Negate Post Exchange Nightmares

Jan. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- The mail online recently ran a story on Sharron Davies the Olympic medal winning swimmer and TV presenter who recently purchased a Grade 2 listed property in Bradford-Upon-Avon Wiltshire for a reported £1.1m in the full knowledge that a care home was to be built within close proximity.

However, 48 hours after exchange of contracts she became aware that a radical amendment to the original planning application had been subsequently submitted. The changes have been supported by Bradford-Upon-Avon Town Council and are due to be presented before Wiltshire planners at the end of November. The amendments if passed would mean the Care Home would be larger, offering 63 beds and it’s boundary within 25 meters of her house.

Ms Davies says that the proposed amendments would take away the view from her kitchen window and the news has led her to tears.

Unfortunately, stories like these of people buying what they think is their dream home only to find out about changes that have an impact after the event are becoming more common.

It would appear that Ms Davies was at best naïve and at worst ill-advised. By that I mean she was aware that a care home was to be built and although planning was agreed until something is actually built there is always the possibility that amendments will be submitted. In fact it is often a developer’s strategy to get planning on a smaller project and then try to increase the size of the development before works start.

Some of the comments on the article suggest that solicitors and surveyors should have picked this up and advised her accordingly before purchase, but this is unfair criticism as it is not within their remit. They are there to advise on the facts at the time of purchase and of course if the amended application had not been submitted at point of purchase then there was nothing to report.

These surprises are what unrepresented buyers risk.  

As a buying agent at Elite representing buyers in the buying process, our value is not only about sourcing and securing a property but it is also about advising a client on possible risk so that an informed purchasing decision can be taken.

At Elite we always complete full due diligence including checking for planning applications submitted (either full or outline) within the local vicinity that could impact a property. If an application had been passed but building not started we would have advised that until built there was always a possibility of an amendment being submitted which could be passed and which could impact the property.

Would Ms Davies still of purchased the property had she been informed that there was a risk that an amendment could be submitted? ….Having experience of many buyers I suspect so.

Should we have sympathy that she might lose her view and things might change?…absolutely.  http://www.elitepropertysearch.com

Will this amendment have such an impact that it will remove the feelings she had towards the house which led her to buy it?... I doubt it.