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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Considering a house with no parking - more of a wwyd!

139 replies

asnugglysnerd · 13/12/2021 22:08

I'm in a position where, after the break up of my relationship, I have enough money to buy a gorgeous house in South Wales - the house is ideal... lovely big garden for my dogs, close to the beach, 3 good size bedrooms, great kitchen etc etc... the only downside is that there is no off street parking, and no scope to create a parking area either.

My girlfriend owns a house where we live (about 3hrs from South Wales) and she believes that the no parking would be a huge problem as I plan to use the house occasionally (as I work in London it'll be more of a weekend away type place, not somewhere I live as that's where I work) and then use it as a holiday let at other times...

Has anyone bought a house with no parking? I've never lived in a house without a drive way, not even as a student, so I don't feel like I have a fair opinion!

Thanks :)

OP posts:
GreenFlipFlop · 14/12/2021 09:49

Which area of SW? Possibly Barry if you're 10 mins from the beach? Or Porthcawl? I wouldn't recommend it personally, also from SW and the roads seem to be getting insanely busy. You might be ok initially but it probably will become a problem down the line. Maybe if you love the house, go at different times of the day (particularly after 5pm and on a Friday/Saturday night) to see how busy it gets

dannydyerismydad · 14/12/2021 09:52

Depends entirely on the set up.

We have no off street parking. We made the choice to own the smallest car we can get away with so parking isn't too challenging. Our street is permitted, so whilst it's an annoying annual expense, the number of cars that can park is limited and it's not a free for all with other using the street to park for the shops or station.

I think without residents permits our road would be frustrating.

Thetwomutts · 14/12/2021 09:54

I wouldn't buy it. But not because of the parking.

I'm from Wales (North not South) don't live there any more

Small coastal communities are in crisis as it is - think seasonal upturns and downturns, unemployment over winter when the tourists dissapear, lack of funding for schools as a lot live there part time.

People buying holiday homes means the prices of property are pushed far beyond what any local could even dream of affording. (Hence why the young people who can do so leave) Yet those people aren't there for most of the year to put money into the local economy. It's a big loss for the local communities every time a home is sold as a second home.

You might find there is a lot of resentment shown towards you for being part of the problem, in a small tight knit community that would be hard to live with I imagine

Elphame · 14/12/2021 09:58

Depends on what parking is like nearby. It will certainly make you less attractive as a holiday let than one with parking.

Also be aware that the Welsh govt is considering coming down hard on second home owners and those who let part time so you could be in for heavy bills. It’s just come out of consultation so we are awaiting the proposals.

Leftbutcameback · 14/12/2021 10:01

We’ve stayed at holiday homes with no off street parking. In some places (like in Bowness) it’s the norm. As long as there is a good arrangement in place, and the other properties are similar, it wouldn’t put me off.

RitaFires · 14/12/2021 10:04

It really depends on the setup of the house. Is the free carpark definitely free? In my area there are carparks that are free for 3 hours only between 9 and 6. If it is free is it likely to stay free forever or could fees be introduced. Would it make getting things delivered a bit of a nightmare? I'm on a very narrow street and delivery lorries tend to just stop and block all traffic to unload things.

If the price is reflective of the additional hassle and you're prepared to have to carry things a bit further and be annoyed from time to time, it could well be worth it. But the resale value will always take into account the awkward parking arrangement so you should take that into account too.

Silvershroud · 14/12/2021 10:06

Don't do it! Parking wars, walking carrying heavy shopping stuff- you'd have all this to look forward to. Your own parking space is priceless.

lanthanum · 14/12/2021 10:09

@asnugglysnerd

Thanks for your replies!

So there are double yellow lines on the road outside the house but a free car park 1 minute walk away from the house.

With regard to being near the beach, it's about a 10 minute drive.

Free car park 1 minute away sounds fine. We've often used holiday cottages with that sort of set up - and indeed one with its own driveway that was so tight to get into that we chose to park further away anyway.

Check that there aren't restrictions on the free car park, and that it's not one that never has spaces in peak season.

The biggest worry might be that the car park ceases to be free. If it's used a lot as residents' parking, hopefully they will offer residents' passes or similar so that you're not left high and dry. If it's mainly shoppers/tourists, and hardly any residents, that might be a worry.

