Allocated parking vs driveway - does it matter?

gingercordial

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80024561#Comment_80024561

You can upgrade the kitchen and bathroom yourself later. You can't magic up a driveway. I'd go for the drive every time, and would not buy without one.

mi-key

I can fit 3 ( or 4 at a push ) cars on my driveway. It is so convenient to be able to park all your cars on there, for visitors, workmen, deliveries, working on your own car, washing it, outdoor work area etc..

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The icing on the cake for me (pun intended). My car front window screen never frosted up in winter due to being sheltered by the house to one side and garage in front.

SensibleSarah

Having no off-street parking at my current home, I would never buy a property without a driveway again. To be fair, I didn't drive when I bought this house, so it wasn't really on my radar, but many of my neighbours have converted their front gardens to off-street parking and it's clearly much easier for so many practical reasons. My house is leasehold (so I'd need to pay to get permission, which there are no guarantees would be granted) and I don't plan on staying here much longer, so I'm not going to do the same to mine.

I plan for my next car to be electric, so a driveway is a must for that (for me) and having big dogs too, it's practically much easier to get them straight into the car from the house rather than having to go into the street to the car.

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027092#Comment_80027092

Indeed, beware of very narrow spaces that are two small to park a modern car in. Even if your car fits, your neighbour might buy an SUV or even a pick-up truck.

Same applies to garages, which these days are typically only suitable for cars with a sunroof because that's the only way to get in and out when parked.

TBagpuss

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80027910#Comment_80027910

Yes, you can't add a driveway (in most cases) but you can install a new bathroom or kitchen.

Like the majority here, I would go for a driveway over allocated parking evey time, and a driveway over a newer kitchen and/or bathroom.

Last time I moved, having a rvieway was one of my absolute, non-negotiable must haves.

Allocated parking can work OK, until it doesn't. And it doesn't necessarily need for much to change for it to become a problem.PEople are generally far less likely to park on your driveway than in your allocated space.

mirko

I've lived in my place for 15 years and there's a shared car park (no permit) plus a load of street parking. In general I can park within 100 yards of my front door, sometimes if I come back at 2am I'll have to park about a 2-3 minute walk away. I am a 43 year old man, so am perfectly able to walk. If I need to get my car close to unload I can do that easily, people don't mind being blocked in for 30 seconds. Overall it does not bother me in the slightest. My cars (even when a year or two old) are for transport, I don't even mind getting the doors dinged or scratched. I often find people's opinions on car ownership and driving a bit baffling.

I would say though that I think a driveway is still _very_ useful when selling. As you can see from the thread people are desperate for it. And even more so now people want to be able to electrically charge them at home. It would be near impossible where I reside.

lookstraightahead

mirko said:

I've lived in my place for 15 years and there's a shared car park (no permit) plus a load of street parking. In general I can park within 100 yards of my front door, sometimes if I come back at 2am I'll have to park about a 2-3 minute walk away. I am a 43 year old man, so am perfectly able to walk. If I need to get my car close to unload I can do that easily, people don't mind being blocked in for 30 seconds. Overall it does not bother me in the slightest. My cars (even when a year or two old) are for transport, I don't even mind getting the doors dinged or scratched. I often find people's opinions on car ownership and driving a bit baffling.

I would say though that I think a driveway is still _very_ useful when selling. As you can see from the thread people are desperate for it. And even more so now people want to be able to electrically charge them at home. It would be near impossible where I reside.

This. I am thankful that it's not that important. I have had properties with and without driveways and it has made not one iota of difference to me. But it's obviously important to others, and each to their own.

I would also say I don't care about my car either as long as it gets me from A to B. 
I do like a quiet home with views and these tend to be older houses where driveways weren't relevant as people had horses instead. I would sacrifice a drive for almost anything else. I don't care if I have to walk as I walk miles every day.
a driveway is important as a selling point, but at the same time, you're likely to get a better deal if you don't have one.

Noneforit999

mi-key said:

I can fit 3 ( or 4 at a push ) cars on my driveway. It is so convenient to be able to park all your cars on there, for visitors, workmen, deliveries, working on your own car, washing it, outdoor work area etc..

Completely agree. Its obviously not a consideration for some but for me (and many others), having a driveway is a requirement rather than a 'nice to have'.

If we had to move again, a driveway for at least 2 cars would be something I would not compromise on, irrespective of how many other boxes the house ticked. 

I think back to being early 20s and living in a town where you had a parking permit for the local area, I probably parked on the road I lived on a handful of times in the 2 years I lived there and back then it didn't bother me as long as I could park somewhere. Fast forward 15 years and a driveway is part of the must haves when looking at a house. 

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Noneforit999 said:

If we had to move again, a driveway for at least 2 cars would be something I would not compromise on, irrespective of how many other boxes the house ticked. 

I wished my ex-neighbour had you your mindset, bought his dream forever home, the only problem was he had only space for 1 car. It doesn’t matter though, he pays his road tax, so he can park his second car anywhere he pleases.