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Original poster

perfect house but shared drive and maintenance fee

53 replies

Evecob · 10/12/2020 13:25

After months of looking, we found a house that would work really well for us (family of 4) in October, we are due to exchange contracts in January.

It's got 4 good size double bedrooms all over 10ft by 10ft, one room would be the office/gaming room. Its got a layout we could work with downstairs, a conservatory off the livingroom for our toddler and baby to use as a playroom/store their toys, a utility room, a kitchen breakfast room and a separate dining(we could knock through to make kitchen diner). A south west facing garden and a single garage with space for 2 cars beside the house. The house itself we love. The front is pretty private with a lovely green ending in raised trees.

However I am now having a few concerns after finally being told the charge for the upkeep of the area by the vendors. When we made the offer we knew the house would have a maintenance fee for the upkeep (its a newish build built in 2014, the house we currently live in also has one) but it is £150 more than ours (almost 300 for the year) and they have complained about the management company, told us how useless they are at keeping the area maintained. When we viewed the house, it looked great to us, there's a lovely green right out the front of our house.

We also have a shared drive, with one other house on the end who would need to drive past us, and one other house at the entrance to the drive. We have our own 2 spaces in front of our garage for both of our cars with no issue and there is a car park close to the shared driveway where cars on the new build estate can park, every time we have gone we have got a spot, so guests could park there.

Would the maintenance company fee and shared driveway put you off from buying this house?

OP posts:
Nsky · 10/12/2020 17:27

Very cheap too

iftherewereahorseyinthehouse · 10/12/2020 17:36

My mum and dad had similar with a private road leading to a courtyard of houses. It had a lot of potholes. At one point they all chipped in to get it re gravelled but it wasn't that onerous. I don't think it would put me off if I loved the house.

iftherewereahorseyinthehouse · 10/12/2020 17:41

There are always people who will say I won't be a house with this, that or the other. Which is fine if you have unlimited funds. But most of us have to compromise on north facing garden/no drive etc to get the house they want. I say that because we have both of those! But if we had a drive we would have less space inside.

iftherewereahorseyinthehouse · 10/12/2020 17:42

*buy

Lurkingforawhile · 10/12/2020 17:44

Shared roads tend to be a bigger problem when there is no management company in place to deal with any maintenance that needs to take place - this was the case where we used to live. Provided that there is a a provision in the transfer for contribution towards maintenance the shared raod wouldn't bother me. Worth noting that it won't get gritted though but nor do most small roads.

Lurkingforawhile · 10/12/2020 17:46

The issue with the maintenance provider not being very good is something that's a concern, but then you could move in with a history of very good maintenance and the contractor could change almost immediately. Did the estate otherwise look tidy and looked after?

PotteringAlong · 10/12/2020 17:50

Don’t buy it for the field, it won’t be there for that much longer!

Burnthurst187 · 10/12/2020 17:55

I would want to know by how much the maintenance provider can increase the fee each year, is there a cap etc, can it be doubled from £300 to £600 for 2021 for example

If they are so useless, can they be changed. Who put them in place? The house builder I guess

Also, how likely is it that the field will be built on? That would probably concern me more than the driveway

BlueThistles · 10/12/2020 18:04

I wouldn't buy it either OP, sorry Flowers

Original poster
Evecob · 10/12/2020 18:07

To answer some of the questions...

The property was built in 2014, so the area we are has been completed. I asked at the time if the field would be built on and the agent said no. It definitely seems to be an area for walking dogs, children to play. Possibly over the drain they might in the future.

I will still ask the solicitor to confirm, we haven't been given the details of the searches yet, I can't seem to get hold of my solicitor this week.

There are some flats near I think, but mainly new build houses. They are building a new school for 2022 to the right hand side which was a big pull for us too.

It is a freehold property.

I called the company but they refused to give me any info on the breakdown of charges or whether the fees would be capped!!!! So no idea...

OP posts:
hgaj · 10/12/2020 18:16

There's a few comments about future development and think it's right that there will be a lot more building in the area eg ukpropertyforums.com/1000-home-at-paston-reserve-in-norwood-to-be-submitted/
However, that strip between the house and the river (car dyke) has been left intentionally as a green corridor so will hopefully be safe - though I'd check everything carefully!

