Floor Plan for Landed

[yc_mw 1]

Hi All,

 

Need some advice from u peeps as this is my first landed purchase and seller is not open to applying for floor plan from BCA even after exercise of Option. Reason given was 1. No obligations to give (advice from lawyer), 2. Privacy issues.

Has any of you guys here encounter similar issues before? I've never had such issues as been staying in condos and it's so common to just give the floor plan for the buyers to check it out first. Are landed owners all so anal bout floor plans? ?

Also, any suggestions on how to overcome this issue as completion takes 28weeks, and without a floor plan, I'm at my wits end as to how to plan for reno/ extension etc.

It's a 40yrs old IT and in almost original condition. But, am not considering Reconstruction now due to budget so we'll probably come to this in another 5-10yrs time. But, as of now. I'm pretty sure I want to extend the living and kitchen area. Flooring needs to be done as well as some build-ins. Without a floor plan, I cannot ask for quotes properly much less any designs. Oh yes.. Forgot to mention that measurements is not allowed too (Privacy issue).

Appreciate any suggestions or solutions.

[snoozee 98]

Well, I guess the seller is just being a PITA. Unfortunately there’s nothing you can do if they choose not to oblige on this and if you back out of the deal because of this you will lose $$$.

BCA only allows the owner to buy the floor plans or parties authorised by the owner. So you have no way to buy them now unless the seller authorised you to do the purchase from BCA..

Honestly there shouldn’t be any reasons why seller disallows unless there are illegal works which the seller is worried that might be found out before the completion as legally he is still liable for it before the completion. 

Options you have now is to try to get the seller to sign on the authorisation letter to allow you to buy from BCA.  Since you mentioned it is an old IT, see if you can get any other neighbour who has not done up their houses to buy their floor plans instead as those old houses usually have same layouts. Of cos last option is just to wait until completion to buy from BCA.

Also I don’t understand why your completion is taking so long at 28 weeks unless your or the seller had requested for extended completion date. Normally completion of sale and purchase will be done within 12 weeks after excise of OTP. If the seller has requested for extended completion, try to ask nicely to get him to authorise you to buy the plans since you have allowed for a longer completion period so they can stay there longer.

if you plan to do a reconstruction in 5 to 10 years time, might as well just do it now. Construction cost will increase as years go by. Also by then, you will have to deal with the hassle of finding a temporary home to stay for 1 year and also the moving out and back.

[petetherock 13]

Yeah only the owner is allowed to buy. Either the seller fell out with you or he did some mods. Anyway chase him to complete as planned and start talking to your builder and a site review is often more important anyway. 

You can request for a visit with your builder and at least get the concept right. I’m guessing you are doing a tear down?

you can sometimes see if the original builder is still around and ask them for the plans or ask your new neighbors and see ...

Edited August 5, 2019 by petetherock

[yc_mw 1]

Hi snoozee & petetherock,

Seller is actually pretty nice guy. It's just that he's not comfortable to provide and there's no way he's gonna authorise anyone to buy the floor plan. No floorplan until completion which is buy in my name.

He requested for long completion as he needs a lot of time for his moving out. I'm fine with it since I gotta rent a place anyway as my current unit needs to handover in Oct.

I'm not considering a rebuild now mainly due to budget issue as house is solely in my name as spouse has another unit. So, in terms of loan wise, I don't think I'll be eligible for an additional reconstruction loan. So, we want to do some reno/ extension (hopefully within $150-$200K budget) as the living room and kitchen is small for my liking.

I do not want to overstretch ourselves at this point of time by getting another loan. Am pretty comfortable with loan-free lives until this recent purchase. Gotta slog it out for the next 15-20years, i guess. ?

 

 

[yc_mw 1]

Reg floor plan, the agents will probably engage a professional to enter the house for full measurements to provide me with a accurate floor plan. Hopefully, this will work well.

[petetherock 13]

2 hours ago, yc_mw said:

Reg floor plan, the agents will probably engage a professional to enter the house for full measurements to provide me with a accurate floor plan. Hopefully, this will work well.

Suggest you take a video, instead of just photos... add commentary as you walk about...

You can tag along too and do your own sizing up.. if you need a builder, pm me.. 

