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Original poster

Would you buy next door and knock it in to one if you lived in a terrace?

32 replies

OrmRenewed · 01/04/2010 12:13

We want to move for a few reasons but the main and most pressing one is the need for more space. THe area has it's plus points - very friendly, we can walk everywhere, close to schools. But it's a bit rundown and I do hanker after leafy suburbs or a little village.

Next door is up for sale. The lady who lived there was 96 and had lived there all her life. The landlord tried to sell it for ages but no takers. It's up for sale for about 100k - I suspect we could offer a bit less. It would triple our mortgage and we'd need to spend a bit to do it up and knock through.

It would solve our space problem and the issues with parking. And my dreams are fairly unrealisable anyway - we'd pay a fortune to get very little more.

But not sure whether we'd get our money back if an when we sold - yes it would be a big house but how many people want 5 beds in a terrace.

WOuld you?

OP posts:
chachachachacha · 01/04/2010 12:14

No - I'd do it if it was a semi though.

RealityIsWalking100K · 01/04/2010 12:15

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PandaG · 01/04/2010 12:16

we live in a terrace, and our next door neighbour is very elderly, so we have idly speculated about doing this.

I don't know about getting your money back, but I would love more space while continuing to live where I do.

Original poster
OrmRenewed · 01/04/2010 12:18

reality - that has occurred to me. Will have to ring planning. No point if we aren't allowed to do it.

OP posts:
RealityIsWalking100K · 01/04/2010 12:18

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mumblechum · 01/04/2010 12:19

We kind of did this, had a Victorian vicarage which had a cottage attached. We bought the cottage and had it knocked through. Unfortunately our timing was shite because dh was relocated before we had got rid of the second staircase, second front door etc but even so it worked very well, we then had 6 beds, 3 baths & 4 reception rooms.

Still haven't really forgiven dh for getting promoted

I think you make a good point about resale value. Ours was a large country house with a lot of land so knocking the cottage through definitely had what the mortgage guy called a marriage premium. People looking for a terraced house may not necessarily see it that way unless you live in an area with lots of people of Indian/Pakistani descent as they tend to live in huge extended families.

I'd say do it if it gives you what you want, but don't do it if the resale price is the priority.

aSilverlining · 01/04/2010 12:19

I live in a terrace but wouldn't do this purely because if I was a home owner (I rent) and was thinking about bigger house/mortgage, I would be out of the terrace and into a street/road where DS would have a garden to play in as I really miss having one.

I can sypmathise on the good school area aspect though. I suppose it's a case of weighing up the pros and cons.

mumblechum · 01/04/2010 12:20

I think we didn't need PP but had building regs. The post office also had to be informed as the cottage's name was effectively deleted and the whole house kept the original name.

Original poster
OrmRenewed · 01/04/2010 12:23

Thanks. Mumble I can see that would make it more desirable.

silver - problem we have is that nothing is selling atm - certainly not in the terraced house area So I was hoping this would be a simple solution.

Sadly I suspect that I'd still want to move after a while - I really want to live somewhere prettier - but for now space is the issue.

OP posts:
Mongolia · 01/04/2010 12:26

Unless you are in a very afluent area, it is my belief that 2 small houses are worth more than a single big one. If you knock them together, you will be loosing some money, much less so when you consider the building costs that I expect would run into the ten thousands figures rather than the expect by basic DYI.

So, unless you are particularly attached to the area, I wouldn't do it.

Mongolia · 01/04/2010 12:27

much more so

expect=expected...

Gosh, I need to get more sleep...

LoveBeingAMummy · 01/04/2010 12:29

You just need to think about the layout and whether that would really be worth it, a house down the road from me has done this and whilst it sounds good from the pictures from inside it looks werid.

Nymphadora · 01/04/2010 12:36

A few done on my street but some have had to keep second door because of being listed/conservation area. I would do it but we are single fronted in the middle of 2 double fronted so won't work really. Covetting next door though atm.

NonnoMum · 01/04/2010 12:37

BE careful with planning permission - I think they are quite strict about NOT letting this type of "sideways" development take place.
But I may be wrong!

DecorHate · 01/04/2010 12:42

Could you renovate and link it in a way that you could easily separate them again if you wanted to sell? Eg leave the stairs and front door in place but put a linking doorway in the party wall on each floor....

There are some large terraces on my street btw - 4 beds and some also have a loft conversion making them 5. They sell for huge amounts of money for some reason which I can never fathom - have tiny gardens and no off-street parking.

GrendelsMum · 01/04/2010 12:46

I quite fancied doing that with our previous house, rather than moving - but we had the sort of narrow Victorian cottage where it looked as though it was one building anyway, rather than three. On the other hand, we lived in a very desirable area for families and knocking the two together would have made one family house, rather than two small houses for couples. I don't think it would be cheap at all to do, and in your area, it might not be what people are looking for?

snowplop · 01/04/2010 12:49

I've dreamed of this. Next door semi is up for sale now but after doing the maths we'd be mad to do it (even if we could afford it) as we'd never make the money back.

I wonder what happens to Council Tax in this situation? Pay twice or just go up a band or two?

squeaver · 01/04/2010 12:53

We would definitely do it but we're on a hill.

I would look into seriously, especially if you can get it for a knock down house.

Maybe you should also have a word with an estate agent. Will it make it the biggest house in the street? And what will that do for the value?

It's what Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow are doing now, so you'd be in good company!

Original poster
OrmRenewed · 01/04/2010 13:05

Thanks everyone.

squeaver - that is a good idea. The agent that sold our place last time knows the area very well - he might be able to advise us.

OP posts:
said · 01/04/2010 13:07

I would but with an eye to separating them again when you came to sell.

skinsl · 01/04/2010 13:12

I have dreamed about it too!! next door has been empty for about a year.
Would be very interested in how much it would go for, but worried about planning permission. How would you get planning before you had bought it?

Original poster
OrmRenewed · 01/04/2010 13:13

Don't know skins. I was just thinking about enquiring into the general principles.

OP posts:
skinsl · 01/04/2010 13:16

think you need a nice friendly person in the council planning office

noddyholder · 01/04/2010 13:19

Definitely ring planning first as this type of development is sometimes frowned upon as it is taking up 2 properties to house one family.Whereas dividing properties up to house more people is more acceptable.Sounds like a LOT of work prob cheaper to sell up and move!

Original poster
OrmRenewed · 01/04/2010 13:19

Aha!

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