Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

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

Original poster

Buying a house with neighbour's structure attached to house wall???

35 replies

Paddrs · 31/07/2022 23:00

Hello all.

I've had an offer on a property accepted but I've got some concerns about a lean-to/outbuilding that is in the neighbour's garden against the wall of the house I'd be buying. I've attached a photo. It seems there's cladding against "my" wall and whatever the structure is it has electric cabling wired to it from the neighbour's house.

I'll be trying to chase up answers from the estate agent about it but I'm not optimistic that they will give any real answers. I'm tempted to ask the neighbour's themselves but I don't feel like that's necessarily such a great idea.

Is this something I should be so concerned about? It feels like I should know how much the structure is connected to the wall? Where would I stand with repairs? If I paid for a survey would they even have access to check it out?

In principle I'm not really all that fussed about the building being there but I can't help thinking about is they've done some drilling into the wall and it's gonna be slowly filling up with rain water and I'll buy a house and one of the walls is going to fall off.

Soz for such a rambling post. Any advice is much appreciated.

Buying a house with neighbour's structure attached to house wall???
OP posts:
BerylBird · 31/07/2022 23:52

This is a tricky one. It's not just a shed which is what I envisaged before I saw your picture. I wonder what they are doing inside and what is against "your" wall.

tigertigerg · 31/07/2022 23:54

is your house to the left?

tigertigerg · 31/07/2022 23:55

it would put me off tbh

Cervinia · 01/08/2022 06:38

And me

bare · 01/08/2022 06:48

Ask for the party wall agreement that was put in place when it was put up?

greenacrylicpaint · 01/08/2022 06:51

tricky one.
it could be a freestanding unit with it's own support from the photo.

ask the surveyer to take a look at it.

Boxofbics · 01/08/2022 06:59

Avoid.
Too many what ifs, be thankful you can walk away!

Original poster
Paddrs · 01/08/2022 07:06

Thanks for the responses guys.
It would be my place on the left.
I'm not sure what the building is for, whatever it is, it's hard to see but there's electric cabling that goes from the neighbour's house, over the wall and into the structure.
Having looked on sales history on Rightmove I can see that "my" house was up for sale about 5 years ago and in the pictures you can see that building so it's been there for as long as the current guys were in and then some.
Obviously I'd get a survey done if I was to move forward but that's a lot to spend if there's a really high chance it's just an obvious deal breaker right off the bat.
I'll get in touch with the estate agent with questions including party wall stuff.
It's a bummer cos other than that it's an ideal place

OP posts:
Roundlampshade · 01/08/2022 07:08

Has your potential house been marketed as a detached or semi detached house? Because that is a semi.

LIZS · 01/08/2022 07:13

Something like that may have needed pp. if so look up the address on your local council website. It does look odd and there may have been a pwa at the time.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 01/08/2022 08:28

There is a risk that it is bridging your damp course and the 'joint' between the roof of the structure and the house may not be correctly weatherproofed.

I would think that a structure of that size would need planning permission. You could investigate that. But awkward for you if you annoy your neighbours before you've even moved in!

deedledeedledum · 01/08/2022 09:22

You are nervous to ask the neighbours. If you buy the place, they will be YOUR NEIGHBOURS. Go meet them. Talk to them. I wouldn't buy a place without meeting the neighbours. If they seem scary, that would be a reason not to buy for me

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 01/08/2022 09:26

You could ask the EA but don’t expect them to be much use. Get the solicitor to clarify any queries when drawing up the contract. If there are questions of use or responsibility you should be able to insure against future problems as long as you can define them to to insurance company ( use a broker).

my main worry is that this might be a workshop, so you will get hammering, drilling etc noises through your party wall.

twilightcafe · 01/08/2022 09:27

Nope.
Anyone who wants to buy the property from you will have the same questions and concerns.

StopFeckingFaffing · 01/08/2022 09:31

Surely it's no different to buying any semi-detached or terraced property?

I may be missing the point but unless you have the budget for a detached property (which a lot of us don't) then there is always the possibility of a complication arising from the fact your house is attached to your neighbours house but it doesn't stop houses being bought and sold

BobMortimersPocketMeat · 01/08/2022 09:36

If this is a detached building in their garden, with power, it’s probably either a home office (not much of a problem), or somewhere they added to give space for teens (possibly a problem due to noise in evenings), or somewhere they use for entertaining (very possibly a problem with noise).

Have a look at the planning history to see what it was built as and go from there.

KaloolaDeBue · 01/08/2022 09:39

It looks like two different roof angles, the one at the back seems to have flashing and I can't tell if the one that slopes towards the wall does. This would be my biggest worry about it as if it is not done correctly then water can get into the cavity. I wouldn't want anything like that attached to a house I was buying.

Chase up the estate agent or vendor about it but the delay could mean they are reluctant to answer questions about it.

Fraaahnces · 01/08/2022 09:42

Definitely get the survey and find out if it’s even legal.

MaggieFS · 01/08/2022 09:54

I would try and get a look at it and ask a few more questions BEFORE forking out for a survey.

Have you looked on the council's website for planning applications?

And why not knock and ask the neighbours. Just say you are interested in the property. They can always refuse to talk to you. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

WonderingWanda · 01/08/2022 10:40

A lit of victorian properties have lean too additions like this in gardens, some of them would have been outdoor toilets at some point. If the structure has been there a long time and pre dates modern planning laws then it is usually (or certainly was in the past 20 years) permitted to upgrade the roof. Bit is probably being used for storage for bikes, washing machines freezers etc.

I think you just mention it to your surveyor who will look out for any damage and if you are concerned go and chat with your neighbours. It really isn't anything to worry about I would say.

Original poster
Paddrs · 01/08/2022 10:43

Again, thanks for your help guys.

So I've has a look on the council website - no planning permission that I can see.

As far as my reluctance to contact neighbours. It's more just that I'd rather explore every other avenue for investigating it before I show my hand as it were. I'm happy to have a chat with them an be open about everything, at the end of the day I'm not too invested yet. I just don't want ton do anything that might get them on the defensive (especially if they know it's not got PP) before I have all the information I can get.

I'll get in touch with the EA re party wall agreement and find out if there's an old survey that the current guys had carried out

OP posts:
Rollercoaster1920 · 01/08/2022 10:45

It'd ben there longer than the planning enforcement window - so it is staying. So the question is whether you can live there with it. I agree with a previous poster about going and talking to the neighbour, ask what they use it for and how it is constructed. if they are going to be good neighbours this won't be an issue. If they are uncooperative then you can pull out.

I met one of my neighbours during a viewing and it was really useful to know that some work was due to be done to his place, and that he was lovely.

Original poster
Paddrs · 01/08/2022 10:47

Just thought I'd also mention that both structures have no connection to the neighbor's house, they are only built against "my" house's wall. This is because there is a gate in the wall for access to their back garden

OP posts:
SirVixofVixHall · 01/08/2022 10:49

So that front wall was already there, eg the garden wall ? If so it look as though they have added a roof and made a lean-to type structure against it, so a sort of outbuilding /conservatory thing. I wonder how they were allowed to do that up against another house ? Does it also join their house or is it just in their garden ?

SirVixofVixHall · 01/08/2022 10:51

Sorry, cross posted, you have answered the question about it joining their house.

Swipe left for the next trending thread