Offer accepted but no dropped kerb

[GranolaGranola]

We had an offer accepted on a house in April which has a driveway with space for 2 cars. However we’ve just been back to look at it again and realised the kerb isn’t actually dropped - not sure how we missed this first time although the kerb is fairly low along the street anyway so it’s not as noticeable as it could be. The owners are parking on it anyway but I understand it means they aren’t legally permitted to access their drive.

I’m not sure what we should do next. Should we lower our offer by the amount it costs to drop the kerb? And potentially pull out if the vendors refuse?

It does look like using the drive should be fine but I’m not happy that potentially the council could stop us using it in the future or people could park across it on the street. I’m also conscious that regardless of the cost of getting it dropped it’s not guaranteed we’d be granted planning permission.

3k to drop kerb in Cambridge

Planning application will be c£200 IF you need PP - as I stated above, it's not always required.

S278 licence application will be required for any public highway - about the same cost.

The big money is the actual construction work which will have to be carried out by the Council or one of their approved contractors. This is to make sure that the work meets the standards required for the general public to be safe using the pavement, and to protect any services running along the pavement. This cost will vary from area to area, and on the size of the crossover involved.

If the house has been advertised as having off street parking for 2 cars and it has no dropped kerb then it legally has no off street parking - people do pay a premium for off street parking so it’s perfectly reasonable if the OP wanted to review her offer . Just because the current owner wants to park illegally the OP may not wish to do so .

Yes, I'm not sure why some posters think the poster is being unreasonable to have concerns.

My inlaws paid 3k a few yrs ago.

The op hasn't actually said that it was advertised as having off street parking for two cars. Other people have developed that point. She's said there's a photo of a drive, big enough for two cars. Possibly even with a car parked on it, who knows? And she visited the house, stepped over the kerb to enter the house, and made an offer on a house that had so many offers that it went to 'best and final'.
It isn't clear if the written particulars say anything about parking access at all.

It isn't deceitful to pave/tarmac your front garden.

I do think op should look for another house if this is a problem for her, but on what's written so far, it's a bit much to ask for a reduction based on something she could see. As if she wanted to get the house, then beat them down in price once she's seen off the competition.
If the written particulars are untruthful/misleading, as a separate issue I would complain to the estate agents.

It’s normally about £500 per metre by me & then on top of that the cost to pay someone to do it - when I looked into it on a previous property it was around £1800. The issue can be drains, lampposts etc whereby they will refuse to do it. You need to think if this is something you can live with as you might not be able to change it. Also the fact the current owners haven’t done it seems like an application might’ve been rejected. Or they didn’t want to pay.