How do you cope in a house with no parking?

[AGoodYearfortheRoses]

To get a property in our ideal location we’re going to have to compromise something and parking may be it. There’s some space on the road we’re looking at and lots of streets nearby but I’m worried we either won’t find anywhere to park or will annoy people by parking in front of their houses 😬 What normally happens in situations like this?

Lots of different possible outcomes. Some people park in the same place as if it’s theirs, some just park wherever as you’re perfectly entitled too. Some will have issues, others won’t. I personally would never willingly live somewhere without parking as it used to do my head in. But plenty of people get along fine. You’ll know in yourself how much it will bother you.

It depends on the road probably. Some of the narrow, terraced house rds would drive me mad trying to park, I would hate it. But our current house has no driveway, but most of the other houses do so theres never a problem parking outside. We bought it thinking we would add a driveway, but never have as its bever really been a problem.

We lived in a house with just on street parking for more than 20 years. You just park in the nearest available space. You can't really get annoyed if people park outside your house or if you park outside someone else's house, as you don't actually own the space. Most locals will soon know which cars belong to people who actually live in the street and which don't. It's the latter type of parking that annoys people more.

I have a house with no private parking.
Victorian terrace.
At first it did my head in because I was so used to parking outside my house. You just need to accept it and allow a little more time.

Now if there no space outside and I have loads of shopping I just stop in the road, get the shopping out and then go and park.

For things like washing the car I can use a car wash, use a cord free vacuum cleaner and carry a bucket a few spaces down, wait till I'm parked outside etc etc - it is really no drama.

The local authority here will block spaces outside the house for tradespeople or removals if you ask in advance.

Only big down side is will not be able to have an e-car as nowhere to charge it.

Parking would probably be No. 1 in my ticking box. When I was viewing my present house (London) on a dark winter evening, I was initially discouraged by the huge number of cars and vehicles parked in the surrounding streets. After viewing the inside, we were led to the large garden at the back. "And here is where you can park your car" says the EA pointing to a spot just outside the kitchen door - coming in via a side street into the private garden; some may call it "off-road parking". This instantly clinched it for me come hell or high water.

It is a massive issue for me. My current and last house were Victorian terraces with no parking. I love the houses but I hate the lack of parking.

My current house if isn't even that bad and neighbour on the whole are considerate to each other. But I hate the pit of the stomach feeling when I get home from work or a night out - will there be a space! It does limit my social life in that respect, but actually think I should be more relaxed as per previous posters. However, I can stay positive for a day or two and then I'll come home and no space.

I desperately want to move due to it, but am limited to what I can afford,

So my take away from this is, if you can manage to let the feeling of not getting a space near your house go - then you will be fine. If not, then it will niggle you the whole time you live there!

No parking is a deal breaker for me. There is absolutely no way I would buy somewhere with no off road parking. It also makes a house difficult to sell.

You need to check individual areas out. There is on-road parking and there is on-road parking.

In some areas, there's an abundance of it and everyone can easily get parked outside or very best their house and it's no problem. I've known people who knew if they left a parking space near their house, either shoppers or off ie staff would jump into it and when they returned they might need to park a mike away. The situation got worse and worse. So you need to visit any prospective property and look at the parking situation several times on different days and times to see what it's like.

In roads where few have off road parking, people really don't feel possessive about the space I. Front of their house - it really is that you park where you can and its first come first served. It's roads where parking is more readily available that tend to be where people can become a bit possessive - only possible if you can go out and there are plenty of spaces available so you can expect locals to not park outside your house, as there's elsewhere to park easily. That said, on a public road, no-one has rights to park in any particular space and if anyone actually ever said to me that they didn't want me to park outside their house, especially if there were limited places elsewhere, I would point out that a public road space doesn't belong to anyone.

I've known people move about parking. They got very upset about things like people parking outside their house or people parking inconsiderately. When I lived somewhere without off road parking I was pretty laid back and if I had to walk 100m to my house, it didn't worry me...but if I could never park, I would have quickly tired of it.

