New Build House - Restrictions?

kimbyanne

We live in a new build house on a development that is coming to the end of building works, all the houses are built and sold with just a few that are still having work done inside the property before the new owners move in. We expect the developer to leave the site by July this year.

My query is, the developer/local authority seem to have quite a few restrictions on what we can and cannot do with the house/garden. Such as, we wanted to paint the garden fence – we need permission from the developer to do this and tell them the exact colour we intend to use. We want to remove some bushes from the front garden (all the houses have these in the front, makes the estate look “green” apparently), ours have started to die because the sun doesn't get to them until late afternoon – to remove them, we had to get permission. However, we have now been told whatever we replace them with, must be in-keeping with the estate!? I am not sure what they think we intend to put out there but, is it really anything to do with them?

We also apparently can’t, have our bins visable from the road, have satellite dishes on the front of the house or hang washing outside the front (do people actually do that?) to name just a few.

So, my question is - when do these somewhat stupid restrictions end as I cannot see referenced anywhere how long these last? I assume once the developer has left site, there isn't much they can complain about as they have sold all the houses, got their money and moved on.

I just want to be able to make changes to my property without having to get the OK from the developer each time!

EmmyLou30

They're usually placed on a property to keep it looking nice while they sell the rest of the estate, and you're right in that the devloper is unlikely to enforce them once they leave. Ours forbids us having a shed without permission but after 23 years I doubt they're going to ask all the houses to remove their sheds, or conservatories or reinstate the front lawn and shrubs shorter than 3 foot!

They are usually put in place with the best of intentions though, like no ugly satelite dishes, commercial vehicles cluttering up the roads etc etc. You might rip out the hedge and plant something equally attractive and green, your neighbour may decide to plant something totally unsuitable which grows rapidly and they they fail to keep it trimmed nicely. Some I wish were enforceable like no parking unless it's on your own drive, or not painting the fence one of these stupid new bright colours (it bleeds and drips through so your neighbour will have a blue fence whether they like it or not) but they're pretty worthless tbh so I wouldn't worry.

teddysmum

There were restrictions on our estate when we bought 43 years ago, but people have ignored these for many years with no apparent comeback.


eg No walls or hedges around front lawns. Bricklayers, employed by the builders, were instructed to demolish two very nicely built walls ,during the time when the estate was still being developed , but nowadays a couple of houses actually have 5ft high walls (which do look awful) and many have mini walls or hedges.


No keeping of fowl and no commercial brewing (These were to do with the land having been owned by Burton's Breweries), but a few people now own chickens (don't know about the brewing).