Buying a property to knock down and build a new house ?

[Chipper]

Any advice would be really helpful on this matter.

In brief.


I've found a property that's coming up for auction in just over two months which the local council is selling.

The property itself needs complete modernisation as well as an extension to turn it from a three bed into a large four bed.

It sits in two acres of over grown garden but the position is fantastic with lovely views. Ideally I'd prefer to knock the property down and build my dream home but it seems a hell of a gamble buying the property without knowing 100% if this is achievable.

There are no near neighbours apart from three houses further down the lane which are a good 300 yards away on the other side of the lane.

So ideally I need to get a rough idea if the planning authority would allow me to to build a larger property on the grounds before I go to auction. Is it a case of me just going to the planning authority and discussing what I'd like to do and see if they have any objections to making the property about 40% bigger than it is now and is there anyone on PH who has any experience on doing something similar that can give me some tips on what I need to be asking and doing to obtain my dream ?

Edited by Chipper on Tuesday 10th May 21:36

[anonymous-user]

Although not a guarantee you should definitely call up the planning dept and make an appointment to meet with them. helpful if you have some outline idea of what you want to build and size. They should then be able to give you their view as to whether your proposal would be acceptable taking into account local planning policy. none of this will be binding so you could go to planning and get refused BUT it should give you some indication of what will probably be acceptable development.

[Deva Link]

You can actually make a planning application on a property you don't own, although there are all sorts of reasons this might not be a good idea.

Isn't it pretty likely that other people are thinking the same as you, though?

[Chipper]

Deva Link said:

You can actually make a planning application on a property you don't own, although there are all sorts of reasons this might not be a good idea.

Isn't it pretty likely that other people are thinking the same as you, though?

It's an auction so I'm expecting competition.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

How long have you got?

I'd definitely make an appointment (make it formal - don't just rock up to the offices and ask to see the duty planning officer) and sit down with one of the planning officers (preferably the one responsible for that particular town/borough/area - the secretary will tell you whom to meet when you ring in).

Tell them what you'd like to do. if possible get an architect to sketch something (if the current house has a planning consent for the extension etc use that as a rough template for your house in terms of height, design and area).

I'd also have a look at their UDP/local development framework in order to find out if it's in a conservation area or other area that restricts development too. It might mean you'd have a better chance of extending/altering the existing house rather than knocking it down and trying to start again. Also it might not be listed but it might be a house of townscape merit; another way for the council to protect particular streets/roads and the houses thereon. Just do some research before you buy something you find you can't actually do what you want to it.

I realise you want to make it your home but I think you need to keep your eye on the end values in the area.
You are effectively buying the land with a house you don't want. Will the area support your expected expenditure (ie will you get your money back?!) having taken the purchase of the land and the build cost of building your new home? if it doesn't and you need to borrow you might face problems when ot comes to valuations in support of your loan requirement.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Also - if it's an auction why don't you make an offer now prior to the auction to try and circumvent the expected bun fight that you feel is inevitable? You never know - if you've got the cash and ready to rock. The worst case scenario is they decline to take your offer and go to auction....

[55allgold]

OOS makes good points. One thing he didn't mention: while you're at the Planning Dept ask if there's a planning file for the property. If there is, spend a while going through it. This will show any previous applications for PP to extend/etc.

These files have full details about prior applications - refusals, objections, local policy, etc. Could be useful in deciding whether to go ahead.

[flyingjase]

Calling the planners would be your first move. They are generally quite helpful.

Is the house in AONB, Greenbelt or a Conservation area?

If the answer is no the above then you will have very little problem increasing the size of the house by 40% on a 2 acre plot.

My suggestion is to go onto the LA planning portal and check out local planning permission that has been granted. You will see the planners notes (look at planning granted and more importantly those declined) to get a feel for what they will accept.

Good luck with the purchase. I've done a similar thing but just don't have the cash to build the house of my dreams at this stage and I don't want to compromise.

[Daisy Duke]

55allgold said:

OOS makes good points. One thing he didn't mention: while you're at the Planning Dept ask if there's a planning file for the property. If there is, spend a while going through it. This will show any previous applications for PP to extend/etc.