It's pretty much the norm in most parts of inner London; I had this for 20 years and throughout the time dc were small, when we lived in terraced Georgian/Victorian houses. I used to forget where I'd parked the car sometimes, but you do get used to it. It does mean you get very, very good at parallel parking!

I've recently moved into a property with no parking, i checked it out several times before we bought at different times of the day and week to check there was enough off street parking and there was/is always a few spaces so it's not been a problem for me and my dc We've all got a small cheap cars so can squeeze in most spaces and don't we need a garage so it was ideal. I would not have been able to afford it if it had a garage and driveway. However I wouldn't have bought this house if the parking was difficult. So I guess I would say but it as long as there always several spaces free to park no matter when you drive around to see it.

Meant to add it's a small rural town not a city that we moved to and several of the houses do have their own driveways. Not sure I'd move into a city house with no parking.

Ours was a Victorian style terrace too. We chose a house in a location with good public transport links to the city centre with on street parking and good local schools that we could afford. For us the good local schools were the priority over parking. We would have had to pay an additional £100k-£200k in that area to have our own parking space which would have been unaffordable.

I lived somewhere with no parking for over 10 years, it wasn't easy and I would now avoid it if at all possible. On street parking was only allowed from 6pm-9am M - F so we always had to remember to move the car got a few tickets over the years. But it was in a highly desirable area that we now couldn't even afford to move back to ... but at least we now have a double garage, plus parking for four cars (but in a cheaper area) .

No parking would be a deal breaker for me too, also I would worry about having to re-sell in the future, as it would put buyers off. Many councils are keen on residents only parking, the city I used to live in, you could buy a permit. I could park, LA make some money, win win.

My current house is the first one with parking I've owned. Before, in London, I just parked in the street. Usually within sight of my home (in zone 2 and 3). It would be more problematic if there were double yellows outside your home too.

We’ve managed to sell houses with no parking no problem so don’t accept you’ll never sell it on.
If you have small children it’s a pain but it depends on how busy the road is. Are people fighting for spaces?
For me, good schools would outweigh parking every time.
But I’m not easily stressed

I think you just have to be thick skinned and ignore any comments or people that think that the space outside their house is all theirs. I’ve lived a couple of places like that and it’s been fine but now I have small children I think it would be really hard.

In an area with practically no off street parking (Victorian terraces), we bought a charmless modern house with off road allocated parking for three, yes three cars outside. We live in a boring plasterboard box while our neighbours have high ceilings and period features.

I can tell you how some of our neighbours deal with the lack of parking, though... They steal our spaces whenever they can .

It does depend on the road. I have a victorian terrace but luckily it's only a row of 4 amongst other rows of 4 so quite a few drives. The road then changes to semis all with drives. We get to park both cars in front of our house 90% of the time and if not we have space round the corner near our back access.

Our previous terrace was much trickier as no one had a drive. Everyone sort of had 'their' space, this was fine most of the time but when people had visitors or bought an extra car/work van it threw is all out of synch. Have a good look at the road and what's around it, particularly in the evening or weekend.

Deal breaker. No parking would be an absolute PITA.

I'd also worry that I'd never be able to sell it.

When my parents visit they complain if someone is on the road outside my house. They think it's 'my' space. They question me at length about who's car it is. So people like that do exist... They'd say it was an 'unwritten law'.

It depends where you live but bare in mind that the road and neighbours could change. We don't have parking and it was fine when we moved in 8 years ago but the past couple of years have been as issue as a lot of neighbours have built drives which has taken away the available street parking and other neighbours children are now driving but still live at home so some families here have 4/5 cars per household so there's a lot more competition for space. Thankfully we have lovely next door neighbours who will let us use their drive in order for us to carry shopping in before we have to park elsewhere

I've never lived anywhere with parking. It's a completely non issue as far as I'm concerned. I do know people who live in areas with parking permits which is a pain but otherwise, no problem. You can always park fairly near your house.

I live in a small rural tourist town and its impossible often to get on the same road as I live on which is a pain with a small child. We frequently park a few streets away which annoys those residents and walk. Some tourists go on a long distance walk and will leave their car outside my house for several days.
I would drive by and check at various times of day and night.