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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to buy a house with terrible parking?

309 replies

Seaandsand83 · 13/01/2020 12:37

We currently live in a 2 bed terraced and have found a fantastic 4 bed semi with big beautiful rooms, well within our price range. We'd have enough money to build an extension on the back for a really spacious Kitchen diner. However, the parking situation is terrible. There is only parking on one side of the road and it is always full. There are a few spaces about a 1 or 2 min walk way, round the corner. I know that doesn't sound far but if I have done a food shop it would mean a few trips back and forth

We are in a position to put an offer on but AIBU to buy a house which is perfect for us but with such bad parking?

OP posts:
JellyfishandShells · 13/01/2020 13:49

1 or 2 minutes walk around the corner ? And people are describing that as a nightmare ???

zafferana · 13/01/2020 13:51

It's a nightmare when it's pouring with rain or you've got several bags of shopping or those spaces around the corner are full and so you have to circle - particularly if you're in a hurry. I know it doesn't sound like much, but being able to park outside your own home is something you perhaps don't fully appreciate until you can't do it!

Feelsdeadpeople · 13/01/2020 13:51

Do you know how many cars the current owners have, OP? Be sure to ask. If it’s more than you: great. Less than you: not so good. Would mean that the parking situation will be even worse when you move in & your neighbours will hate you.

carly2803 · 13/01/2020 13:52

no absolutely not.

what happens with small babies and shopping?
or pissing down with rain and you have to walk to your car?
or you just forget something when its icey and you have de iced your car and have to park up, go home etc - it happens and trust me its a PITA

been there done it, never ever again!

MrsEricBana · 13/01/2020 13:53

Definitely don't do it, you'll regret it every single day. Sorry.

venusandmars · 13/01/2020 13:53

Another 'No' here. Unless you are a family used to town centre living and always using public transport / cycling / walking. Even then the challenge of deliveries / trades-people can make it a nightmare.

And in general it only gets worse over time. My SIL lived in an area with on-street parking. It was ok, if a little tricky on occasions. Gradually over a couple of years there were more cars and it became a constant challenge. Then the council decided to put in big communal bins taking up more of the space. As a consequence those houses that had sufficient room made private driveways and got the kerb dropped. Most of these were on one side of the street, so it effectively halved the parking. Then because of parking congestion in adjacent streets (which were main roads) the council made them all strict no-parking / no-dropoff leading to all those car owners also searching for a place to park.

Ultimately 10 years after moving in SIL was often driving round for 20 minutes looking for a spot, getting frustrated trying to squeeze into a too small space, irritated by people who parked thoughtlessly. It just wasn't worth it and she moved to a house with a driveway - that was no1. priority.

We've never had it that bad, but now we're in a place where we can squeeze 4 cars onto our driveway if we've got visitors. Been here for 12 years and it's still a delight to roll into the drive on a wet night and have a short dash to the front door, or to safely load grandchildren into and out of the car.

StarUtopia · 13/01/2020 13:53

God no! Having your own parking is top of the list of priorities for me.

Every day coming home and not knowing where on earth you're going to park?! EVERY DAY??!

CuteOrangeElephant · 13/01/2020 13:55

I live on the village high street with very limited parking and it's been fine.

Occasionally I have to park 3 minutes walk away and whilst it's quite annoying, it's not the end of the world. I coped fine with a newborn too.

Bluntness100 · 13/01/2020 13:55

We did it. Got s lot more house for the money because of it.

Never ever again. It was an absolute daily headache.

Don't do it. No amount of money is worth it. Not being able to see your car, hunting for spaces, having it damaged and you don't find out till go out, walking about with your bags and kids in thr rain. It is pure and utter shit,

Istical · 13/01/2020 13:56

I live in a Victorian terrace with just on street parking. Compounded by having a railway station just around the corner...we're a handy free car park. Parking is the bane of my life. It's a standing joke at home that's it's usually quicker to walk where we want to go than retrieve the car. We have DYLs directly opposite which I pull up on to unload shopping etc, without those I really think I'd struggle.

MrsEricBana · 13/01/2020 13:56

JellyfishandShells It's the fact that when you're out you don't know whether you'll be able to park ir not when you get back and that causes stress, especially with young children, shopping, in bad weather, if you're unwell, if you need to load the car up etc.

Equanimitas · 13/01/2020 13:56

Are you reasonably guarantee to get a space in the parking area a couple of minutes away? If so, it could be viable.

Is there a front garden you could pave over to make a parking space?

