To pull out of house sale due to neighbour’s planned large extension?

[Ital2004]

I am in the process of buying a semi. However the searches have come back and the adjoining neighbours have had planning permission approved for a 2 storey rear extension. 5m out from ground floor and 3.5m projecting out from 1st floor. I’m not too bothered about size of ground floor one as was planning on eventually doing the same in a couple of years. It’s the first floor one I have a problem with as the garden is north west facing and the extension is on west side so would affect sunlight coming into back bedroom. I’m so confused over what to do. Would the size of the extension really cause that much of a problem? Anyone had similar experiences with size of neighbours extensions?

Have you been on the planning portal and looked at the plans?

How big is the garden?

Could you ask to view the house again and go into the garden with a tape measure and measure put where the extension will come to? If you go in the early evening, and if the sun is in a position where it would be behind the neighbours house at that time then you'll know you won't get sun from then on iyswim. Or work out how much long you'd get sun in your garden.

Oh and yes, check the plans haven't got anything awful like a window overlooking your garden or anything. The extension could be the reason your house is for sale!

I’ve looked at the plans, the extension would come right up to our boundary. The garden is pretty long (not sure of exact length), but long enough for an extension of that length and to have enough garden space left to enjoy.

I would probably do another viewing. If you love the house I would continue, at least you know what they are planning, you could find another house and then the same thing happen again after you’ve moved in.

Our neighbours two doors down have pretty much exactly the extension you describe, and our gardens are also nw facing.

I must say I have always felt sorry for the neighbour on the far side of that house, as the sun is completely blocked from the area closest to the house. As it’s NW facing they would only get the sun there in the afternoon/ evening anyway but it’s nice to have that, and they don’t at all. The area outside their back doors never gets any sun.

it is grating you now, don't do it.

It's one thing to buy a house with that extension already built - it's another to move in just as they are starting to build it. Dust, scaffolding, noise, party wall shit, builders in your garden, builders vans parked everywhere etc for 6-9 months.

It’s so frustrating as previous house sale fell through just before lockdown, sellers pulled out. To go through another collapse...however the lack of light etc and having future buyers be put off by the extension if I wanted to sell later down line does worry me.

I’m in a semi and my adjoins neighbour has an extension approx that size. It’s fine...gives us a private, sheltered bit. Our garden is long enough that we can still get sun down the other end. Plus they’re on our north side.

I'd pass. Too many variables, plus who knows how long we'll be stuck at home with Covid. You don't want to live next to a big construction project.

I'm currently in year 2 of noise, disruption, mess etc of my neighbours building something very similar.
In your shoes I'd run a mile!

We are extending now - a much simpler single storey extension. It's been a long (covid didn't help!) messy, noisy, dusty 4 month process - we moved out very early on and I feel genuinely sorry for our neighbours having to live next door to it! (Luckily they are both very understanding but still).

I think if I were you I'd reconsider TBH. It's a guaranteed year (at least) of mess, noise and dust and then the consequential loss of light... Not what you want from a new home!

Good luck whatever you decide

I would also pull out, it's probably one of the reasons they're selling.

Pull out.

I would visit again with a tape measure as previous poster has said

Think about moving in and then living with a work project like this next door. It may be ok for you depending on your circumstances, my neighbours did their patio and we had five weeks of grinding of tiles, cement mixers, builders, music at the end of May. It drove us crazy 😝

This is probably why the owners are selling, if you visit again I would ask them. I did in a property we liked and it was interesting to hear the response. This will help you to decide.

Personally there will always be another house ime.

Good luck 😊

Regardless of the effect of the finished extension, I wouldn't buy a house knowing I'd be living next door to a building site for x years.

If you can stand the disruption, this gives you a great opportunity to knock a big chunk off your offer - sounds like you have the sellers over a barrel!

When we bought our semi-detached house, the neighbours put in planning for a side extension... after our searches were completed. So it didn't come up. Obviously the vendors didn't notify us that they had received the planning letter.
Lesson learnt for us in the future....keep doing your own searches on the planning portals throughout the buying process.

We were subjected to 3 years of on and off building work. Had we known, we would probably would have still proceeded as the extension was only a side one. However, had we known it was to be 3 years of noise and disruption we would have run a mile.

In your case OP, the extension has the potential to directly impact your property in terms of light etc, let alone the risk of the neighbours being slow/disruptive with the building work. I would run a mile.

Can you see in the planning documents if the current owner objected? Usually in the council's planning report/letter there is a summary of objections received e.g. "3 objections were received, a summary of the objections is xyz"

The vendors are going through a divorce hence the house sale. I don’t think they objected to the planning as both sides (them and neighbours) have lived there 20 plus years and probably have a decent relationship, plus the fact they are keen to sell and move on. Thanks for the replies, given me food for thought.

This sounds like something you would regret.

Unless you have your heart absolutely set on this house, I would pull out. Not only does the planned extension sounds quite intrusive, but they also won't necessarily stick to what they have PP for. Councils are generally pretty shit at enforcement.

If the extension is right up to the boundary then the builders are going to be requiring access to your property and want to put up scaffolding in your garden etc.

Also people often build extensions bigger than what they apply for. So you could have large windows overlooking your garden (well you will because they are a source of light) plus no light in your garden. Unless you plan on building an extension of your own the same size I wouldn't buy it.

@sixlemons

If the extension is right up to the boundary then the builders are going to be requiring access to your property and want to put up scaffolding in your garden etc.

You don’t have to allow access or scaffolding. My neighbours On the other side are doing an extension and I’ve said no to scaffolding as we need access down our side passage.

Neighbours on both sides Have had as a condition of planning permission no side windows allowed, neither wanted them anyway. Just wanted windows at the back, facing down their garden.