The Pub Next Door

Gizzypants_the_wonder_cat

Hi all, Newbie here so please be patient.  I'd love some advice/thoughts from you.  We are literally days away from signing the contract on a ground floor flat by the sea.  We've been looking for nearly 2 years for somewhere in this location and its perfect for us.  It is next door to a very lovely pub and the passageway to the pub is right next to our living room wall.  The passageway belongs to the pub and they have a gate to it which is locked (attached between our wall and theirs).  We totally accepted what living next door to a pub involved when we set about buying the flat, but at the time, there was no seating outside.  Recently, the landlord has put 4 tables with chairs and awnings down the passageway, so people will be sitting on the other side of 'our' wall now, with the last table in the row right at the side of our front door (there is a 5ft wall).   Given the awnings, we think this is going to be a permanent feature.  There is a separate smoking area round the corner to the back of the pub.  We've been in and introduced ourselves, had a chat with the owners who are great and keen to reassure us that they would keep disruption etc down and we were to let them know if there were major issues.  However, we are having doubts.  Whilst we are incredibly supportive of the hospitality industry and their need to get back on their feet, we have a worry that, with the best will in the world, the owners won't be able to limit smoking to the allocated area, won't be able to stop folks scraping chairs on the walls and such like.  There is no proper outside space to the property, but we were planning on putting a couple of chairs outside the front door, which will now obviously have the additional noise from the outside tables/open pub door.  We a putting a big chunk of savings, pension pot and a mortgage behind this and another fear is that this will have an effect on the saleability if we do want to move. Thoughts? 

theartfullodger

Given the apparent concerns being voiced, most would not proceed any further.

tellmeagain

Its lucky you have found out this change when you have, a week or two later and you potentially would have signed     I personally wouldnt risk it, the saleability down the line will be restricted. It would probably be better suited as a holiday let by your description of it. After waiting for 2 years it would be a shame to buy something that will no longer fit your lifestyle and potentially may restrict your choices...ie sitting with a coffee at your front door. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

amyr

Even if the current publican can reassure you, there's nothing to stop it changing hands to someone less respectful. I'd be extremely cautious if you have any concerns - trying to resell could be no end of a challenge.

Martin_the_Unjust

I wouldn’t buy it with your money let alone my own.

user1977

Being next door to a pub has in itself a major marketability factor (which is why many mortgage lenders won't touch it). As above, you'll have little say in whether the "nice" quiet pub turns into a 4am karaoke-and-fight zone.

Section62

Gizzypants_the_wonder_cat said:

There is no proper outside space to the property, but we were planning on putting a couple of chairs outside the front door...

Would that be on land you own (e.g. like a front garden), or do you mean there is literally no outdoor space, and your chairs would be on the footway?

If the latter then it is likely to only be a matter of time before someone complains about the obstruction.

If the former, and you leave the chairs out there, it won't be long before pub customers make use of them.

...just in case you needed any additional reasons not to buy this property.

moneysavinghero

We've been in and introduced ourselves, had a chat with the owners who are great and keen to reassure us that they would keep disruption etc down and we were to let them know if there were major issues.

That's going to be quite a standard response. At the end of the day they are not going to tell customers who are handing over money to them to 'keep the noise down and stop smoking there and be careful of that wall' in order to please someone who pays them nothing.

ElizabethRose

What might be a nice pub now can change depending on the landlord. For example our local has a great reputation now but look back about 15 years ago and it was very different, a change of landlord and work the local community has completely turned it round. If the landlord was to leave that could change the other way again. 

The other thing what is the noise out at closing time? My grandparents used to live close to a pub and you always knew when it was closing time from the noise and they weren't next door. Just remember the pub was there first so whilst the landlords may be sympathetic to a degree you've bought a property and should be aware of the associated issues.

I joke I'd like to live in the houses next to our local but in reality I wouldn't due to noise and associated issues. 

Sunsaru

If the house was perfect for you, you wouldn't be on this forum expressing your concerns. That, to me, says this ain't as perfect as you think.

gingercordial

The best you can realistically hope for is that the pub landlord puts up a little sign saying "please be respectful of our neighbours" or something along those lines.  They are absolutely not going to enforce it if people are talking or laughing loudly, scraping chairs etc.  It isn't a library and they wouldn't want to end up with a reputation as somewhere that is no fun to be.  They are not going to stop people standing outside your door taking loud phone calls ("Yeah mate, the Old Red Lion... no, the Old Red Lion on Pub Street, not the White Lion you idiot... yeah mate, Smithy's here... you know, from down the road... you coming down then?"), waiting for taxis, smoking and so on.  For you, listening to it every day, I think it is going to get irritating very quickly.

And that's even assuming it isn't a properly rowdy pub with fights, vomiting, people using your doorway after they've left but realised they should have used the facilities first...

If you don't have a proper outdoor space your chairs will be gone if not chained down, or occupied by punters who don't then want to move.

Having rented in a block next to a pub once, even the most talented live musicians can get on your nerves if they aren't a genre you enjoy, or if it's late and you're tired or need to concentrate on something else.

I love pubs, I really do, but I would not buy next to one.

But most of all please don't be one of those people who buys next to a pub then complains about it.  It was there first.