularly if the LTV is low.
The basic valuation surveys were sometimes colloquially referred to as "drive by" in so far as the "surveyor" would simply drive by, assess there is a property there and simply say "value high enough".
I can quite imagine that these days, the same valuation survey might simply be done by putting the post code into an online mapping and location image service.  If there is a mixed development of bungalows and some flats and the pin lands on the flats, that is what gets reported back.

That might be the issue!

The person doing the "survey" may well not know the property and made an assumption, or may even have picked up on an incorrect wording for a similar one.

Grumpy_chap

prowla said:

PIP83 said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Do the six properties each have their own main access door direct from outside, or is there a shared entrance corridor from which access to the individual properties is gained?

All got their own direct access from outside.

I nearly asked that, but figured the picture of the block of 6 has 3 dedicated entrances on the side shown (plus 3 more on the opposite/hidden side).

But good to clarify anyway.

Yes, I agree that the picture appeared to show the three dedicated entrances, but it was not 100% clear to me.
I also wondered whether the apparent "entrances" visible were, in fact, patio doors / secondary access point and the main front door from an internal corridor. 
I noted the pattern of the roof lights did not seem to show six identical units, which further fuelled my suspicion that there could be an internal corridor.

The good news is, the OP has clarified and ruled out the shared access as a reason why the valuer may have classed the properties as "flats".

I do wonder whether the specific lender has a limit for how many properties can be in a "cluster" block?  Where we live, most of the "cluster" homes are 1980's and consist of blocks of four two-storey houses arranged in a square.  Maybe the lender has a limit of four properties as a cluster and, above that number of independent properties, class the properties as "flats".  It seems clear here that the property is a bungalow, but that won't cut through any specific rules the lender has set in their algorithm.

PIP83

Thanks for all your help

Grumpy_chap said:

I do wonder whether the specific lender has a limit for how many properties can be in a "cluster" block?  Where we live, most of the "cluster" homes are 1980's and consist of blocks of four two-storey houses arranged in a square.  Maybe the lender has a limit of four properties as a cluster and, above that number of independent properties, class the properties as "flats".  It seems clear here that the property is a bungalow, but that won't cut through any specific rules the lender has set in their algorithm.

I think you might've hit the nail on the head there.  Should find out more tomorrow, but I've just done a google for "Cluster house" + mortgage and come across this old thread of someone else experiencing this exact scenario https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?420321-Problems-buying-a-cluster-house


Re: Prowla   So the property is freehold but the grounds aren't?
It's a rip-off but not uncommon for freehold properties to still have service charges, especially in new developments (I know this one is old).  Just search on Zoopla for houses with a keyword like "service charge" and you'll see loads.  Here's just one https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/67986988/

Murphybear

I thought bungalows were invented because a builder ran out of money for a house he was building and decided to bung a low roof on  

ps sorry, I couldn’t resist that.  I always wanted a bungalow since we visited my grandmother in hers in the 50s/60s.  I finally got one in 2000

newsgroupmonkey_

PIP83 said:

loubel said:

Which bit of that building are you buying? Has your broker asked why they believe it's a flat? 

I was dealing direct with the lender.  All they say is that when they rang the surveyors to book, the surveyors told them it was a flat.    The estate agent is saying that his broker will know a lender that doesn't have a problem with this type of property.   Just bugs me how they can even think it's a flat.

Do a PVQ with the surveyor. They've clearly not visited the property.