Can I extend my garden? With pic

[AnonnyMeous]

Firstly apologies for the awful "drawing"

It drives me mad that the developer didn't wrap my garden around the side of the house, given that my front garden sticks out anyway and there is a wall there. There are windows in the side of my house and I am desperate for a bit more privacy!

As you can see, we have a large shared driveway. We all own a chunk of the driveway which we are responsible for, but must allow access over it at all times. "My" bit is within the black dotted area, so next to my house (plus the bit in front of my garage but that's irrelevant). I want my garden to be extended to the green dotted area. I can't see how this would be of any detriment to my neighbours, other than it being a bit unfair that I get a bigger garden. Is there any way I can pay them (if they agree, obviously) to allow me to extend my garden? I was thinking access for fire engines etc, but the wall sticks out anyway so it wouldn't restrict access any further. The driveway is already very wide and two cars could still easily pass. How would I go about this, if it's even possible?

Presumably it's either parking space, or to allow the right hand house to be able to manoeuvre into their drive.

You'd need agreement with all the people who have a right to pass, looks like 5 neighbours? So 5 lots of legal fees if they agree to alter their deeds. Requires mortgage company approval. I suspect they won't.

If a parking space there, then park your car to help with privacy.

You did buy it like this.

You wouldn't be able to fence it off in any way or even have flower beds there

We aren't even supposed to park on it, only the bits right in front of each garage. I know I couldn't fence it off etc without all the legal stuff! Does sound very expensive. Been here for 10 years and it didn't used to bother me. But one day I thought of it and it's bugged me ever since!

I would imagine that it's written up in the deeds that it can't be done, or that it's very difficult to change.

The garden is such an awkward arrangement and the developer could probably have charged more for the house with the bigger garden so there must be a reason why they've done that.

Yes it's very annoying, I really can't work out why they've done it like that! Walking around the estate, I notice that about half the houses in my sort of position got the extra bit and the other half didn't...