Only access is through front door

lookstraightahead

Buying a property with only normal access being through the front door. It's a terraced with a listed house attached one side, and a listed 'outhouse' attached to the other, with a wall further down that side and a car park. If we need access to the garden for things like scaffolding, the best way would be through the neighbours car park and over the wall. We have asked the current owners and they say they've never had a problem with access. If in the future the neighbours refuse, can we do anything about it?

Doozergirl

Not if you don't have a right of way, you can't.  

It doesn't sound like it would be a huge inconvenience to the neighbours on rare occasions.  You'd better stay nice to them! 

Ramouth

Our previous property was mid terraced and when we had work done everything just came through the house including scaffolding and building materials.  It takes a little longer but is quite possible.

lookstraightahead

Doozergirl said:

Not if you don't have a right of way, you can't.  

It doesn't sound like it would be a huge inconvenience to the neighbours on rare occasions.  You'd better stay nice to them! 

Thank you for this. What if the house needed repair work done which was urgent, or guttering replacing which could only be accessed from their side?

TBagpuss

In a worst case scenario you can apply to the court for an access order under the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992.
It's about ensuring that repairs and maintenance can be done, so wouldn't help if you wanted access to (say) build an extension or make other improvements.

HampshireH

lookstraightahead said:

Doozergirl said:

Not if you don't have a right of way, you can't.  

It doesn't sound like it would be a huge inconvenience to the neighbours on rare occasions.  You'd better stay nice to them! 

Thank you for this. What if the house needed repair work done which was urgent, or guttering replacing which could only be accessed from their side?

Read the deeds. Many say access to be granted for services, repairs etc 

If it doesn't then you would need to just make friends.

You say guttering to be replaced and how would they acces.... But you say you have a garden. So through the house into the garden?

lookstraightahead

HampshireH said:

lookstraightahead said:

Doozergirl said:

Not if you don't have a right of way, you can't.  

It doesn't sound like it would be a huge inconvenience to the neighbours on rare occasions.  You'd better stay nice to them! 

Thank you for this. What if the house needed repair work done which was urgent, or guttering replacing which could only be accessed from their side?

Read the deeds. Many say access to be granted for services, repairs etc 

If it doesn't then you would need to just make friends.

You say guttering to be replaced and how would they acces.... But you say you have a garden. So through the house into the garden?

Part of our outside wall is on their boundary (it's not terraced all the way down the side), so we would need access from their side to replace roof slates/guttering.

lookstraightahead

TBagpuss said:

In a worst case scenario you can apply to the court for an access order under the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992.
It's about ensuring that repairs and maintenance can be done, so wouldn't help if you wanted access to (say) build an extension or make other improvements.

Yep it would be for spalling brickwork 

pinkteapot

Just keep friendly with your neighbours. Honestly, the vast majority of people are absolutely fine and have no problem with decent tradespeople going onto their land for access (if you hire someone dodgy who manages to make a mess of the neighbour's garden it's a different story). Smile and introduce yourself when you move in. Have a natter when you see them. Be a good neighbour (don't make loads of noise as it's a terrace), and I very much doubt it would be a problem. You can go years without having to do a guttering or roof repair. 

Seashell517

lookstraightahead said:

HampshireH said:

lookstraightahead said:

Doozergirl said:

Not if you don't have a right of way, you can't.  

It doesn't sound like it would be a huge inconvenience to the neighbours on rare occasions.  You'd better stay nice to them! 

Thank you for this. What if the house needed repair work done which was urgent, or guttering replacing which could only be accessed from their side?

Read the deeds. Many say access to be granted for services, repairs etc 

If it doesn't then you would need to just make friends.

You say guttering to be replaced and how would they acces.... But you say you have a garden. So through the house into the garden?

Part of our outside wall is on their boundary (it's not terraced all the way down the side), so we would need access from their side to replace roof slates/guttering.

I'm semi-detached and my roof needed some slates replaced on the attached side. Just asked next door if the roofer could please have access. Neighbour said whenever out the front, but let us know before you go around the back so we can bring the dog in.

lookstraightahead

pinkteapot said:

Just keep friendly with your neighbours. Honestly, the vast majority of people are absolutely fine and have no problem with decent tradespeople going onto their land for access (if you hire someone dodgy who manages to make a mess of the neighbour's garden it's a different story). Smile and introduce yourself when you move in. Have a natter when you see them. Be a good neighbour (don't make loads of noise as it's a terrace), and I very much doubt it would be a problem. You can go years without having to do a guttering or roof repair. 

Next door is a block of upmarket apartments in a listed building with a car park so the freeholder doesn't live there. We will need guttering and roof repairs, we know that already 😊. I'm sure the freeholder will be fine, just thinking about worst possible scenarios. Thank you x