House with limited parking

[Thiswayorthatway]

Saw a lovely family house at the weekend. In an elevated position, set back from the road. Double garage fronts on to road with dropped kerb. Paved private footpath from garage and road up to house c. 50m. This is the only access. What concerns me is coming home with a car full of DC and shopping, unloading on to the pavement (no rear access or separate pedestrian door to garage as dug in to hill) and trekking up to the house, maybe several times (locking car/garage each time inbetween) due to limit of what can be carried. Will I get fed up of this? I suppose it's akin to living in a terrace or a flat and not being able to park right outside. DC are out of pushchairs and could walk themselves up the path. Putting in a drive would involve demolishing the garage and a lot of earth removal.

Any views or ideas much appreciated xxx

I am sure you would get sick of it very quickly! I would hope that the house has been priced to take in to account this issue which should mean that you are getting more house for your money. It is up to you if this compromise is worth it. Bear in mind that it will make your house harder to sell when you come to move.

Extremely normal in hilly places!

But yeah obviously you’ll get a bit sick of the lugging but hopefully there is a view to compensate.

If you love the house enough then go for it. How old are your DC's? Our house has limited parking and it is a bit of a pain, but something that you just get used to very quickly and don't give it much thought!

There’s a row of houses exactly like this in the city near to me. They are stunningly beautiful houses with a lot of land but I always think, blow that, I’d get fed up pretty quickly. Having older children probably helps though if they go up and down under their own steam. However, I’d probably also never go shopping myself and always get online deliveries if I lived there. That’s one problem solved! Don’t think I’d actually let it be a deal breaker if it was a perfect house.

My house is like this (plus on street parking only). It is a bit of a pain carrying shopping in, but I think this is more than compensated for by the lovely elevated position of the house, front windows not overlooked, etc.

Or you could just online shop? A lot of nicer properties have garages that are a bit of a distance from the house. It wouldn't put me off in the least. In some ways I prefer it, houses where you pull right up to the house/the garage is intergrated make me feel a bit claustrophobic.

Having lived in a flat with communal parking and now in a house with amazing off-street private parking I will never consider any future home that doesn't have equivalent or better facilities.

Don't be swayed by the house, you have actually got to live there and lug the shopping in the pissing rain and all the other thousand annoyances of no private parking.

We have very limited parking outside our house. People always park there when going to the shops so we never get a look in! It is a pain but was reflected in the price of the house and we cope. Online shopping is a must!

The only advice I would give is, if it is putting you off purchasing a property, it will others in the future, think about when you want to re-sell.

I think if you've noticed this problem with an otherwise lovely house, then maybe it isn’t for you. All that trekking up and down the path would soon pale.

Get a pull-along wagon. We have one for camping and its brilliant. You can fold it up and keep it in the garage, load it up with all your shopping and bags, then take it back down the following morning.

The removal men paced ours so I know it was 55 human steps from the start of the path that went between the garages to our front door. Luckily for us the place was rented. The house had garages behind the back garden and the view was spectacular from the front, but still.

It was only me and Dh living there (before children) so it wasn't that bad but every bit of furniture we bought or any bulk item was a pain in the arse to get to the house. We could go through the garage and across the garden but again, an arse.

I wouldn't ever choose it now, we were young, mid 20's and full of energy, now we are 40's, weighed down with life and children so no.

This is a daily normal set up in hilly West Yorkshire.

My sister (France not Yorkshire) had nearly 100 steps up from where she parks to her front door.

I guess it’s what you are used to, or prepared to get used to. I grew up in a South London terrace with residents parking. We often ended up parking several streets away. I have off road parking for 2 cars outside the front door now - it’s glorious!

Thanks for all the comments.

Pull along wagon would be a good idea but some of the path is steps.

Yes we are talking about a northern hilly location.

DH and I also used to live in a top floor flat with no designated parking, in our youthful 20's, and unloading the car after a weekend away or back from the DIY store was a pain.

But it's otherwise a perfect house, and you're never going to get somewhere which ticks all the boxes are you? Perhaps I am being a lazy arse.

DH has suggested a tunnel from the garage in to the cellar.....