Does no one want a bungalow?

[Chaletbungalow]

I have my bungalow up for sale.

Every viewer we have had has loved it but as it is on a road with huge 3 storey houses and it has a good sized plot similar to the other houses
Every viewer has wanted to knock it down and build a big house on the plot.

The problem is about 15 years ago I tried to do what other potential buyers want to do and that was to knock it down and rebuild.
The problem was first finding an architect who would actually deal with the local planning department. Once they knew the planning department the architects refused to touch it.

Eventually found an architect out of the area.
I would put in plans of what I thought was a sensible house.
The planning officer would say to change certain things. I would tell my architect what needed changing. The revised plans would be submitted then there would be something else that needed changing etc etc then they would say it needed to change again and what they described was the first plans I showed them. Then the whole thing would start again.

This went on for about 2 year before I gave up. It was like dealing with a group of people who were pathological liars and you couldn’t trust what they said.
No one would believe me when I told them what they did or said.
My architect tried to deal with them at one point to no avail and told me to give up and refused to deal with them again.

Soon after I had given up they met their match with another person who had tried and succeeded on appeal to get planning. I won’t go into details but it culminated in virtually all of the planning department being dismissed.

We did go ahead and put in for planning at one point (unfortunately I couldn’t go to the meeting otherwise I would have spotted the errors and pulled it out of the meeting on the night)
The planning officer we were dealing despite having all the figures and room sizes put down her own version for heights of rooms so it looked like the height of the house would look like a tower block.
I.e ceiling height for the ground floor was 2.4m. Ceiling height that was put before committee was 24m. Then it was drawn so it looked like the house spread up to the boundary on either side.

It was a complete mess.

Don’t get me started on the cubic footage. Even basic maths didn’t add up. Eg living room was put down as eg 24m height x 6 metres width x 10m length=1,159,997 cubic metres

The problem I am having is their refusal is on my planning history and because of this the people who want to buy the place are seeing this and don’t want to proceed.

They don’t see the ridiculous rehashed plans and the made up figures that didn’t add up which led to the refusal.

A development has since gone up down the road on what was green belt land and other people have extended to the side and out the back and our other ndn has had a massive side and back extension so I am thinking that if someone came along now with a hopefully more sensible planning dept they would get their plans through.

Otherwise how do I get someone who actually wants to live in the place as a bungalow without them looking at it and going down the development potential route

Or someone to look at the history of the planning department and realise that the refusal was not because they objected to any house being built on the plot but because of the fictitious height and spread of the plans.

Unfortunately because of new practices you can’t talk to the planning department anymore

OP

Am I right in thinking you don't really want to move but that you can't afford to stay?

Do you have insurance with your mortgage? It may be possible to claim on that if you do, or to sell the policy.

I would love a bungalow on a decent plot!! 🥰 jealous! So so jealous x

sashh

We would like to sell.

What do you mean about claiming on an insurance policy or selling it?

What insurance policy?

I did ask if you had an insurance policy with your mortgage, most people do. Some let you claim in the case of terminal illness.

Obviously if you don't have one then that's different.

if its the one ove found on rightmove then you really need to have words with your agent. only 5 photos and no floorplan. its basically put there for re development. apologies if ive got it wrong!

Why do you think it's not selling? Without knowing any details at all its difficult to comment in a helpful way. Havd you asked the estate agents for their suggestions. (Not that I've much faith in them but it's worth a try)

Have you thought of renting it out?
Or getting lodgers to help with the mortgage?

I find it very hard to think that a Mumsnetter is going to take the link to the bungalow, research the address and find your names, and then carry out some fraud. Seriously.

There's a bungalow on a road full of £2m houses close to us. I can see it would be hard to sell without PP. It isn't an area people retire to (too expensive), and it looks like a cheap building. If you're targeting £900k-1m that's too high as people would prefer to stretch to £1.2m and get a proper house. Sorry! Could you sell cheap to a developer with overage (so you get a cut of any on-sale with PP)?

If you're targeting £900k-1m that's too high as people would prefer to stretch to £1.2m and get a proper house.

