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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to buy the house but only with the land?

108 replies

Sp3849 · 28/10/2021 18:08

So we went to view a house we loved. A rural farmhouse with small parcel of land however on viewing realised it has another parcel to the side of it with caravan on. Asked the agent who it belonged to and they were vague. So before we made an offer I knocked the farm next door. To mainly discuss the access track that runs over thier land and they told us that small parcel of land next to the house with caravan was actually owned by the house In question. The grandchildren of lady who had lived thier (now deceased) frequently partied there. We then went and had a nose and there were beer bottles etc everywhere. I then referred this back to agent who then came back with that the family wanted to keep that part of the land to continue to stay in the caravan a few times a year and share the houses water supply (a well). We have gone back and said we would happily buy the house for the guide price and pay additional 15k for land which is approx 1/3 acre but won't consider buying it without it. My primary concern is that 1. Grandchildren could still party there and 2. What's stopping them renting caravan out etc? It is our responsibility to maintain track etc which they would also need to use to access caravan. Also where would they go to toilet etc. It is currently linked to house electrics which obviously it would be disconnected. I worry it could cause alot of issues. They are still yet to respond to our offer (made 8 days ago) they have had no other offers. Why are they taking so long to respond its driving me insane. Should I ring and put a deadline on the offer? Are we being unreasonable with concerns?

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 09/11/2021 11:12

Also

"Oil fired central heating"

politics4me · 09/11/2021 11:13

Have you an independent solicitor working for YOU on this?
Even if they finally agree you must get it fully buttoned tight or there will be the risk of argy-bargy in the future. That would be worse than extra costs.
(there have been other threads about vague or ambiguous agreements)

AdobeWanKenobi · 09/11/2021 11:13

@RedToothBrush bit unfair to advertise the property. I'm sure if OP wanted to link to it she would have done.

vixeyann · 09/11/2021 11:15

I would walk away from that. Far too much uncertainty at the first level..who knows what else you will discover!

Honeyroar · 09/11/2021 11:20

To be fair, when I have to sell my father’s property I won’t sell the land with it. And I don’t see why buyers of the house particularly need to know - they’re buying what’s clearly being advertised.. (although the shared track in this instance would need clarifying legally). The electric source to the caravan would obviously be cut off and they’d have to pay for a new supply. The rights to the well would have to be negotiated by the solicitor. (We had to do that when we sold my parent’s previous house).

But they do sound hard work. I wonder if Op has heard anything

SinoohXaenaHide · 09/11/2021 11:22

YANBU and you should definitely not agree to buy the house unless the whole parcel of land including this caravan field is included in the sale. Buying the house without the land would become a nightmare. There will be other houses. Keep looking.

Shedbuilder · 09/11/2021 11:58

What @Daisydoesnt said.

You might want to consider buying the track outright from the farmer, putting a gate on it and locking the family out of their land. Also turning off the electricity and water supply. Talk to a solicitor once you've seen the title deeds and work out what's possible and what's legal.

I lived in rural Wales for some years and the situation you describe is familiar, by the way.

Covidworries · 09/11/2021 12:27

F

Original poster
Sp3849 · 09/11/2021 12:34

Well update. Finally! They do not want to sell the land. They have been advised to take our offer by agents but he family cannot reach a unanimous agreement. NO offer will persuade them! so back to houshunting for us.

OP posts:
Still1nLove · 09/11/2021 12:37

I feel sorry for the buyer if they don’t find out about the party caravan

Original poster
Sp3849 · 09/11/2021 12:41

@Still1nLove I was thinking the same but a good solicitors should uncover this. Hopefully they wouldn't have forked to much out in costs before they find out!

OP posts:
elbea · 09/11/2021 12:41

1/3 of an acre is a building plot, you are going to have to pay way more than amenity land value for it.

harriethoyle · 09/11/2021 12:43

I think you've definitely dodged a bullet on this one OP... whole thing could have been a nightmare!

Hexinthecity · 09/11/2021 12:45

Their loss @Sp3849. You may we’ll find though that they come back to you in a few months when no other offers come their way, how long has it been on the market? I’d tell the EA that you’re still interested but only if the land is part of the deal and they can contact you when the family realise it’s a deal breaker for any interested parties.

JumperandJacket · 09/11/2021 12:53

Dodged a bullet there, OP. I think sellers generally underestimate how off-putting this is for buyers- I remember talking to one seller who tried to reassure me by saying, "I'll just be at the bottom of the garden- you'll hardly notice me!" and that was just one chap, not a party caravan!

Original poster
Sp3849 · 09/11/2021 12:56

@Hexinthecity already done this. When they rang they were asking if I would consider it without. I explained to them that is was a definite no, given what I had been told and the evidence I had found myself that confirmed this. I would only buy that house with the land. If they had a price in mind to let me know. She said that they were pretty firm on not selling it. Conversation ended with estate agents saying they would get in touch if the family changed thier minds. But on another note a much cheaper house has come up in much better condition with around the same amount of land and even better with different agent, so of to view that one tomorrow!

OP posts:
LakieLady · 09/11/2021 12:59

Disappointing for you, OP, but I think you may well have dodged a bullet there.

I hope everyone else interested is as thorough as you were.

HazeltonLane · 09/11/2021 13:01

@Marvellousmadness

I wouldn't buy it. You'd be up for a lifetime of potential misery
Agree 100% with this. We had a similar problem at my family home where the neighbouring property was used for extended family get-togethers. The noise was horrific and they were 1/2 mile away!
Unsure33 · 09/11/2021 13:14

Also - if your solicitor has not pointed this out to you and you had to work this out for yourself I would be worried about their competency as well ?

down load the title deeds and check carefully for covenants such as agricultural restrictions - that could open another can of worms .

Just been through that with a new house where we were assured agricultural restrictions on the land had been lifted - guess what, not true.

PineappleWilson · 09/11/2021 13:25

Best of luck with your viewing OP. There's a house in our village like your first post, where the family want to keep the adjacent land (they run a business from it). Every few years the house goes up for sale, then is removed from sale when they get no offers because no-one wants a property with so many strings attached. You've dodged a headache.

longtompot · 09/11/2021 13:35

Best of luck with your new viewing. Hope it's as good in person as it is on paper.

Years ago, when we started looking to buy our first home, my dh was chatting to an estate agents who he supports the IT for and they mentioned a gorgeous property which was on the market for much less than it should have been on for. The estate agent then said it was a divorcing couple and that the husband lived above the double garage that was in the back garden and that wouldn't be included in the sale as he would continue to be living there! Thankfully it was an area we weren't even considering, too far away, and was over our budget. I often wonder if it was ever sold and what the situation was like. The garages overlooked the back of the house and you'd feel constantly watched if you were in the garden.

RobertsRadio · 09/11/2021 13:43

Sounds like the cheaper property could be a much better deal all round Op, hope the viewing goes well.

FreeBritnee · 09/11/2021 13:48

We’ve seen lots of old farmhouses with exactly the same set up. For sale with small parcel of land. The rest of the land set aside for good knows what. No thank you.

MRex · 09/11/2021 13:57

@Unsure33

Also - if your solicitor has not pointed this out to you and you had to work this out for yourself I would be worried about their competency as well ?

down load the title deeds and check carefully for covenants such as agricultural restrictions - that could open another can of worms .

Just been through that with a new house where we were assured agricultural restrictions on the land had been lifted - guess what, not true.

No offer was agreed, so unusual for the solicitors to have done any searches yet.
Thehop · 09/11/2021 13:58

New place sounds brilliant OP.