Clymene · 10/12/2020 18:17

There is no way they're building a new school unless they're planning over 1,000 houses. That field opposite will be gone.

Original poster
Evecob · 10/12/2020 18:28

@hgaj

There's a few comments about future development and think it's right that there will be a lot more building in the area eg ukpropertyforums.com/1000-home-at-paston-reserve-in-norwood-to-be-submitted/ However, that strip between the house and the river (car dyke) has been left intentionally as a green corridor so will hopefully be safe - though I'd check everything carefully!
yeah this is what I have seen as well thank you.

i have no issues with them building over the car dyke.

I feel better about the drive but i'm guessing the maintenance of the road will be covered under this maintenance fee as well

OP posts:
Chloemol · 10/12/2020 18:28

You need to look at who owns those roads onto the properties, if it’s the Management company as they have not been adopted then it’s likely the charges will just keep going up. I would be looking to see if it’s one of these that doubles after so long etc

hgaj · 10/12/2020 18:33

@Clymene

There is no way they're building a new school unless they're planning over 1,000 houses. That field opposite will be gone.
Which "field"? The one right next to the house - probably not. If they could I expect they'd have built on it at the time but it was allocated as a green corridor and the dyke itself a scheduled monument historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1021133 The field beyond the dyke may be built on but I don't think this will be immediately. The areas identified as plots for development in the local plan are all to the east of this house.
Original poster
Evecob · 10/12/2020 18:33

@SimplyRadishing

I would not buy that house.
why? because of the fee?
OP posts:
shallbe · 10/12/2020 18:55

OP I'm from the area, there's a Peterborough development plan that states all the potential development areas within the authority, have a look on their website. Make sure your solicitor does the planning search too though. It's usually £20/40.

alexdgr8 · 10/12/2020 20:28

is that dyke near those trees.
i would not buy anywhere so near a water course.
this was advised to me by a someone who came from a family of master masons. had seen it all. could read the land anywhere, and knew whereof they spoke.

lambo88 · 10/12/2020 20:41

Our house is 14 years old and we have to pay a maintenance fee of £150 a year xxx

ukgift2016 · 10/12/2020 20:44

The house looks lovely op. It wouldnt bother me but I'm paying a service charge at the moment for my new build.

Floralnomad · 10/12/2020 20:49

The frontage would put me off as although it’s not a shared drive you don’t seem to have a designated front garden , you only need inconsiderate neighbours with children who like football and once the fields get wet you could have balls bouncing up your front windows all day . It’s all a bit to communal for me .

oldshoeuk · 11/12/2020 02:15

The council should have a development plan for the area. It would certainly help to know. I am right in assuming the house is freehold?

Sorry but I would personally pass because of the maintenance fees, having done that before myself.

Original poster
Evecob · 11/12/2020 09:02

There is a development plan for the area, I have seen the docs online for plans up to 2036, and there are plans for 2000 dwellings but its all being built to the right of us not above us. Though even if it was being built on the other side of the dyke it's not a worry for us.

OP posts:
Original poster
Evecob · 11/12/2020 09:06

@alexdgr8

is that dyke near those trees. i would not buy anywhere so near a water course. this was advised to me by a someone who came from a family of master masons. had seen it all. could read the land anywhere, and knew whereof they spoke.
for us a dyke isn't an issue, a dyke is more of a ditch to prevent flooding, it doesn't cause flooding. We certainly would not live too close to a river or high risk flooding area.
OP posts:
Original poster
Evecob · 11/12/2020 09:09

@shallbe

OP I'm from the area, there's a Peterborough development plan that states all the potential development areas within the authority, have a look on their website. Make sure your solicitor does the planning search too though. It's usually £20/40.
Thanks, yeah we did take a look at the docs online up to 2036.

At this point the biggest issue is the maintenance fee, and whether that is likely to rise significantly in the future. Trying to find out more but waiting on solicitor response.. Hmm

OP posts:
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