Sense check - Neighbour building a shed between our properties

ashe

Hi there!

Just like to do a quick sense check as I'm not really up to speed about this sort of thing. Our neighbour has advised us they are going to get a shed built in the gap between our two properties. It's entirely on his land, he has an alleyway to the side of the house with a gate and we have no access to it - its got no fence against our house, so his garden fence stops at the rear of our house, with our house wall that faces his house acting as the rest of the barrier. He has offered to move our sky satellite cables for us as these are at a low height and would otherwise be blocked off by the work, so no issues with that.

I just wanted to check if there are any other issues with having a wooden structure up against the house, as assume it won't have any guttering - couldn't find much on google but what I did find tended to suggest it can lead to damp?

I am not objecting to him building the shed, and we get on quite well so I cant see it being an issue - I am just trying to do due diligence to ensure if there's anything i need to check on or ask for in advance, forewarned is forearmed and all that :beer:

Doozergirl

It's great that you get on but it absolutely will be a heavy risk for damp.

If it is solely your wall and not a party wall then he doesn't automatically have permission to attach anything to it unless the deeds suggest otherwise.

I have to say that I wouldn't be keen. In order for it to be built correctly, it would need to have flashing cut into your wall. This needs to be discussed and planned properly if you think you genuinely don't mind, but I can see potential issues when you sell or potential issues with future occupants of next door.

tonyh66

can't really visualise the situation, usually the access to the back of two properties is shared (and written in the deeds). How come he has an alleyway and you don't? If he does indeed own the entire alleyway I would be concerned as above that the shed doesn't butt against or touch my wall.

ashe

Thanks Doozer

Not sure at this stage if he is planning to attach it to the wall - discussed it with a friend and they suggested that it should be a roof sloping away from his property with a gutter to take away any rainwater. Think I need to see the plans first and understand what's getting built & where so can understand next steps.

harz99

ashe wrote: »

Thanks Doozer

Not sure at this stage if he is planning to attach it to the wall - discussed it with a friend and they suggested that it should be a roof sloping away from his property with a gutter to take away any rainwater. Think I need to see the plans first and understand what's getting built & where so can understand next steps.

I would have thought that you would want the roof to be sloping down towards his property, so that any water run off goes to his side and not yours. You really don't want a wooden shed (or any brick base) built? or erected touching your house wall as it can, and almost certainly will, provide a bridge across the dampcourse for moisture to seep into your house walls.


In addition, how are you going to gain access to that part of your house to do any future external maintenance? I would expect that you have rights of access onto his? land for this purpose anyway. Shouldn't there be something on your deeds/land plan regarding that.

ashe

tonyh66 wrote: »

can't really visualise the situation, usually the access to the back of two properties is shared (and written in the deeds). How come he has an alleyway and you don't? If he does indeed own the entire alleyway I would be concerned as above that the shed doesn't butt against or touch my wall.

https://imgur.com/a/nDrQkyI

Forgive the mashy-ness of google maps 3D view.... It's just the way the properties have been built, his house has been extended but in the other direction. The fence line goes along the border up to our house wall and then the fence stops, which is where he has an alleyway. Our property has land to the other side of the house, where our drive is. No way for us to access this alley way from the front or back, and where the gate is at the front garden its within their front garden, with the alley way leading to their back garden.

We have our own entrance to our back garden so no issues there (both from the house and from the driveway)

In the image our house is the one with the large garden, his is the one at the top of the image, with the alleyway running between both houses.

tonyh66

ashe wrote: »

https://imgur.com/a/nDrQkyI

Forgive the mashy-ness of google maps 3D view.... It's just the way the properties have been built, his house has been extended but in the other direction. The fence line goes along the border up to our house wall and then the fence stops, which is where he has an alleyway. Our property has land to the other side of the house, where our drive is. No way for us to access this alley way from the front or back, and where the gate is at the front garden its within their front garden, with the alley way leading to their back garden.

We have our own entrance to our back garden so no issues there (both from the house and from the driveway)

In the image our house is the one with the large garden, his is the one at the top of the image, with the alleyway running between both houses.

Thats better, I can see it now. Its a weird estate layout, has your house been extended towards his in the past? the gap/alley between the houses doesn't look very wide. Does your house block any light from windows at the side of his house (its not a problem just curious).

TheCyclingProgrammer

I think you need to make clear that any shed leaves a sufficient gap between the shed wall and your property, including any guttering so water is not just running off towards the base of your house wall. I don’t think this is an unreasonable request.

Unless the gap is at least 5ft I think it might be a bit of a struggle to get a shed down there with sufficient clearance unless they go for something like a 2ft wide lean to.

theoretica

If it is a pre-built wooden shed placed in the gap without electricity or water they can be quite easy to pick up and move on the rare occasion that you need access to the wall for maintenance. I agree you don't want water draining off the shed and onto your wall.

ashe

I don’t think it will be a prebuilt movable one because he was offering to move our sky cables to prevent loss of access.

The gap between the houses is not huge. Ours has not been extended- his has but not in this direction, in the opposite direction. Originally our house was the estate show home which accounts for some strange layouts (our garage has a bay window for example lol)

He does have a window on that side, a single bathroom one. We have no windows facing that way

Whitterbod

https://interactive.planningportal.co.uk/mini-guide/outbuildings/5

This might help, permited buildings regulations mention boundarys and permitted height ect ,
Hope the link is of some use