planning permission - objections due to "loss of view"

[IMM]

Where they notified?

[mich]

So bottom line is to make money? Buy cheaper and sell dearer! Investment.

Doesnt anyone just buy a house to be a home these days? A place they can love, live in and care for without having to think - so what can I do to add value and screw someone into paying me more than I paid for it?

Its bl**dy sad!

[Christian McArdle]

Perhaps they aren't as rich as you?

I bought my house with a view to extending it (loft dormer extension). As I bought the current one with a substantial deposit and 4.25x multiple on the mortgage, buying one ready done (at 40K more) was not an option. The cost of the conversion would be 20K, so it would have been quite reasonable to buy it and do the conversion before taking residence, plus you get to choose exactly how it is done, and, also, may get to choose a house in exactly the right location and style that may not be available in the required larger size.

Christian.

[Toby]

Not really, think of many growing families, they don't want to move but require extra space. Example: Couple in home counties with three growing kids, husband has well paid London job. Maximum mortgage for existing 3 bed house which has good local schools and a friendly atmosphere. The price jump for a nearby 4 bed house is an additional £100k, that's over £400k for a 4 bed house! The only viable way to gain the required space is to extend at a cost of maybe £40k. Then there's also the question of granny as her Alzheimer's takes hold, where can she go?

[IMM]

He built an extension because he lied where he was. If he drew even he still would have done it.

[mich]

Thats an assumption on your part! I am not rich. I am a minimum wage earner. I suspect the original poster has more money on the extension he proposes than I will earn this year.

[Christian McArdle]

So why did you suggest simply buying a bigger house? I don't know anyone who has bought a house without spending every penny they could find, beg, borrow or steal.

Christian.

[Nick Brooks]

You've not borrowed to buy a house - well you're considerably richer than me

Nick Brooks

[IMM]

I principle I agree with you. We are about the only country where people "expect" their house to rise in value, and treat it as an investment. Free up the land, which will drop land prices, and allow peopel to build pretty well where they want and this "investment" mentality will disappear. People should try units trusts if they want to invest, not houses.

[mich]

Because the house he is considering buying is obviously not big enough . I dont accept the idea that its cheaper to buy a house and then extend it than it is to buy a bigger house that will meet your needs.

If he were living there and then found the need to extend at some point in the future, I'd accept it. Not buy to extend , especially a two story extension. Hence I say its money making a la propert ladder and all shows of similar ilk.

I have a house of my own, but I have not begged borrowed or stolen for it. Neither am I plnning on extending it right now ( although I could make a tidy penny from adding a loft conversion bedroom - and the place was originally built with the possibility in mind as the loft is already a "room" ( no windows though!).

I didnt buy my house to add a room, neither did I buy it to make money. I bought what I could afford and I bought because I needed a roof over my head. I also bought somewhere I liked so that I wouldnt have to change it to suit me afterwards.

[Christian McArdle]

This might depend on your area. It is much cheaper to build yourself an extension than buy a bigger place around here. About a factor of 2 difference.

You're obviously not in the south east, then! A basic 3 bed Victorian terrace previously wrecked by students with no parking or decent kitchen costs around 200K around here, although you get pretty orange and brown period (1963) wallpaper included for free.

Christian.

[Nick Brooks]

Yeah another GREAT idea (not)

>

[Christian McArdle]

Have you ever travelled abroad? You can tell the countries without effective planning permission, because they are dirty, with no pavements, excessive advertising hoardings and unfinished concrete buildings liberally scattered everywhere.

True, we need to loosen up somewhat to allow house prices to settle at a reasonable level, but a free-for-all? No thanks!

Christian.

[Toby]

Lets call this Case 1.

In that case the costs have to be less than the rise in value, Case 2

So which is it?

In vast areas of the country, case 2 applies, building is much more cost effective than moving as demonstrated by the number of people taking this route; the demand for skilled trades, the healthy trading figures posted by the building supplies businesses & the home improvement chains support this view.

There are areas in the country where it's not just the first time buyers who struggle, but higher rate tax payers are getting trapped by the rising market - unable to trade up. Say they bought at £200k, it's now worth £300k and to move to a four bed they would spend £400k OK they may have a paper gain of £100k but instead of financing £200k they now have to finance £300k, there are v.few people who can do that. The value of your house isn't much comfort, until you jack it all in and travel the world.

[Nick Brooks]

Given the plummeting value of my pension (in real terms) the increaseing value of my house is about the only thing that DOES provide some comfort

Nick Brooks

[Neil Jones]

increaseing

Never fear - the positions will probably reverse at some point.

[IMM]

Like Germany, France, Spain, USA, Canada, etc? What tripe you prattle. You have to travel a bit more.

[IMM]

That will reverse, as the stock market recovers. It always does.

[Christian McArdle]

Well, I admit I've never been to Canada. But I have been to France, Germany, Spain and the USA. And Italy, Greece, Peru, Australia, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra and Japan.

I can assure you that there are major differences between countries (and localities within them) as to how the countries look depending on their planning regulations and how strictly enforced they are. Lack of planning restrictions causes A-road equivalents to be a barely ending ribbon of abandoned buildings, advertising hoardings and fast food joints with about 2 acres of car park per building. However, in rural areas, most countries actually look quite nice, whether they have restrictions or not.

Christian.

[mich]

Another assumption. You dont know how old I am or how long I have saved for to buy my home. You got a mortgage at 20 - 25 Your mortgage is paid off at 55 or 60?

Dont assume I am young! I did have an inheritance - but my family were all hard working people and were borrowers or lenders and did not squander. I do not drink or smoke . I have not spent my youth clubbing , dining or similar I havent been on a holiday for forty years and I have never left the country to go on one either.

I have saved hard. I have lived what some might term frugally. You begrudge me a simple home because I asked a simple question concerning the motivations of some bloke who is viewing properties view to adding a two storey extension ? I dont see what my situation has to do with it. I just asked why someone would buy a house with a view to needing to put a bloody large extension on the side when like as not he could get a larger house for the same money.