Neighbour asking to buy part of our garden - any issues to watch out for ?

180567

Hello, My next door neighbour has asked if they could buy a section of our back garden , and I am not sure if there are any issues I should watch out for before I decide ? (I own the property outright so there is no mortgage involved)

We have quite a large garden and they would like to buy a section at the end of the garden where it meets theirs as they have a small house in their own side garden and so their garden is a bit smaller than ours as a result.

One thing that worries me is that I plan to sell the whole property at some stage, probably in the next five years or so. Would me selling off a part of the back garden seperatly now cause any problems or delays if I was selling in the future. (this would be my main concern).

I would like to help them out, but I don't want to do it if there is any chance that it would cause issues when I go to try and sell later on.

My main concern is that when I'm selling my own place, there would be some delay or issue over the boundary now being different , and this would be costly or difficult to resolve and trying to fix it might cost more than the price they are offering to pay for the section of the garden they'd like to buy.

Thanks for any advice anyone could give.

DrumSteve

Speak to a solicitor is your best bet; they would be best qualified to advise you here.

kennethsmyth

180567 wrote: »

Hello, My next door neighbour has asked if they could buy a section of our back garden , and I am not sure if there are any issues I should watch out for before I decide ? (I own the property outright so there is no mortgage involved)

We have quite a large garden and they would like to buy a section at the end of the garden where it meets theirs as they have a small house in their own side garden and so their garden is a bit smaller than ours as a result.

One thing that worries me is that I plan to sell the whole property at some stage, probably in the next five years or so. Would me selling off a part of the back garden seperatly now cause any problems or delays if I was selling in the future. (this would be my main concern).

I would like to help them out, but I don't want to do it if there is any chance that it would cause issues when I go to try and sell later on.

My main concern is that when I'm selling my own place, there would be some delay or issue over the boundary now being different , and this would be costly or difficult to resolve and trying to fix it might cost more than the price they are offering to pay for the section of the garden they'd like to buy.

Thanks for any advice anyone could give.

Is there any pipes, utilities, manholes etc or other items that you would need accessibility to in the future? Look to this then get a solicitor.

sydthebeat

what kind of areas are we talking about here??

acre sites out the country.. or 12 meter back gardens in housing estate in town?

seamus

As long as it's done properly, there shouldn't be any issues further down the line.

Planning and boundary issues have traditionally arisen because people do handshake agreements to avoid paying the taxman, or have just been lazy about making things "proper".

Sell the land using contracts, suveyors and solicitors and you should have no issues.

Iodine1

Be very careful. Work involved and legal fees will be as much as transferring a house. Also are you sure they don't intend building on your piece thus impacting negatively on the value of your property? Is your property more valuable by having the sizeable garden? Get advice from solicitor certainly and also an estate agent to estimate effect on your property.

180567

sydthebeat wrote: »

what kind of areas are we talking about here??

acre sites out the country.. or 12 meter back gardens in housing estate in town?

Small enough, several meters, and its in an ordinary suburban area in dublin.

TheBoyConor

Tell them no.
They are likely planning to build something on it at a later time.

Let them take it up with the new owner when you sell.

Andrew33

180567 wrote: »

Small enough, several meters, and its in an ordinary suburban area in dublin.

That extra bit they buy from you could make their new sized garden big enough to put a house on.
You can get a caveat put in contract that if they do develop the site in the future they must pay you X amount.
Common enough.

Iodine1

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Tell them no.
They are likely planning to build something on it at a later time.

Let them take it up with the new owner when you sell.

Spot on! My thoughts exactly.

BryanF

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Tell them no.
They are likely planning to build something on it at a later time.

Let them take it up with the new owner when you sell.

Site survey required. You might like to see a layout before jumping to conclusions ?

TheBoyConor

Why would a site survey be required? only if they are going to do a deal.
I'm saying that the OP is under no obligation to entertain them. Especially so since they will be selling the place and moving on. You'd have the hassle of having conveyance, surveys etc twice over without probably any real benefit to you at the end of it.

I'd say once the neighbour finds out that they will have to pay the conveyance fees, pay a surveyor and foot the bill for all that goes with a sale of a few meters of ground, they might change their tune.

I'm just saying be done with it and tell em feck off. They can take it up with the future owner.