New build flat with no permanent parking

Jam88888

Hi,

My wife and I have recently viewed a showroom for new build flats, the flats are very high spec and are a 2 min walk to the station, very close to the supermarket and a 5-10 minute walk to the city centre, so we are very interested in them.

However, the flats do not have a permanent parking space. Instead the developers have offered two options:

1. A private garage within 50 yards of the flats. This would be a 10 year lease and the buyer would have to pay £1000 p.a. for the initial 10 years. There is no current plan in place after the 10 years.

2. Station car parking with the developers covering the cost of a permit for ten years.

I feel neither option is ideal - the garage you're guaranteed parking but at a substantial cost, whereas the station car park is free but a space is not guaranteed. Also, if there is no plan in place after ten years, we may be left in limbo.

This is not a normal situation as pretty much all the other flats we have viewed in the area, albeit at not the same standard, have an allocated parking space.

The flats are fantastic, but we feel the car parking issue could prove a problem when coming to sell. I should also mention the flats being new builds and a high spec are more expensive than other flats, but again, with no permanent parking I think it's hard to justify the price. Even more so, when you factor in the potential cost of having to pay for a garage.

So, the question I wanted to ask is, is this something that would put you off form buying a flat which you can see yourself living in otherwise?

Thanks.

Mickygg

Without doubt this would be a dealbreaker for me.

As you say both options are only for 10 years. £10k to rent a garage or a free space depending on what is available and also free knocks and damage to your car which is bound to happen in a station car park.

G_M

1) the station and supermarket are easy walking distance. There's probably also a bus nearby. Ditch the car and save yourself a fortune. Pay for taxis when you need to.

2) if a car is a must, stop looking at unsuitable properties with no parking!

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm guessing that approval for the plans was given on the basis that carparking spaces aren't needed in such a convenient location - and then the developers have been trying to figure out "ways round that" since.

Personally - it wouldn't bother me.

InvestInPoker

I wouldn't go for it

skintpaul

Are there other parking options, nearby?

chris_m

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'm guessing that approval for the plans was given on the basis that carparking spaces aren't needed in such a convenient location

Similar to a block of flats next-door to me. The developer got approval (after it had been "called in" for John Prescott to approve, actually) because they designed it with 36 flats but only 20 parking spaces - to encourage "sustainable transport". The fact that the bus service that ran past the proposed site had been axed two years before didn't seem to make any difference.

Cornucopia

I had a flat previously that had no parking, and a convenant not to apply for on-street parking from the Council. This was a condition of the original planning permission.

I rented a parking space privately from someone in a neighbouring development who did not drive.

Simple.

scottishblondie

chris_m wrote: »

Similar to a block of flats next-door to me. The developer got approval (after it had been "called in" for John Prescott to approve, actually) because they designed it with 36 flats but only 20 parking spaces - to encourage "sustainable transport". The fact that the bus service that ran past the proposed site had been axed two years before didn't seem to make any difference.

Seems to be pretty common these days - there's an old school being converted right next door to a flat I own where they're making 37 flats with only 15 parking spaces. It is in a convenient location for public transport, but the whole area is also totally overrun with cars as it is (tenement flats with only on-street parking). It's going to be utter chaos once the new flats are occupied. The worst part is that it's actually in the requirements for planning approval that off-street parking be provided for any new properties, so I don't know how the developer got around that!!

chris_m

scottishblondie wrote: »

Seems to be pretty common these days - there's an old school being converted right next door to a flat I own where they're making 37 flats with only 15 parking spaces. It is in a convenient location for public transport, but the whole area is also totally overrun with cars as it is (tenement flats with only on-street parking). It's going to be utter chaos once the new flats are occupied.

I'm actually amazed that we haven't had people from that block making free with our car park.
We have had one suspect car around for several months but no-one had been able to catch the driver to ascertain whether they lived in our flat or not. A week ago, I did manage to catch her and she said that she didn't live here and was only going to be a couple of minutes while she dropped her kiddie off - yeah, right.
A few warning notices affixed to her car with ever increasing amounts of tape seems to have done the trick - but I don't think she lives next door either, because I wandered round the block one day and saw her car parked at the roadside, when next-door's car park was almost empty. I suspect she's bought or rented in one of the many houses around which have been converted to flats but never had a driveway in the first place.
Still, as long as she stays out of our car park I don't care.

The worst part is that it's actually in the requirements for planning approval that off-street parking be provided for any new properties, so I don't know how the developer got around that!!

Brown envelope job, perchance?

davidmcn

scottishblondie wrote: »

The worst part is that it's actually in the requirements for planning approval that off-street parking be provided for any new properties, so I don't know how the developer got around that!!

There are exceptions if they can demonstrate that it's impractical to put in more parking on the site, and things like disqualifying the flats from being entitled to on-street parking permits will help (if there is a permit scheme in the area).