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Tree in front of house

On the search (always) for my dream house, very interested in one but one thing that is bothering me is a very large tree in front of the house. It is not in front garden but on the grass verge after the pavement and before the road. I think it is a lime but no TPO The house has west facing rear garden so front is east and wondering if in spring /summer, it will just block too much morning sun and make the house dark inside? The rear garden is amazing, very large but as a sun lover just wondering if it would always niggle me. Anyone any experience /insight on this 
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Comments

  • gwynlas
    gwynlas Posts: 2,044 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well you should view now as tree is budding and ask if it causes an issue. It is better to recognize that there might be a problem now than to buy when tree is bare. Tree lined roads are more sought after for aesthetics and are better for the environment
  • mi-key
    mi-key Posts: 1,580 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have two very large ( 40m + ) ash trees in the same position in front of my house. They really don't make any difference to the light entering the front of the house. A lot can depend on how long the front garden is, so how far away they are. I love having them there as the local crows live and nest in them, so always lots of birds around 

    Best thing to do is to try and get a morning booking on a sunny day and see
  • Keep_pedalling
    Keep_pedalling Posts: 19,259 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If they are limes whatever you do don’t want to park your car under them. The aphids that feed on lime produce copious amounts of honeydew that will drip all over your car. It is difficult to remove and can cause significant damage to your paint work if left.
  • ss2020jd
    ss2020jd Posts: 653 Forumite
    500 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    I would ask the vendors too and check who is responsible for the tree and the maintenance of it. It sounds like it would be the local council. 

    I have a large old oak across the road on a verge and my surveyor mentioned it could do with some pruning when I asked him about it. 

    I reported it and the council sent out a tree surgeon who made a report saying it needs pruning so am just waiting for that to be done (it has been 10 months since it was first reported!). 
    We noticed a slight reduction to light last summer but the branches had grown close to our front hedge due to lack of maintenance.
    If it is looked after though it shouldn’t in theory be an issue with light at that distance although worth checking with the vendors. 
  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 13,449 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    American sweetgum on the west/front of our place.  Well actually in front of the next door neighbour.  They get really annoyed as it means the birds $£" all over their cars.  Ours a bit too but only occasionally is it significant (twice a year?).  The gum seeds are a right pain though.

    But I would put up with all of that for the shade the tree gives.  It shelters the house, obviously, in the afternoon and evening which means it's much cooler in the summer than it might be otherwise.  For that reason I'd fight to keep it there. 
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  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 18,344 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 4 May 2023 at 1:09PM
    Remember that trees can be a cause of subsidence. Also if a tree has weak roots or is rotting, exceptionally strong winds could bring it down, seriously damaging anything in its path including your house
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Skiddaw1
    Skiddaw1 Posts: 2,210 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    If they are limes whatever you do don’t want to park your car under them. The aphids that feed on lime produce copious amounts of honeydew that will drip all over your car. It is difficult to remove and can cause significant damage to your paint work if left.

    That's true but the scent of lime trees when in blossom is amazing and worth the aphids in my book!
  • Annemos
    Annemos Posts: 993 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 500 Posts
    Re Subsidence.

    Yes it needs to be looked into, if you are on clay soil, re type of tree, age of tree, possibility of future growth, distance from property, depth of foundation.    

    A Sweet Gum Tree (Liquidamber) subsided my place and resulted in a 4-year insurance nightmare. And now there are still future insurance ramifications, even though the wretched tree has now been removed. 

    I agree, Brie, the balls are horrid and spikey. Get one up your finger nail and you certainly know it! 

    If you have free time, it is interesting to google what Sweet Gum Trees have done to infrastructure in the USA. (Streets, pavements, foundations.) They have exceedingly long-length, upheaving shallow root systems. After cutting down, they also throw up suckers. It took three years after removal to get rid of those. 



  • Play_fair84
    Play_fair84 Posts: 26 Forumite
    10 Posts First Anniversary
    Thanks everyone, house is the one with blue car, maybe someone can identify tree…

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