Value of adding a drive

Zeggybobleggy

NinjaTune said:

Is this a front or back garden?  

Have you also factored in how much would it cost to have a dropped kerb installed?  According to this link you are looking at £1.5k+ including the licence.

https://www.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/make-a-request/vehicle-crossing-or-dropped-kerb/

Personally I'd be surprised if a driveway adds £6.5k of value to a relatively low-priced cottage, especially if there is plentiful on road parking (but happy to be proven wrong).

Front garden (kind of side garden? It's an unusual setup) and there's no kerb. We're down a tiny little lane so no on road parking immediately outside the property. 
There is plenty of free parking nearby though and I've never had to park more than about a minute's walk away. 
This is the conclusion we've come to, that it's not worth it to us on a personal level and I can't understand how it might be worth it as an investment either. I just don't want to reply with a flat no without having done some research.

unforeseen

A bunch of anonymous people on the Internet aren't going to know whether it has an investment value. 

The neighbour says they have done a check and it adds £5k to the house value. 
Now you do your own check and find out whether that is correct. If it is, then if you pay him £5k for it you will break even BUT you have the added gain while you live there of being able to park your car right outside your front door.

I'm not sure what else anybody on here can advise. Only you know the value to yourself of having parking on your doorstep. 

Zeggybobleggy

eidand said:

Zeggybobleggy said:

eidand said:

why do you keep talking about the investment value?
Do you want the drive or not? Is it going to make life easier or not? That's what matters.

Because I'm also interested in whether or not it's a good investment.
The owners have set the price at £5k believing that we are investing in the value of the property. They are approaching the sale from an investment angle and so I'm trying to understand if it's worth it from an investment angle. Otherwise it's a flat no and nobody goes anywhere, which is fine as long as I've done my research beforehand.
Yes, a drive would be convenient and great but not at the price they're asking. The only way it might be worthwhile is from an investment angle which is why I'm asking about it. I don't really know what else to say...

think of it this way, the value of your property might increase a bit, say by 2500. His property might lose 2500, less garden after all. There's a 5k difference right there, without you gaining 5k. The investment value to you, is not the only thing that matters.

I had considered this but maybe I had underestimated the value his property would lose. As I mentioned, their garden section is never used because of the weird setup and overgrown and they rent the property out. I'll take this into consideration more carefully though. Thank you.