Buying house near restaurant with rat problem, any experience?

[laverneandshirl]

So, am half way through buying a property that has an alleyway running down the side. On the other side of the alley way are the backs of a short row of shops that are on a main road.

Have just heard from another Mum at school (chatting about a new café opening on the row) that the owners of the property we're buying had a problem with rats, rubbish, smells etc when a particular restaurant was directly adjacent to the house. The restaurant has since moved several units down the road a couple of years ago but is still about 20 metres away from the end of the back yard. The Mum then went on to say the problem had gone away after the move (she knows I am buying it though!!).

The scores on the doors rating of that restaurant is currently 2 out of 5 so there are still major failings in it's hygiene. Now really panicking that I am buying into something that will be a nightmare to live with. We have 2 small children so worried about rats in back yard or even house.

Am I panicking unnecessarily? Anyone else have experience of living near a poorly run restaurant? Is 20m far enough away to not be affected?

The current owners have lived there for nearly 20 years so hoping that can't be that bad.

Well...you know that old statistic of never being more than 7m away from a rat dont you ?

I dont think 20m will be much of a deterrent.

Do you have your heart set on this property ?

Thanks hormonal, yes it's a great property really near school etc and we are close to moving. Just wondering if I'm being OTT in worrying about it but like you say they are everywhere!

Never really thought about living by shops/restaurants being an issue before because it's quite a residential area.

Is the alley accessible from tbe road? Would it be worth asking a vermin expert to have a look for signs? (The 7m thing is a myth by the way).

I live right behind bars/restaurants with a shared alley that runs between us. We did have a rat problem once but that was easily sorted by filling in gaps in our basement. We have a cat and he's always bringing in rats and mice but then he's always done that wherever we've lived. I wouldn't let it put you off from our experience but I probably wouldn't eat at that restaurant :)

Thanks both, and thanks for experience AllBelly, feel a bit calmer.

Def will not be eating at that restaurant. Am v shocked they are still allowed to trade,

Whay do you mean Lala ?

Is it even less then 7 m ?

I think there are a lot less rats than generally estimated but then sewers and food shops always going to have to more around them than other places. I have been scaring myself with stories of rats coming up toilet u-bends! Used to live in London and the rats are enormous and out and about in the day (work bike shed a favourite haunt) so maybe not as big and bad in a smaller town .

Friend living nearby has reassured me that no rats near her house and that the local councillor lives in the next road so she would probably get on top of things if it was that bad.

Unfortunately she regularly eats at the restaurant so was bit of an awkward chat...

I live in London and have done on and off all my life. I have only once seen a rat near a domestic property (and only seen them at all a couple of times). Hormonal - the myth was that you were never more than 6 feet away from a rat but a statistician worked it out that 50m (or about 160 ft) was probably a more accurate figure. See report here.

Don't, they will cost you a lot of money in property damage.

As a building contractor, I have to thank the rat for creating so much work.

the only product a rat can't eat through is glass, we use lots of broken glass in concrete to keep them out, they will eat through concrete, metal, wood, brick,pipes, cable anything but glass and broken glass and concrete,

so unless the whole place you are buying is underpinned with broken glass concrete don't bother if it is a problem,

Go and walk down the ally at night with a torch, and take a terrier during the day(we have one that will show you where the rat routes are).

We recently underpinned a whole house in a bid to give the owners some peace from rats, and keep all climbing plants below first floor windows, they will climb anything to get in.