Buying off plan new build. Is my property detached ??

J

Jane09

Registered User
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Hi
I’m buying a house off the plans and when I had a closer look on fingal planning I realised that my back house wall is going to be attached to my neighbours side entrance. So my back wall is their side entrance. Is this still detached as I’m sharing my house ?? I find it very strange as I’ve never heard of this before. And can this cause me problems down the road if neighbours decides to build a side on the entrance which makes my house linked detached. Or will I have a problem with selling as detached down the road. I’ve tried googling this but I can’t find anything. Even with my right to get to my back wall I would need to use my neighbours side entrance. Any advice would be great.
Thank you
Jane
 
Hi Yes I found them on the fingal planning site. I know my back wall is the side wall from the map. I’m just concerned they are charging me for a detached when I’m sharing my back wall. It says tank wall adjoining to number 57 which is my neighbours number.
Is this still detached as it’s not detached to an actual house.
Thank you
 
Jane09 said:
Hi Yes I found them on the fingal planning site. I know my back wall is the side wall from the map. I’m just concerned they are charging me for a detached when I’m sharing my back wall. It says tank wall adjoining to number 57 which is my neighbours number.
Is this still detached as it’s not detached to an actual house.
Thank you
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Very difficult to actually picture what you're telling us. At the end of the day if you want to buy the house and like it, then buy it. If this is going to drive you silly, walk away. I hope you've actually seen the house in person? Talk to your solicitor also and see what he says if it's worrying you.
 
Yeah I don’t know how to attach a photo of the plans on here. No I’m buying the house off the plans. So in the brochure they gave us with the map of the estate it looked like there was two side entrances to our house and you could walk all the way around it but when we went further and looked at the actual drawings on the map on the actual site we seen that we only have one side entrance. So the house is a side by side house. Kitchen to the left of the front door entrance and the sittingroom the the right. So no windows to the back of our whole house and the back wall of our house is going to be the side entrance wall to the house that’s at the side of us.
We have got on to the builders and we are waiting to hear back and we will get on to our solicitor before we but also. I just wanted to see did anyone ever hear if this before.
Jane
 
Your intended house is detached from your neighbours house, but not their side party wall. It’s still detached from the other property.

Sounds like a buttress type build.
 
Site Boundary walls are generally shared. It seems your house is built on a boundary wall. Once the other side of that wall is not a room you are detached.

I typically expect to be able to walk fully around a detached house without leaving my site, but I don't think that is the defining attribute.

Once none of your rooms have a shared wall with your neighbors rooms I would consider your house detached.
 
LS400 said:
Your intended house is detached from your neighbours house, but not their side party wall. It’s still detached from the other property.

Sounds like a buttress type build.
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I’d say it’s because they ran out of space tbh.
Is a buttress type build not when they need the wall to strengthen or support another structure ? My house won’t be supporting anything just acting as somebody’s side entrance wall. So the side of their house and the back wall of my house is their side entrance if you get me. I know I’m probably not making any sense without a picture sorry.
Jane
 
While a buttress is a supportive structure, I see it in your case as maximising the use of space. It’s quite common in newer builds these days to squeeze in what they can. There are no more large gardens anymore.
 
Jane09 said:
I’d say it’s because they ran out of space tbh.
Is a buttress type build not when they need the wall to strengthen or support another structure ? My house won’t be supporting anything just acting as somebody’s side entrance wall. So the side of their house and the back wall of my house is their side entrance if you get me. I know I’m probably not making any sense without a picture sorry.
Jane
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As a matter of interest, are you getting a very good deal on buying this off plan, and is it being bought from the builder?
 
SPC100 said:
Site Boundary walls are generally shared. It seems your house is built on a boundary wall. Once the other side of that wall is not a room you are detached.

I typically expect to be able to walk fully around a detached house without leaving my site, but I don't think that is the defining attribute.

