Buying a house + additional garden space

boxingbantz

Hi,

I have found a property which I love which is an end of terrace house. The price for the house I am happy to pay but I have been informed that the current vendors purchased 'extra' garden space meaning that they have a bigger garden.

It has come to light that the 'extended' garden land could be sold for garages etc but they are willing to negotiate the 'extra' garden which would, in all fairness, make it a very nice sized garden. If it wasn't purchased, it would be fenced up - I assume, which would be annoying and more problematic for the vendors if we didin't buy it. (I personally can't see anyone would buy the extra land to make garages but it's an angle they will probably hold onto).

The plot of land is (a guess from memory) 30" x 8" (could maybe be larger).

Is this normal practice? Call me naive but I have never heard of this before. Surely you are paying for the whole house/garden inside the fence... (or you would think).

What would you expect to pay for something like this?

Jenniefour

Depends where this is and how much garages sell for - if it's in London then that extra bit of garden is a goldmine. If it's elsewhere then there are still lots of folks who want a garage - builders often rent them to store all their stuff. Garages are normally very easy to rent.

It might be annoying for you if you buy the house without the extra bit of garden - you will be the one looking at the fence! Someone will want it - it's just that you are being offered first refusal.

Not unknown at all for extra bits to be up for negotiation.

boxingbantz

Thanks for the reply. Very helpful.

Campervanman

Sellers near us (London) tried to do the same but couldnt sell as purchasers could see the potential disruption and issues if the owner decided to build. In the end the sellers removed the fence and sold the whole garden with the house. The new owners fenced it off, got planning permission and built a house on the plot.

I would purchase the additional land then at least you can sell if you want to at a later date.

Jenniefour

You might like a garage yourself if there isn't one on the plot included with the house - or even a bit more space for a garden shed. This plot will have access off the road so if you sell up in future this would be a big plus for a buyer who needs off road parking, with or without a garage.

nobblyned

If the 'extra' garden wasn't separated off when you viewed and wasn't mentioned as extra in the advert, then I'd be telling them where to go. Just say you based your offer on what you saw and don't entertain any negotiations concerning 'extra' garden, you were already offering on the whole.

Davesnave

boxingbantz wrote: »

The plot of land is (a guess from memory) 30" x 8" (could maybe be larger).

What would you expect to pay for something like this?

A piece of land 75cm x 20cm wouldn't allow the building of many garages! Even if you meant feet, it would be very tight. There are other considerations too, like whether Highways would allow reversing out etc, all of which can only be assessed with knowledge of the site.

I kept a bit of garden 75' x 20' at my old house by fencing it off completely and not showing it to prospective purchasers. This was not "problematic" for me, as I sold it to others for £20k after having the use of it for a few extra years. They didn't want to pay £20k ofcourse, but in the end they did, because it raised the value of their properties significantly.

This is how you should look at the piece of land you are being offered. What's it worth to you? How will owning it, or having control over it, reflect on the value on the house? Could not owning it be result in something detrimental happening on it?

While it's annoying if the owners didn't make the extent of the garden plain, keep emotion out of it. Start from the premise that you offered on what you saw, and suggest that if that's not what's on offer, you'll revise your bid downwards accordingly.

However, keep a figure in mind in case they play hardball. Thirty feet by eight feet isn't terribly useful, so check it and make a proper judgment on whether it could ever be anything other than garden land.

AdrianC

boxingbantz wrote: »

The plot of land is (a guess from memory) 30" x 8" (could maybe be larger).

Not going to get many garages on that... A smallish end-to-end double.

Is this normal practice? Call me naive but I have never heard of this before. Surely you are paying for the whole house/garden inside the fence... (or you would think).

Ignore any fence. It's a red herring. You're paying - in the absence of anything specific to the contrary - for what's on the LR plan or the deeds. Your solicitor should sit you down with them, and ask you to confirm that that's what you expected it to be.

When they "bought" this extra garden, did they get it added to their pre-existing LR registration, or is it under a separate title? A couple of quid to the LR website will answer that for sure.