Buying a house with a right of way/access?

Davesnave

In our little town we have an open gardens day and many of the thatched cottages have this arrangement. You can imagine what it's like when the owner of a cottage on the far end decides to 'open' their garden and everyone else gets a stream of people through theirs all afternoon!

But it's for charity and most folks don't seem to mind, especially as it's a small place and everyone's pretty friendly. If it's a fine afternoon even the non-participants will be out there on their patios, relaxing, chatting (and probably making sure no one takes cuttings!  )

fiwen30

Davesnave said:

In our little town we have an open gardens day and many of the thatched cottages have this arrangement. You can imagine what it's like when the owner of a cottage on the far end decides to 'open' their garden and everyone else gets a stream of people through theirs all afternoon!

But it's for charity and most folks don't seem to mind, especially as it's a small place and everyone's pretty friendly. If it's a fine afternoon even the non-participants will be out there on their patios, relaxing, chatting (and probably making sure no one takes cuttings!  )

Oh my gosh, you just reminded me that the little village I grew up in had open garden days! Along with well dressings and scarecrow trails, gotta love tiny Midlands villages! Funnily enough it was the same village where we had the ROW issues with our neighbours. Nothing like tiny villages for neighbour feuds also, I guess.

Jeepers_Creepers

fiwen30 said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

fiwen30 said:

Link to the house in question: https://www.propertypal.com/24-culmore-avenue-newtownards/638363

Is the access through that wrought-iron pedestrian gate to the right-hand side gate in the first photo? Ie, neighbs could come right down your front drive/path, through that gate and then across your garden to get to their gardens? If so, I would say categorically 'Non' to that house. 

If I got that wrong, can you explain where the access path is, please? 

No, you got that right JC - access looks like it would be down the drive on the right, across the back garden of ‘our’ house about 1m back from the windows/back door, into the neighbours garden.

Think on reflection we’ve decided to pass on this one!

Ouch! This would be bad enough with a neighbour you get on with ok, but imagine an unpleasant neighbour and how they could exploit this - as Bobo described.

What an arrangement! That would be 100% 'no' for me - I think you've made the right decision. 

nyermen

I'd add that the pictures look like there's a couple of big items in the other gardens, that probably didn't get there through the backdoor.  Whether there's an alley behind their fences im not clear.

Mickygg

Very good decision OP. This can only bring hassle and I would never consider any house with this set up. 
I might go out in my pants on a hot day, have a scratch, turn round and there is Deidrie wandering past with her shopping. Wow. 

bouicca21

That kind of access arrangement is pretty common for Victorian or Edwardian terraces but within a decade or so some (all?) councils were requiring back alleyways for the bin men - you know, back in the days when the bin men actually came onto your property and collected the bins themselves.  I can’t tell from the photos whether that path accesses a route through your garden or accesses a back alleyway.

Davesnave

Mickygg said:

Very good decision OP. This can only bring hassle and I would never consider any house with this set up. 
I might go out in my pants on a hot day, have a scratch, turn round and there is Deidrie wandering past with her shopping. Wow. 

In many situations near me, with cottages in picturesque locations, the sort of situation you describe is ameliorated somewhat by the main garden being separated by a hedge or fence, so the access way is just treated like any wide pathway or pavement.

Works OK at keeping Deirdre under control. For those who cannot afford a period property with total seclusion, it's a compromise some will accept.

Missy79

Surely it's best just to ask the seller what the arrangements are in the first instance? Obviously it may well be a formal access route but it's possible that they could just be very friendly with the neighbours. 

[Deleted User]

It can be common with terraced properties that there's some sort of right of way for those in the middle to get their bins from the garden to the front of the house. IF it is used as intended, i.e. twice a week for the bins, then i'd find that perfectly acceptable. However, there is always the chance that you'll have a Deidrie living in one of the houses that uses it several times a day, for no reason other than just because they can, and with no respect for how it may effect you or your privacy.

Unfortunately you won't know for sure whether you have a Deidrie nearby until you live there yourself.