No 20M houses around here but plenty in the 1.5-3M bracket. The most expensive bungalow currently under offer was on for 1.4 M and sold quickly. There’s another really lovely one on for 1.35M and I expect it will get snapped up quickly.

However, the bungalows going for good money are very large. Anything of 1500sq ft or less would be considered a development plot. Is that the issue OP? Is your bungalow a lot smaller in terms of sq footage than any other houses?

I think the more expensive bungalows would be harder to sell. Can you say roughly what price bracket it's in. People seeking bungalows are usually older people, people downsizing and so on. Average priced bungalows are in big demand from what I've seen.

cleopatrascorset

£1.2m would not buy you a detached around here.
You would struggle to get a semi for that price. Detached houses are £1million more than this bungalow.

There is a terrace house that has gone up for sale priced at £100,000 more than ours.

Not only is it 400 square foot smaller it doesn’t have off street parking and it doesn’t have any garden.

Whilst it might be correct that it is no more than a building plot. The problem is we have a perfectly nice home stood on the plot and ultimately you can’t build anything that is going to cover your costs.

Tearing down a perfectly good 4 bed bungalow then spending to rebuild a 4 bed house that is of similar size or just slightly bigger isn’t worthwhile. You wouldn’t be able to build a mansion on this plot.

Same in my area OP. Terraced Victorian houses are £1.2m. Your trouble is people see those as "proper houses", whereas a bungalow is not, and that outweighs the advantages of being detached.

Without seeing details no-one can tell you what might be putting buyers off but I wouldn't necessarily expect a bungalow would deter many. It might be something else such as location - you say there's no public transport. Is it really in a comparable location to the other houses your comparing it to? (I can't think of many areas where you'd find £1m terraced houses where you couldn't walk to amenities.)
Alternatively maybe your photos aren't selling it as a home so people are expecting lots of work would be needed hence why they're looking at a complete rebuild.

It does sound like your estate agent has misunderstood who you want it to be marketed to, by talking about extending and enlarging the kitchen, and all the people viewing being interested in rebuilding/ extending. That may be reflected in the Rightmove entry - in the photos or text - so it is only attracting viewers who want a big project. Definitely get the agent to change their focus, or getting a new agent.

However - even if you did find a buyer it would probably take months to complete and move. Is there any way you can afford to just stay there for the next year or two? Anyone who would loan you money given your husband's illness? Any avenues to borrow or release money from anything?

Or would you consider moving to a different cheaper area in the future? It sounds like a big barrier is that you need to to sell for a certain amount to buy a new property in current expensive area, and that for whatever reason so far potential buyers don't want to spend that. Would you consider staying in your home with your dh whilst he is with you, and if it hasn't sold at your preferred price by the time he sadly passes, then sell for less and relocate to a different more affordable area? Do you have any family or friends in other cheaper areas that you might want to move to? I appreciate that this wouldn't be an ideal option, but it may be better than going bankrupt or spending the next year really stressed and worried about selling the house.

I would love a bungalow with a nice sized garden, OP. And I'd also like to be surrounded by big fancy houses. Don't lose heart, I can't believe I'm the only one who would like it.

It sounds like the agent isn't pitching your home in the right direction at all, if you can bear it I'd hang on until out of contract with them, then get a new agent who is prepared to take on board what you've said here.

I'm really sorry to hear about your DP.

Sell it to we it any house and move somewhere a lot cheaper.

Or can you get another job or are you caring for your DH?

I know you have said you are not interested in equity release, but you should at least consider it and find out about the various schemes.

My in-laws did this - it enabled them to receive a monthly income from the scheme and when FIL passed away, MIL arranged not to receive any further income since she no longer needed it (life insurance payout). When MIL passed away, her children sold the house and paid back the percentage owed to the equity release company. There was still a substantial amount of equity in the property to be distributed to the beneficiaries and it made my in-laws lives in their latter years much more comfortable.

It will certainly be less stressful at a time when you need to be concentrating on your DP and enjoying some bucket list experiences while you can. If you want to sell up in a year or two, then do that when you can put all your efforts into it.

Finally, I am so very sorry to hear about your DP. I have been through the same so can very much empathise with you. But, please put your DP first, selling up and moving at a time when he is ill is not the time to do it.

