Buying right of way to our side passage from neighbour - how to value it?

[Saltedcaramel2014]

Hi. We have a side passage that we want to expand our house into as the house is very narrow. Neighbours have the right to use it, but have only done so once in five years or so and are happy for us to buy this from them. Only problem is neither of us have any idea how much we should pay them. Anyone done this and know who I should ask? A solicitor? Estate agent? Thank you!

Spoke to an experience surveyor who suggested they should get half (maximum) of increase in value to our property (profit - ie taking off cost of works - plus obviously we would pay their legal fees). We are going to take this as a starting point.

And blimey a thread about this made it into classics? I honestly thought this was the most boring question I could ever ask - hence being grateful for your replies

I had a friend who did something similar and paid £15,000 to the neighbour (or thereabouts). In Herts, to give some idea of prices.

The key thing that they forgot to do is to change the deeds at the Land Registry afterwards. When they came to sell the house it delayed things by many months!

Your neighbours must get the permission of their mortgage company (if they have one) and they might well refuse if they don't have lots of equity. Losing a rear access has a hugely detrimental effect on a terraced property, whether the current owners use it or not. It would devalue their house and make it very difficult to sell on.