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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think buying a house with a shared drive is asking for trouble?

111 replies

CourtsControversy · 03/03/2018 18:23

There is a fantastic, outstanding house for sale in a good area but I've discounted even viewing it as it has a pre-existing parking agreement with neighbours that they can park 2 cars on the drive. There are 3 parking spaces where cars can easily park, then it gets tricky. We have 2 cars so may need to shuffle around each time a neighbour wanted to park. There is no on-street parking close by and no way to modify the drive. My argument is that it's a faff for all and the neighbours would get hacked off waiting for cars to move. My DH thinks the house is worth the sacrifice. If it was your dream house, would you do it?

OP posts:
Cheeseislife · 03/03/2018 18:25

No, as even if the neighbours now are okay, they won't be there forever. Unless you can pave over the front garden to park there?

HisBetterHalf · 03/03/2018 18:25

IMO parking is a major issue with neighbours. Wouldnt risk it personally

LadySainsburySeal · 03/03/2018 18:25

I'd run for the hills.

babyfreenight1 · 03/03/2018 18:25

No it would become a problem. It would stress me out coming home from work not knowing if I can park outside my house or not.

TSSDNCOP · 03/03/2018 18:25

I’d go and look, but id have to be really convinced it could work. Plus, the present neighbours might be ok but could sell to an assortment of wankers and then you’re buggered.

scurryfunge · 03/03/2018 18:25

Definitely not. Look at all the parking threads on here.

Original poster
CourtsControversy · 03/03/2018 18:26

No front garden to pave over. The space has been truly maxed out :-(

OP posts:
HerbNotErb · 03/03/2018 18:26

No, for all of the reasons above.

livingthegoodlife · 03/03/2018 18:27

No. Wouldn't touch it.

SaintKiller · 03/03/2018 18:28

I would run fast in the other direction. A total dealbreaker for me no matter how nice the house.

ElectricWhale · 03/03/2018 18:28

I share a drive but it's fine, we don't end up parking on each other's space... well,maybe once a month for a few minutes a visitor might have to (like the oil delivery guy). We have other space to use for longer visits.

mummymeister · 03/03/2018 18:28

don't even go and look at it. it will make your life miserable even if you have lovely neighbours. we did it for a year, our neighbours were nice people but it was an absolute PITA going out late in the evening to move our car so that they could either park or move theirs. no malice between us but just not something I would ever ever do again.

Bluelady · 03/03/2018 18:28

You never know until you view. I'd at least go and look at it.

Prestonsflowers · 03/03/2018 18:30

I wouldn’t even view the house, parking can be a major issue with neighbours and any fallout could be awful.
Even if it is a dream house it’s too big a risk

TheQueenOfWands · 03/03/2018 18:30

Can you not 'undo' the agreement?

Surely if you buy the house then you're also buying the driveway and can therefore do what you like with it?

DalekDalekDalek · 03/03/2018 18:32

No, you don't know the neighbours that would be using it and you don't know how reasonable they are.

Current owners have shot themselves in the foot by agreeing to share their drive I think! It will make selling very hard.

MargaretCavendish · 03/03/2018 18:32

Remember that even if it is completely fine in practice, when you come to sell other people will have the exact same doubts. We're not looking to sell imminently, but we've realised that our parking situation - which we consider not ideal but only mildly annoying - is probably going to be a big problem when we do, cutting down our number of potential buyers considerably, and that we probably should have thought about this a bit more.

phoenix1973 · 03/03/2018 18:33

Yanbu.
No way Jose

Original poster
CourtsControversy · 03/03/2018 18:34

Unfortunately the parking agreement is watertight and part of the deal. The house has been on the market for some time.

OP posts:
Clevs · 03/03/2018 18:36

If all the parking belongs to the house you want to buy and the current owners just let the neighbours use it out of courtesy, then surely that agreement goes when there are new owners? If it’s on the deeds/land registry that the drive belongs to that house the neighbours don’t have a leg to stand on despite any current ‘agreement’ surely?

desertmum · 03/03/2018 18:36

haven't you asked this before? It sounds very familiar

Original poster
CourtsControversy · 03/03/2018 18:37

Oh... I didn't even think that far ahead about the same hassle when we'd need to sell it. Good point.

OP posts:
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 03/03/2018 18:37

No wonder it’s been on the market for a while. It wouldn’t matter how perfect the house is, I wouldn’t even consider it with that arrangement.

MatildaTheCat · 03/03/2018 18:39

Only view it if you like Smart cars.

Toast3 · 03/03/2018 18:39

Imagine if you owned it. How you are feeling now is how your potential buyers would feel too. Id say it’s not worth the hassle...is the parking rule set in stone? Might be worth enquiring. You never know!