House dilemma (with diagram)

You can get bottom up blinds you can raise for when you want to stand at your kitchen window topless...........

I’d much rather access rights were past my kitchen window than living room where you’ll be spending much more time, hopefully it’ll all be fine and you’ll be able to re-draw diagram in the future with a cafe blind hiding your baps 😂 modesty intact!
Good luck with it all OP, hope you enjoy decorating!

Thanks for the update @OneGreyBiscuit I am another person who thinks you have done the right thing. Wishing you health and happiness in your new home.

I think I would risk it. As pp said, you can plant a hedge or create some other kind of barrier for privacy between your windows and the access point, if necessary, but if the path is only used occasionally you might not need to. And you can swap to another HA place if you don't like it.

Why would you be naked in your kitchen?!

I lived in a row of terraced where this was the case however as I was the last house no one actually could come into my garden - but I was able to walk through all of theirs! Only ever did so to take the bins out, as my only other option would have been to wheel them through my house (not happening!).

I always felt awkward and weird walking through and interrupted a few couples enjoying their evenings as I smashed through with a wheelie bin! It wasn't at the end of the garden either, it was right by everyone's back doors, through four gardens to reach the alleyway.

Don't think I would have liked it if others could have done the same to me, but equally, it's so uncomfortable they'll likely keep it to a minimum. I wouldn't have dreamed of simply using it as a regular access door - although several people in terraces end up needing to block their front door to make furniture fit, so I know that does happen in other cases with terraced homes.

I know you've taken the house already which is great.

We had this set up and didn't mind it. We were in a row of terraced houses of eight. So had similar set up at the back but with more houses. We had access over two houses but next door had access over ours.

I was a bit nervous but it was fine. Next door used it once a week for bins. We used it most days as that's how we used the bikes. It was for few seconds and everybody was very polite and considerate.

Hope you love the new house. Get blinds if you're worried. One neighbour did section a bit of their garden off from the path but they were in the minority. Most people just used their garden as normal.

I've lived in a house exactly like this though we had a path behind the houses so people in the middle didn't have to walk directly through gardens if that makes sense. It wasn't ideal but we just had a blind there.

We have shared access across our back garden, mostly used by the post man! When we first moved in, the neighbours used it more frequently but think that’s because our place had been sat empty a while because they never do anymore. Glad you went for it OP, I hope you have man happy years in your new home.

our old house was like this we had awesome neighbours though with children similar ages to ours and they played so often between gardens we ended up just removing the fence and getting a shared garden climbing stuff etc

You'll be fine. Make sure you have a gate each side and put up some privacy film and a blind.

We had a house like this and it was used once a week on bin day.

Well done, OP, on getting your own front door. Put up café curtains in the windows - blocks off the bottom, and give you privacy during the day, but let light in and you can look out over the top. Plant a hedge to create a pathway that's shielded from the house. Cotoneaster lamarkii grows quickly, is indestructible, provides nice flowers and berries, is evergreen. I hope your move goes well and you enjoy your new home.

I’ve had this before and it’s been fine. Privacy film for daytime and a blind at night. Some plant screeening to keep them away from the window. See how it feels before adding locks.

How do you access your future back garden? There’s no back door on your diagram.

I'm glad you've taken it, OP. If it doesn't work out you can make a new plan.

Why will the neighbours need to cross your garden? I think I'm being bit thick, but if they have a door into the garden from their house, and a front door to get out into the street, what do they need the other access for?

Are you actually ok?

It's a bit odd I would talk to the neighbours get an idea of what they are like. I looked at a house with similar access. But the gate was in between the 2 houses so they didn't have to go into our garden. I turned it down as I have autistic children and it was on the bad part of the estate. You could always accept it then do a swap

OP - congrats on the new house! I’ve only read your messages, so someone else might have already suggested this….

could you put a gate in the fence at the back of your garden, then build a simple fence along the back and down the side? You could the put a bolt on current gate. You’d lose garden space but would act as a private entrance to their garden. Neighbours would need to walk further to get bins out etc but they might appreciate the privacy too?

Good luck OP, you’ve made the sensible choice. The known pros outweigh any possible cons and you can deal with any problems if and when they arise. Enjoy your new found housing security🌺

Hope it works out for you Op.

I’m trying to plough through the thread. Would the neighbours only need to walk past your window on bin days ie to use the gate? Do they otherwise have access to their own back garden from their back door? Are the back gardens separated by a fence? Social housing is like gold dust so I’d probably take it and work out some moderations regarding privacy once I’d got in there. 6ft fence. Bushes. Blind at window. As a poster has said we mostly like to live in our own little bubble but some other people don’t mind that “communal” feeling. I personally can’t stand it so I’d be the one buying fences and bushes and blinds. Yeh go for it. Just keep yourself to yourself and you’ll be fine x

I think it will be a great house. I would definitely agree with a previous poster and getting a lock on the gates and making sure that only you and your neighbour have the key/code.
Privacy film on the window and some kind of plant to screen off the rest of the garden.

If car parking is at the front of the house then I would expect that the back gate will only be used on bin day and if they are wheeling bikes or garden equipment in. (Adding the lock actually makes that more likely because it's a bit of a nuisance to have to remember the key or put in a code)
Good luck in your new house.

Good idea.

I hope it works out for you.