Oh bollocks

[foolserrand]

We have found our dream forever home and have scrambled to prepare our house and get it on the market. Finally went up for sale this week and we had our first viewings today.

Our neighbours, who we get on well with and who know of our plans and desperation to move, announced today they will be starting a full width one storey extension next week. He's a builder and will be completing the work himself. He claims to be starting now because their planning permission is about to run out.

I feel so selfish for asking, but will this negatively affect us? I'm so worried about losing my beautiful house now I'm so close!

Surely when he applied for planning permission you were consulted then? Or where you. It at the property then?

TBH you can't do much about it. On the plus side it should be finished before new buyers move in and it means if they also wanted to extend at some point the chances are they will also be granted permission.

The permission was granted well over a year ago. They'd been talking about moving instead recently. I really thought they'd decided not to bother!

We've already extended ours, but yes, perhaps it will all be done and dusted before completion.

Would anyone consider buying our house while that's all going on though?

If they really want the house it won't matter. And they'll be glad most of the work will be done before they move in (hopefully!) Good luck!

I'd check plans carefully, but wouldn't (didn't) put me off

A glimmer of hope! Thank you!

It's usually 3 years. Are you sure he's not telling porkies about the timing?
www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200126/applications/58/the_decision-making_process/6

(You can look it up and check yourself, btw, to be sure)

But yes, we'd consider it. There's always something or other being built, in our street.

And the most diruptive work will be excavating and laying foundations. All the rest is fairly quiet.

Planning permission lasts 3 years!

You're totally right! This is all very new to me. But I've checked, permission was granted last July and definitely lasts 3 years. Which begs the question, why now?

If it was an issue you should have objected a year ago, why now? Maybe because he was waiting for a quiet time to start it or for a big project to finish to fund it.

Why not now?

I don't think you can impose your preferences on your neighbours. He's entitled to do his extension and you're entitled to sell your house.

It seems odd that they were planning to move and are now revisiting the extension. His dw is heavily pregnant with dc3 and really doesn't want me to sell. He lied about planning permission being close to expiring. Why?

I'm aware it's their right, I'm thrilled she will have the extra space. She is my friend and these are small houses so every inch counts! But we will never get the chance to buy a house like this again and I am terrified of anything that could jeopardise that.

Perhaps he just didn't want to discuss their personal business with you?

Concentrate on your own business and the things you can control.

moving, I'm not sure why you are behaving like that. I want to be happy for my friends and I want to sell my house. Thanks to this thread, I know I can have both.

May I suggest you try to calm yourself? They're very open people and 'not sharing their personal business'... well, you're making assumptions and jumping to conclusions that are simply wrong. But I didn't share that information because it wasn't pertinent to the thread. I simply wanted to know my sale was safe. Having said that, I am wondering why he is lying so openly about the permission running out.

Why don't they want you to sell?

Tricky without being recognisable. They are not English. In their culture, raising children really is a community thing. We have each other's children over often. She has told me I will be taking her dc to school (not in a rude or demanding way, as I say, different culture) and I will need to make her family some meals.

I'm happy to do all of this, she is the nicest neighbour! But I think she worries that new neighbours won't 'get' her.

Could it not be that they have seen the price your extended house has gone on the market for, and realised that it is really worth their while to extend?? Ie they didn't realise how much the extended house would be worth?

I sold my house last year while immediate neighbours were digging out basement. It was fine. Just make estate agent aware and let them mention it when talking to prospective purchasers

That is possible! As a builder, he won't pay through the nose like we did! It hasn't really been worth it for us, we aren't reaping the rewards wrt the house cost now, but they definitely would. They're planning a larger extension too, so it will be even more profitable.

Now I know my house could still sell, I'm incredibly excited to see! While we've extended our lounge/diner, I believe they plan to add 2 bedrooms downstairs.

Thanks along. Yes, I will definitely tell our EA

I'm sorry foolserrand but you seem to be reading something into my posts that isn't there. I'm not "behaving like that" nor am I not "calm" thank you. I've barely said anything beyond trying to answer the questions you have asked.

Do you think maybe you are reading things into situations that are not there? Maybe this is what you have done with your neighbour? I don't think they are doing anything personally against you and neither was I

I'm not interested in getting into a debate about this - I don't care that much! - but I hope it works out for you.

Getting a builder for a big job takes time. You are being v odd.

As I said, he is a builder and will be doing the work himself. But thanks!

I do know I am ridiculously emotionally invested in this, but.... oh that house! Add to this being my first house sale and that I have anxiety issues, well, I'm a complete fucking mess right now.

I think you're massively over reacting.