JosefKeller · 13/01/2020 13:56

You need to think about your own life, not what other posters do.

You use 1 car at least daily? How far would you have to walk to be sure to get parking? Some people can't even walk 10-15 minutes to take the kids to school, others wouldn't raise an eyebrow.
So a 5 minute walk would be ok for some, not for others...but that's if you would have pretty much guaranteed parking, would you? Rules may change, and permit needed in the (near) future. Walk might take longer.

For me, even a house with 2 parking space on the drive but no outside road parking would be a no, it's too much a pain when you have guests and for everyday life. But I could afford to find something suitable, you always need to make some kind of compromise.

Shopping can be delivered, and you can carry a smaller shop easily, even with kids. Would you want to though?

Some people faint at the idea of having a baby in a top floor flat, it's perfect for others. Be realistic.

coffeecoffeecoffee4 · 13/01/2020 13:57

Don't do it. I did and majorly regretted it! 🙈 At the time we had no children and thought it wasn't a big deal but it most definitely was and caused allot of stress on a daily basis.

Torchlightt · 13/01/2020 13:57

It's no big deal - wouldn't bother me at all. And that is why the house is affordable, I expect.

JosefKeller · 13/01/2020 13:58

It WILL however make selling the house again very difficult.

Torchlightt · 13/01/2020 14:01

I had this when the DCs were babies. It was fine. I honestly don't understand the angst it causes in others. But that's to your advantage - a great house for not much money!

unlikelytobe · 13/01/2020 14:01

If you ask the current owner on your second viewing what parking is like they'll probably tell you it's never a problem! Ask neighbours maybe but you already know it's a nightmare. Are you prepared to live with that hassle?

NeckPainChairSearch · 13/01/2020 14:02

Another no here, I'm afraid. I agree you'll struggle to sell for exactly this reason when you get sick of the hassle of no parking.

It's not the end of the world, but it could affect neighborly relationships and general contentment and quality of life.

didyoueverdancewiththedevil · 13/01/2020 14:03

I wouldn't either. I lived on a road that was like this and every time I moved my car someone else parked in the space I was in. It got to the point where I didn't want to use my car in case I couldn't park when I got home. Now I get it, it's the public highway and anyone can park there but it made me quite stressed at the time.

WriteronaMission · 13/01/2020 14:04

I used to rent a house with parking like this, compounded with being near the high street and people always parking on our road instead of the pay and display carpark. Always said I'd never buy a house like this.

longestlurkerever · 13/01/2020 14:05

This thread is eye opening. I am planning to get rid of my car and just use car club cars (but mainly just walking and cycling) Plenty around here do. 1-2 min walk to a car, even in the rain, does not fill me with dread at all. I have lived on streets with rubbish parking before. It's a mild pita at worst - would go on my "cons" list but definitely not a deal breaker

brilliotic · 13/01/2020 14:06

If the car is an important part of your life, then no.

It is very often possible to manage without a car though (or with one instead of two). You need to adapt your life to the circumstances, some things are harder, less comfortable. But you have more cash.

It might be a big change. But just because you are now doing it all in the car-owner-way, doesn't mean you always have to.

E.g. you could get an electric cargo-bike for those food shops. Or do small shops every two days rather than weekly big shops. It would be a change but not necessarily bad.

But what you are doing now is adapting your life to your car. You get a less nice house because the car based lifestyle doesn't really work with that house.

So, if you really want that house, have a think if you could manage without a car/with only one car. What would you have to change in your routines and ways, and would that be such a bad thing? Bad enough to not buy the house?

What I wouldn't do is buy the house and try to maintain the car-based lifestyle. Too much frustration, time wasted, resentfulness.

Dixiechickonhols · 13/01/2020 14:06

Depends on your situation too. If you have a baby or small child then a real problem as you can’t leave them to run back and forwards to car to bring shopping in. If you’ve got an older child much less of an issue.

SleepsleepsleepImissyou · 13/01/2020 14:07

We bought our house last year, there is no outside parking, it is a short walk to the road where I park the car. We have a 1.5 year old DD. So yes at the moment, not being able to park outside the house can be annoying when I am juggling DD and the shopping, or anything else e.t.c.
BUT:
DD won't always need me to hold her hand.
I've found that the thought of carrying in multiple shopping bags has stopped me from buying stuff we don't need
Our house is so lovely and perfect for us, I couldn't care less about not being able to park outside.

So I might go against the grain of previous posters, but I say Do It ! I haven't regretted anything about moving to our house so far - and we moved from a house where we could park directly outside.

:)

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