Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Aug 26, 2009 8:06 pm Just trying to find out if a lot adjacent to a laneway is classed the same as a corner block and generally if they are more desirable than corners (given that the garden would be fully enclosed unlike a corner block). Or do these blocks have their own set of problems? Would it pose resale problems - grateful for any comments or your experience. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 2Aug 26, 2009 8:10 pm I think a block adjacent to a laneway has more advantages than a corner block, or any other block. We chose a block adjacent to a 25m easement (over a pipeline) purely for the fact that we'll never have neighbours build directly opposite us. We were looking at a corner block, bit it was just so restrictive with an easement on the block down the longest side. Plus we've private people. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 3Aug 26, 2009 8:31 pm We lived in a corner block in our previous house, was ok, and we are now in a block with a laneway along the side. Our current house is one back from the corner which, as aaron4erin says, is ideal - we have no close neighbour on that side, width of lane and length of neighbour's back yard between us and any part of their house. Laneways are very common here, all the old areas of town have back lanes (this is an old area on which houses were demolished and lands re-divided) Anyway, one big advantage of lanes (presuming they are wide enough) is that you can have gates into your back yard - we have a shed with doors opening to back gates and can take our trailer straight into the shed and have easy access to the back yard for gardening purposes etc. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 4Aug 26, 2009 8:41 pm The laneway would provide a nice gap between you and your neighbor but you'd just have to make sure that the laneway will be well lit so there won't be nasty night dwellers doing their thing there at night. You would also have to make sure that it isn't a frequently used route by party goers or children as they'd annoy the crap out of you.
As for whether a "laneway" block is more/less desirable than a corner lot it all depends on the dimensions and the surroundings. I'd say the only thing they have in common is that like the laneway you'd only have two sets of neighbors. But with a corner block you could potentially subdivide the block (since you have two roads) to get a bit of extra cash (just make sure you build your house in a manner that will allow you to do this). My current place is smack bang in the middle of two blocks both of which could have been subdivided to create four reasonable sized blocks which is a pain in the a$$. As for resale value.. I don't see that there would be any problems with a laneway block. If later on the users of the laneway pose an issue you can always secure the back fence and plant some more private trees if necessary. (Edited to better address the questions being asked.) Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 5Aug 26, 2009 8:41 pm I would think a block next to a laneway would definitely be better than a corner block. It wouldn't affect resale in my opinion, as you say - it will be an enclosed yard and you will be able to have side access via a gate. Also handy having a lane there if you need a space for a makeshift cricket pitch - much less traffic than on the street! Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 6Aug 26, 2009 9:53 pm Some things I would be cautious about Beside lane way - Potential hang out for less desirable people. - Additional Graffiti - Easy access to the back of your yard usually in a poorly lit area. Corner lot - 2 lots of setback which may mean less back yard - 2 facades to meet design regs if needed - Potential of traffic accidents onto your property Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 7Aug 26, 2009 10:12 pm corner lot = extra mowing of nature strip ’’Quondo Omni Flunkus Mortati ’’ If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy. Stila BK1 Build Thread The best place to talk about sport Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 8Aug 26, 2009 10:17 pm The block we bought appealed to us BECAUSE of the lanewary - we only actually have one neighbour to contend with (neighbour on right, laneway on left, nature strip and no-thru-rd behind ) Tornado_ALIVE Some things I would be cautious about Beside lane way - Potential hang out for less desirable people. - Additional Graffiti - Easy access to the back of your yard usually in a poorly lit area. We have purchased a block with a laneway down one side and the first thing I did was go for a walk down teh laneway and check out if any graffiti, rubbish, undesirable stuff etc. It looked really clean and neat to me - and our laneway goes thru to a No Thru Rd so there's not a lot of traffic or anything so I think we're safe. To be on the ultra safe side, first thing we are going to do is put some sort of screen plant like Neighbours Be Gone the entire length of that fence for more privacy. Caz & Co ALL MOVED IN!! Now comes all the hard work-decorating.... [b]Blog: http://cazoraz.blogspot.com/ Settling in Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=36993 Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 9Aug 26, 2009 10:28 pm I think a laneway has the added problem of someone being able to get into your back yard more easily from a hidden view. Sure they could also get into your backyard from a corner, but this generally would be on a street with many cars driving past. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 10Aug 26, 2009 10:30 pm notgotapen Just trying to find out if a lot adjacent to a laneway is classed the same as a corner block and generally if they are more desirable than corners (given that the garden would be fully enclosed unlike a corner block). We are building on a corner block and will have a fully enclosed backyard. The building is a homestead type design and a fence will be built connecting each end of the building to the respective boundary. Also, the setback for corner lots (in our estate anyway) can be different for each frontage, they don't have to be the same. ie: we will have a 5m setback from one side and 3m from the other. ie: just because you are on a corner doesn't mean you will have less backyard. Mind you, it's going to be like having 2 front yards as you have more public garden area. Good luck with your decision. