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Link Detached House

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Willow101
Willow101 Posts: 32 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
We're interested in buying a four bed detached house. We've found one we like but it's link detached. On one side it's completely detached but on the other it's attached to a single garage.

My concern is that if this or the next owner decides to convert the garage into a family room then we could get noise across into "our" living room and if they converted up then we'd get noise against the master bedroom. Also a concern is the damage to the value this could do, currently link detached but could become a semi?? - we see ourselves in the house for the next ten years or so, so not short term BUT equally we'd prefer not to have a house that could lose value.

If the neighbours wanted to convert the garage and build over it would they need planning permission or could they just do it ?

Thoughts?

Thanks
«13

Comments

  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 49,648 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    They would need planning permission and party wall agreements.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Grenage
    Grenage Posts: 3,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Wouldn't it generally be building control, rather than planning permission?
  • Willow101
    Willow101 Posts: 32 Forumite
    Grenage wrote: »
    Wouldn't it generally be building control, rather than planning permission?

    What does building control mean ? What's the difference ?
  • Grenage
    Grenage Posts: 3,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    As in, the neighbour wouldn't need permission to convert the garage, but they would need to make sure their alterations satisfied building regulations.

    This is always a risk with semi-detached properties. Link detached is really just another way of saying semi-detached.
  • lee111s
    lee111s Posts: 2,987 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Buy a different house which is totally detatched
  • Slinky
    Slinky Posts: 11,058 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Is it on a street with similar houses? Have others converted their garages?
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  • Miss_Samantha
    Miss_Samantha Posts: 1,197 Forumite
    'Link detached' houses are detached only in name.
  • Willow101
    Willow101 Posts: 32 Forumite
    Slinky wrote: »
    Is it on a street with similar houses? Have others converted their garages?

    Other houses have had the garage converted into living space but they haven't built over it.
  • Willow101
    Willow101 Posts: 32 Forumite
    lee111s wrote: »
    Buy a different house which is totally detatched

    Thank you - that's what I'm starting to think we should do. It's very frustrating because it's perfect other than this garage linked to our house.
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,571 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Willow101 wrote: »
    We're interested in buying a four bed detached house. We've found one we like but it's link detached. On one side it's completely detached but on the other it's attached to a single garage.

    Also a concern is the damage to the value this could do, currently link detached but could become a semi??

    The link detached houses round here have the two garages connected which seems a more sensible arrangement.

    I'd keep looking unless this house is perfect in all other ways - if so, it might be worth the gamble.
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