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

So you've completed?

They shouldn't be contacting you now.

Did you give them your number?

Why did you move and take the plans you? I'd have either left them or thrown them.

When we bought our house, the owner had already had some plans drawn up which they passed on to us. I don’t think they charged us anything for them. We got some of her really nice furniture as well (we did pay something for that though). She had recently got divorced, had been treated for cancer and was downsizing- and she was just very keen to move on by that point I think. We didn’t use her exact plan but got some ideas from it.

The surveyor is bonkers. I work in this sector and I resell plans to new owners myself, I don’t let old clients make money on my services. It should be in their terms and conditions, your surveyor sounds inexperienced.

In the normal scheme of things I would have just given them but given their behaviour during your sale I would say they haven’t resurfaced after your move. No way would I reward their poor behaviour.

Our previous owner had commissioned a well known and expensive architect to carry out a total refurb of our house including moving walls etc and an extension. It’s Grade II* listed so this was quite an undertaking. They gave them to us for free and despite the fact that they were obviously worth a large amount of money I certainly wouldn’t have been willing to pay anything for them.

The plans are worthless to you and it seems unlikely that a purchaser would be willing to pay for designs that they had no input into.

Since they stung you at the end no way would I hand them over free. CF.

Oh I missed the bit about asking for a reduced price, in that case sell them. Can't stand buyers who don't act in good faith and mess people around!

I would ask for the amount of reduction they asked for (not the lesser amount you gave them, I’d go the full whack). That’s karmas with a nice pointed message.

We included ours as part of the sale to show what could be done.

We have also viewed houses which included them as part of the sale. They were laid out in the kitchen to look at during the viewing

Missed the point they asked for a cheeky last minute reduction....

In that case sell them

Given its all gone through now, I'd ask for the amount they got it reduced by!

Offer the plans for the amount of the reduction you were forced to give. If they say no, in the bin the plans go! They sound like cfs who don't deserve any freebies!

Why not offer them for a sizeable donation to your favourite charity? You specify the amount, they send it...you donate and send them a screenshot of the receipt and the plans.

Makes it harder for them to barter you down. If they refuse that's up to them, don't give it any more thought and move on.

Just pass them on OP - unless that is they were awkward buyers in which case sell them

If the sale is complete and they were dicks during the process I would just ignore honestly. Whether its stair carpet measurements or extension plans, its nothing to do with you anymore. They should have asked at the time had solicitors include it in the sale.

Seeing as they were arseholes at the end of the purchase I wouldn’t be giving them anything for free. I would tell them what it cost & offer to sell the plans to them for half that. They may well refuse but so what? You’re no worse off.

I was just about to post to say just give then to them, they are no use to you anymore.

But if they were a nightmare going through the sale and asked for a last min reduction out of sheer pettiness I would not give them unless they were paying something for them.

Seeing your update that they asked for a reduction at the last minute, I would suggest they give you a token goodwill payment, I’d start at half the cost of plans and see what they say. It’s not the money but principle.

Given your update about the price reduction, I’d offer to sell them for the exact same price as the reduction. They won’t buy them but you might feel like you’ve had a chance to make your point. Some people would think it petty but it’s what I think I’d do.

It's money already spent. In the interests of being a cooperative vendor I'd just pass them over. For all you know they could be wavering on pulling out and this could end up helping reassure them.

I don't understand why you wouldn't just hand them over tbh. They're useless to you? When we bought our first house the plans that they had done were just sat in one of the rooms. We were thinking about selling the house we're in now and would have left the plans for the renovation behind. Seems pointless to keep them?

I was in the same position and just handed them over - they were no use to me.

Ah okay, in light of this info that they asked for a last minute reduction, I would offer the plans at exactly the cost of the reduction they requested.

We thought the same @PixiePirate

Based on your update that they were difficult all along and asked for a cheeky last minute reduction, I’d definitely ask them for a contribution! You should have said this in your opening post and you’d have had a lot of different responses!