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Original poster

Your experience of ransom strips please!

22 replies

Carminabubu · 13/10/2020 21:09

We are looking to move and really like a house that ticks so many boxes. It’s a semi, great garden, garage en bloc, etc etc.
However, it has a random strip, owned by the council, that is at the front of the property, meaning you can’t build a side extension. You can park on it apparently (at least we have always seen cars parked on there and it’s dropped curb, leading up to the side entrance to the garden.
I really like the house and it is well within budget. I don’t want to build any extension as I think it will take away the beauty of the house and will look cramped. I also don’t need the space. We would definitely need to move in about 7-8 years but I am fine with that. But I don’t like the sound of random strips (Googled them). I have seen the house re-listed after it was taken right after it was put on the market. But the deal seems to have not worked and it’s back on, with about 10% reduction in price! The mention of random strip is the only thing that has changed in the so I assume that is why the sale fell through.
Can I please hear your experience of how bad these random strips can be? I don’t want to extend, drive way and garage is also plenty for my family. And I really like the house Blush
Ta!

OP posts:
BeepBoopBop · 13/10/2020 21:27

I've no experience of ransom strips per se, only that they are given that name as the purchase price for granting access across them can be extortionate. Given your house has access anyway, this is just a piece of land the council own.
Just around the corner from me, the council have sold a chunk of the pavement - yes, the actual public pavement - to a private house to give them a more viable garden. The pavement did narrow in width at the house next door, so now it is narrow all the way. So the council will sell land and it could be quite affordable if nothing else can be done with it.

BeepBoopBop · 13/10/2020 21:30

Meant to add, ask the agent about it. May be another reason the sale fell through.

Alexalee · 13/10/2020 21:53

Council owned snd you have access... wouldnt be a problem
They might happily sell it to you for a very reasonable price
Does it give access to another plot maybe behind your house?

KenDodd · 13/10/2020 22:02

We need a picture.

I don't really understand how this is a ransom strip. It sounds like the land at the side of your house that you have row over to access the side/back of your house. How is that different from the pavement? Is the land lawned? Maybe the council would sell it to you that way they won't have to be responsible for it.

Original poster
Carminabubu · 13/10/2020 22:31

Drawn my first picture ever!
You can see that there is a dropped curb. they park their car there and i can imagine that the ransom strip is to stop people from converting it into flats potentially (beautiful road, very large garden).
What I don’t understand is how bad this can be for when we need to make our next move. I love the house, it’s practical and gorgeous. But I know it is not my forever home and I don’t want to build an extension. I would much rather move. I just don’t want to lose because of this strip.

Your experience of ransom strips please!
OP posts:
Original poster
Carminabubu · 13/10/2020 22:34

@KenDodd

We need a picture.

I don't really understand how this is a ransom strip. It sounds like the land at the side of your house that you have row over to access the side/back of your house. How is that different from the pavement? Is the land lawned? Maybe the council would sell it to you that way they won't have to be responsible for it.

On the other side of the garage, there is another row of quite similar houses. But this one is much larger, with a big enough garden to build an annexe even. That must be why the council put it there in the first place. However, I don’t have any worries about extending. It’s not worth the hassle as we plan to move closer to family in a few years. I just want to ensure I am not buying an expensive headache.
OP posts:
Original poster
Carminabubu · 13/10/2020 22:36

@Alexalee

Council owned snd you have access... wouldnt be a problem They might happily sell it to you for a very reasonable price Does it give access to another plot maybe behind your house?
There is no plot behind the house. The garden ends right along the far wall of garage. No other access either.
OP posts:
Original poster
Carminabubu · 13/10/2020 22:38

Sorry I forgot to mention that the delisting clearly says what it is and that it is council-owned. So I am in no doubt about that.

OP posts:
Alexalee · 13/10/2020 22:40

Don't see how it stops you extending towards the garage

Original poster
Carminabubu · 13/10/2020 22:43

@Alexalee

Don't see how it stops you extending towards the garage
I have no idea either. I don’t want that anyway but there seems to be something into this that brought the price down and reduced the price significantly.
OP posts:
SoupDragon · 13/10/2020 22:49

very large garden

It could be to prevent you splitting the garden and building another house. Looking at the picture you could perhaps build where the garage is and up to your house. The ransom strip prevents this as only you have a right of access over it, not any new house.

SoupDragon · 13/10/2020 22:51

Or rather than stop you from building another house, they can profit from it by selling you the random strip or selling access.

Daisydoesnt · 14/10/2020 09:26

It’s often tricky getting planning on an extension that is forward of the existing line of houses (so in your case, an extension to the front). Councils often like to keep the existing line, especially if it’s an attractive road or one with architectural merit. So I doubt it’s to stop people building; that is what planning policy is for! And of course Permitted Development does not include extensions to the front of a property either.

Isn’t it possible that the sale fell through for a totally unconnected reason?

Seeline · 14/10/2020 09:33

I cannot tell from your diagram exactly where the ransom strip is?

The set up you have drawn is nothing like any ransom strip I have seen before.

I cannot see how a ransom strip could stop you extending - is there a covenant on the property to stop extending?

Justforphoto · 14/10/2020 11:34

That set up looks slightly similar to a friends house but the ransom strip is not in front of the house it is a strip that runs down the drive. It was only discovered when he applied for planning permission to build a couple of new houses where the garage is on your map, in his case there would be room but the price the council then asked for the land made it unfeasible and without owning the ransom strip he couldn't access the houses to build them.

Original poster
Carminabubu · 14/10/2020 20:00

Thank you for all the responses.
@Daisydoesnt it is quite a nice road and they definitely would want to block people from extending to the front specifically. Like I said, I am not worried for this but worry about selling it on later.
@Seeline
They haven’t really drawn a line to show the position. This is why I am also baffled. The owners park their cars right in front of the garage but you can see the dropped curb is not in a straight line with garage. So it’s quite confusing.
@Justforphoto
I am quite sure they would not allow any extension. None of the other houses are extended to the front either. However, this house definitely doesn’t have a large enough garden for one good sized house. A two bed flat may be or an annexe at max.

OP posts:
NaturalStudy · 14/10/2020 20:05

OP without meaning to be rude at all it sounds as if you really don't understand anything about this piece of land. You need to sit down with your solicitor and really understand what it would mean for your ownership of the house and when you came to sell. I think as you can't really describe this issue its difficult for anyone to give you meaningful advice on here.

Seeline · 14/10/2020 20:25

You need to see a copy of the deeds.

BurgerOnTheOrientExpress · 15/10/2020 07:50

@NaturalStudy

OP without meaning to be rude at all it sounds as if you really don't understand anything about this piece of land. You need to sit down with your solicitor and really understand what it would mean for your ownership of the house and when you came to sell. I think as you can't really describe this issue its difficult for anyone to give you meaningful advice on here.
This.

Plus, go to talk to the Council. In my experience of exactly this situation, they may welcome an offer on the land as long as it is doesn't affect anyone else.

If you find there are restrictions attached to the use of the land then that will give you a clearer picture of the property you are considering.

Original poster
Carminabubu · 15/10/2020 20:28

Thank you very much for all the advice everyone. I will follow this and will report back. Wine

OP posts:
WhereverIGoddamnLike · 15/10/2020 20:33

Are extensions to the front of the house common?

It is usually very difficult to extend your house forward. Maybe add a porch but adding an entire room wouldn't normally be granted. It doesnt seem like the strip makes any real difference.

Decisivelyindecisive · 15/10/2020 20:42

Can I ask roughly what area this is in? The diagram and info makes me think it's my NDN house Grin

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