Would you buy this house...

[Hairydogmummy]

Listed building, great condition, more than affordable, private back garden but shared car port/parking area and you need to cross other's communal garden to put the bins out. Also despite being a chocolate box conservation area, it's only across a main road from a fairly downmarket area. I can't post the ad as we just had an offer accepted and now getting cold feet!

Think about it OP.

You're about to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a property you already have cold feet about, has several shared/communal driveways/parking spaces, new neighbours who could potentially make things tricky, plus you have to walk through 3(?) gardens to put your bins out???

Sounds wonderful

Yes @PresentingPercy we already hired the best conveyancer in town. She better be anyway, is also the most expensive. I've filled her in this evening but I've started some digging myself and contacted the vendor. It's purple bricks so you can do that

Purple Bricks. Another red flag for me. Why do you think the vendor will honestly answer your queries? That’s hopeful. Anyway, if you want it, you’ll just have to overlook it’s idiosyncrasies.

Omg I’ve just read your updates. No way would I live in this, even if someone paid me too. So many potential problems with shared areas and others having rights if way over your property. Unless you are incredibly laid back this property will have you tearing your hair out.

I wouldn't buy listed personally, but if it's in a reasonable area you shouldn't have issues with shared spaces. I'd knock on the neighbours door to check them out though it's not worth making a mistake. Good luck

I wouldn't buy it.

Could you stay with either set of parents?

@Bargebill19 I am! DH isn't really...we have a shared drive atm and he fell out with the neighbour when they parked their car slightly on our bit. I think we'll have to pull out the more I think about it. It's been so helpful posing on here. Even if we could get on board with it, we'd have to sell it on at some point and that could be tricky if it's no no for so many. Renting could be hard with a dog tho. That's a whole new post. Or do we disappoint our buyers? They're so nice and this is their s fond attempt after their previous vendors pulled out on them at the last minute when they couldn't find anywhere

So many mistakes! I'm on the wine!

@Hairydogmummy ... given your DH er annoyance with parking/neighbour, then yes, pull out. He is going to get so wound up by so many things with this potential buy plus any disagreements will have to be declared when/if you sell.
A shared garden or rights of way through your garden and a dog - it’s just begging for trouble. There will be the person who leaves a gate open and the dog gets out, or the timid person who says your dog did xyz and you have no proof one way or the other. The list of potential problems is loooong.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants no...we did that once before and it was a nightmare. My parents have moved to a little bungalow since anyway and his live in Ireland

Honestly OP keep looking. This is not the house for you. I was going to bore you with my nightmare story (to add to the others) of shared driveways (the incumbent neighbours were lovely when we first moved in; It was only later when they left and the new people arrived that trouble started etc etc)

If you’ve already had angst from parking and are understandably a bit sensitive on that subject, you’d be absolutely mad to continue.

Your lovely Instagram lady might be actually instructing an estate agent right this minute! So whilst it’s all sweetness and light now, there’s no guarantee that’s the case in the future. If you don’t have to buy somewhere where you are dependent on the goodwill, reasonableness and cooperation and of others, then don’t!!!

I know there are other issues here but it’s interesting to see how many turned their nose up at the bin situation early in the thread.

We’re mid-Victorian terrace and have this. We pull our bins through neighbours garden for bin day. I remember being slightly concerned when we viewed the house and started a thread asking others experience. There were a few reactions like there were on here but the majority were saying it was completely normal for these types of terraces up and down the UK and it’s no problem, which put my mind at rest. It’s been no problem for us at all, so I’d not be put off by that alone.

So we decided to pull out. The more I read about the legal pitfalls of flying freeholds the more I worried. There are one or two too many issues with it. Back to the drawing board...

I think that was a very sensible decision.

Could your parents or other family/friends have your dog to stay if you need to go into a rental? I can't have a dog of my own right now, but I've had friends dogs come to stay for extended period (one 8 months).

I'd do as much as I possibly could to not pull out on the sale. For your sake and theirs

Good luck.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants it's okay we just had offer accepted on a 'regular' house. Nice and safe, newish house. Don't love it but will do for now! Thank you for the good wishes!

Well I wish you all the best 🌷