Would you purchase a house whose back wall you have no access to?

[SweetKittyT]

I am considering a rarely available house that has just come on the market. It's quite unique & special but I don't want to provide a link. The only downside is that someone else's garden comes right up to the back wall. (no windows in back wall). So in future, should I want to repoint/clear gutters or just inspect, I'd have to go & ask permission. I'm considering asking the other landowner if they'd sell me 10ft (their garden is large) but they may well totally dismiss this. Would you consider this house?

Yes, the law provides for access to carry out essential maintenance

I wouldn’t but that’s just me.

I would contact the neighbours and say you are considering buying the house could you come into their garden to look at the wall. There response to this will give you a guide s to how accommodating they are likely to be in future.

What kizkiz said. You have a legal right to access to maintain the wall. Plus it’s in their interests too for your wall to be maintained.

There are plenty of houses near me where one side wall is up against someone else’s garden (where house 1 is end of terrace and house 2 is in the next road at 90 degrees from house 1). Doesn’t seem to cause issues.

Bunnybigears has the right idea about this. Whatever the response of the neighbour, though, there's no guarantee that successive occupants would be as willing to accommodate you, whatever the law.

Good idea by BunnyBigEars, although of course that is only the people that live there now.

How does it work then, if they have kids who want to be continually kicking a ball against your wall, as it is their garden ? I've not come across a house like that before.

I wouldn’t. My friend had a house like this and the absence of any doors and windows at the rear felt very claustrophobic to me.

the absence of any doors and windows at the rear felt very claustrophobic to me.

It would depend on what the other walls are like. Most houses only have windows on two sides.

It wouldn't put me off buying the house though.

I've lived in a similar house and has no issue.

My parents have a house like this - they've lived there for nearly 50 years with no issues at all.

Sorry, posted to early. we and our adjoining neighbour also had extensive roof work for weeks (full re thatch) with scaffolding required on land owned by different people on either side with no hassle at all as they knew that we had a right to do so. We just stressed the need to be more mindful of mess etc to the workmen.

It would depend on what the other walls are like. Most houses only have windows on two sides.

This particular house was terraced so the only windows and door were on the front, hence the claustrophobia.

Is it detached on the 3 other sides?