Offer accepted on dream house - ticks every box with bells on not least because at the bottom of the garden the double garage has been converted to a 2 storey annex with large bedroom upstairs and living area/kitchen and bathroom downstairs (1/3 of original downstairs still has the garage doors and is used as storage space). This was the icing on the cake - we have a lot of visitors - every weekend for months on end is not uncommon - and the ability to accomodate family groups without relocating all of my (4) dc would be a joy.
But ... the conversion didn't go through building regs and hasn't been signed off. For an unspecified reason the vendor won't apply for regularisation - I think because she is worried there may be legal ramifications for her as she has been using it as a v successful B&B for the last few years. She has given us the following options (bearing in mind she needs to move at beg of Sept for work, we are chain free and can move any time and the market is slow):
-
She rips out the conversion and restores to as it was when built i.e. downstairs double garage and upstairs playroom so the stairs would be intact but we would lose the v beautiful bathroom and the ability to put people up easily.
-
Apply for regularisation and get works needed costed and then negotiate apt price reduction for the works to be done after completion.
-
Go for it as is but our solicitor has said if we do that she will refer back to our mortgage co to check that they are still happy to lend on that basis - we have been through the mill to get our mortgage so reluctant to rock the mortgage boat.
The vendor is quite a scary lady and though she is clearly completely in the wrong I fear she may just put the house back on the market (though equally she needs the sale to move on).
So ... WWYD? I think we'll have to settle for option 1 and if so how much would you look to reduce the price by if losing a bedroom and a bathroom from what you thought you were buying?