These files have full details about prior applications - refusals, objections, local policy, etc. Could be useful in deciding whether to go ahead.

This is good advice as you never know what issues that particular planning department may have. Also if the property hasn't been extended before, you may be able to extend it significantly (depending on where you are) under the permitted development rules. However you'll save the VAT if you build a new property rather than extend the existing one. One word of warning though as you don't mention what the property is, I know someone who got caught out buying a bungalow expecting to be able to build a house in its place and were refused permission, even though it was in a plot of over 2 acres in the middle of nowhere. Oh and make sure you read the legal pack as there can be some nasty clauses hidden in there, such as having to pay the vendor a percentage of the increased value on resale of the property!

[Chipper]

Excellent advice everyone and much appreciated especially OOS.

The guide price is £240000 and taking into account what would be needed to be done I think it's not worth anymore than £300000. I've been to a few auctions before but it's always been commercial property and this will be a whole new ball game for me.

Thanks again


Chipper

[Deva Link]

Whereabouts are you? A bunch of "fixer-upper" type places were auctioned near me (mid-Cheshire) last last year and they went for very high prices.

Nearest to us was semi-detached, semi-derelict bungalow (and the condition was no exaggeration, holes in roof etc). That went for £167K and even in perfect nick I would have put it at £185K.

I think many private individuals have no concept of how much it's going to cost to renovate a place professionally, or they think they can do it bit-by-bit themselves over time.

[herbialfa]

All good advice above!

There "SHOULD" be a planning policy in place which you will need to look into.

Some Councils base it on a increase percentage wise on the existing footprint and others councils is a cubic measurement.

Also they might ask you to demonstrate why the existing property needs demolishing!

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

55allgold said:

OOS makes good points. One thing he didn't mention: while you're at the Planning Dept ask if there's a planning file for the property. If there is, spend a while going through it. This will show any previous applications for PP to extend/etc.

These files have full details about prior applications - refusals, objections, local policy, etc. Could be useful in deciding whether to go ahead.

Good call - forgot to mention this one. In fact take your architect along with you so you can both examine it too (maybe - depends how much the architect will charge!).

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Chipper said:

Excellent advice everyone and much appreciated especially OOS.

The guide price is £240000 and taking into account what would be needed to be done I think it's not worth anymore than £300000. I've been to a few auctions before but it's always been commercial property and this will be a whole new ball game for me.

Thanks again


Chipper

This is the key bit - has that £300,000 ceiling been tested recently? If it hasn't then I'm not sure it's going to work for you (knocking it down and starting afresh.) it might be one to renovate BUT (and there is a big but) why not look at it from a slightly different angle. Could you knock it down and put 3 or 4 houses on that site (it's 2 acres right?)
The key to this is to go to the planning offices and check out the status of the land.

What you need to do is get the local UDP. it's like the planning bible for the borough (with all the policies in a large binder accompanied a bunch of huge maps that fold out and show everyhouse in that borough's area and what you can do). It's all done by colour coding.
Ideally 'your' house will be within the town's curtilage (designated by a black line usually), next that your house isn't in a conservation area (usually a red line within the black line) and finally is 'white land'. Some villages are wholly greenbelt with very limited rights to new development etc so the ideal scenario is that your house is white land (which means residential, with permitted planning rights within reason). Make sure the garden isn't cut off halfway up too (a cheeky way for the planners to stop back-land development). If it's all white land and that house sits in two acres then it's got potential. You don't need to see the planners to check this out. Just go to a large library or the council offices within your area and they'll have a copy for you to look at or you can buy it for £65 usually. That's a very quick summary - I'm happy to explain in greater detail/thoughts going forward if you want.

Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs etc etc.

If it does have potential - well; that's a whole new ball game.....I'm excited already and we haven't even looked into yet. Guess what I do for a living......

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

I've just read your original post and that 300 yards bit worries me to be honest. But you never know - it might still have potential - it's definitely worth a morning's work looking into it.