Crazy idea: can I buy my neighbours garden?

[OM2]

I've had a crazy idea!
Buy the neighbours garden!!

I want to build an office in the back garden
I'm looking at the neighbours garden - they don't use it or care for it
So if it were possible to buy, then I'm sure they'd be happy!

(To be honest, I've got enough space and don't really need to buy their garden at all)

I'm sure there must be rules that state you can't buy the neighbours garden
Does anyone know what the limitations are?

Thanks


OM

 

[Richard C]

There may be a restriction on them keeping a minimum amount but apart from that, if your neighbours want to sell you their garden you are quiet at liberty to buy it; what you can do with it might be another matter!

 

[OwainDIYer]

You can buy your neighbour's garden.

You would need to amend the land registry records to divide your neighbour's plot into two. Then the neighbours sell you the garden plot and keep the house plot.

In some parts of the country the neighbours club together, all sell off the bottom half of their gardens, and there's enough land gained to build a new row of houses.

if the neighbours don't want to sell the garden then ask if you can rent it from them, and park a porta-cabin type office in it (they can be craned over the house if limited ground access - just watch out for phone wires!!!).

 

[OM2]

great
i thought the answer would be no + there are laws to restrict the practice or something

neighbours getting together and making new houses?
sounds great!! i know of a few friends/relations with *massive* gardens
but i'm sure u have to get loooads of permissions from councils and loooads of other things like plumbing, BT, electricity etc?

portacabin?
i never thought of that actually
i did a quick search and this seems to be a cheaper option than a log cabin
any comments on that

thanks

 

[Richard C]

As I said, buying your neighbours garden is one thing, what you may be able to do with it is something different. I’m not sure how you would stand with permitted development on someone else’s garden you’ve just bought; you may well need Planning Permission to erect a log cabin, porta cabin or even a garden shed & you would need to check with your council.

“Garden plot” development goes on all the time & I have a friend (some would say parasite ) who specialises in this sort of thing & it is very lucrative. But the plot must meet fairly tough criteria if your going to stand any chance of getting PP for a new dwelling & councils are very anti “back land” development so don’t go getting too carried away.

 

[Muzz]

is this not what "garden grabbing" is? I seem to remember reading last year they are clamping down on the practice due to loss of green space in towns/cities?

 

[Richard C]

I did hear there was going to be tighter conditions introduced but according to my mate, nothing much seems to have happened. Providing you chose your site carefully & it meets conditions for development & is not in a conservation area or area of special interest, there is still not much the council can do about it. Many councils are under increasing pressure to release more land for housing development now anyway. My mate often gets refused on initial applications because the neighbours always object & many councillors will vote with their emotions rather than stick to planning advice/law. That’s usually enough to frighten off most amateurs but he does this for a living, knows the regulations & has a very good architect & solicitor; he has only ever failed to get PP after going to appeal on one occasion.

 

[noseall]

You may be rendering the house next door un-saleable.

Who would want to buy a house with no back garden, or even worse, a rear space occupied by neighbours looking into your house. Jeepers, imagine staring out at a 6' fence straight out of your kitchen window.

Sounds like a nightmare.

 

[OwainDIYer]

You may be rendering the house next door un-saleable.

Who would want to buy a house with no back garden, or even worse, a rear space occupied by neighbours looking into your house. Jeepers, imagine staring out at a 6' fence straight out of your kitchen window.

Sounds like a nightmare.

Depends how big the garden that's left is.

Some buyers will prefer a smaller and more easily-maintained garden.

House near me, sold off the garden to the side of them, there's a 3 bed det house on it now.

 

[mattylad]

Renting the garden may be cheaper, and putting a portacabin on (being a portable/temporary structure) may not fall foul of planing laws.

 

[noseall]

My point being, that if a row of houses has a particular back garden 'trend' i.e. the gardens are a regular size and shape the all of a sudden there is a huge one and then next door there is a non-existent one, then the whole karma is disrupted man.

Get what i mean man, dude?

I think the idea is daft, unless you buy the one the other side of course....