New detached house not so detached

[Gemmawashere]

Hello - I have been reading many a useful topic on here for ages and am now hoping somebody can help with my issue regarding boundaries etc.

We are about to sign for a new house - a persimmon detached house that was already built with wall and roof and is just having the insides finished.

The neighbours to each side have already moved in - perhaps 1 month ago max.

This is our first house so not very experienced with how it all goes - anyway, the first thing was - which we stupidly didnt realise, the house is detached but we don't have access to one of side of our house - I thought it was a bit strange that, whats the point in having a detached? anyway, it appears this is quite normal so no real issues. The wall that we can't have access to forms the boundary, and on further inspection our neighbour has bolted his gate to this wall, he has also bolted his back garden fence to this wall and also there is a plank of wood bolted to my house rear wall! (does that make sense) which helps support his fence, and then to make matters worse the 5 wall posts are completely into our garden and over the boundary so that his fence is nice and flush with our wall! and then the cheeky guy has put flags down which go under his fence and a couple of inches past the edge of our house and into our garden!

So then to the other side - the other neighbour, they have built a supporting wall around there garden so that they can have it flattened (the gardens have an incline) which is a good idea, she has built this wall on the boundary line so I suppose half of it is into our garden - not the end of the world and I dont think this is a relationship breaker, but then the fence built on top of the wall has its 4 or 5 posts into our garden and they are secured into concrete!

I wanted to get the garden flattened - got a friend round, he said it couldn't really be done as next doors fence posts would end up not in the ground - would have to build another supporting wall way into our garden (am aware we need to build a supporting wall anyway) when really I should be able to build right up to the boundary line (which technically I can't build right up to the line as her wall is half over anyway - and thats if we got the posts removed!)

Sounds straight forward - so I spoke to the rude sales office, they inform me that they gave permission to the neighbours for all this to be done whilst they were still the 'owners' of the house! and we can't do anything about it - other than not sign for the house (next week), but it really is our dream home :(

Has anybody any ideas?

Thanks
Gemma
(sorry its so long)

So....OP has disappeared.

Does that mean she has continued with the process?

Interested to hear where you are with things now, OP regarding if you chose to go ahead, how the legal side of the issues are going.

Pull out of the sale immediately. This will be the tip of the iceberg. Insist any deposit is returned.

OP seems to have disappeared.

I dont blame her. Some replies were a bit harsh.

I think I too would pull out. It's not a welcoming start is it? I can't believe that Persimmon haven't put fencing up as standard?

What would happen if no one decided to put a fence up, there would just be one huge garden. It's a recipe for disaster. It's unfair for them to put the gate directly onto your house. What about the cavity wall - it can cause issues if something goes through (Like a big bolt) and touches the inner walls.

What happens when it's windy and they haven't tied it back and it knocks your house all the time. Or the kids maybe swinging on it.

and why are you getting the brunt of everyone deals? Knicking your garden from all sides - why should you lose 6 inches every time. It's your land. Quite frankly I think it would be highly amusing to level flatten your garden and have the neighbours fence suspended in the air. - you are quite within your rights to do that.

I wouldn't be hasty and buy it just because there's nothing else.

Some replies may have been harsh but I do feel that was because of the strength of feeling

Some replies have been not only harsh but insulting! I would have stopped bothering to read the replies let alone respond to them too. I don't see how having strong feelings about someone you don't know buying a house you've never seen means you have to be rude and insulting about the situation.

It may seem harsh, but I believe everyone who has responded has done so not to be hurtful, but to try and stop the OP sleepwalking into an enormous and expensive mistake. There are several very clear reasons why nobody has yet bought that house . The OP seems to be the first innocent to fall for their so-called explanations.

Sometimes you do need someone with more experience to tell you that the situation is not going to work out. We had a friend who warned us off a house we hoped to buy - we lost a few hundred pounds but would have lost a lot more had we gone ahead.

I've been on the thread from the start, and the people being rude and insulting to the OP were those trying to sell her the house. Their sales tactics and patronising explanations were clearly intended to bully her.

I would tell the company that they need to remove the fence so that you can build your retaining wall, otherwise you pull out. House buying is stressful but it shouldn't be this bad.

If you just go along with things as they are now you will never be happy and will become resentful every time you look out into your garden. I know it means you lose money now but for your long term happiness it might just be worth it.

I sooo would love an update to this thread.

I really hope everything worked out well for the op, no matter the decision.

Ghost thread
Wonder what happened?

I skim read the whole thread and then no update....

Bloodylegoeverywhere Me too!

I would be very tempted to pull out. Cheeky neighbours - a smaller usable plot than you thought - Persimmon who are not the most honourable of compnaies.... an uncertain economy.

(As other say weigh up the pros and cons but this would worry me)

Stupid me - just realised it is a zombie!