Compromise

[madcatladyforever]

I'm in a quaundry. I'm moving to a new area miles away and have strict criteria.
It has to be a bungalow. No more than £200,000 got to be be near open countryside yet near town. Difficult ask even for the cheaper area I'm moving to.
Well I've found it. Perfect and attractive modern bungalow just been done up. Lovely Woodburner in beautiful countryside, miles of it at the back of the property as far as the eye can see, in a lovely, friendly village yet only a mile from town. My dream come true.
However there is always a compromise and in this case access. It's up a short Lane, then you must walk all the way up the longish garden path to get to it.
Well I don't mind that but everyone is telling me it will be awful getting shopping in the house etc etc. But I've got wheely trolleys and sack carts so I can't see a problem. I could move into a flat or park home if I ever became unable to manage later on in life.
But for now it's perfect but now I'm thinking will monsters be lurking up that alley in the dark of winter, or giant wild cats? People are making me paranoid but I think it's perfect for me and I'll be able to pay offs my mortgage and 10 minutes to work and big shops.

Could you put lighting in? Or open up the front garden for parking, can be done in a nature friendly way. Landscape the path to make it more user friendly.

Put a cover over partially for the winter.

It wouldn’t put me off unless you were talking half a mile.

I guess my question is would you if it was absolutely perfect put up with the access situation. At the moment I have to hod logs from the front of the house down a 100 foot garden to the log store when they arrive on my sack cart and it's no big deal. The alternative is a run down bungalow in town with one less bedroom and no country views.

Can you drive up the lane? How long is the garden path? Is the alley the garden path?

Agree with a pp, get an electrician in to put some lights on the path?

We have a long garden path. And we have security lights, yes it's a ballache with shopping, but there is always delivery for when you can't be arsed.

I think if you can drive up the lane, then see if you can turn the front garden into some parking. Other than that I'd be getting all the heavy stuff delivered from tesco or asda.

Not anything like half a mile bacch. Just a short walk up the alleyway then up the garden through the gate. I could easily put a light in. I think it's great and the lane is very safe to park the car in. Lots of cars parked there at night. It's in a village yet because of where it is it seems isolated. Nothing overlooks it. There is a lovely garden office all double glazed. I'm going for it. A short walk isn't going to put me off. At the back of the house is just miles of gorgeous countryside and a river that has never flooded. The flood plain is the other side not the bungalow side. My friend said it's ideal for prowler but you can't live your life worrying about that!!

Sounds fine to me , move in and then make the path up the garden better , for easier access

I saw a log basket with wheels on the bottom in a local shop , thought that was an excellent idea ( no good for us as our sitting room is up stairs )

There’s always stories of big cats ( the one near us is The Brechfa Beast ) we haven’t seen it though 🙁

It sounds perfect ✅

You can't drive up the lane but it's only one house and small garden in length then you get to the garden gate.
I've got one of those festival trolleys that folds up but holds tents and chairs and that will transport anything easily. Also as you say there is Asda etc.

Ah the Brechfa beast, you are not that far away from me just over the big bridge.
Where I'm coming from you can't get a garden shed for £200,000 but I have things I want to do and the thought of no mortgage is too good to be true.

I think it sounds fine. Go for it!

With no mortgage you can pay someone to stack logs etc. or do it yourself and you’ll keep fit longer.

Go for it and if it becomes a problem install a drive way to the front door!

Absolutely, and I already stack logs down a 100 foot garden on a trolley so it's no big deal.
I've been living in a money pit old house in the south east and it's so expensive, the roads are full of traffic and everyone is so bad tempered.
I can't wait to escape.
I was brought up in the country and have always longed to go back.
My grandfather was chopping logs at 85.
I have to admit I'm lazy and order them ready chopped but that was the 1960's.
But once that door is shut, all I will hear is nature and the prowling of big beasts (cows) and the cat will go out of her mind with joy.

You can install those solar lights cheaply to light your path, or spend a little more and get PIR operated ones that detect movement and light up to greet you, you could install one by your gate to pick up as you approach... would also put would be prowlers off as they'd be bathed in light by your gate

Absolutely Ariela, I would get the movement sensitive lights I think. Mind you they are a nightmare when you have cats but then I tend to keep the cat in at night these days as she's 18.

Ignore your friend, perhaps they're jealous. It sounds great, I hope you'll be very happy there.

Thank you the garden studio looks out on the countryside and I've always wanted to write so I'm going to start.
Work is 10 minutes drive, I've gone down a grade because I want less stress and I have lots of friends in this area, I've been visiting for years.
Can't wait.

Sounds perfect, sort out some lighting for when the nights draw in and it'll be grand.
One of the benefits of a bit of a walk up to the door is that you get less crap through the door / cold callers etc, because they just can't be bothered to walk that far.
If you are bothered about prowlers etc you could get a nest/ video doorbell (which would also be good when you are in the garden office) so you can see anybody snooping.
We have a 40m driveway to the front door and we don't seem to get half the cold callers the rest of the village gossips about on FB.

My only issue with this would be winter. Make sure you can salt the path. Check it will be accessible if it snows. Check if black ice will be an issue. Not sure if that's checkable but maybe if the path is rough it'd be harder to form. My mother in law slipped on black ice a few years ago and broke her ankle really badly so make sure you are careful. I agree with the prowlers you can't spend your life worried about what if but you can protect against it as best you can. Go for it and keep yourself safe. Good luck

Sounds wonderful. Definitely go for it!

Prowlers! Ha that's such a city slicker thing to say. If the house is ticking every box I definitely wouldn't let the access put you off. I know it's all relative but I live in a rural mountainous area and 25% of the county's housing has what could be considered major access issues where Argos lorries, gritters, removal vans and skips can't/won't venture. A longish garden path is nothing to fear and I have a feeling you'll one day be grateful for it and wonder what you were worried about. Good luck!

I'd move in and improve the access as best possible. Sounds lovely.

How narrow is the lane exactly?

Could you get a SmartCar up the existing lane?

Or a quad bike with trailer, this kind of thing? Just for the large deliveries of things, not saying you'd use it all the time. Might be an option if the lane is wide enough.

And who owns the lane? Should be in the deeds.

What are the boundaries of the lane? Is it brick/stone houses on either side with a narrow lane between them? Or is there a hedge/boundary fence? If the latter, then perhaps a conversation could be had about buying a small strip of land from the land-owner, thus increasing the width of your access.

Also look on satellite maps to see if there might be a possibility of access via another route. Can't get a car in the front? Maybe a solution might present itself at the back, via a farmer's field or something? Obviously you'd have to ask the question of the landowner, purchase and build a right of way which will be expensive, but might be worth considering. Could just be a rough track but doable with a 4X4.

I'm not sure who owns it. The solicitor is onto it. The house was obviously built on someone else's garden. Their garden must have been really big because the bungalow garden is very large. The alleyway isn't big enough to get a car up. Motorbike or wheeled trolley yes but that's it. With a log delivery you would have stick them on a trolley and take them up. The removal men are going to be pissed off. But it's oil central heating and they manage to fill the tank in the garden ok.