To pull out of house purchase as new development being built 300 metres away

[Rumblestrips]

Name changed for this. I’m about £3k into a house purchase (fees plus survey, solicitors) and just happened to google new housing developments near me and was gutted to learn that an already in progress 1800 home development will extend within the next five years to within 300m of the house I’m buying.

In between the side of me and the development will be eight existing houses and a narrow lane and a high hedgerow (I don’t know if the hedge will remain). The development will be built in the field behind the hedge. In front of me is the same narrow road and an existing row of houses and the development will extend into the field behind these houses. I don’t know if this will form enough of a buffer between me and the new houses.

I am obviously kicking myself that I didn’t find this out sooner before paying for solicitors but glad to have discovered it before any exchange of contracts.

According to planning documents that I’ve found online, there will be a new road built to serve the development. It’s not clear whether the lane running outside my house will have an access road onto this new road. There will be a new roundabout built about 1km away. A new primary school is currently under construction a good distance away.

I am potentially willing to walk away despite being this far through the process. I am not bothered about inconvenience from the construction process as that won’t last forever. I am worried about the impact that the development may have on the tone and character of the local area, which is a village. I am worried about the increased traffic and congestion in the area even though the development will have its own road. I don’t like the sound of the new roundabout as that is very urbanising.

Things which make the decision difficult are that my child attends the local school, it’s a great location for my job and I love the existing area. A couple of the houses which will be closer to the development than me were bought at least two years after the planning permission was granted. So either those buyers didn’t know, or weren’t bothered. Maybe I should knock on doors and ask.

I’m not sure whether to pull out or not. I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water and miss out on a house in an area that ticks so many boxes. But I don’t know if I will like being close to a new housing development as the place may lose its rural feel.

@BigFatLiar will have to start all over again. What happens to the mortgage offer, if I pull out can that be ported to the new property?

You have to ask yourself, if you were to view the property after the development was built, would you still be interested in buying it? This is the hardest stage as there is also fear of the unknown and anticipation of disruption. Once it’s done it’s done and that may be something you can put up with? They are building absolutely everywhere at the moment, near me they are building on fields that a couple of years ago were growing crops.

Are you willing to say where?

This wouldn’t on in the North East coast would it?. Sounds awfully familiar, plans s o. lohcsgnidubmitted for an 800 housing development with shops, pub, a school, etc. The plans were thrown out two years ago but it just won’t lie down and die.

New houses have been built in land opposite on what used to be a riding school,

I'd be dropping this like it's hot I'm afraid. These things turn into mission creep. There won't be a road planned for next to your house...until suddenly there is.

New development of rather expensive super eco houses built backing onto the other side of our street. Fair enough edge of city not rural location. Actually raised the value of houses in our street, guess 'worst house in nice area' kind of thing as the other side of our area backs onto council houses. Wouldn't necessarily pull out if you'd still want the house if the new ones were already there.

Villages are dying off all over the Uk because of falling school rolls and lack of young people. This village sounds like it’s going to have an injection of life which could be very positive.

The access point is a good one but I doubt it’s down your lane. Hedgerow - I’d need to see a diagram but now is a good time to invite around some twitchers to find a rare breed nesting there..

We had similar only the planning wasn’t made until after we bought. They build 300 houses behind us, originally wanting access thru our cul de sac but the residents association fought hard and won so access is not thru here. I have to say the building stage was very low impact and the way they laid the new build estate out very considerate (eg none of the windows over look existing property). It’s no hassle at all, road is marginally busier but covid did that when peopel learned to use it as a cut thru. The new estate has not impacted us at all.

Too late, but ALWAYS pay the £70 or so extra to the solicitors for conveyancing insurance, it covers all the fees if the deal doesn't go through - only had to use it once, in similar circumstances, saved a couple of grand.

There are a lot of positives so far in your purchase, but I think, as you say,, you need to politely approach the owners of the houses who knew about this development.

Are the houses going to be backing or facing you? It can make a difference. Is there any landscaping or strip of land between the new houses and the hedge, such as grass or a walk or recreational area that might provide some further distancing and buffer?

If you look at the plans on the council's planning website you will be able to study it in more detail to get a sense of the layout of the site and surrounds and see where the access road is going to be. You can also see any comments or objections that neighbours may have made to the proposed housing.

It’s not what you signed up for, what a shame !

