Need advice on a garage linked property

[Netnot]

Hello, we liked a semi detached which on the one side has a garage attached to neighbours. A friend advised that in future if neighbours decide to extend over their garage they will be able to do so and the gap will not look as it is now(giving a better open and realistic semi detached feel). We are first time buyers and got no idea on council regulations in such situations because if we also decide to extend over our garage then these four houses will essentially create a terraced house unit. Should we drop this property?

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[noseall]

Should we drop this property?

Not especially for those reasons, no. Planners usually make the designers set extensions back from the front elevation by half a meter or so, in order to rid the street scene of that terraced look.

What I will say is that a hipped, plain tile (clay) roof, is one of the most expensive to build, on an extension.

 

[^woody^]

Speak with your surveyor or legal advisor - it's their job to advise you on your concerns answer your questions and advise you on suitability of the properly for your current and future needs. Although they may just want to sign forms, they should advise.

In this instance, it is the planning policy of the local council that matters. Policies can differ between councils. Some will not allow any building up to the boundary, others may allow the first applicant to do so but then not the other, and others may then require each side to maintain minimum gaps to the boundary .

However, no council will allow a terracing or joined up appearance. And will in addition require extensions to be set back from the front wall.

 

[Netnot]

Thanks, seems it all depends on the council like you guys suggested and I noticed another property on the same road where the extension on the garage is done but set back from the front wall. Guess, that is becasue of the planning rules. This is in Bromley.

 

[GazNicki2504]

My limited understanding is that both houses are semi-detached as the garages are not considered habitable areas. In reality they are link-semi-detached. The adjoining garages don't count to the link. You're either a semi, or an end terrace - depending on the houses further down the chain.

A conversion of their garage wouldn't need planning permission unless it extended it's size. If they were to extend upwards, this would then need planning permission.

Even if they did extend and convert all their garage into habitable areas, as long as your garage remained a garage, then your property would maintain it's semi-detached status (or end terrace).

If however you both extended and converted, this could then make them a terraced.