Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Would you buy a house without off street parking?

45 replies

buddhasbelly · 13/12/2021 20:18

We've been looking at a house without off street parking. A car is essential to get about in this area - the road itself isn't too busy for being able to park BUT

We're wondering about being able to charge an electric car in circa 10 yrs time and if it would put future buyers off not being able to charge their car in a driveway.

Would you be put off buying it?

OP posts:

coodawoodashooda · 13/12/2021 20:19

Omg totally. Unless it was Oxford Street or something

beguilingeyes · 13/12/2021 20:19

I just have :) This is London though, so off street parking is really rare.

FranklySonImTheGaffer · 13/12/2021 20:23

Off road parking was a deal breaker for us (2 car household) when looking for a house last year.

In our old street we had 1 allocated space per house and it became more and more difficult as the kids on the street got older - at one point one family had 5 cars (2 parents and 3 adult dc living at home). It was a nightmare to park as the street was quite small.
Plus we're thinking about the potential of electric vehicles in the future and would want somewhere to charge at home BUT there are a lot of streets in the UK where that wouldn't be possible so I'm sure there'll be some sort of solution to that.

Original poster

buddhasbelly · 13/12/2021 20:27

@beguilingeyes I'm hoping the home report (scotland) has something ghastly so we don't have to make the decision 😂

It's a mix up here of many new builds with own drives and then older houses in the centre of town with just street parking so really not sure how much it would affect a future resell.

If off street was a rarity then i wouldn't be wavering but its a 50/50 split in the neck of the woods. Ah decisions!

OP posts:

umbel · 13/12/2021 20:28

Totally depends on the area. Where I live, the vast majority of housing stock only has on street parking. In a fair few areas, there is not even on street parking available, and cars have to be left in nearby car parks. It has excellent transport links and is a hugely popular area, so obviously people who want to live here are not being put off by this.

In an area that was difficult to navigate without car transport, and/or where most properties did have off street parking, I’m sure many would find it off putting.

ChicCroissant · 13/12/2021 20:28

As a PP said, it depends on the area - you say that you need a car to get around so a lack of off-street parking may put some people off but not others.

passionfruitpizza · 13/12/2021 20:28

It would have to be an absolutely amazing and really underpriced house to make up for it.

Original poster

buddhasbelly · 13/12/2021 20:29

@FranklySonImTheGaffer yes this is my worries if families on the street have multiple cars, I may ask DP to take a drive down the street with me in a mo to see how busy it gets in terms of spaces.

OP posts:

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 13/12/2021 20:30

Nope-
I’ve had off street parking now and couldn’t go back

nordica · 13/12/2021 20:30

Mine doesn't have parking but this is in London and I can't think of many streets in my local area where anyone has off street parking. Obviously depends on the area though and how rare it is.

WWTBCD · 13/12/2021 20:31

I wouldn't even look at it. Like you I would like to buy an electric car next so a home charger is essential I think. And I just don't want the hassle of trying to park.
Parking wasn't a problem here until a few people with multiple cars moved in and all the teens got cars. Now it's a scrum and I'm glad I don't need to get involved

Original poster

buddhasbelly · 13/12/2021 20:31

@passionfruitpizza it is a v nice house annoyingly

OP posts:

BarryTheKestrel · 13/12/2021 20:33

Off street parking is a rarity where I am unless you buy a big expensive house, the standard family home has on street parking in a usually crowded road. It wouldn't put me off because its what I'm used to, but off road parking would be better.

BarryTheKestrel · 13/12/2021 20:34

Original poster

buddhasbelly · 13/12/2021 20:35

@WWTBCD yes a nightly scrum would be horrible. DP could walk to work from this house and I can work from home but then how do we charge the car?

I can see cables going to cars from houses being banned for being trip hazards in years to come. But I wonder if technology will have solutions for that in the future.

OP posts:

Original poster

buddhasbelly · 13/12/2021 20:41

Raised all these points with DP.

If we were in Glasgow or Edinburgh we'd be fine without a driveway but where we are, you need a car so would really affect potential resell. Thanks all. For once I'm being the practical person in our house hunt

OP posts:

Disfordarkchocolate · 13/12/2021 20:45

No, my budget doesn't afford me the choice. As long as I can park easily near my house I'd be fine.

We'll be charging cars from lamp posts soon.

drpet49 · 13/12/2021 20:46

No never.

DuesToTheDirt · 13/12/2021 20:48

I've never had off-street parking and am not bothered about it. I don't always get parked on my street but that's fine, and I often have a chat to a neighbour coming the other way from their car, so it's kind of sociable.

As for electric cars, we shall see... there are a lot of us in the same boat, and nowhere near enough lampposts for all the cars if they go down the lamppost charging route.

NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 13/12/2021 21:49

I would accept it in a great city where I could park the car & not use it often, but not in an average city where I use the car daily - been there, done that, will not do it again. Currently have communal parking - desperately trying to move. Off road parking in my own 'front' is NON negotiable.

You have to balance up what you can get for your money & what you're prepared to sacrifice.

Sacrifice list is getting shorter & shorter, but it's not really helping much, so we may be here for a while yet!

GoodnightGrandma · 13/12/2021 21:50

No I wouldn’t buy without off street parking.

SophieHatterPendragon · 13/12/2021 21:57

We did. We got a beautiful 5 bed Victorian house for under £200k because it didn’t come with off street parking. The equivalent where we live with off street parking is 400-500k

There is plenty of parking spaces to be had on the streets near our house if none on our street. Minor inconvenience really

coronafiona · 13/12/2021 21:57

I wouldn't. I made that mistake in the past it's really annoying with bags of shopping, heavy works stuff and I would've found it impossible with kids prams etc.

nocoolnamesleft · 13/12/2021 22:00

Off street parking was one of my essential criteria when I bought. I'd rented in places with and without it, and knew how much easier it makes life. One property that I actually otherwise really liked I rejected purely because the parking was so awkward: allegedly off street but shared, and very easily blocked.

Solasum · 13/12/2021 22:04

I think on-street charge points will become ubiquitous. They are already appearing in central London,
In some cases just with extra connections on current lampposts

Flip

1 2