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Unsellable Property?

Siarne
Siarne Posts: 2 Newbie
in House buying, renting & selling
We have recently put our house on the market and within 3 days we had an offer from a very enthusiastic buyer. We agreed a completion date of 29th March and surveys etc have been completed. Our buyers introduced themselves to the neighbours and was told by the landlord of the property next door that he is about to seek planning permission for an extension to house 30 to 40 residents in bedsits. Understandably the buyers immediately withdrew their offer and the estate agents now tell us that we basically have a difficult if not impossible task to sell our house. We are at a loss what to do. The landlord next door has only just bought the property and we have found him a difficult man. We will try to talk to him but I am not hopeful. With a planning application hanging over us we are in an impossible position. Has anybody got any advice?
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Comments

  • ellie27
    ellie27 Posts: 1,097 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Siarne wrote: »
    The landlord next door has only just bought the property and we have found him a difficult man. We will try to talk to him but I am not hopeful.

    Are you thinking of talking him out of his planning permission?

    Is the planning application already in? If not, then hope you get another buyer who does not introduce themselves to the next door neighbour!
  • eddddy
    eddddy Posts: 16,436 Forumite
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    It depends on what type of house you have etc., but if you really are in an area where planning consent is likely to be granted for bedsits, extensions etc....

    .... perhaps you should investigate the option of selling your house to a developer, for conversion - perhaps it would be worth more as a development opportunity than as a family house.
  • ReadingTim
    ReadingTim Posts: 3,970 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Firstly, an extension that will house 30-40 people is a seriously large building. Is that even possible? I [STRIKE]smell bullsh!t[/STRIKE] would be surprised.

    Secondly, what said new landlord wants to do, what he can actually afford to do, and what he's allowed to do are 3 entirely different things. His grand plans may be no more than idle dreams to be dashed on the rocks of financial realism, or planning regulations.

    So thirdly, he hasn't put in any planning application. Even if he did, it could be modified to something far less scary, or simply rejected.

    You may have lost this buyer, but nothing has actualy changed in terms of your place. It remains a saleable as before, and at the same price. Keep monitoring the situation (ie keep an eye out for planning applications) and revise the price if necessary. Ignore the agent and find another buyer - just try and keep them away from the neighbours! Hopefully all will be fine.

    Alternatively, drop the price a bit now for a quick sale and get shot of it before matey-boy next door gets his act together. Then, if he does, and the council lets him, it's someone else's problem....
  • Pixie5740
    Pixie5740 Posts: 14,515 Forumite
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    How big is the house next door if it can be transformed into 30-40 bedsits with an extension? Is your neighbour's name Peter Rachman by any chance?

    Could there be a chance that he wants to buy your property and is putting other buyers off?
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 17,640 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Pixie5740 wrote: »

    Could there be a chance that he wants to buy your property and is putting other buyers off?

    My thoughts exactly
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • AFF8879
    AFF8879 Posts: 651 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper
    As has been said, if he's planning to house 30-40 separate studio apartments then clearly it must already be an apartment block of some description, not a 3-bed semi?? Very confusing....a picture of the next door property would be helpful.
  • Siarne
    Siarne Posts: 2 Newbie
    This has been an ongoing saga for some time. When the landlord first bought the house next door he submitted a planning application for 13 bedsits. We rallied other neighbours and opposed his application. He threatened that he would make life unpleasant for us if we did not agree to his plan. The council eventually agreed to 8 bedsits. He has informed our potential buyers that he is going to resubmit his application for 13 bedsits as well as an application for a double storey extension. Even this would not give him space for 45 residents so I agree that he was trying to scare our buyers off with the possible intention to buy the property cheap himself. He even said to them ' what family would want to live next door to 45 eastern Europeans'. The man is a bigot as well as a bully.
  • Cakeguts
    Cakeguts Posts: 7,627 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    If all else fails you can always put your house into an auction to sell it.
  • teddysmum
    teddysmum Posts: 9,471 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Nothing may come of it, but you could report him to the council , who may send in a dummy buyer to quiz him. (Second thoughts, that would come under a need to declare problem neighbours in your sales details, but you could enquire about his chances of success.))


    If his original application was rejected, surely one for lots more residents will also be refused ?


    I, too thought as above, that he wants to devalue your property then buy it at a bargain price.
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    teddysmum wrote: »
    Nothing may come of it, but you could report him to the council , who may send in a dummy buyer to quiz him. (Second thoughts, that would come under a need to declare problem neighbours in your sales details, but you could enquire about his chances of success.))


    If his original application was rejected, surely one for lots more residents will also be refused ?


    I, too thought as above, that he wants to devalue your property then buy it at a bargain price.

    I would tend to go with this approach personally - and have an informal word generally with the local councillor as to what they thought this characters chances of success were.

    If I got a positive response from my informal approaches to the Council I'd dig my heels in and maybe wait a while to sell my house (as per normal and at the normal price - ie after this is all over and his application rejected).

    If I got a negative response from the Council - I'd be inclined to go to Mr Trouble next door and say "You can buy my house if you like - at x% more than the proper price. Otherwise STF up and I shall just continue to stay here for however-long-it-takes until I get the proper price for my house (ie could be forever then...:cool:). Either way - you aren't going to get my house at a bargain price. Stick that in your pipe" phrased suitably but firmly.
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