New owner wants our extension plans

[Ksb6]

Before we decided to move we engaged a surveyor to make proper drawings of our house including an extension. We went as far as having the council out for a preliminary survey to determine if the idea was viable. They came back saying that the plans would probably pass planning. But we did not go as far as applying for planning as we decided to move instead.

Now the new owner(buyer) of our old house wants access to these plans. The surveyor has told us we could pass them on or sell them even.

Has anyone got experience with this? The plans did cost a considerable amount of money, but are obviously not worth anything to us anymore as we don't live there.

I am grateful for any advice

Tell them how much it cost and ask them to make you an offer

unless they were complete pricks during the purchase and screwed you over, I would definitely just give them…in fact I would have offered before I was asked. I suspect if you try and charge them they won’t bother - if they are going to spend money on it then they would rather have something to their own spec not someone else’s design ideas which might not work for them.

The reality is, no one will pay anyway near the going rate for the plans, because if you were going to spend money you’d have the plans done the way you wanted them not the way the previous owner wanted them.

We’d had plans drawn up for a wrap-around extension to our breakfast room a few years back, including structural calculations and a spec suitable for tendering the work. We’d also had one quote. For various reasons we didn’t go ahead straight away, then my husband died and a couple of years later I sold the house.

I think being able to show buyers the plans helped generate more interest, and I gave them to the eventual buyers. 3 years later they haven’t built the extension either.

If you only used them for pre-app advice then I doubt that they would be sufficiently detailed for a full planning application. If the new owners wanted to pursue the idea, then the chance of them being able to use your drawings alone and not want to change any aspects of it, and not need to add any additional plans is vanishingly small. Therefore they'd need to employ someone anyway, so they'd be mad to pay you for something that they'll probably not be able to use.
I'm definitely in the camp of, just pass them on, they're no use to anyone now.

If you are moving what value will you get from keeping the plans to yourself?

100% this

It would be fair to sell just to cover costs, not making a profit.

This.

It’s like when people try and sell fixtures and fittings to their buyer. I find it really odd when they pay literally £100ks for your house… just throw it in for free.

Give them; it’s good karma

This, assuming this is a potential buyer rather than the new owner in which case you can offer them at a fee. If you haven’t completed yet you need to keep them on side.

If they are the new owner then what's the problem with giving the plans to them - if they are a buyer ( ie not exchanged completed ) I would still give them to them to smooth the sale. I wouldn't try to sell them as they will probably want plans of their own - all those plans do is give them an idea of what might go through planning. We did similar with DFil's house - the plans were available to any potential buyers & I think it helped make the sale

You went to all that time and effort. You could say pay half what you paid and have a family treat with the proceeds xx

It is exactly this! They asked for a cheeky last minute reduction on the day we were supposed to exchange to complete the following week. There were delays after delays in the process, which made it all long and very drawn out. That's why I am confused!

Why would you not give them to them? They are absolutely no use to you. Do the right thing here and just kindly give them the plans.

That changes my opinion completely . Did you give a reduction. I would charge them the reduction if so .

I would sooner put them in the bin than help them.

I’d still just give them the plans tbh

Wouldn't even occur to me not to give them to them.

We gave a reduction but not as much as they asked, but we really felt pressured as the whole chain would have collapsed if they pulled out. It did make me feel awful.
Saying that, the house sale is complete, we are happy in our new home, and have moved on. Them asking for yet something more feels really uncomfortable....like what else can we get out of them sort of thing....

Say, sure. We paid $500 so will sell to you for $450.

What was their reason for the reduction requested? You mention fast completion- was it a cost to rearrange movers or something? Or did they gazunder with no reason given?

We left our extension plans and all the surveyor's paperwork sitting on a kitchen bench when we moved. We had not been asked for it but we couldn't use it and they could. It would be stupid for them to pay for what we already had and couldn't use. I'm surprised you are even considering not giving them the plans or charging them.

i wouldnt charge them for the plans. They are worthless to you - and they might not even be exactly what the new owners want. They might just want to have a look then get them revised.

I left my blinds in my old house - they would fit in any of the windows in my new house so they were worthless to me. Same for capers. Can’t understand why people try and charge extra for carpets.

lots of houses on my street are extended - every one has done it differently.

With your update then I'd definitely offer to sell rather than give away. Karma and all that.

Then ask for a small fee to contribute to the costs of the plans
You get something at least and they don't get something for nothing

Nope no reason except he was getting less for his house. His lawyers were really slow and had been promising to exchange for about 5-6 weeks before they got their act together. It's all over now, but he stung us at the end.
It's hard to let it go, even if it's the right thing to do