A link-detached house is ‘linked’ to another property via the garage, but doesn’t share any common walls like a semi-detached or terraced house does. Some link-detached houses are linked by a cellar or the foundations rather than the garage, which makes them look detached when actually they are not.
Well, it’s neither! A link-detached house is its own category of property as it does not fall into the definitions of semi-detached or detached houses. While they are not quite as desirable as a detached house, a link-detached house often sells for more than a semi-detached or terraced house.
Investing in a link-detached house could be a great idea, as it offers many of the benefits of a detached property without the hefty price tag. I would recommend getting an extended survey done to make sure that any shared walls are in good shape and unlikely to need much future maintenance.
If you are listing a link-detached house for sale or rent, make sure the listing emphasises that the house is not semi-detached, it is link-detached – an important distinction. Also, make sure you get a copy of the boundaries and floor plans as this can avoid any potential future disputes with neighbours over shared walls or driveways.
As with any property investment, get to know the local area first, find out about any future developments in the area that could affect your investment, and find out what other similar properties in the area are worth before investing.
Link-detached houses might share a common wall within the garage, but it means you are less likely to hear the sounds of the neighbours coming through the wall. This gives a little more peace and quiet than a semi-detached or terraced house.
Link-detached houses do offer more privacy than semi-detached houses, but without the premium price of a detached house. Most people don’t mind if their garage is touching the neighbour’s garage.
A link-detached house can offer all the benefits of a detached house but for a cheaper price. You may also get a larger garden or more outdoor space, and other benefits too for less money than a detached property of the same size.
Link-detached houses that are linked by the garage may share a driveway, which could lead to potential issues. Neighbours could block one another in, leading to conflict, and any repairs to shared land or walls would need to be paid for equally and agreed on by both parties.
Many home insurance companies don’t have an option on their website to select a link-detached house. Buying insurance for a detached or semi-detached house might mean that the insurance is not valid if you come to make a claim, it’s worth getting in touch with insurers directly to make sure that the property is insured properly.
If you want to do any renovation work that involves cutting into the common wall, removing a chimney or other works, you will need to get permission from the property owner on the other side due to the Party Wall Act of 1996. Minor repairs should be fine, although it might be a good idea to give the neighbour a heads-up before work commences.
It’s usually beneficial to property values to add an extension, but in the case of a link-detached house, this might not be true. If the extension brings the two properties closer together, it might make it effectively a semi-detached house and thus worth less.
This can be tricky, as any conversion or extension work could actually reduce the value of the property. A conversion might be less problematic than an extension – as mentioned before, an extension could bring the property closer to the neighbour’s house and it could then be classed as a semi-detached property. Also, the neighbour could easily object to your extension plans under the Party Wall Act 1996, so your plans could be scuppered before they begin. A garage conversion should be okay to do without the permission of the neighbour, but it is best to check before any work begins. This will change the whole dynamic of the two houses though from two linked garages to potentially two linked rooms, again, effectively making them semi-detached properties.
This seems like a good idea, as then your property would be completely detached, and the house next door would not be connected to yours at all. But in reality, it’s not quite that simple. This is something you would need to get planning permission for as well as permission from the owner of the neighbouring property. Unlinking the houses may increase the property value, but you must consider the building costs of such an operation. You may also forfeit some space, thus making the house smaller. I suggest you get in touch with the local council’s planning department to see if it is likely to be approved, then get some quotes from builders to see if it would be worth the expenditure for the potential of additional property value.
To sum up; link-detached houses can be a decent property investment, as they offer benefits associated with a detached house but for a price more in line with a semi-detached property. As long as you bear in mind the potential drawbacks listed above, you should have no unexpected nasty surprises down the line.
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