Bignose2

Hi, Inherited a large house, no mortgage, all probate etc. sorted but need a mortgage to buy-out my brothers half. It has a self contained annexe, kitchen, bedroom, toilets etc. actually used for staff for the last 45+ years for my business on the adjacent plot of land. Free to staff, no tenancy agreement. all fenced so can create a boundary, does back on to the main property garage, shared wall but assume can be a boundary. Trying to get a buy-to-let mortgage which is near impossible. Initial enquiries via a specialist even they are fussy & if somehow OK unafforable rates even though only need for half of the property. With an annexe attached main stream lenders are not interested. Had valuations, all very happy but I guess as potentially we could have stangers living there they will not approve, have said if annexe was not on the title they would not have a problem even though close & next door. My wife & I will own both properties, we actually own the business next door & then my own house further over, my property is made up of 3 titles as I have bought bits of land over the time. We would never sell it seperately (would devalue the main, rather nice large house), purely for lenders tick boxing. Can get proof from broker that they will not lend. I am hoping the LR would consider this a fair reason. concerns 1) someone mentioned that they don't like it if you will own both titles 2) not sure what planning it has to be honest 50+ years ago built by my Father, I know was legit but not sure if "granny annexe" for my old Nan (never lived in it) or staff from the off, always had non-family living there. I doubt LR technially bothered about planning but guess they have to give the title a heading & it is more than a piece of land, planning is our problem but not sure what to include in any application. "Annexe & land"? 3) It does have it own postal address & pays council tax specific to the "Flat", leave off any application or include? More compelling that I need as a staff flat but also may complicate matters so not sure how best to apply. Three lenders I have tried refused point blank as it had an annexe so still seems impossible to get the buy-to-let even if unoccupied but the broker hinted with one lender it might! be possible if we sign a declaration that the annexe will not be rented out. We cannot do that but the LR might consider a reason that it does not need to be split. Technically we are not renting out but fairly sure would be breaching their intentions if we used it even being for free & not tenancy Sorry so long winded, I guess details are important.

Little off topic but may be of some interest also when I was researching I found very little real experience of others on any of the wayleave/easement stuff. I have property with 1 pole & with 3 wires at the back of my land but in view of the house. 2 other poles on my adjacent land After all the usual stuff on TV & even letters, "you can claim for thousands of £'s for apparatus going across your land" I thought I would investigate. I applied myself, very easy actually but takes a very long time for each stage. 2+ years after first enquiry I finally had an offer for an easement, this is the permanent right that goes on the deeds so has to be taken seriously. In expensive part of surrey so actually offered £30k which covered 2 properties, this is related to a v.rough property value in my case I think close to 2 million. The section of scrub land in between offered £150, actually about the same size and almost as close but a different title so offers are purely on value and not where or what it is. Most legal expenses are also covered by the electricity company. I guess varies depending on company & region a little. I was told by their surveyor that claim amount is purely on house value & how close to house (I think less than 50m) and what equipment. Not how much impact there is or how it effects you as I had read elsewhere myself, so very little room for negotiation. So rather than them wanting you to pay to move you could ask for payment from them & depending on above roughly work out how much. Also because it was a substantial amount they did an appraisal to see if actually cheaper or better value to move the poles etc. Not sure if a delaying tactic but about 6 months later said that that was not an option, the same lines go onto other land so guess very little benefit or point I guess. So they must have been looking at other options at their expense but again I assume only up to what they would have had to pay for easement. Anyway, 3 years on from first payment ready to be made & I got cold feet. The easement contract, whilst seems very considerate to how they would approach any work they might need to do in the future is does give them a lot of rights, of course what they are paying for but gave them control over 4m (easement strip) either side of the lines (no building or tall plants, fair enough perhaps) but also what I read to mean they could do pretty much anything as long as did not need to extend the easement strip more than the 4 meters. Extremely unlikely but as far as I could tell they could put up 10 more poles, double the height and add a transformer to each without needing a wider strip. They would never need to but giving that right was a worry, more so if I ever sold on being on the deeds. So not only have I not got the £30k I have a £500 bill for the solicitor that would have otherwise been covered. I was a little annoyed, partially with myself as I only got an example of the type of contract 2 years in after the offer, If I had thought to ask on day one I do not think I would have wasted 3 years & quite a lot of emails & letters but a little surprised at the extent of power. Sorry not much help for your original problem but I think anything like this might be of interest.