New build and parking spaces

k1984 · 28 July 2021 at 1:52AM

Looking to gauge opinion on this…

Our house was advertised as a 4 bedroom detached property with integrated garage. It advertises as 3 parking spaces. The artist impression showed a substantial drive with a large four wheel drive in the driveway and enough space to accommodate a further 2 cars.

Fast forward 9 months and the propert has been built, we’ve moved in and the driveway can just take our two small hatchback cars. The drive is 5.2m x 5m.

I contacted the builder to say that we were disappointed that it was advertised as 3 parking spaces and their reply was…the third space is in the garage.

Surely they can’t class the garage as a parking space? My reply was that there is enough space on the front garden to park 4 cars, but it doesn’t mean because you can park a car on or in it that it counts as a parking space. Their advert of 3 parking spaces coupled with the artist impression of the huge driveway is misleading.

A pretty long winded way to ask - what is the opinion, should a garage count as a parking space and should I be fighting this or just let it go?

Incidentally the dimensions of the drive are exactly as what is in the title deeds - but being told the driveway was x-metres by x-metres didn’t mean much to me. I was going by the advert/image.

thanks folks - interesting to hear any opinions

Marvel1 · 28 July 2021 at 2:30AM

The size of the driveway was given, so up to you to check if your cars fit and how many, googling your make/model/year would provide this.

unforeseen · 28 July 2021 at 4:24AM

should a garage count as a parking space

Instead of what? A shed? Of course its a parking space.

hazyjo · 28 July 2021 at 5:21AM

Would definitely consider it a parking space. That's its actual purpose, unlike the front garden in your example.

Were the room sizes also only given in metres? The garden size too? Did you look those up in feet (presuming that's what you think they should have used)?

getmore4less · 28 July 2021 at 5:37AM

Look at the planning for the development there would be a parking assessment of the requirements and limits set by the council.

Many discourage excess parking to reduce car use.

Pretty sure a garage counts as a space.

74jax · 28 July 2021 at 6:26AM

When you first had your appointment what were the sizes on drawings?

What was said during meet the builder?

During your choices appointment was anything discussed?

On hand over day what did you say ? Was that last Friday?

How many times did you visit in 9 months?

You need to create a picture of the last 9 months and how many times you raised this.

I've worked in new build for half my career, I would definitely class a garage as a parking space, however did it say 3 spaces PLUS garage? I wouldn't class a garden as a space, though it could be 'opportunity to create a further space'.

HampshireH · 28 July 2021 at 6:34AM

Of course the garage counts as Parking. That's what garages are designed for.

Likewise if you ever wanted to converted it the council may decline permission if there was a requirement for 3 spaces to park and it leaves you with only 2.

There's been various posts on here where people have wanted to turn their garage into a habitable space but the council have rejected it based on loss of parking.

Providing the paperwork has always specified the size of the drive then the "artist's impression" is just that and probably has a note as not to scale.

They would have expected you to have raised any issues at that stage

Also surely you see this before you moved in?

Flugelhorn · 28 July 2021 at 6:49AM

Garage definitely considered to be one of the parking spaces where I live, hence why people can't convert their store, sorry garage to a living space. Neighbour was quite shocked when told this as it never occurred to her to put the car in there

AdrianC · 28 July 2021 at 8:48AM

The drive is 5.2m x 5m, and you don't think it's big enough for anything more than two small hatchbacks?

A standard UK parking space is 2.4m wide x 4.8m long.
So two spaces, 4.8m x 4.8m.
You have more length, and more width.

If you drove out of a showroom tomorrow in a brand new car, the dimensions would be...
Ford Fiesta - 1.75m wide x 4.1m long.
Ford Focus - 1.85m wide x 4.4m long.
BMW X3 - 1.9m wide x 4.7m long.
Range Rover Sport - 2.1m wide x 4.9m long.

And, yes, of course the garage is a parking space... What else would you do with a garage, but park a car in it? It's kinda their whole point...

You were given those dimensions in the contract and on the plan, but "didn't understand them"...?
You genuinely thought that you'd be able to park three cars, spaciously, in 5.2m x 5m, because of an artist's impression?
https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-5m-tape-measure/5315v

user1977 · 28 July 2021 at 8:52AM

Artist's impressions don't form part of your contract. Indeed, the contract probably has a clause specifically saying that none of the sales guff is contractual, and all that counts is what's in the contract. If they've built according to the drawings approved by the planners, that's what matters.

UnderOffer · 28 July 2021 at 8:54AM

Did the plans or developer literature show a sketch of 3 cars on the drive? Most brochures I browse always show a mocked up picture so you can see how many vehicles driveway will take.