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Original poster

Would you buy a house where the neighbour had right of access through your garden?

101 replies

Anticyclone · 27/01/2016 14:30

So, we are looking at an end of terrace house where the adjoining neighbour has a gate in the fence - which is right next to the house. The end of terrace house has side access and the neighbour has the right to access their garden through this side gate and the gate in the dividing garden fence.

My instinct is to run away screaming as I hate the thought of someone being able to intrude on my garden. But current owner says it's not a issue and neighbour very rarely uses it - just to occasionally move big items into their garden.

What do others think, any experience of this? The house is otherwise good, so would be a shame to discount it unnecessarily.

OP posts:

Costacoffeeplease · 27/01/2016 14:33

No, I wouldn't, the current owner is going to say that, and what if the ndn sells and someone less reasonable moves in?

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 27/01/2016 14:33

we turned down a house for exactly this reason, again where the owners said that the neighbours hardly ever used it. They hadn't told the estate agents either, which annoyed them when we explained why we were no longer interested. They also wanted to take loads of the plants in the established garden, but wouldn't say exactly which ones. I had visions of it looking like a building site when we moved in.

VinciWinchi · 27/01/2016 14:34

It would be a complete and utter no-no for me. However good everything else was.

HortonWho · 27/01/2016 14:35

What if neighbour moves away and new tenant or new owner moves in? And has 5 dogs they like to take out 3 times a day- every sodding day- for their muddy walks? Or they are a new family and prefer to keep their buggy and their bikes in the back garden and will be walking through every school morning for the school run?

DrGoogleWillSeeYouNow · 27/01/2016 14:39

Of course they're going to tell you the neighbour hardly uses it.

It'd be a big no for me.

JT05 · 27/01/2016 14:39

Definitely not. DS rented a property like that. It was ok, but he never felt things in the garden were secure.

StrawberriCream · 27/01/2016 14:42

We have this, our old neighbours used it almost daily, no problem at all, our new neighbours use it once a week to take their bins out - they don't seem to use bags and the top of my garden has bits of their litter which they refuse to pick up! I do it grudgingly!

HarrietSchulenberg · 27/01/2016 14:43

I have right of access across my neighbour's house as they are the end terrace. It sounds like the same set-up as you describe and is very common where I live. I only use the access once a week to ferry the bins out and back and, very occasionally, to move big stuff in or out (garden rubbish, a fence panel, a sofa etc).

The deeds to my house from 1899 state that my right of access is for a person on foot, or a wheelbarrow, but not a horse, donkey or cart .

It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

YaySirNaySir · 27/01/2016 14:47

No, never.

DangerMouth · 27/01/2016 14:52

Definitely not.

expatinscotland · 27/01/2016 14:56

No way. Walk away now.

ABetaDad1 · 27/01/2016 15:01

Problem is that some people are totally unreasonable. You cant control how someone uses a right of access.

Disputes with neighbours have to be declared when you are selling a house and the right of access plus any dispute will put off a future potential buyer when you want to sell the house.

BatteryOperatedBoyfriend · 27/01/2016 15:05

Run....fast....now!!! HTH

IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes · 27/01/2016 15:06

It was bad enough when I rented house like that, they never shut locked the gate which bikes ended up getting stolen even though they locked up. Never felt garden was my own space.

Also might not be a problem with current neighbours but what if they move

DorothyGherkins · 27/01/2016 15:12

If you have children or pets who like to use the garden, it can be a nightmare. It can work if your neighbours are respectful. But if it was likely to be long term home, I wouldnt consider it. In fact I d only consider it if I never used the garden. You d never be able to have a peaceful time in the garden never knowing if you were going to be disturbed,

SummerRemembered · 27/01/2016 15:30

We have this, or rather we are the middle terraced house using the right of way through our end-terraced-neighbour's garden.

I like to think we use it sensibly - once a week during the summer to get the lawnmower through, less frequently in the winter and apart from that, the only other times we have ever needed the access was when getting our sofa and washing machine delivered. Bins are at the front of the house and there is no other reason to get access straight to the back, as far as I can see. Our NDN's didn't seem to have a problem with it at all but when they came to sell their house, they found it was a real sticking point. Eventually they "blocked" the gate with one of those terracotta chimenea things and told us they were telling prospective buyers that the access was a historical thing but it never gets used in reality. We weren't particularly happy about this and, predictably, the new NDN's kicked off soon after moving in when they saw DH using the gate. We're on better terms with them now but have got to the stage where we'll tell them in advance if we will be coming through. It does rankle a bit as it is our right of way but I'm happy to do this and remain on good terms with the neighbours. Other people, on either side, may be less reasonable so it is a risk.

Incidentally, the issue of having to walk through someone's else's garden was the only thing that gave us pause for thought when buying the house. It can be quite awkward for the accessers as well as the accessees. What swung it for us was that the rest of teh house and location was perfect in every way and that when we had a second viewing the (then) NDN actually joined us to give us a "tour" of the access gates so yes, everything can work perfectly harmoniously until one party moves on.

Peevedquitter · 27/01/2016 15:37

My friend had this and it was no issue but the neighbours only used the gate to go through the garden to put their bin out once a week.

Personally I would not buy the house.

cressetmama · 27/01/2016 15:38

It happened to a friend, and the NDN became quite unpleasant and unreasonable, so would steer well clear!

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 27/01/2016 15:40

Not in a million years and we we walked away from a lovely house for this reason.

Seller was just telling Us how hardly used it when ndn passed by within inches of the kitchen window.

What if they never shut the gate and dogs or kids escaped?

And youd struggle selling it.

Piffpaffpoff · 27/01/2016 15:43

No. I wouldn't buy a house with any shared aspect (a shared driveway for example).

torthecatlady · 27/01/2016 15:44

Personally I wouldn't buy it as I would feel like it was an invasion of my space (particularly if I was buying and not renting).

Original poster

Anticyclone · 27/01/2016 15:51

Hmm petty unanimous apart from a couple of people. I think it depends on your personality and if you are a private person who sees their home as a retreat then you wouldn't like it. This is how I feel, and the potential reselling problems are even moreof a rreason to let it go.

OP posts:

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 27/01/2016 15:57

The current neighbours might not use it much, but if they were to move away it might become an issue with your new neighbours.

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 27/01/2016 16:26

It would be a definite no-no for me.......

LineyReborn · 27/01/2016 16:28

No. Just no.

Imagine some twatty new neighbours...

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