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 11Aug 26, 2009 10:32 pm buildingwithhamra I think a laneway has the added problem of someone being able to get into your back yard more easily from a hidden view. Sure they could also get into your backyard from a corner, but this generally would be on a street with many cars driving past. I agree. You will have to ensure that if there is any access to the laneway, that it is secure. Someone was telling me the other day that they were robbed when they were in the house and the offender entered and escaped via the back of the property! If you do choose this type of property you will have to think of security measures you can put in place to reduce the risks. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 12Aug 26, 2009 10:41 pm So many of these things are 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. Personally I would choose a corner over a laneway, but it really depends on the specifics. The main reasons are security. Also, if a laneway was used for vehicle access to multiple homes, that would annoy me... By the same token, the types of roads the corner was on (access, collector etc) would be a big factor. A corner on nice quiet streets would be ideal. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 13Aug 27, 2009 6:30 am We have brought a corner block and have had a corner block in the past. What I think: . We brought it because we want back access for a future boat etc . We will have houses facing our house front and back so if someone tried to break in there is more of a chance of someone seeing them. We still have plenty of privacy, no-one can see into the actual garden. . Yes more mowing at the front and side of the property but this also makes our block look huge and gives the house more street presence. The only downside that I can see is road noise but all our main bedrooms do not face the road and it isn't a busy road we are building on. As for a block with a laneway next to it, I would be worried about security. Easy entry and escape route. Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 14Aug 27, 2009 8:38 am We lived in a rental with a fire road beside it which is pretty much like a lane way. . In our case it went through to the next street and was used constantly as a short cut by people. we hated this. It might well be a different situation where you are but I would be concerned about security etc. We has the option of 2 blocks with a walkway next to them last time we built or the next block along from one. we picked the next block along. Our neighbours often had problems with people hanging about in the walkway late at night. We currently have just moved into our new house which is on a corner block. we would never have considered living on a corner block before because of the massive "council" area you are responsible for but we love it. it also helps that our block had other aspects to it which made it the prize pick. we love that we won't have neighbours directly next door. We have a view that we will not entirely lose even eventually when people do subdivide the area behind us. Blog http://wherethehearthis.blogspot.com/ Build https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=6634: Yard https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27687&p=378401#p378401 Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 15Aug 27, 2009 9:31 am +1 for corner block. Negatives: - more chance of graffiti - more chance of getting robbed (get a dog) - more grass to mow - cant share the cost of the fence - facade adjustments Pros - makes land seem bigger - land size bigger in a way so we had a bigger FSR - Extra access to off street parking and trailor (even if it means parking on council grass next to fence) - Our second setback was only 1.5m from side boundary - rear access to shed - If you don't want anyone going through the house too much you can send them the other way - more room for BBQs Villina with Trend facade Sydney Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 16Aug 27, 2009 10:18 am I too am a fan of a corner block.... we have almost finished building on a corner block... both of us have always lived on corners and we wanted the side access to the backyard. I'm not a fan of laneways due to safety as I have known friends who have backed onto laneways and had them run down the side and many a things have happened in those laneways... At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference! 2nd build here we come in Whittlesea! https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=92617 1st Build - Henley - Cooper in Doreen! (2009) https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=17354 Re: Is a corner lot less or more desirable???? 17Aug 28, 2009 2:03 pm Personally wouldn't choose either. Finished building recently and went for a traditional neighboured block in a court. CORNER BLOCK Have owned a corner block before (on the corner of a quiet street and court) and it just seemed to take forever to mow the nature strip (funny how some things stick in your mind). Was good in that you only had neighbours on one side and the size of our back yard wasn't a problem as we had a high brick fence running down probably 2/3rds of the side of the court so the front section was still typical of a normal front yard (normal for the times the house was built). LANEWAY Wouldn't be comfortable with the security issues of my property or the disturbance potential from kids etc. hanging around the laneway. Even if they are just using it as a thoroughfare to elsewhere, (where is this laneway going to?), kids tend to lurk in areas where they think they are more private, and why do they need privacy, they are usually up to no good!! You also need to check whether you would be able to access your property via this laneway as most Regional and Melbourne councils have council by-laws which prohibit parking or driving on nature strips (although most residents are ignorant of these laws councils do tend to enforce them occasionally) and if the council that the block your contemplating has the same by-laws, you may find that that won't be a benefit of this block. I suggest doing some more research and checking with real estate agents as to whether it generally would be considered a positive or negative as the posts above show people have different views on it and they as professionals should be able to give you a more informed perspective of what buyers prefer. Good luck and let us know what you decide. I am building in claymore NSW and this is shown in the building envelope plan. … 0 10035 at most it will have a short lintel which could be moved up just below the ceiling or even above. Above means you need to patch the cornice and might need to deal with… 2 61375 4 14294 |