House Buying & Vendors failed to mention...

[StressedtoFuckery]

That the house next door has planning in principal agreed for a double storey extension right up to within 20 centimetres of the exterior wall
I am so fucked off.
It's a detached house so building right up to it makes a huge difference. Not to mention the noise & disruption as we both WFH.
The vendors bloody knew, must have, they've been legally notified. We have been chasing them for the (?) form sorry forgotten it's name in my but they haven't returned it.
Now I know why.
Planning says decision to be made by beginning of March but apart from a couple of tweaks, it's granted.
I had a survey done yesterday. £625
LA searches too.
Just wish I'd checked the bloody portal sooner or that they'd been decent fucking people.
Where to go from here?
Walk?
Reduce offer?
Small claims for 'being unreasonable in their failure to declare' god I am so cross. We have to be out on 12th March as our buyers have been patient enough waiting while we found somewhere or they'll lose their own sale.

Makes me wonder --- If the vendors knew and tried to avoid telling you, what other problems may you find with the house? . Are you getting a full survey? Do you trust them now?

Greendoonan Can you pursue for falsifying information on the property information form?
Yes of course, you can sue for misrepresentation.

I’d pull out. The extension wouldn’t necessarily bother me but the imminent building work would, especially when working from home!

I'd pull out even if your light isn't affected you won't feel you're in a detached house. Building work during lockdown is a possibility that will be hard to live with.

@FlyingSuitcase

Oh ok so they are converting an existing garage and adding a storey over the top?

I think you have to assume it'll go ahead though it may not - sometimes people get the permission just to sell or they run out of money and don't do as much as they planned, or as others say it might take years even to get started. Noisewise it won't be like living in a semi. I might worry about maintenance on the wall side but realistically would that stop me buying the house? The building work could be a complete PITA. But wouldn't it be ironic if you bought somewhere else instead and the neighbours there then had a big extension built? It's one of those annoying things that is out of your control.

Basically yes you need to decide whether to walk away or drop your offer. The fact there's already a garage there does make it less of a deal-breaker I guess. Knocking on the neighbours' door is probably a wise precaution, maybe just quickly and ask if you can phone them to find out more in a more covid safe fashion.

I think that's kind of where we're at having slept on it, thank you. It could happen again on another property that we might not love so much. The location is perfect, overlooks a park, close to family ...... We have spoken to the planning officer this morning who has been helpful. We'll also get in touch with the surveyor Re the side of the house. God it's stressful!

If you'd viewed the house and the planned extension was up and established would you of put an offer in?

I think the answer to this is yes, we would.

Will the extension be 20cm from the wall of your house, or the garden wall?