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Original poster

Have you ever bought a house with absolutely no parking?

126 replies

ParkingProblemo · 14/02/2021 20:38

It's a parking one! Kinda Grin

We've seen a house, which is perfect in every way except that it has absolutely no parking at all. It's a period property which opens straight onto the road so no driveway. That's not a problem in itself...but the road is a narrow dead-end and has double yellows on both sides. There are no roads leading off it that could be used for residential parking either.

We've emailed the agent about it but had no response. Whilst I love the idea of living on a street with basically no cars (we currently live on a main road!) it seems wildly impractical in reality.

Would you / have you bought a house on a road you couldn't park on?

OP posts:
LadyCounterblast · 15/02/2021 10:15

We rented a house like this. At the time we had one car.

It was a total pain in the arse, to be honest. I was prepared to overlook it when we viewed because the house was lovely (little Victorian terrace, beautifully done) but the parking issues started to become a nuisance within a month of moving in, and after six months we were itching to leave.

It wasn't just our car either -- as InTheNight says it has a knock-on effect for all kinds of deliveries and accessibility concerns. The final straw for us was when a furniture delivery was refused because the delivery drivers could find anywhere to park within four streets of our house. We got charged for the missed delivery and again to redeliver.

Now some kind of allocated parking is a must for us. (Although we have more than one car now as well.)

I think if there was a bunfight style situation where you could park on the immediate road but it was a bit of a free-for-all I'd perhaps consider it. But if it's double-yellows outside and no allocated parking elsewhere, that sounds like a major hassle for me. I'm out, as Duncan Bannatyne used to say.

WombatChocolate · 15/02/2021 10:35

No. If you have a car, regardless of whether you have kids you need to park somewhere.
On-street parking is usually fine. You might not be right outside your own house, it I’ve always been prepared to walk a few metres if needed.
But to not be able to park anywhere nearby at all...no good. How far would you have to carry shopping, or rubbish you want to put in car to go to the tip?

I know someone who lives in a road like this...I think sh can park there on Sundays. The house was loads cheaper because of it, it it’s a total pain and she’s always having to think ahead to where to park and whether that will be a 10 min walk or possibly 20 mins..it’s too far for your own house. The

oscarmum20 · 15/02/2021 11:04

Where is the house? Am from a big city and dont drive (never bothered to learn as no need) so it wouldnt bother me. I just dont think automatically need a car in say London.I'd much rather spend more cash on a house than a car.But I have lived in places where a car is a must. So depends on location for us

Original poster
ParkingProblemo · 15/02/2021 11:07

Thanks all. I think I'm now definitely on the side of it's a deal-breaker. Not so much for us - as I said in a pp I won't need the car during the week and we can probably hire a lock up somewhere if it comes to it - but more for deliveries / visitors etc. My dad is obsessed with good parking provision so he'd never visit us, for one thing!

Bit gutted because it would've been an amazing project for us and it's in such a lovely spot, but the day-to-day hassle and risk of pissing off the neighbours just seems too much.

God, I guess I must finally be a proper grown-up, rejecting a fab period house on the basis of parking Wink

OP posts:
Morituritesalutant · 15/02/2021 11:09

We did.
Got a fabulous 5 bed period house for about 1/2 the price of one with parking. We have 3 kids 8,2 &1 been here for 3 years we just pull up outside unload shopping / kids etc then DH drives off to find a space on one of the many nearby streets. A little bit of a pain when you need working doing but you can apply for council permits here for certain things like essential house repairs where you pay for the privilege of being able to park on the double yellows

IndecentFeminist · 15/02/2021 11:14

Deliveries are allowed though? I've lived in houses on double yellows and had regular deliveries. You can't park on them (unless you have a disabled badge and are not causing a dangerous obstruction) but deliveries are ok.

Did you say it was at the end of a one way road or cul de sac?

Honestly if you're central and not reliant on a car this wouldn't worry me.

Can we see a link?

Original poster
ParkingProblemo · 15/02/2021 12:55

I was going to post a link but have just gone onto Rightmove and it's now SSTC! 4 days after listing....clearly someone's not worried about parking then!

OP posts:
CarlottaValdez · 15/02/2021 12:57

Ooh post link anyway! I love nosing at houses

mootymoo · 15/02/2021 13:02

I have double yellows outside but a rear reserved parking spot - it's still inconvenient! I wouldn't buy a house we neither street nor private parking

CottonSock · 15/02/2021 13:04

I want to see too Smile

StanfordPines · 15/02/2021 15:27

@ParkingProblemo

I was going to post a link but have just gone onto Rightmove and it's now SSTC! 4 days after listing....clearly someone's not worried about parking then!
Post it anyway and we will tell you why it would have been dreadful and it’s for the best that it sold.
IndecentFeminist · 15/02/2021 15:28

Show us anyway 😁

IndecentFeminist · 15/02/2021 15:28

And yes, we'll tell you it was awful 👍

MiddleClassMother · 15/02/2021 15:30

Off road parking was a must when I bought my house, it would be like buying a house without a kitchen to me! Both me and DH drive so need the space.

MiddleClassMother · 15/02/2021 15:31

I should add that I see a lot of new build homes that are 4 plus bedrooms (in a similar style to my own) with only one parking space! The local new build estate near me is constantly overflowing with cars as there is only 1 driveway per house unless they take up the front garden (like a few already have)

CoffeeRunner · 15/02/2021 20:28

@ParkingProblemo

I was going to post a link but have just gone onto Rightmove and it's now SSTC! 4 days after listing....clearly someone's not worried about parking then!
Please show us anyway. As a PP said, we can tell you why you’d never have been happy there 🤣. Only to cheer you up of course.
wibblewombat · 15/02/2021 20:35

We did, it was a massive pita. Even moving out was stressful, as even with permits, it was hard to save enough space. Could never find the car & people are arsy with random cars being parked in their street.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 16/02/2021 12:29

No parking is top of my list, obviously not such an issue atm but once lockdown is over it would be so limiting in terms of having friends and family over.

Funf · 16/02/2021 17:47

We have a house with no parking but we managed to buy some land nearby. To be honest I would not buy it as I feel it would be more difficult to sell in future

Bloodyhamabeads · 16/02/2021 18:30

Can we see the link OP?

Cotswoldmama · 16/02/2021 18:48

Our house had no parking but there's a little road nearby that has parking. We had always planned to turn the front garden into a drive but we've been here 6 years now and haven't done it! So clearly it wasn't as needed as we thought. Why don't you ask what the current owners do?

BlueTimes · 16/02/2021 18:53

No, I wouldn’t.

I spent 18 months living right by the London Eye and didn’t have parking. I didn’t have a car, children or worries about getting places back then. Definitely wouldn’t do it now and I think enough people would avoid that it would cause problems when it comes to sell.

romatheroamer · 17/02/2021 06:39

Fascinating thread. The majority of houses in London probably don't have off-street parking and they do sell for higher prices than elsewhere. Er....?

Ginfordinner · 17/02/2021 06:59

@romatheroamer

Fascinating thread. The majority of houses in London probably don't have off-street parking and they do sell for higher prices than elsewhere. Er....?
Fascinatingly, London has far better public transport than anywhere else in the country......Er?
MaryIsA · 17/02/2021 08:14

I don’t think the issue here is off street parking, we have happily lived in a house where it’s a lottery wher you’ll end up parking on the street.

It’s the complete lack of parking.