Would this put you off?

[AlwaysSomethingThere]

Going to view a small house tomorrow. I looked at the history and the current owner only bought it in 2017. Immediately put me off as I assumed neighbours must be vile but I phoned estate agents and they said the man living there is a long term tenant not the owner and that the landlord is having to sell due to a change in circumstances. No idea what that means. Maybe he's getting divorced and needs the money, maybe he's found a £20k subsidence job on the house.

I've never bought a house and am very intimidated by the whole process. Not sure what to make of this...

It's quite common with terraced houses.

Some advice I read was to visit the street at a few different times of day, and weekends etc. Gives you a more rounded picture. Are you sure the parking won't be an issue for you? Next door is up for rent, and the landlord has stupidly got rid of the off-road parking. This seems to be putting renters off, as visiting the street will show that only a couple of houses have drives, and other houses have up to three cars with only street parking.

Yes the parking will piss me off a bit but I'm used to it as I've lived in a couple of cul-de-sacs and the parking has always been a downside. The garden thing put me off straight away as who wants to share a garden (and side access gate) with strangers... so I knocked on the neighbours door! They invited me in, they were perfect. A married couple in their early 70s ish, who are also worried about who they will end up with next door. No screaming kids, no loud parties just a quiet couple and all I want is peace and quiet... I just wouldn't want the shared garden thing to stop the house going up in value over the next few years. I'd sell eventually I'm sure but if it's peaceful I'd like to spend the rest of my 30s there!

Oh yes I want a second viewing, this one in afternoon or morning not evening. The neighbours also gave my Mum the heads up on other people living in the street. Nobhead free apparently 👍

Your neighbours won't be there forever and you don't know who you could end up with. It sounds like too much compromise to me and certainly the garden situation will stop people buying in the future. I'd steer clear and wait for the right house to come along. There's too many uncertainties.

I bought my house late 2017 and am now selling as my partner and I are buying one together. Never even thought that it may look suspicious.

The house we bought had only been bought 15 months previously. However I loved the house best thing we had seen at a quiet time of year. I asked the owners and they were relocating. Eighteen months later no sign of any other reasons. It's not always bad.

Although buying a house with a tennant insitu can sometimes come with complications eg won't leave which then starts the long legal process to get them out before you exchange/complete.

Could you put a fence up in the garden to make it private? Is the shared path a wheelie bin access thing? That's quite common in terraces. Unusual for the garden to be completely shared though. Your solicitor would be able to find out who owns/is responsible for the path, it should all be in the deeds