To worry about a lane when buying first home?

[MelMar1]

Would you buy a house on a corner that is back to back semi detached? With one side of the house facing a walkway and the garden to the other side? A side garden if that makes sense. And running along the boundary of your side garden is a lane for a neighbour behind to access back garden. If it was just private lane for them fine, but I’m worried about people using it for anti social behaviour. Also unsure about side garden instead of back, in general.

Going to need a diagram for this one OP 🙏

What does the lane connect? Or is it a dead end and that's why you are concerned about people hanging out there?

What's the rest of the area like?

And it depends where you are! In a very naice village in leafy Surrey or an inner city area somewhere less naice.

💯

It doesn’t matter if it would bother other people. You’re the one that has to live in the house after you buy it. If you feel unsafe that won’t improve with time. I felt perfectly fine with the idea of no front garden when we bought this house, but the reality of randoms constantly standing on the pavement outside my kitchen window for a smoke/chat and dogs sometimes trying to run in my house when I open the front door has made me feel very on show and like I don’t have any privacy. If you’re worried before you buy it, listen to that worry.

Agreed! Or a screenshot from Google maps….

I can’t see the diagram!!!

This absolutely needs a diagram 😂

Need a diagram but if you are worrying about it then selling it down the line might also be a concern.

Go down there late on Friday or Saturday nights to see whether there are people hanging about or not. Then decide from that

Can’t make out what you’re describing

You need to visit the house at different times of day. Early morning, evening and especially at weekends to see what the situation is.

No leave it

I have an access grassy lane next to my house. It does make me feel a bit more vulnerable but not enough for me to not pick an otherwise great house.

We are on a corner with a lane behind that accesses 6 houses. There was a brief period where some people used the lane for drug deals but cameras quickly sorted that and it’s now fine.