[snoozee 98]

2 hours ago, yc_mw said:

Reg floor plan, the agents will probably engage a professional to enter the house for full measurements to provide me with a accurate floor plan. Hopefully, this will work well.

"not comfortable to provide" sounds like a bad excuse to me as you will get hold of the information ultimately. if the agents are doing this for you FOC, then go ahead. Make sure the surveyors also look through thoroughly on whether there are any illegal works as you become liable for them after the completion. if you need to pay for the survey, then it will be much cheaper to buy the plans off BCA then getting a surveyor to do a survey and draw up the plans. BCA search fees is $25 and then you pay another $25 for each set of registered plans. so in all, you may end up needing to pay $50 for the plans only.

ultimately, you will still end up needing to buy the plans from BCA if you decide to do some major work as no survey can give you information on what is below the ground for the house's foundations.

[PWS 0]

I just bought an IT and just meet my lawyer to complete exercising the OTP.... I was told by the lawyer that buyer have the right to back out of the deal if there is illegal work done on the house...

[snoozee 98]

4 hours ago, PWS said:

I just bought an IT and just meet my lawyer to complete exercising the OTP.... I was told by the lawyer that buyer have the right to back out of the deal if there is illegal work done on the house...

I think most of not all OTPs will have some clause which covers illegal works. But whether the untrained eyes can see it or not is another thing and property agents won’t mention anything at all as well even if there are illegal works. 

I had came across some houses with illegal works previously when I was house hunting and best is stay far away from these houses unless the plan is to do a total rebuild then the illegal works become negligible. 

[yc_mw 1]

On 8/8/2019 at 2:46 PM, PWS said:

I just bought an IT and just meet my lawyer to complete exercising the OTP.... I was told by the lawyer that buyer have the right to back out of the deal if there is illegal work done on the house...

Hi PWS,

I think Snoozee is right. Most if not all OTPs will have a clause that covers the 'illegal' works done unless u get ur lawyer to write in to exclude this clause but then again most sellers will not agree. So, will end up as a ding-dong game. Well, at least for me case, it's clearly stated that sellers accept no responsibility for any (if any) illegal works found. 

[yc_mw 1]

Hi Guys,

Finally completed the purchase an BCA just approved on the purchased of the plans. But, there are so MANY difference plans. Does anyone knows which are the essential ones to buy so that I wouldn't miss out on any and have to reapply & wait for another week or so for BCA to approve.

 

Do I just buy the set of 5 & 13? ~_~

[snoozee 98]

have you engaged an architect and/or PE already? if yes, then send the set of draft plans to them and ask them which one to buy.

if you have not engaged anyone, then just buy all. else after the time expiry, you need to pay BCA another $30 for plans search fees again.

[yc_mw 1]

2 hours ago, snoozee said:

have you engaged an architect and/or PE already? if yes, then send the set of draft plans to them and ask them which one to buy.

if you have not engaged anyone, then just buy all. else after the time expiry, you need to pay BCA another $30 for plans search fees again.

Yea, I've decided to buy everything too. 

I have not decided on anyone yet as there was no floor plan then and previous owner wouldn't allow anyone other than buyer and family (max 4 pax) to enter the house. Totally a PITA. 

Waiting for the keys and then we can enter the house for the contractors etc to head in and check the place.

[snoozee 98]

hope you did manage to get something in return for the owner being a PITA and the extended completion.

[yc_mw 1]

On 2/6/2020 at 5:52 PM, snoozee said:

hope you did manage to get something in return for the owner being a PITA and the extended completion.

Haizzz.. Well, we did agree to it and honestly, the owner wasn't that hard to talk to when we viewed the place. He's actually pretty nice to talk to. But, he just want to do things the 'legal & right' way.

We actually agreed on 2 weeks rent-free upon completion as he asked for it and seeing that he's got plenty of stuff to move & we were worried that he couldn't manage so we kindly agree to it with the thinking that should he be able to move out in time, he'll surely hand over the keys upon completion... But, to our horror!! He had managed to move out everything in time (probably 1 month before completion, my estimate) but he refuses to hand over the key earlier (as in upon completion). Instead his yaya-papaya lawyer from D&N reiterate on this special condition that we had agreed upon... I tell u... I feel like murdering pple then..  

 

So now just gotta wait for the 2 weeks to be up