Would shared access put you off buying a house?

[loopennyloo]

We live in an end of terrace and our 4 neighbours have a right of way through our garden for putting wheelie bins out. We have lived here 3 years and it's not ideal, but the way the outside space is set up, we have a wrap around driveway which goes across the back of our house, then a little fence and gate into our actual garden which is over 100 foot and if you sit on the deck round the back of the garage, you are not overlooked at all. The shared access has never really been a problem but we can't really join up the inside/outside space very well as we want to keep the 'no man's land' area.

All the neighbours use the access one day a week for bins- rarely gets used at weekends etc and if it does, they don't come in our actual garden iyswim. The issue is, we are thinking of spending a lot of money on a downstairs extension- we have already done the loft so have 4.5 bedrooms.

Basically I'm worried that we won't ever get our money back as no one will want a big family house with the shared access issue. The house was 3 beds with a downstairs bathroom when we bought it. I don't know if it would bother people with younger children? Ours are 5, 10 & 13 so i don't really have to keep an eye on them outside etc. it's a really good garden space, which is why we bought the house- it was either a private postage stamp garden, or a much bigger garden with the shared access across the back of the house where the drive is. If you had to choose what would you go for and would it put you off a house????

It would bother me. There will be a limit the host will be worth... But if the extra space is worth it to you it might be worth it to you even if you don't recuperate costs.

ours is ex council and a similar problem in that whatever we do it is still ex council!

Is it normal to have shared access like this in your area? I'd never come across it before moving to where I live now, but it seems to be pretty common round here so we just went with the flow. I find it a nice way to get chatting with the neighbours! If it didn't put you off when you bought the house, I wouldn't worry too much.

It'll put some people off but not others. The same as any downsides with a property ie on a busy road, near a pub etc.

Personally, I would do what you want to do with your property if you plan on living there for a number of years. You need to make it workable for your family.

Then when the time comes to sell, just be aware it might take a little longer than other houses to get a buyer who doesn't mind the access arrangement, so take that into account with your timing and try not to be in a position where you need to move imminently.

It would put me off. The concern is if you get someone who isn't reasonable about using the access.

It is very common with the terraces round here- but I know a few people who have been house hunting here and told agents they won't look at shared access houses. I had never encountered it until we lived here.

Currently the only access to the garden is via the kitchen door which is at the side of the house- this is the shared access drive which then wraps round the back. We then go round the back of the house to get to our garden. Currently we have a small utility room (previously downstairs bathroom) at the back of the house and so you can't actually see the garden from the house at all- as is often the way in victorian houses I think.

If we extend wee would knock down the utility room and build an extension on the back with a door at the back so we would go in a straight line into the garden- it would mean shrinking the shared access drive at the back so if I walked out the back door and a neighbour was bringing their bin through I would have to wait for them to pass. Though we are at work and kids at school for the majority of time when access is used.

There is no way we could have afforded a house with this size garden and inside space if it wasn't for the shared access. I think we need to decide if this is our 'forever house' as we may not need to recoup costs if we are here long term.

We looked at a couple of houses where the shared access was literally across the patron where you would have a table and chairs etc. which I think I would find difficult but as we aren't interrupted in the actual garden area it's not such a huge issue. But it is a bit of one if I'm honest!

My parents have had endless problems with the shared access through their garden, in the past couple of years, so yes, it would probably put me off (particularly since we'd need a secure garden if DS2 was going to be able to use it)

It just will cost us such a lot of money to move and to get something better than what we have. I've looked around and to get the upstairs space we have (4 good sized bedrooms- 3 are doubles-plus a small study) plus a better downstairs space and a good sized (private) garden everything is pretty much put of our price range. I guess it's the move or extend dilemma with an added issue!

Hmmm... We had it valued recently and it has gone up considerably since we bought it but if you were looking for a 4 bed house in this area it would be a real bargain. The only things lower priced would be modern houses with much smaller rooms and further out from town and the station- we are a 5 min walk from both

Yes, our first house had this and it was a PITA.

When buying houses since I wouldn't even look at ones with shared access or driveways.

We have something similar & it didn't put us off. Luckily it is only one house that shares the access & our neighbours are lovely & very respectful - we hope they never move

Shared anything was a non-negotiable for us. We were burnt on our first house and vowed never again.