The Dangers Of Buying A House With An Extension

I was reading through the news yesterday, and I came across an interesting article about a mansion that is facing demolition because the luxury home has been vastly extended without proper planning permission. The previous owner, a builder, had more than doubled the living space without having permission to do so. He then sold it onto another couple, for a staggering £2million, and now that poor couple is suffering. The local council are insisting that they demolish the mansion to the size that was legally agreed.

This is what the couple stands to lose:

You can read the full story here

If you’re planning on buying a home that has been modified structurally, it’s important that you find out if everything has been done legally. You can find out from your local council, although your solicitor should do all the surveys for you, retrieving the relevant details. However, it’s important that you do investigate thoroughly, otherwise you could lose a large portion of your home, if not all of it.

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Talk / 1 Comment left so far

Patti wrote this on 2010-08-07 19:24:07 I saw a bungalow I want to buy which had the loft converted to a bedroom with a velux window about 9 years ago by the owner (a professional builder) BUT although he was told he didn't need Planning Permission NOBODY informed him of the Building Regulations. Therefore, this bungalow does not have the Building Approval Certificate. I just wondered if an Indemnity Insurance Certificate (purchase by the seller) would be acceptable? 1

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