TheGoogleMum · 14/12/2021 10:12

I wouldn't like to rent a holiday let without parking. Being a further distance from the house will be a pain with luggage and vehicle will feel less secure

DingADingADingDong · 14/12/2021 10:15

A word of warning @asnugglysnerd, our parking was free, then the council installed parking meters, it's caused big problems as cars just moved to the surrounding residential streets - nightmare

BigYellowHat · 14/12/2021 10:16

I think you’ll find it hard to rent out. It’s always a ‘must have’ on a holiday let (and permanent home)

KateInHappyland · 14/12/2021 10:17

It was a pain for me and I wouldn’t do it again. The road was always chaos, thankfully the village church had an open parking area they didn’t mind locals using, but that was often full too.
I remember one day in particular, I’d had a horrendous day at work, already on the verge of tears. Got home to find there wasn’t a single space, had to park ten minutes (no exaggeration) from my house and walk back in the cold, crying my eyes out, when all I wanted to do was snuggle up in bed and feel better. It sounds like such a small thing, but when you want to go home, you want to go home!

We did email the local council to ask if they’d consider making the street residents parking only. They weren’t interested.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/12/2021 10:18

Never.

I remember not going out in case someone pinched my parking spot. I felt like a prisoner.

twilightermummy · 14/12/2021 10:19

I’ve just moved from a house by the beach where the only parking option was a car park over the road. You could buy an annual pass for £2000 or, pay a fortune daily. It was a nightmare getting a spot at the weekends and if we ever needed to go to the car for something, the trek got tiresome!
I wouldn’t buy it if I were you.

Ozanj · 14/12/2021 10:19

For a holiday let, yes it’s a huge problem. You will have to be dirt cheap compared to others and so you might not make much money realistically (Welsh holiday lets tend to have parking).

Politics4me · 14/12/2021 10:22

Lived in London for a time and I used public transport and walked, Fine for me then.
Now older and some of my older friends do not visit.
When EVs get cheaper there may be more vehicles in use. We will not be going to community transport/public in villages and suburbs.
The need for parking next to house for charging will become vital.

Seeline · 14/12/2021 10:29

3 bed house will mean families as your target letting market.

I would not rent a holiday house for a family without parking. The yellow lines would definitely be an issue. With luggage, young DCs, shopping etc - a trip to the car park would be a problem, especially in bad weather.

PineappleWilson · 14/12/2021 10:30

Having to walk that 1 minute from the car park with the toddler and the holiday luggage would put me off using it as a holiday let. If you want to use it for you and you're happy with that arrangement, then fine.

Just have a look at what your Plan B is in case the council start charging for parking though. A number of free car parks round our way have recently started charging as the council gets their financial belt tightened (East Mids).

Hoppinggreen · 14/12/2021 10:32

Not near a beach, no way.
And if I book a holiday let I discount any with no parking

user1493494961 · 14/12/2021 10:33

Leave it for a local person.

Sparklesocks · 14/12/2021 10:34

As others have said it really depends on what street parking options are available. We don’t have a drive/dedicated parking spaces, our house is in a row of Victorian terraces with a dead end (which is too narrow to turn around in). Everyone parks on one side of the road as it’s too narrow to park on both. However it works well for us because we are quite far down the road near the dead end, there’s always space because nobody can be arsed to come all the way down if they don’t live in the houses there. I’ve never had a problem finding a space, neither have my visitors.

For a holiday let though I admit I’d be a bit put off - I like knowing where my car is going to be, particularly for carrying all the luggage/stuff into the house. I don’t want to be down the road going back and forth.

Mermaidkisses · 14/12/2021 10:34

My house has no aprking but I really don't mind, the house is lovely and the garden is amazing. I usually manage to park outside my house or occasionally a couple of doors up the road - it really wasn't a deal breaker once I had seen the garden and inside the house 😊

Thatsplentyjack · 14/12/2021 10:34

Sound like in your situation it would be fine.

Movinghouseatlast · 14/12/2021 10:45

I lived in a house without parking for 20 years. I think people are weirdly obsessed with parking!

I also bought a holiday cottage without parking, although none of the houses in the village have it as the streets are too narrow.

lanthanum · 14/12/2021 10:58

Good point about a 3-bed house meaning holiday lets are likely to be "sleeps 6". We're a family of three, so walking to/from the car park is not a big deal, but it might be different with three/four kids.

The places we've rented without parking have given clear instructions - it's usually possible to stop on the double-yellow to unload before going to park the car, and they've been clear about what parking there is, what the walk is, and whether there is a charge.