Link detached neighbor converting garage

[Sprockergirl]

Hi

Yesterday builders turned up and my new next door neighbours house and have started work on what's obviously a garage conversion. Their garage connects to our house (we are link detached). Does this mean we are now a semi and our house value has changed? I feel slightly peeved that nobody let us know even though though we essentially share the wall.

Now I'm also a bit worried they will extend over the garage and attach onto ours making us fully semi detached. Can they do this without our permission?

They aren't the most approachable people and I don't want to start nosing around and piss them off!

At an initial glance, they can do this under permitted development (depending on where you are), unless there are conditions.

They cannot increase the size without getting planning permission, it can only be internal.

There may be party wall issues.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/garage-conversion/planning-permission

Is a link detached really worth more than a semi?

If they extend over their own garage, this could limit what you can in the future should you wish to do the same.

I think you are entitled to know if they will be having an impact on your property and can explore the avenue of the party wall legislation.

From my understanding they need a party wall agreement with you.

Not sure but I definitely preferred it over a semi when we were buying, after having a shared bedroom wall with our ndn in our old house and being able to hear EVERYTHING 🤮🤣

I’d ask them for a party wall agreement; you could contact building control for advice.

@Sprockergirl where I live loads of people convert the garage and many build over it so I would assume similar would happen.

For me it wouldn't change value because link detached is in my mind still a semi.
It did tickle me when I saw "link detached" advertised and it was a full on semi because both houses did double extensions....
I would be bit peaved in your place, bit they have a right to do it of they do it correctly. That's the risk of link semis

It's always a risk when you buy a non-detached house.

Even if they'd kept it as a straightforward garage, they could still have done loud and frequent car or motorbike repairs/tinkering/revving in there. They don't even need to 'officially' convert it; they can still use it for any noisy purpose that they want, just like any other room in their house.

Hmm, I never see or consider a 'link detached' house as detached. They are semis. Not sure why they are determined as detached houses anyway.

They don't need one unless undertaking certain work - excavation, adding beams into the shared wall etc. Not just because they are converting it. They are entitled to convert their own garage under permitted development and there isn't a lot the OP can do about it. They won't be able to extend over the garage without planning permission.

Yes the advantage is that you dont share 'living space' walls, unless of course you choose to convert your garage as well. Which you have the right to do.

Some of the link detached I have seen have only one garage between the houses. If everybody in the road converted their garages to living accommodation, they would go from being link detached to terraced.

Our garage is on the other side and not attached to another house so party wall wouldn't be a consideration if we converted.

It goes NDN house, NDN garage, our house, our garage, then a gap and then another few houses with the same set up.

I think I'd definitely have to be the dickhead contesting it if they wanted to extend above, it's our wall!

Yes it's like this

Here's a bad sketch

Unfortunately this is the gamble with a link detached and why really they are just semis, or from looking at your description a glorified terrace. I expect you will find others have or will do the same to get more living space.

They presumably don't have a party wall agreement with you. Go and tell the builders this. https://www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works

Check with your local council?

Well this is why I said I dont see them as detached in any case.

At the very least they need a party wall agreement in place.
One phone call to planning and they would be stopped.
I would be around asap to ask for a party wall agreement, at their cost of course.

They’re changing the use of a garage into a useable room really - lots of people do it

it doesn’t change what your house is.

Why would they need a party wall agreement? They’re changing the use of an area of their house. They’re not building anything. They won’t need to do anything structural like you would with a loft conversion

I think once it is converted then it WILL be a party wall? And yes, I do think it will probably affect the value of OP's property. I'm not absolutely sure about that, but I think OP is right to at least be concerned about the situation.

You need to ensure they stop until a party wall agreement is in place. If you are unsure of your position you need to speak to a chartered surveyor ASAP.

https://www.ricsfirms.com/glossary/party-walls/