Am I the only one who feels sorry for the seller as well? Ticking along quite nicely in semi-rural location, good school etc, etc, and then...wham, new housing development on their doorstep, potentially slashing thousands off the value of their home (if the suggestions to the OP to drop her offer are followed).

We had a similar situation near us and the new houses/flats were sold at significantly higher prices than the existing ones (aided by Help to Buy, low deposits, etc) but now, 3 years down the line, even though their value has dropped (closer to a more reasonable amount) they are still too high. It has made the older houses/flats a much more interesting prospect for incomers and they are selling more easily.

Personally though, I'd pull out as it sounds as though your love for the deal has gone. Are you able to wait a couple of years to see the reality of the situation?

If I’d known about the development I don’t think I would have offered.

There's your answer. And as a PP pointed out you could potentially lose more than £3k from the drop in the value of the house.

I've got a development of 400 houses going on behind my house, so my garden, strip of green, pavement, road etc between us and the new houses.

So far we have had mature trees and hedgerow removed, road improvement, pelican crossing close to my house and of course the actual building going on. This has been 10 months so far. The noise and dust is awful. My house is covered, I'd had the outside painted 2 years ago and it is filthy, I've given up cleaning the windows and I can't have the windows at the back of the house open. The local carwash is doing well as we all have cars caked in dust.

I haven't got any big issues with the houses being there although it is a shame that we are losing the fields but the process of getting there is hell on earth.

My advice? Walk away.

Yes this is what we have found.

The developments take years to build as well. You can think that the disruption won't last that long, but eg there is a housing development near(ish) to us which has a ten year plan! Fortunately we are not near enough to be affected by the noise and disruption but if you go for a walk in other parts of town you can hear it.

Do a bit more research. It seems to me that so many areas have new developments being built close by. In my immediate family my mother, and two siblings all live in different areas and local villages are being hugely extended that bring housing developments close to all 3 of their homes. It’s really very sad for the people that live there. So depending on where you are, you may find this is the case now and in the future anyway.

It's up to you, but civilised existence is perfectly possible within 1km of a roundabout.

Have you looked at the plans on the Council's website? Any idea who the developer is so that you can look at their other developments online? Is it blocks of flats or family sized homes? Is this a council's development or private? It may make the area even more sought after!

Do not rely on anyone saying that a high hedgerow will be preserved. I have lived in my home 25 years and a few months back a neighbour stripped out an ancient evergreen hedgerow boundaring a listed building, changing the landscape of the small village.

I contacted the Council who told me that unless the hedge bordered agricultural land there was nothing they could do legislation wise. They are bullies and always have been (neighbours). However, they did intervene because neighbours also threatened to cut down ancient trees as well. They were told to undertake works on the trees to make them safe at their cost and warned them of their duty of care should anything happen.

I would walk away op. I have also lived by the disruption of building works and its inevitable impact on your life. Builders generally break the rules, eg very early morning starts (think 6 am here) and weekend working. When the Council deign to visit, they simply tell them it didn't happen.

Honestly OP the developers might go against what the planners sign off and just say whoops sorry we didn't mean to...

There is a small development of about 20 homes down a lane off my quiet road. I'm far enough away it hasn't really affected me but they cut down loads of trees that should have stayed according to plans and so on (it's in a conservation area). The building work itself is disruptive for those nearby and can take such a long time. So many people down the little lane tried (and mostly failed) to sell their houses. The development has totally spoilt that end of the village, it hasn't been done in a way that is in keeping and everything that was ripped out was mature and anything new is so going it all just looks so bare. It'll be 20 years before it looks remotely well grown.

And bear in mind you might find the locket hedgerow just mysteriously gets burned to the ground one day even if it is meant to be preserved...

What happens to the mortgage offer, if I pull out can that be ported to the new property?

Yes but offers have a time limit - check the letter you'd have received from your lender for an end date.

Also worth mentioning - my in-laws have lived in their house for about 15 years and now have new houses being built nearby. It's one of the potential risks of living on the outskirts of a village/town/city. The traffic has already increased and the project isn't even halfway done yet. Trees and hedgerows ripped down to make way for construction vehicles. They said they'd be finished last year, they're only 30% of the way through the build. It's so awful. I wouldn't buy.

New houses are a cloud with a silver lining. At least local shops, churches, cafés, sports clubs etc. are likely to remain viable for longer with more potential customers/members around.