Next door's conservatory...

ellie27

I am assuming you are not relying on using proceeds from sale of the old house to buy this one?

You have doubts about this house, not a good thing when thinking of buying it!

MrsFingersCrossed

Ellie, yes we are downsizing. Which means any house will be a compromise, and this is the compromise here, to be able to retire early without too many money worries. We looked at loads of houses, none of them perfect, and we really loved this one. It's opposite a park, walk through park to shops etc. Great for cycling, very pretty garden (pretty house too), so we do still want to go ahead, just I keep trying to envisage this small area and how we can sort it out into a relaxing haven. A pergola maybe, trellis, roses etc.


I can't help thinking most other buyers (like family with young children) would probably want to extend anyway, possibly 2 storey even and kids could be a real annoyance knocking on their glass etc. so us with our modest hopes for patio bounded by trellis and fence would be far preferable. But maybe we're being too optimistic. We're off to have another look this afternoon, but really don't feel comfortable speaking to next door about it... though perhaps we should. If they were horrible and said an outright no we'd have burnt our bridges and would have to pull out and go into rented while prices rise around us. Hmmm.

G_M

If the boundary is yours, and the conservatory wall is built on the boundary, they are trespassing. They should have built the conservatory on their own land.

Whether you could force them to move it (or would want to suggest this) is another matter. It would take a long time, be expensive (unless they immediately agreed!) and ruin neighbourly relations for ever.

You can, of course, erect a fence/trellis etc anywhere you wish on your own land - even within centimetres of their conservatory.

Another option would be to erect your own conservatory alongside, perhaps with a blind on the party wall. I don't know if it is feasible, but with their consent could you even incorporate their conservatory wall into yours - ie share the side wall which is, after all, on the bounday?

giddypenguin

MrsFingersCrossed wrote: »

We're off to have another look this afternoon, but really don't feel comfortable speaking to next door about it... though perhaps we should. If they were horrible and said an outright no we'd have burnt our bridges and would have to pull out and go into rented while prices rise around us. Hmmm.

But isn't it best to know now?
A) you find out now they would hate you to do anything and you go ahead and purchase - would you be happy to leave things as they are or would you anger them and change it anyway?
you buy, then you make alterations, they hate it and kick up a massive fuss... You're stuck.

Yes, finding another house would be inconvenient- but if this is a retirement house isn't it worth waiting for the right one to come along?

MrsFingersCrossed

G_M, the building is exactly on the boundary line, ie they knocked the boundary wall down and the structure is built along the exact middle of where the wall used to be. So it doesn't encroach or overhang on our land. Sharing a party wall for their building and a potential one on our side is a good idea, if they'd be open to it.


Giddy, we're talking about it, knocking next door when we go this afternoon, and going through all the scenarios of how they might react and our responses. But if we do, and they are totally against any change however reasonable, we would then have to decide what to do, which would be a bit of a calamity at this stage. But I get what you mean, better to know now if they are going to be hostile to our modest ideas. If they seem against doing anything we will point out that any buyer will do something, and it could be a lot worse than what we are thinking of doing.

moneyistooshorttomention

MrsFingersCrossed wrote: »

It has been built on the exact boundary line - ie the low brick boundary wall has been removed for the 9ft or so where the side of their extension is. Apparently that is the boundary we are responsible for. The 3ft? high brick wall now begins about 9 ft out from the house, where the conservatory ends. You can see it meets the exact centre of the wall, so a tiny dog-leg where the structure meets their half of the wall.

*******************We might even want to build an extension (or conservatory with solid wall) there, like so many others have, but in this case it would mean a wall directly against their conservatory glass, so how would they clean their windows / maintain it? *******************

From what you say, "boundary you are responsible for" and "low brick wall removed" it sounds to me like they have removed part of YOUR wall.

That being the case....I don't quite understand why you feel you owe them anything.

It would be different if it was their own wall they had removed...but as it isn't....:p

I know you want to get on with them and its preferable to do so, if possible, but it sounds to me like you are setting yourself up to get walked all over by them.

MrsFingersCrossed

Money, I see what you mean but we don't know if the current next door people did the extension or whether they bought it like that.


We've talked it over and have decided not to give the neighbours the opportunity (today) to tell us an outright no to changes. We think that would put the wind up them, and conjure up resentment and uncertainty in their minds, unnecessarily. So we've decided to wait and move in and put tall plants in pots there for a few weeks, then posts and trellis, gradually turning the area into a pleasant sitting out area. Hopefully, by the changes being gradual, while we are friendly across the wall etc, they won't take much notice. Hopefully!

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally, I'd go straight for what I want in those circumstances.

But I can understand you might feel more comfortable playing "softly softly catchee monkey" about it.

Thankthelawd you aren't planning after all to "ask permission" of neighbours (which is how it was coming over in the first place to me....)....as that was what came over to me as asking to be "walked over".

DRP

MrsFingersCrossed wrote: »

Money, I see what you mean but we don't know if the current next door people did the extension or whether they bought it like that.


We've talked it over and have decided not to give the neighbours the opportunity (today) to tell us an outright no to changes. We think that would put the wind up them, and conjure up resentment and uncertainty in their minds, unnecessarily. So we've decided to wait and move in and put tall plants in pots there for a few weeks, then posts and trellis, gradually turning the area into a pleasant sitting out area. Hopefully, by the changes being gradual, while we are friendly across the wall etc, they won't take much notice. Hopefully!

Personally i think this is a bad idea.

If you as buyers are hand-wringing about the conservatory on this thread, then in the future potential buyers will be put off. Look at the comments you have already received.

If you're tactful, I'm sure you can assess the mood next door *before* you spend hundreds of thousands of pounds and are committed.

ANy chance of a Rightmove link?

MrsFingersCrossed

I could post the link but probably best not - don't want to alarm vendors (you never know they could be moneysavinglovers too) but it wouldn't show up the issue anyway because no pictures of patio area / conservatory wall.


To be honest we're not worried about resale / potential buyers - we hope to live out our days there. There were several other full price offers on the house on the first day it was viewed (10 viewers that day). We had to offer several grand over to secure it. It has a lot going for it, other than this wretched conservatory window!


Thanks for all your input. Food for thought...