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Giant warehouse being built behind house we’re buying!! Help

77 replies

Pony86 · 25/09/2025 21:27

We offered on our dream house in April (£500k, full asking price), had a bit of a nightmare with broken chains etc but getting there now. The house has a massive back garden which backs onto an old disused government storage site with the warehouse being around 10m high (whiteish colour and pretty much just blends into the sky). We were told by the vendors that it was being knocked down and replaced as the site was really old. Found out today (a week or so away from exchange) that it’s being replaced with a 20m high mega warehouse which will totally overshadow the small street and the garden. I’m gutted. As much as it pains me, I’m considering pulling out. DH is trying to convince me we could spend a small fortune on mature trees and cover the worst of it. I rang the EA today, she had no idea and was shocked so it obviously wasn’t priced into the valuation. Would we be within our rights to suggest a small price reduction to cover some of the cost of mitigating the gigantic eyesore if we do decide to stick with it? I don’t want to come across like chancers price dripping before exchange but this is a hideous situation. Would welcome any thoughts / advice!

OP posts:
merrywidow · 25/09/2025 21:29

I’d pull out. No way would I buy with a giant warehouse over the garden fence.

Arlanymor · 25/09/2025 21:30

It’s not your dream house if it is going to have a massive warehouse overshadowing it. There are very few situations where I would condone pulling out of an agreed sale. But this is absolutely one of them.

MyDownstairsLooisHaunted · 25/09/2025 21:31

Don't buy it.

You'll spend your time glaring at the warehouse and resentful you were talked into it.

Plus imagine you wanted to sell later because you were unhappy and you can't because buyers are put off.

Take it as a narrow escape and keep looking for a property you really want to live in.

rwalker · 25/09/2025 21:31

Pull out
noise traffic and probably out the whole st and your garden in shade

Insertfootnote · 25/09/2025 21:31

Pull out. You'll find another place.

LavenderBlue19 · 25/09/2025 21:31

I'd pull out, especially if it will block any of your sun. Would you have bought the house with the bigger warehouse if it were already there?

Sunflower07 · 25/09/2025 21:31

I’d definitely pull out. Sorry!
I imagine you may struggle to sell in the future too

applegingermint · 25/09/2025 21:32

Absolutely pull out. You will hate it.

jumpingthehighjump · 25/09/2025 21:34

Surely your Solicitors searches would have uncovered this?
That is what you employ them for. If they haven't come across local planning permissions with something so close to your proposed purchase, they are inept

verycloakanddaggers · 25/09/2025 21:35

Either pull out or renegotiate the price, with a sizeable discount.

The owner will have known so they won't be shocked.

Pony86 · 25/09/2025 21:36

I’ll be showing DH this thread! I’m gutted but glad we’ve found out now. There’s no way we’d have even offered on it if a) we’d known about it or b) it was already there. We could live with the existing structure, it’s been there forever and wasn’t in any way overbearing. I’ve been on the council website today looking at the plans and drawings and I nearly cried!

OP posts:
SemmaLina · 25/09/2025 21:37

Didn’t this come up in the searches ?

Supperlite · 25/09/2025 21:39

Definitely don’t buy it, you’ll lose money. Sorry!

Pony86 · 25/09/2025 21:40

Solicitor was supposed to be sending everything out for us to review and sign tomorrow. We’ve seen and heard nothing from them until this week! I’ll be having a word with them tomorrow to find out why they’ve not flagged this soon. I found this out totally by chance with a conversation with someone at the school gates.

OP posts:
Flickyhair · 25/09/2025 21:40

How on earth did this not come up in planning searches - has planning permission been granted since these were done? The vendors will have known that is for sure either through notification or local chat.

20m is very high -the height of a 6 storey tower block. You have no idea of noise, traffic or how it will affect your sun and light and views. The house you bid on did not have these uncertainties and was priced according. Hell would freeze over before I would part with half a million pounds on a house with these unknowns.
I would 100% pull out.

jumpingthehighjump · 25/09/2025 21:42

Yes your solicitor is inept. This should have been flagged way way before where you are now

these sort of planning permissions have to go in a very long time before they are approved

Pony86 · 25/09/2025 21:43

Thank you for all the quick replies, I feel vindicated that I’m not being hysterical and gutted at the same time but this could have been a very costly mistake.

OP posts:
jumpingthehighjump · 25/09/2025 21:43

Pony86 · 25/09/2025 21:36

I’ll be showing DH this thread! I’m gutted but glad we’ve found out now. There’s no way we’d have even offered on it if a) we’d known about it or b) it was already there. We could live with the existing structure, it’s been there forever and wasn’t in any way overbearing. I’ve been on the council website today looking at the plans and drawings and I nearly cried!

I cannot believe you have been on a council website and looked at this but your solicitor hasn't mentioned it?
I would be absolutely furious and not pay them any money

NotOverlypleased · 25/09/2025 21:44

I really feel for the sellers, but I'd pull out in this situation, and I say this as someone whose buyers pulled out at exchange, 3 days before completion, so I know how crap that is. But you can't proceed and spend half a million quid to spare someone's feelings.

As they say, all's fair in love, war and real estate!

Supperlite · 25/09/2025 21:46

jumpingthehighjump · 25/09/2025 21:34

Surely your Solicitors searches would have uncovered this?
That is what you employ them for. If they haven't come across local planning permissions with something so close to your proposed purchase, they are inept

Sorry but this is incorrect. Planning searches relate to the property itself to check there are no planning breaches the prospective buyer would inherit and become responsible for. Lawyers can’t canvass local planning permissions willy nilly, it’s for the buyers to be aware of the neighbourhood and have the good sense to check if there’s any local development or prospective development. I think that if sellers are aware of any local developments that could negatively impact the value of the property they are obligated to flag it on the property information form.

jumpingthehighjump · 25/09/2025 21:47

My DD bought a flat in London and it was flagged up that she was over an underground line and she was asked to consider that
Bearing in mind she was opposite a tube station, hardly surprising! But it was brought to her attention, as it should be!

allthegrass · 25/09/2025 21:47

I saw something about this on the news a while ago. It might not be the same warehouse but incredibly similar story. They were saying it would knock thousands and thousands off the values of the houses. I would pull out you could end up in negative equity.

jumpingthehighjump · 25/09/2025 21:48

Supperlite · 25/09/2025 21:46

Sorry but this is incorrect. Planning searches relate to the property itself to check there are no planning breaches the prospective buyer would inherit and become responsible for. Lawyers can’t canvass local planning permissions willy nilly, it’s for the buyers to be aware of the neighbourhood and have the good sense to check if there’s any local development or prospective development. I think that if sellers are aware of any local developments that could negatively impact the value of the property they are obligated to flag it on the property information form.

I don't understand. See my post above. That is what solicitors are there for and we have bought and sold at different times and have had developments flagged up

Crazyworldmum · 25/09/2025 21:49

Pull out . You will end up loosing money

RaininSummer · 25/09/2025 21:51

A massive warehouse will surely have massive lorries visiting and possibly at anti social times. What a shame and I feel sorry for the vendors too.