But, please put your DP first, selling up and moving at a time when he is ill is not the time to do it.

I so agree, as well as the advice to investigate equity release.

cleopatrascorset

The terrace properties might seem like more of a house than my bungalow but as well as being much smaller, in a terrace, no off road parking they also don’t have any gardens.

Maybe I am being bias but if I was spending £100k more than we would get from our bungalow I would want somewhere to sit out, I would want a place to park my car and I would still want a detached and a bigger place than I have at the moment.

I do think the way the EA has marketed it has not done it any favours.
I have tried to tell him to promote the annexe as an Airbnb but he seemed to think people in this area wouldn’t want to be bothered with a £50 per night annexe and would want to extend.
But then the viewers find they aren’t going to make anything by spending money on extending.

I really don’t want to go down the equity release route
The idea of selling my future just so we get enough to go on holiday and have a few days out and then I am tied to living here for the rest of my life fills me with dread and I would probably end up packing my bags and walking away with nothing.

Tbh, in such an affluent area, an Airbnb in the particulars would sound like a joke.

You could always speak to the agent to market to people downsizing and emphasise what a desirable/upmarket the area it’s in. However, if that doesn’t work, you’re just not realistic about the price. You’ve brought up the example of the Victorian terrace - is it close to amenities? That’s adds a premium. Also the period features add £££ - perhaps your bungalow is different but generally they tend to be quite bland.

Chaletbungalow You are not tied to living in the house for the rest of your life just for a holiday and a few days out. Just google all the information online about equity release. There are so many schemes to suit all needs and it's obvious you haven't researched it at all.

Equity release mortgage plans, such as the lifetime mortgage, enable you to release some of your home's value. Interest on the sum you have released rolls up over time and is usually repaid – along with the sum itself – when you pass away or enter long-term residential care.

However, products are becoming increasingly flexible, with a range of new features on the market. Some of the most popular include the ability to receive a regular monthly income from your property wealth, to make regular interest repayments during the life of the loan, and to allow downsizing so you can move in the future – penalty free – if you wish.

If there’s a chance you might want to downsize in the future and you’ve yet to release equity, consider a plan that offers downsizing protection.

This option allows you to downsize and repay your equity-release plan in full – either voluntarily or if the new property does not meet your lender’s criteria – without incurring any early repayment charges. Some 45 per cent of equity-release products now offer downsizing protection, which can typically be used after the first five years of the loan.

No the terrace houses are not near anything either. They are in the next road.

From saga

You will only be able to transfer your equity release deal to a new property if it meets the standards laid down by your provider. Typically, equity release companies do not lend on retirement homes, and there may be restrictions on the type of flat you can move to as well as how the property was constructed

We have looked into it and done the calculations.

If we took equity release I doubt I could move and have freedom if the only place I can live has to be approved by someone.

That is why I would walk away with nothing rather have someone dictate where I can go.

If the terraced house isn’t near anything either, it might just work in your favour and send buyers your way.

With the equity release- are you allowed to just pay back what you owe when you move to a cheaper place?

Don’t do equity release!!! The interest rates are sky high. Before you know it, the repayment will have doubled. My DHs aunt did it and it was a huge error. She didn’t even spend the money she raised! You will find that when you do move, you will pay a hefty chunk to the mortgage company.

Regarding planning: of course it’s worth it to redevelop the plot. Even where I live in the AONB and green belt, the property can be increased by 50%. If they knock it down they immediately get this. Add a basement and there’s more space. Add an extension at a later stage = more space. Of course it will be worth it. Your selling price needs to stack up. If you just want someone who wants a bungalow you might be cutting out cash buyers - eg builders. They can submit plans and when they are agreed, they pay the agreed price.

Planning departments can be naff and you have to know how to play them - Basements, further extensions etc. Many won’t give advice and all seem to be behind closed walls with no public face. Even though we pay for them.

You can get the plans via the records at the planning department. Ask for them from their archives. However don’t you have your own copies? You should also have your refusal letter and the grounds. Building a house in a street full of houses is usually quite normal!