Link-detached or semi-detached?

Tingtong_2

Hi,
My fiance and I have a seen a house that we might be interested in buying. It is advertised as a 3-bed link-detached property attached on either side by a garage (ours to the right and next doors garage to the left).

I've just been digging around the local council website and found that the property to the left has just been granted planning permission for a single storey extension (to be used as dining room) to the rear of their garage.
This would extend the side of their house and butt up against the house we are looking at, effectively filling the space between the two properties.

To my mind this would change the property from a link-detached to a semi-detached...which might affect the value of the property. Does anyone know when a link-detached officially becomes a semi-detached?

keith969

Are you sure that they would butt up against yours? They may leave a gap between the two walls, in fact its hard to see how they would do it otherwise without knocking down part of your wall and rebuilding it.

Tingtong_2

I was wondering how they'd do it too!! The report for the application states that the extension "will abut the party wall with number 15".

Also the plan drawing shows it touching "my" wall.
LINK TO PLAN VIEW

purplebuzz

Not the exact same situation, but my OH and I are in the process of buying what is described as a link-detached. It basically is attached at the garage, but it also has a room above the garage which is also attached to next door.

Therefore, to my mind this makes it a semi-detached, but according to the land registry it is classed as detached, because they currently have no category for link detached. So not sure what it actually is :think::think:!

But to be honest I have not idea how it affects the value of a property.

GDB2222

The new dining room is not going to detract too much from the visual amenity of the property you are interested in. However, you will get some noise from there. I would just tend to move on and find somewhere else.

By the way, that is a very odd dining room, according to the plans, as it is only six-foot wide.

Tingtong_2

Thanks for the replies...I think, given the limited width of the room, it's more likely to be used as family room than a dining room which, as you say, might create some extra noise. :wall: However, I have a feeling the big screen TV and surround sound system I have planned for that wall might be a match for them!!

So far we have only been considering semi-detached properties so my main concern wasn't really the extra noise or being overlooked, it was mainly about how the property would be classified when I eventually came to re-sell and whether I could use it as a way of negotiating the price down.

purplebuzz

Personally I think that link-detached are only slightly better than semi-detached, as they are still attached by some means, and would never be the worth the same as an identical detached house.

But that sounds like I am just stating the obvious there.

If you like the house and it ticks all your boxes, and you are planning to buy it to live in and enjoy instead of an investment, then I would say go for it. :T

lincroft1710

GDB - it's the doors opening on to patio that are 6 ft wide (1800mm), room looks a bit under 8ft wide.

When working in Valuation Office, we had similar problems with "link det" and when would they be classed as semi det, or even terrace. One opinion was if 2 storey dwelling and only attached at GF level then still link det.

I am surprised this got building regs appro as the existing party wall will probably not be insulated up to current requirements. I am also surprised that planners haven't made a fuss about the fact extn uses party wall.

It will definitely affect value of "yours", not by much though. Bet vendors are moving because of this extn.

Tingtong_2

lincroft1710 wrote: »

GDB - it's the doors opening on to patio that are 6 ft wide (1800mm), room looks a bit under 8ft wide.

When working in Valuation Office, we had similar problems with "link det" and when would they be classed as semi det, or even terrace. One opinion was if 2 storey dwelling and only attached at GF level then still link det.

I am surprised this got building regs appro as the existing party wall will probably not be insulated up to current requirements. I am also surprised that planners haven't made a fuss about the fact extn uses party wall.

It will definitely affect value of "yours", not by much though. Bet vendors are moving because of this extn.

I was wondering about the terraced option too...I mean if we did the same then it could be argued that the house is a mid-terrace!

It could be they are moving becuase of the extn as the property first appeared on Rightmove about a week after planning was approved. That said, in the planning documents there is a record of the current owner being contacted as part of the consultation but there is no record that he ever replied or lodged a complaint...myabe that's part of the reason why it got approved?

GDB2222

lincroft1710 wrote: »

GDB - it's the doors opening on to patio that are 6 ft wide (1800mm), room looks a bit under 8ft wide.

I saw that the doors were 1800, but I hadn't taken a ruler to the plans to measure the two stubby bits of wall on either side. You are right; it must be more like 7 or 8 feet in total. Still, that makes it a rather long narrow room, and about as far as you can get from the kitchen whilst remaining in the same house! Would calling it a dining room make it more acceptable to the planners?

To the OP, well done for finding the plans, and yes it must be worth a bit off the value. It does make you wonder why the vendors are selling, though? A quick chat with the neighbours is in order.

Running_Horse

Do you like it enough to live in it for years? If so, what it is called seems irrelevant.