Regret buying a stupid house

[Starman2409]

Hi,

About 7 years ago, which now I massively regret, we bought a house. Essentially it's a big 4 bedroom house which is an end terrace.

Running literally about 12 / 15 feet down the side of my garden are 3 terraces which overlook directly in my garden as they are built round the corner / bend of the road.

They can see everything as well as parts of my living room and my bedroom. As well as this they all have a right of way to access to take their bins out directly across my garden. Its ridiculous. I can't go in my garden at all without bedroom windows staring directly at me. Everyone that has lived in the houses has been lovely but I feel so lived on top of! I bought some tall bamboo for a little bit of screening but one of them complained it was shading her garden for a few hours in the morning!

We paid 200,000 for the house and it's probably worthless now.

Any advice on what to do? I considered a quick buy property firm but can imagine that even they wouldn't touch it with a bargepole!

Why would you think it’s worthless? It’s a little OTT don’t you think?
As someone said up thread - people live in all manner of houses and many of them chose to.

Divide your garden in 2 so you have a "bin corridor" bit and a private bit that neighbours can't access. You could put football goals or something there for DC/make a runaround space so the space isn't wasted. High fences/trellis/creepers around the private bit.

Sail shades on high walls or poles are great for summer to shade your garden and prevent upper windows looking in on it. We put up several criss-crossing ones during the hot months to prevent naked toddler and semi-dressed me being overlooked in the paddling pool. We're overlooked from all sides (small city garden) but have very high walls and fences which is useful for this.

For indoor privacy, either half shutters or those bottom up top down blinds. Or you can get the blinds with two layers - semi-transparent for day and blackout for night.

Big pop-up tent or gazebo with sides might help things in the meantime.

It's not worthless. How often do people sit in their upstairs rooms looking over into their neighbour's garden? In the daytime they will mostly be downstairs. Put some nets, or voiles, or magic blinds up and get on with your life.

It will be fine op obviously worth more than the 200k you paid if agent saying 300k- even if you take a bit less still profit.
I paid 300k for a new build off plan as we moved in and estate starting popping up around us I absolutely hated it- the houses felt far closer in reality vs the plan, I felt like I lived in a goldfish bowl, there was literally a house facing into the back of our teeny garden no privacy or option for privacy awful. I was happy to take a loss if it meant moving away from it as I was adamant no one in their right mind would want it. I though it would be valued around 260-270 (a year after I paid 300) agent convinced me to stick it on at 305 ended up getting 313 after a bidding war on it. Honestly op you will be surprised.
Ps now I live in a house not overlooked with a beautiful garden and appreciate it all the more- you will too.

The estate agents wouldn’t tell you it’s worth £300k if they didn’t think they could sell it for that. Have you tried a few different estate agents to get other opinions?

I’d make sure any bin corridor wasn’t completely separate. Don’t end up giving part of your garden away by accident, but some trees or pot plants could still provide privacy.

Standrewsschool

Actually that's not true, estate agents will tell you what you want to hear to get you to sign up to them. Our property was ridiculously over valued the first time round, which delayed us finding a buyer for a good 4 months. I had to hold their feet to the fire to get them to release from the contract we'd signed. Don't believe them without getting it cross checked.

You sound quite irrational @Starman2409 and that’s ok considering the shit going on in the world.

Your house won’t be worthless though. And you could always put it on the market tentatively and see what happens. You never know.

I also had a huge tantrum today about my stupid fucking house so you’re not alone x

@Upstartcrones

Standrewsschool

Actually that's not true, estate agents will tell you what you want to hear to get you to sign up to them. Our property was ridiculously over valued the first time round, which delayed us finding a buyer for a good 4 months. I had to hold their feet to the fire to get them to release from the contract we'd signed. Don't believe them without getting it cross checked.

Did you do your own research on local house prices?

Pop the bamboo back up and put your house up for sale.

If the EA said £300k it is not worthless.
You could probably sell it for £280k.

Crikey if you've had it valued at 300k, it's probably worth 300k!

So you've likely made approx 100k.

What you've described is relatively minor. If you don't like it, move. Someone else will buy it.

I mean this gently but you're very very lucky.

It may be worth a little less than you'd like, but it won't be worthless.

The bottom line is that you have what sounds like a good, large house, with some garden. Ok, maybe it would sell for more if it were set in an acre of landscaped grounds with a private driveway ... but then you'd have paid a lot more for it in the first place!

There will be lots of people who will want to buy. FWIW I'm currently trying to buy my first house and so I'm very aware of what compromises I might make, and an overlooked garden/a garden someone else has right of way over is definitely one of them. I think most people recognise that you're not going to get perfection; you'll have to sacrifice somewhere. For a lot of buyers a good-sized house would be a big draw.

Please don't take this badly but some things about how you phrase your concerns make me wonder if you are suffering from anxiety.

Maybe it's been exacerbated by lock down, but it doesn't sound as if you enjoy living in a house that is overlooked by other houses. The 300k valuation sounds positive. Why don't you get two other valuations, see who you trust from the estate agents, and put it on the market?

It sounds like you would be happier elsewhere, but as if there are lots of positives to the house that might still make it attractive to buyers (period property, field behind, good size).

Sorry, not might -- would.

Why are their bins in your garden? I'd get a gate up or some type of divide to prevent them gaining access to your garden and I'd put the bamboo back up.

Aren't most gardens overlooked by neighbours to some extent? How far away are the houses from your garden?

They can see everything as well as parts of my living room and my bedroom
Get some privacy window film. Either frosted or mirrored. Then they won't be able to see in your house.
I think a high proportion of people can be seen by neighbours when in their garden. Could you put a seat up against the fence so the fence screens you. Or a parasol up?

Or if not privacy window film then voiles or similar

@Starman2409

Our house used to be a pub from the late 1800s to the 1950s (it's a mining village). The pub was derelict and got knocked down years ago. About 15 years ago a builder who lived in one of the terraces adopted the land and built it. He lived in it for 7 / 8 years. We lived opposite it and always liked the look of it so when it came up we bought it. Therefore, it's never been sold before apart from to our family so I can't see anyone being interested, especially families with children

Its been valued at 300,000 but estate agents will tell you anything! 300,000 near us buys you an big detached with a private garden.

On the pluss side there is a big field with houses at the back of our garden with horses!

There's a property boom at the moment and prices are rising for now. If you can sell it, sell it!

Estate agents don't tell you anything! They tell you what it's worth!

They are literally 12 / 15 feet away from my garden running all down the side of it. It is super overlooked! In my bedroom and living room, too.Just actually been out as then weather has blown the trampoline over (gotta love the Manchester weather). Just seen one guy in his kitchen.and another brushing her hair in her window!

I have got anxiety about it! Its never botherered me before but it's obsessing me now! I weirdly occasionally liked people bringing their bins through as I grew up in a house like that!

I also got two other valuations. One said 290 and one said 330!

Actually called the police about the bamboo. They weren't interested and so now I've got a neighbour issue not declare if I do sell!

What about putting up a pergola like this?

This one is pretty fancy and pricey; but you don’t have to make it quite so fancy. You can train climbing plants along the top of it.

You don’t have to do that along the fence line like in that picture, I’ve seen ones done a little further in, so you don’t irk your very rude neighbour!