Splitting London house into flats

[ajandjjmum]

Wonder if anyone has any experience or advice.

Both DC are living in London, and they are fortunate enough to have been left an inheritance which would give them a deposit for a property.

Our idea was to buy a house that could then be divided in to two flats, but have just been advised by an agent that planning won't be given for this.

I stupidly assumed that because London is full of houses that have been split into flats it wouldn't be a problem.

Has anyone got experience/knowledge of this?

Thank you.

Should have said that the flats would be so that they would have one each to live in. It wouldn't be sensible to live in a house together, as they are each likely to want to sell/move at different times.

I think it would depend on many things - the location, size of house, whether flats could meet minimum space standards, parking etc, but I there is not a blanket ban on such developments.
Most Council will have policies relating to such development within their Local Plans which are available on their websites. Each Council's will be different.
Your best bet is to find a road/area where this type of development has happened recently, and then if you can find a suitable house for sale, ring the Planning department for a general chat.

Can't they just both buy two flats themselves now?

Aside from the planning permission (which is increasingly hard to get) there are complications and expenses involved in splitting a house into two flats.

Some off the top of my head:

• Fire proofing between the two flats.
• Sound proofing (who has lived in a SHITTY conversion and hated hearing their upstairs neighbor take a piss?)
• Splitting of gas, electricity and water is expensive.
• Which flat is better - upstairs or downstairs? Downstairs gets the garden and can extend into that.... upstairs can go into the loft.
• How will you fairly assign value/child to each flat?
• Mortgage permission. So you intend for them to buy jointly with a mortgage then try and get lender permission to split the property and take one flat each? Not a simple transaction.
• Freehold - will you sell share of freehold if one sells a flat or keep the freehold? Would the other child want to be the only freeholder?

Seriously just split the cash, let them put a deposit down on their own flats and guarantee the mortgage if you need to.

In my borough they are getting increasingly hot on NOT allowing this - who wants to have their bedroom in their terrace house next door to a kitchen because some shitty slum landlord has done a cheapo conversion and split the house into 2 flats?

Thanks Seeline - spoken to the council but they can't give advice. I think it is something that they're tightening up on - actually for reasons I can understand.

I work in construction Hipster, so am aware of all of the issues you mention, and we have discussed how to handle any split fairly. We have also looked at the financing in detail. It just seemed like a good idea to go from a total house share to something where they would be close, but more independent. A shitty, cheapo conversion was not our plan!

Have a look for a planning consultant who covers your area - I used one on a project who gave me a very different answer to the planning helpline and architect - plans were passed first time.

Parking is always going to be an issue in terraced London streets - obviously a large family could buy a single house and turn up with three cars but it's more unlikely than two flats housing two couples with three cars between them. That's another reason why house conversions are unpopular with councils (and neighbours!).
However, as the London housing crisis deepens, councils are having to be more flexible and I notice flats - legally or illegally - being squeezed into all kinds of buildings and annexes.

That's interesting Sarah. The one I had been in touch with has now come back to say they can't help, so I'll hunt around a little more. Thank you.

I can understand the concerns re. parking circumcision - as it happens neither DC have cars in London as they tube/bus everywhere - but I suppose it's something planners have to consider.

Only just seen these responses - thank you both.

This may be entirely irrelevant to your London situation. Similar plan in a city elsewhere in UK, which has a lot of residents permit parking. Council fairly OK with splitting house, but, from that point on, both flats would be classed as 'new development', and so wouldwould absolutely not be able to apply for permit parking. Not an immediate consideration, but medium term , drops the valuation.

You would probably be better off buying a building that has been pre-divided, used as BTLs and now needs a bit of refurbishment. That way, no planning permission needed, you can add value by updating and parking permits would not be a problem. Look for suitable properties on auction websites.

Parking circumcision 😂😂

Family homes are also a consideration. Lots of houses have been bought and seperated into flats either 1 or 2 bed max. This leaves bigger families with less housing.

MyCalmX - only just noticed that - given me something to smile about!

Parking isn't an immediate concern, but understand that it would have an impact on value in the future.

I think the shortage of family homes is the main consideration - the problem with buying a pre-divided building is i. the likelihood of two properties being available at the same time is remote, ii. the cost of two would be higher.

Thank you for all of your thoughts - I do appreciate it.

In my London borough, no permission will be granted for dividing houses into flats. This is because we've reached "peak flat" and there's a relative shortage of houses. Also parking issues.

Is that Lambeth mayhew?

I think you'd do better to find two flats near-ish each other - simply, the logistical difficulties of this approach are vast.