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Original poster

Would you buy a house with no vehicular access?

46 replies

Jampot · 20/02/2008 00:37

pedestrian/cycle access along a path wide enough for emergency vehicles though just not allowing cars? The house would be brand new in nice garden

OP posts:

FioFio · 20/02/2008 10:31

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titchy · 20/02/2008 10:31

Agree with betty - imagine carrying rsj's 180 feet... That's also a long way to walk with shopping etc and would probably put people off. There's a big psychological difference between walking that far and say having a flat with no allocated parking but being able to park just outside on the road. Definately find out who owns the pathway and buy it.

FioFio · 20/02/2008 10:32

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Astrophe · 20/02/2008 10:36

A friend of mine lives in a 'walk', not a street, and has to walk along a path for about 50m or so. She has no guaranteed parking space on the street, so sometimes she has t park quite far from the end of the path, and walk further.

She doesn't seem to mind, but I find it a pain when visiting her - trying to get in with 2 small kids, bags etc, sometimes in the rain.

I know it can take her a good 20 mins to get in with her 3 kids and shopping, and that she has to leave kids in the car and run back and forth.

I would never buy a house like that, but as I said, she doesn't seem to mind, so obviously people think differently about the issue.

I do know she paid significantly less for it than other houses in the area.

noddyholder · 20/02/2008 10:40

It will probably feel lovely asnd secluded but will be a nightmare for construction who franklt moan about a few stairs or a narrow side access!And it will be ok selling in a bouyant booming market because everything sells thn but in a downturn anything that makes a property 'different' or 'difficult' is used as a bargaining tool by buyers.However having said that it should be a bargain to purchase atm

Original poster

Jampot · 20/02/2008 10:49

according to the agent, construction vehicles will be allowed down the path (its not a mud track, it is actually a tarmaced (sp?) access

but i take everyone's point on board.

If there was access for a car and parking on site, would you buy a house behind another one?

OP posts:

Astrophe · 20/02/2008 10:54

yes. Houses behind another are quite common in Sydney (where I am from), they are called 'Battle Axe' blocks (the long drive way is the handle of the axe I guess) not sure if they are so common here?

But yes, I would definately consider such a house as long as it had car access, it might even be a positive, as it would be quiet and secluded.

LIZS · 20/02/2008 10:58

"If there was access for a car and parking on site, would you buy a house behind another one? "

Possibly but not unless there were benefits to the seclusion , ie. a view.

lalalonglegs · 20/02/2008 11:14

It depends on the context - if the area has lots of houses strewn all over it (a city or a very higgledy piggledy village) then yes. But if it were unusual in that it was overlooked and compromised, then no.

RedFraggle · 20/02/2008 11:25

I wouldn't buy a house with no parking personally. It would definitely put me off and I think probably limit the pool of buyers a lot. Imagine trying to get to the house with a big food shop and two small children? Aaargh - what a nightmare.
Even without the children, if I do a normal weekly food shop I have to make about 3 or four trips to the car to get all the bags in. I can just imagine having to trek back and forth in heavy rain / windy, cold weather.

No chance -sorry!

Also considering re-sale, with the market as it is currently people are being very fussy and the slightest thing will turn them off, access issues could be enough to really hold up a sale.

lalalonglegs · 20/02/2008 11:33

Why would construction traffic be allowed up path but not normal domestic traffic? at your agents.

Original poster

Jampot · 20/02/2008 12:02

Ive just spoken with the Duty Planner at the Council and he is quite perplexed by the permission. He has suggested I call later to speak to the Officer assigned to the case

OP posts:

BettySpaghetti · 20/02/2008 14:19

Do keep us up-dated as I'm interested now, too

Fizzylemonade · 20/02/2008 19:34

Been in this situation, we had a drive and garage but this was at the rear of the house, had to then walk some distance to the actual front door. It was rented so no means of changing it.

Walking back to the car for more shopping bags was a nightmare, carrying anything heavy from the car was awful, plus coming back at night was scary as there was little lighting.

When we moved out it cost more money as they worked out how many steps it was to the front door from where they could get the van!!!

I definitely wouldn't do it again especially now with kids, (I tend to forget something after I have loaded the kids into the car and so have to dive back into the house for 30 seconds but they are on the drive outside my house)

It is good though that there it access for fire engines etc on the plot you are looking at.

MrsBadger · 20/02/2008 19:53

we are about 20m from the road with absolutely no vehicular access to the house itself

we manage fine but it's not ideal

WowOoo · 20/02/2008 19:54

I would not.

FuriousGeorge · 21/02/2008 19:40

Hmm,I'd be put off to be honest.Were we used to live had restricted parking & coming home with loads of shopping,2 children under 2 in the car,and having to park over 100 feet away was no joke.You couldn't manage both children plus shopping & neither could you leave either one in the car,whilst you trekked back & forth unloading bags.If your children are older,this wouldn't be an issue I suppose.

Shitemum · 21/02/2008 19:47

"Another option i could explore would be to locate the owner (possibly Council) of the pathway..."

Am that you don't know who owns the access path - that is very important surely? If it's not the council you could be left without access to your property, couldnt you?

Shitemum · 21/02/2008 19:51

FWIW we have just spent the last 5 years getting planning permission and doing the building work on a house which not only has no vehicular access or parking but is up a steep, cobbled, twisting street which I can barely get my 3 wheeled pram up!
But, it's in the centuries-old, charming, Jewish quarter of a Spanish town so it's a completely different case...
We don't have a car so we're used to having to walk and carry everything.
I would definately try and negotiate the car access to your plot tho...

stuffitllama · 22/02/2008 12:02

Shared access is also off-putting though. It's not a panacea. But still wishing you luck.

chocolateteapot · 22/02/2008 14:37

We live in a house where we have right of way over a neighbour's drive to get to our house, but have parking for several cars, garage and carport. I love it as it feels tucked away and the children can play safely round all sides of the house (I had decided to buy it when I got to the silver birches at the top of the drive) I wouldn't have bought it though if I hadn't been able to bring a car down outside.

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