Once none of your rooms have a shared wall with your neighbors rooms I would consider your house detached.
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Thanks for your response.
Yeah it’s a tricky one as I thought you could walk around a detached house too. But I get you about it not attaching to another room. My concern would be the neighbour building a side shed room or something which Would make my house detatched. Builders are charging me an extra 30 thousand for this. So just want to know my right beforehand. :)
Thank you
Jane
 
LS400 said:
While a buttress is a supportive structure, I see it in your case as maximising the use of space. It’s quite common in newer builds these days to squeeze in what they can. There are no more large gardens anymore.
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Yea very true. I’ve just never seen one like this before. I was surprised when I pulled up the plans as I just assumed I would be getting 2 side entrances like every other house like mine in the new development. It look like they were short of space. But should I be paying the same as another house that’s detached and does have two side entrances and can walk around their whole house ?? These are the things I’m thinking of.
Thank you
Jane
 
Can you even draw a rough sketch, I just can't picture it! :)

Edit: Actually ignore that, I see the problem is you can't attach a pic rather than don't have one!
 
I can picture it, when you look at your house straight on, you have a side passage either side. But the end of the side passages when flush with the back of your house is a blank wall. In fact the whole back wall of your house is the boundary wall with your neighbour, you have no windows looking out the back, you have no back garden, and you cannot walk around the house on the outside. It is technically detached because your boundary wall is not currently a party wall with your neighbours house. If your neighbour built an extension in the future using the boundary wall as a party wall you are concerned you would be thought of as a semidetached house. The company you are buying off have no control over that so it would not figure into what they are charging you for the detached house.

But I would be concerned that the information they provided you did not show a site plan for your house showing your boundaries and the location of your house within that boundary. Did you just assume there was a back garden? Or when you look again is it clear that your house is at the back of your site area with just spaces to the sides and front?

Also are they charging you the same as other houses on the estate with side front and back spaces. Usually larger plots would pay more and smaller plots less, yours sounds like a smaller plot. And the other detached houses on the estate, is the back wall blank, with no windows or doors. Is your interior layout different.

As to decisions you should make it is totally up to you to decide if the boundary wall, being the back wall of your house, with possible scope for your neighbour to use as an extension wall is a deal breaker for you. If you could not live with it then withdraw.
 
Clamball said:
I can picture it, when you look at your house straight on, you have a side passage either side. But the end of the side passages when flush with the back of your house is a blank wall. In fact the whole back wall of your house is the boundary wall with your neighbour, you have no windows looking out the back, you have no back garden, and you cannot walk around the house on the outside. It is technically detached because your boundary wall is not currently a party wall with your neighbours house. If your neighbour built an extension in the future using the boundary wall as a party wall you are concerned you would be thought of as a semidetached house. The company you are buying off have no control over that so it would not figure into what they are charging you for the detached house.

But I would be concerned that the information they provided you did not show a site plan for your house showing your boundaries and the location of your house within that boundary. Did you just assume there was a back garden? Or when you look again is it clear that your house is at the back of your site area with just spaces to the sides and front?

Also are they charging you the same as other houses on the estate with side front and back spaces. Usually larger plots would pay more and smaller plots less, yours sounds like a smaller plot. And the other detached houses on the estate, is the back wall blank, with no windows or doors. Is your interior layout different.

As to decisions you should make it is totally up to you to decide if the boundary wall, being the back wall of your house, with possible scope for your neighbour to use as an extension wall is a deal breaker for you. If you could not live with it then withdraw.
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Hi Clamball
Thank you for your reply
I do have a back garden but it is to the left of the house. Hall door is in the middle of the house. Kitchen to left and sittingroom to right. So parking is to the front and garden to the left off my kitchen. The other detached houses have a window in the utility and bathroom which is on the back wall but mine is done like the semi detached as it’s the neighbours wall too. The builders think it’s a sellers market so they are not very forthcoming with drawings etc hence why I done my own investigation on fingal website. I am being charged for a detatched house.
Hope this makes sense :)
Jane
 
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