Buying a bit of land - worth the hassle?

[d000hg]

We've only a very small garden since we live in a townhouse in the city centre. But a (student let) property behind us has a long garden and the bottom third or so is unused and overgrown. I am tempted to find the owner and ask if they're interested in selling it... but I've no idea how easy this is legally and if the complexity/cost would be overkill for such a small piece of land.

Has anyone done this kind of thing, like buying a bit of next door's land, or their garage or something - is it a legal nightmare like buying a house, or fairly straightforward?

[OwlHoot]

I would guess that in this situation some extra garden space would make your property much more desirable

(to most people - Obviously some ultra-urbanites and/or old timers might prefer a small garden).

But the person selling the land will probably assume the same, or even have plans to develop it. So it might not come cheap.

[northernladuk]

It's definitely worth a punt. I know two people who have bought land off a school in one case and a neighbour in the other. Our own garden is dog legged as an elderly neighbour didn't want to buy a strip of land across the bottom of ours and whoever was here at the time bought both. Always good to have either to help your property or to sell back to future owners at a tidy profit.

I say a punt as no one in their right mind should want to sell half their garden off but it does happen. I would have thought even less chance if the landlord doesn't live there as it is pure investment to him even if it isn't used or needed. He isn't aware.

Could be worth a few quid getting the Land Registry data as many houses have long gardens due to them encroaching in to old rights of way that ran between the bottoms of gardens so he may not actually own it. Chance for a land grab if that is the case.

It can be complex but quite interesting to do.

You could just fence it off drop a couple of letters through the letter box saying his silence is his agreement and hope he doesn't notice for 25 years of course.

[d000hg]

But the person selling the land will probably assume the same, or even have plans to develop it. So it might not come cheap.

Well, it's not big enough to build on - and there is no access except through one of our houses

The street it's on is a fairly traditional terraced street so the gardens are the width of the house and then long strips, with a proper "bottom of the garden" where you'd often find compost heaps and discarded junk.
Other than tidy it up I can't see any use for it to the owner... the remaining 2/3 is a quite decent size.

Anyway I was more interested in how complicated it is to buy a patch of land. Do you have to go through all the same searches and ownership stuff like buying a house? Presumably you have to update the deeds of his property at the very least. And then either attach it to our deeds, or somehow have it as a separate entity in its own right.

I would guess that in this situation some extra garden space would make your property much more desirable

Probably - it would mean we're the only house on the street with a larger garden. Although it's actually across the back lane from us so it would be a separate garden (is there a proper name for that) but very secluded so my thought is it would be nice to grow stuff and generally chill out there, a little island of solitude in the city.

[speling bee]

Well, it's not big enough to build on - and there is no access except through one of our houses

The street it's on is a fairly traditional terraced street so the gardens are the width of the house and then long strips, with a proper "bottom of the garden" where you'd often find compost heaps and discarded junk.
Other than tidy it up I can't see any use for it to the owner... the remaining 2/3 is a quite decent size.

Anyway I was more interested in how complicated it is to buy a patch of land. Do you have to go through all the same searches and ownership stuff like buying a house? Presumably you have to update the deeds of his property at the very least. And then either attach it to our deeds, or somehow have it as a separate entity in its own right.

It may be complex for the neighbour if there is a BTL mortgage.

[MarillionFan]

Quite straight forward once you've found the owner.

Legally you would need to have a transfer letter / agreement written. So you'll need solicitors involved. As there is no additional right of ways, no easement should be required.

Agree a price and then update both properties with the Land Registry with a new outline of the for each properties (which is something like £40).

Having to do it with mine where I've split the property (in this case I own both bits)