Naive question...

[Flyfisher]

Neighbour From Hell.

(and yes, welcome back 'marm)

 

[JoceAndChris]

Poor 'Marm - very bad luck. Unfortunately whatever lovely spot we choose to settle in cannot be safeguarded against the actions of others.
I've mentioned before that our London flat (partially sunk) acquired new neighbours on one side as the owner excavated under his property, without PP. Lying in the bath, where I had been used to the total silence of the earth on the other side of the wall, I could suddenly hear conversations. Thankfully, the house didn't collapse, but we had 2 years of being quite scared that it might, and unsuccessfully trying to get Haringey Planning Dept to do something.

It's dreadful how people can shatter your peace.

 

[Nigel Watts]

When we were house-hunting, 18 months ago, Google Earth was my best friend.

Google earth can be quite revealing in other ways too: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ints-60ft-phallus-on-roof-of-family-home.html

 

[Flyfisher]

Ahh, here is my NFH. . . . . I wish that had been visible lol!!

Google Earth (not Maps) has some historic aerial photos. It varies from area to area but generally seems to go back about at least 10 years.

In Google Earth, select the 'View' menu option and click on the 'Historical Imagery'. This will add a 'slider' control in the photo window that can be used to select the various older photos held for the area being viewed.

If your area is covered in high resolution the images, it should be good enough to show the widening of a road or track.


Edit - I've just noticed that the London aerial photos go back to 1945.

 

[LadyArowana]

When we were house-hunting, 18 months ago, Google Earth was my best friend.

Google earth can be quite revealing in other ways too: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ints-60ft-phallus-on-roof-of-family-home.html

Teenagers have been doing that sort of thing for centuries, I bet one got a good telling off for this http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/ChalkFigures.htm

 

[bobirving]

"Note: Neighbouring property. Interested parties should note that there is a neighbouring property adjoining the mansion at the rear. In the vendors, and their agents' opinions, this does not impinge upon the mansion's privacy or detract from the enjoyment of the property."

Ugh! I wouldn't consider it then.

Looking further will show that the neighbouring property is also on sale for around £350k, which gives you a working farm with a large house and about 60 acres for around £1m.
We are not necessarily trying to get away from people - in fact rather the reverse. We would like to buy the place to form an "intentional community" of people who have the same ideas, so we would rather hope that dividing the place up and sharing would not be such a problem (people-wise, rather than architecture).

I suppose that we will have to go look at it and make a plan. It's all somewhat ironic as in the Georgian time, they wouldn't have had the least compunction about slapping a fake front on an older house just to be in fashion and as for the Victorians.....

Cheers

Bob Irving

 

[Nigel Watts]

This sounds a bit analogous to a business venture, so a sound financial plan will be essential I would have thought. Maintenance and running costs for a place that size will be substantial, and backlog maintenance/conversion costs could be sizeable too. If I sold my 4 bed London house with no off-street parking and a postage stamp sized garden in an upper-middling area I guess I could buy something like it and have a fairly tidy pile of change left over, but my income would be insufficient to allow me to live comfortably in it, not to mention furnish it properly.

I have speculated a number of times on this site what the ratio of house value to cost price of furnishings would need to be to get a reasonably authentic look. I have come to no firm conclusion but for country houses at least it seems that the bigger/grander the house gets the more in relative terms the cost of the furnishing becomes. The grandest houses, when sold with all their contents, tend fetch must less than their pictures, furniture, silver etc. Dumfries House, for example, was worth far less than its contents. Even if I could afford to buy and maintain a large historic house I don't think I would want to live in it if I couldn't furnish it properly.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Ahh, here is my NFH. . . . . I wish that had been visible lol!!

Google Earth (not Maps) has some historic aerial photos. It varies from area to area but generally seems to go back about at least 10 years.

In Google Earth, select the 'View' menu option and click on the 'Historical Imagery'. This will add a 'slider' control in the photo window that can be used to select the various older photos held for the area being viewed.

If your area is covered in high resolution the images, it should be good enough to show the widening of a road or track.


Edit - I've just noticed that the London aerial photos go back to 1945.

Thanks for that link, I just found it last week and am hoping it will help when I finally submit the details to the solicitor.

 

[Penners]

What rotten luck that you're having to go to law on this, 'Marm. I do hope you're successful. Please keep us posted.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Thankyou

 

[Moo]

What rotten luck that you're having to go to law on this, 'Marm. I do hope you're successful. Please keep us posted.

May I second that?
xx M

 

[Schoolmarm]

Thanks Moo. xxxxx