Shared courtyard with path to garden- would this put you off?

[Teaandtoastie]

Trying to sell my house and at a loss as to how to improve this/ make it more attractive to buyers. I live in a row of 4 cottages. At the back there is a shared courtyard, though in reality everyone just uses the bit directly behind their house for bins/washing etc. There is then a shared pathway, off which there are 4 individual fenced off gardens. My house has the furthest garden but I kind of like this as it means no one walks past my garden. In reality it takes about 30 seconds to walk to the garden, it’s not exactly far!

When I moved in it never occurred to me that this might be a problem. The neighbours are lovely and very quiet, we barely see each other. They all look after their gardens/ grow vegetables etc.

I had a buyer but they have just pulled out and I now need to sell quickly or will lose my next house. I’ve dropped the price to the extent that all you could really get for that price round here is a flat. Lots of viewings but still, time and time again the feedback is people love the house but the garden puts them off.

I’m at a loss what to do. Don’t want to waste money, not sure whether sprucing up the house would work even though the general feedback is people like the house (recently redecorated to sell, but certain bits could probably benefit from an extra coat of paint), or to spend more money on the garden, making it prettier ( at the moment it’s just a lawn) or whether that would have any effect at all?! Or do viewings myself to try and reassure people how the set up really does work and the neighbours are lovely? I’ve suggested to the agent that they have the land registry plans on hand for viewings to show people exactly which sections are owned and which are shared but they think this would over complicate things and confuse people.
Also wondering whether to ask agent to fully explain garden set up before viewings- fed up of prepping house for viewings only to have feedback like “they have a toddler and want an enclosed garden at the back”. The details just say “large garden set away from the house accessed via pathway”.

Would this set up put you off?

Yes your agent needs to know and preferably like your property, or at least its good points and the description needs to be crystal clear so people have a very good idea of what's coming. Obviously for someone with a small child or children, or pets, a garden away from the house isn't going to be as useful as direct access. For a single or a couple, not so much of an issue, so you need to dress and market the property appropriately.

You don't say how many bedrooms? what kind of target market you have?

A plain square of grass isn't going to sell anyone their dream. Could you put in a furniture set, maybe buy on ebay? then take it with you or sell on again. Get some attractive pots? For photos you could dress that garden with a table and coffee set or wine glasses, whichever and try evoking the kind of lifestyle that will appeal to your anticipated buyers.

That's completely not what I had in mind. It might be worth putting up clear photos, you'll likely get less viewings but they might be more fruitful.

I'd want to know who owned the path and who was responsible for maintenance, so make that clear to viewers. And make sure it's clear and maintained for viewings.

I think you should make the most of your bit of courtyard area. Hide/disguise your bins, move the washing to the 'big' garden, little colourful table & chairs, lots of pots, really make it pretty.

Then the big garden is marketed as an 'extra' and the location of it is less inconvenient. Lots of couples aren't bothered so much about a garden, but somewhere outside to sit is very desirable.

Can you draw us a plan? Your garden sounds quite far away if it's across the courtyard and down a path and is the furthest away. If I wanted to sit outside with a mug of tea would my tea be cold before I got there? Do you have a shed, where do I keep and plug in my lawnmower when I want to cut my grass? All these sorts of questions would put me off but if I understood the answers it might not.

I agree your agent needs to explain the set-up up front. It wastes everyone's time if people are coming to view expecting a garden right outside the back door and that's not what they are getting. Must be annoying for you too.

There will be buyers who won't mind this arrangement but it sounds like the people who have viewed so far are not the right ones.

You need to insist the agent has a site plan drawn up which clearly marks out the common area garden and your private garden in relation to the house. Usually it's the last photo. It also needs a verbal description otherwise you're just wasting your own time and the viewers time. That's not a minor detail. And it has Mumsnet thread of horror written all over it.

Sorry hit send too soon. As a buyer I'd be put off if it wasn't disclosed in the listing. I'd feel like you were trying to hide it and not being honest. We went to view a house that was perfect and when we got there found out the very long driveway was shared which meant people we didn't know driving through our garden everyday where my kids and dog would be running around. According to the agent "it was worth the conversation". DH felt like they were being shady and wondered what else the searches would throw up and didn't offer.

It's something you can't change therefore it's a case of the right buyer liking the house enough to make an offer. Quirky properties can take longer to sell. It's also possible that the feedback about the garden isn't the real reason potential buyers aren't proceeding, but it's easier, and they think kinder to you, to say that. Take another look at your house and the presentation as if you were viewing for the first time. Is there anything you can do to improve the appeal? If so, make changes and get the EAs to take new photos. If you've dropped the price too much that may put people off as they think there is something wrong with it, especially with a sale falling through.

I wouldn’t buy it, it sounds too much of a faff and although the neighbours may all be nice and accommodating now, there’s no guarantee it will stay that way, sorry

I agree with getting your agent to do a drawn plan showing the plot layout, and put it up on the website. At least that way buyers know in advance and will only view if they think they could live with the garden being like that.

I have to admit I wouldn’t want that layout with young children, or a dog, or if I was elderly. But that still leaves quite a few potential buyers.

Could you advertise the house without a garden but say there is a small privately owned strip of land, however many meters away it is, that could be made into a garden.

I would remove the expectation of a garden altogether, as people imagine what they are expecting to see and an advertised garden that wasn't attached directly to the house would be a disappointment.

I agree with PP about leaving boundary information accessible for viewings. then you are clear and hiding nothing.

It wouldn't suit me, but for someone without children or dogs it sounds fine. There are quite a few older terraces around my way with a similar set up, they seem to sell okay. I think the suggestion of a pp to have a plan of the garden/courtyard in the online details will sort the wheat from the chaff a bit. I hate viewing properties where the agents seem to have poor or no knowledge of what they are actually showing you, it's very unprofessional.

I've remembered a friends cottage like this. She had a teeny courtyard with a path behind that went past all the houses she was end of terrace bar one, so the end of terrace had a bigger courtyard as the path didn't have to go behind. Off that path was a loke down to her country garden.

Her courtyard was enclosed by a picket fence, had a dining table and a lovely loungy sofa thing - lots of greenery and it was absolutely ideallic.

Would this kind of thing be an option for you OP?

All really good ideas thanks. I’m going to call the agents tomorrow and suggest they draw up a plan of the back and also come to take more photos of the cortyard. Also going to ask that it’s much more explicit on the details.

To PP who asked about the courtyard- I put 2 little chairs and a pot plant out there after the first few viewings and it does look quite nice for sitting out in the summer. Shame about the weather now! Also the garden is very bare at the moment- in the summer there were lovely wildflowers and apples on the tree but it’s all gone now. I could add some outdoor lights or bunting to the little summerhouse I have there.

To whoever asked it’s a little 2 bed cottage, so perfect for a couple or single person really. I’m a single parent so it just about works for me and my 2 DC.