Thinking of buying house opposite car repair shop...

coffeehound

AdrianC said:

Which carries a high chance of leaving an unwanted, unoccupied light-industrial plot. Probably a reasonable ground area. Redevelopment to residential...?

When petrol filling station I knew closed, it was turned into a hand car wash.  Queues of cars with their engines running and carp music blaring out all day.  Wouldn't want that.  Hope the garage in question stays in business.

hiitsmecee

martindow said:

hiitsmecee said:

 the garage owner is apparently a local tool,

That sounds like  a worry

   too**** 

AdrianC

coffeehound said:

AdrianC said:

Which carries a high chance of leaving an unwanted, unoccupied light-industrial plot. Probably a reasonable ground area. Redevelopment to residential...?

When petrol filling station I knew closed, it was turned into a hand car wash.  Queues of cars with their engines running and carp music blaring out all day.  Wouldn't want that.  Hope the garage in question stays in business.

Many of those ex-petrol-station "hand car washes" are of somewhat questionable legality, in their cash-handling and profitability, and especially in their recruiting... The male equivalent of nail bars...

moneysavinghero

Considered buying a house near a garage once - but on the recce you could hear the noise of the pneumatic wheel nut removers being used in the garage every few minutes. The sound carried over quite a distance. Would have driven me crazy if i had to hear that all day long.

hiitsmecee

gingerdad said:

so much would depend on how much space they have or will they have cars parked all over the road.

I guess the plus is that it is small-ish, and on our regular surveillance, we've only seen the odd customer drive directly in. 
The only eyebrow-raising moment we've had so far was when they used the pressure washer for about 30 secs.

Jeepers_Creepers

It sounds as tho' it's both a smallish garage and considerate owners. It may not always be that way.

Is it a family business? Is there an offspring likely to continue the good work?

As others have said, it seems fine at the mo', and might even be attractive - I like my kit cars too. But, all it would need is a new owner who likes Radio 1 (shudder) playing all day long, or Radio 2 (gasp!) or Magic (shoot me now...).

Also, being a bodyshop, have you detected any fumes from spray-painting?

Do you work away from home during the day? I think that would be a major consideration - by the time you come home, the garage will likely be closing.

I doubt anyone can say 'yes' or 'no' to this - it needs to be a balanced risk, based on the worst and best case scenarios. Any idea if the garage has covenants or restrictions regarding the levels of noise, the playing of music, other environmental health issues (as I said, paint fumes), etc? Worth a chat with your council about this?

davidmcn

Jeepers_Creepers said:
Any idea if the garage has covenants or restrictions regarding the levels of noise, the playing of music, other environmental health issues (as I said, paint fumes), etc? Worth a chat with your council about this?

If it's long-established (which I guess it is, if it's in the middle of a residential area) then I very much doubt there are going to be any useful title restrictions or planning conditions, just whatever standard regulations there are regarding noise, fumes etc.

AdrianC

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Also, being a bodyshop, have you detected any fumes from spray-painting? 

That would bring one serious ton of bricks down on the owners. Spraybooth extraction has to be bloody good.

Jeepers_Creepers

Yes, but the smell from the solvents can still escape.

Just a thought.

I guess Hitts just needs to spend a bit of time hanging around and getting a feel for what goes on? But there's always the future...

AdrianC

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Yes, but the smell from the solvents can still escape. 

Water-soluble paint these days...