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What would you do

20 replies

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 15:38

Just sold our property, we broke the chain due to big delays on our vendors solicitors side not getting draft contracts prepared until about 6 weeks into the sale, they then realised the property wasn’t registered, so now it needs registering, but they only copy of the deeds the elderly vendors have are unsigned. They still haven’t put the first application to register the property in. I’m getting more and more frustrated as they have lied to our solicitors saying that it had been done.
Another thing is no guarantee of a title absolute, vendors have signed a declaration of truth and provided some of bits and pieces to go with the application.
Land registry also have delays of their own, and solicitors can’t even apply for it to be expedited before they get the bloody thing posted !!
Anyway, that’s the backstory.

In the meantime we’ve moved into a ground floor flat in a lovely local village by us, our garden backs onto the canal, surrounded by fields and woods and it’s just really lovely here, it has a charm about it. We really like it here. The house was going to be demolished so the owner could build two 4 bed houses on the plot (would’ve been a squeeze) the planning was rejected due to the locals not being happy about it. So for the moment it seems he’s just renting the two flats out until he decides on maybe another planning or whatever.

We’re wondering if we should ask if he wants to sell the house. The estate agents are willing to speak to him, they’ve done a desktop valuation which has come back at 420k-450k. Fully done up refurbished house would be valued at 600k-650k.

The house we’re buying is similar, 1930’s detached but nearer to town, on a main road with a very large back garden.

Wouod we be stupid to risk our current purchase or should we see it as things happening for a reason??

OP posts:
TheSandgroper · 15/07/2025 15:49

Faint heart never won fair lady.

user1471538283 · 15/07/2025 15:56

I would ask. House buying is a business and you might forever think "what if?"

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 15:57

Does this mean something like you don’t ask you don’t get ? Lol

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jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 15:57

user1471538283 · 15/07/2025 15:56

I would ask. House buying is a business and you might forever think "what if?"

This is true. He might not even want to sell to be honest

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MrsEMR · 15/07/2025 16:01

Can you look up when he bought the property/ what he paid at the time? If he bought it recently with the intention to flip with the 2 new builds then chances are he may welcome an offer?

Chewbecca · 15/07/2025 16:03

Absolutely no harm in asking.

user1471538283 · 15/07/2025 16:05

Yes you can. It should be listed under sold prices on Rightmove. In this market he may be glad of a quick sale.

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:07

I can only find the flats separately

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jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:08

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:07

I can only find the flats separately

And that’s on Zoopla not coming up on right move at all. Zoopla also doesn’t state when last sold just estimated value of each flat

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jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:12

Dh seems to think a lender wouldn’t lend on a property that’s converted into two flats anyway?

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MrsEMR · 15/07/2025 16:18

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:12

Dh seems to think a lender wouldn’t lend on a property that’s converted into two flats anyway?

So maybe your first port of call is your mortgage lender / broker.
Would you keep it as 2 separate flats or look to turn it into a single family home?
if it’s 2 separate units then a lender will look at it as 1 primary residence & 1 buy to let. If it’s a refurb back to a single home then you buy the property & then draw down the refurbishment costs as and when the work is done (this is known as stage payments).

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:19

MrsEMR · 15/07/2025 16:18

So maybe your first port of call is your mortgage lender / broker.
Would you keep it as 2 separate flats or look to turn it into a single family home?
if it’s 2 separate units then a lender will look at it as 1 primary residence & 1 buy to let. If it’s a refurb back to a single home then you buy the property & then draw down the refurbishment costs as and when the work is done (this is known as stage payments).

Edited

No we would want it as our family home.
We have 200k in the bank cash from the sale of our old property. Could we buy one flat and mortgage the other ??

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MrsEMR · 15/07/2025 16:32

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:19

No we would want it as our family home.
We have 200k in the bank cash from the sale of our old property. Could we buy one flat and mortgage the other ??

It’s more than 20 years since I worked in mortgage finance, but my understanding would be that you buy both properties together & get your solicitor to amalgamate the title of the flats into one single title (although it may not have been split in 2 in the first place). this would be a basic requirement of the lender. it increases the value of the property & makes it more saleable in the future.
I would maximise the loan amount on the purchase & reserve as much of your cash for the refurb. so for example. You buy both properties for £420k with a £375k mortgage & £45k cash, you then have £155k cash to do the work.
but I would advise speaking to a mortgage lender directly or a broker that deals with a range of providers as all will have different requirements.

HarryVanderspeigle · 15/07/2025 16:55

Why don't you just ask the landlord if they have any interest in selling and go from there? Otherwise you could waste a lot of time with brokers and solicitors for no chance of buying anyway. A conversation isn't legally binding.

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:56

MrsEMR · 15/07/2025 16:32

It’s more than 20 years since I worked in mortgage finance, but my understanding would be that you buy both properties together & get your solicitor to amalgamate the title of the flats into one single title (although it may not have been split in 2 in the first place). this would be a basic requirement of the lender. it increases the value of the property & makes it more saleable in the future.
I would maximise the loan amount on the purchase & reserve as much of your cash for the refurb. so for example. You buy both properties for £420k with a £375k mortgage & £45k cash, you then have £155k cash to do the work.
but I would advise speaking to a mortgage lender directly or a broker that deals with a range of providers as all will have different requirements.

Thanks for this. It sounds a bit stressful !! But I could mention it to our broker and see what he thinks…

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jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:56

HarryVanderspeigle · 15/07/2025 16:55

Why don't you just ask the landlord if they have any interest in selling and go from there? Otherwise you could waste a lot of time with brokers and solicitors for no chance of buying anyway. A conversation isn't legally binding.

Hi, yeah I have asked the estate agent to ask the landlord this firstly

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MrsEMR · 15/07/2025 17:03

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 16:56

Thanks for this. It sounds a bit stressful !! But I could mention it to our broker and see what he thinks…

Good luck. It sounds like a lovely place to live.

DancefloorAcrobatics · 15/07/2025 17:04

Definitely find out if you can mortgage it as one property.

jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 17:06

DancefloorAcrobatics · 15/07/2025 17:04

Definitely find out if you can mortgage it as one property.

Do you think this would be likely ? From a quick google search it seems people struggle !

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jacksmannequin · 15/07/2025 17:24

Oh my god. Now the sellers solicitor is saying they’re waiting for a sim search to come back ? This was not mentioned before. So not only have they lied to my solicitors about already sending off the first registration application they have also forgot to mention this search. Does anyone know what this search is for ?!

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