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Buying house with uneven garden & huge TPO tree.

lucyfrancesca96lucyfrancesca96 Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Hi there. My partner and I have seen this house and the inside needs pretty much next to nothing done, however there’s the garden! As seen from the pictures, it has a very large tree which has a TPO. The tree raises part of the garden making it uneven. Is it possible to level part of the garden to lay new grass, can we put new grass without levelling? Does anyone also know if you can trim a TPO tree? Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated.
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  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Check out TPO restriction with the local council BEFORE you make an offer.
    My understanding is that even pulling off a leaf CAN be a breach . Seems to depend on the individual council/ Tree officer / dogma
    Devon.
  • Janie BJanie B Posts: 963
    That tree looks very close to the house... I would get it thoroughly checked before you go ahead with the purchase... are there any signs of subsidence or cracks in the house? How old is the house? The tree? Did the house have all permissions to be built so close to the tree, with correct depth of foundations (if the tree was there first)? What type of tree is it, and what is the "behaviour" of such a tree (is it a heavy drinker, e.g.)? Have the previous owners applied for (and been refused) permission to fell the tree? Or to "manage" it (raise the crown, e.g.)? Was the TPO put on as a result of such a request? We are in the process of dealing with a tree in our garden that is causing problems to our neighbour's property. It can be a long and expensive process... Best to go into any purchase with as much info as possible (forewarned is forearmed etc) ... 
    Lincolnshire
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    My GUT feeling is to find another house
    Devon.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    You can deck around a tree to create level areas, but digging or raising the soil level would affect the roots and cause problems for the tree (and if it goes into a decline it can start shedding limbs etc...) If you decide to make an offer, you'll want a structural survey to be sure the house isn't being affected. It looks an old house, and if cracks aren't appearing by now you wonder if they ever will...

    The house looks great, and I wouldn't mind a large tree in my garden. But there are issues and complications to be aware of, I might think twice about the property.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    The inside needs pretty much next to nothing doing to it.........or have they 'papered over the cracks' so to speak. 
    West Yorkshire
  • lucyfrancesca96lucyfrancesca96 Posts: 2
    Thank you all for the comments. The tree seems definitely a cause of concern.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    I would speak to the relevant authority to see if the TPO can be removed because of proximity to the house.  I wouldn't buy a property with a tree of that size so close to the house.
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    pansyface said:
    Oh Pauline, you old cynic.😊
    Never a truer word said in jest, so they say.
    West Yorkshire
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    KT53 said:
    I would speak to the relevant authority to see if the TPO can be removed because of proximity to the house.  I wouldn't buy a property with a tree of that size so close to the house.

    Ditto.
    As @pasyface suggests, you could be walking into a minefield of bad feeling. 
    I'd put money on someone saying " can you get this tree removed?" within a month of you moving in ( but I bet they'd not offer to share the cost )
    Cynical? Moi? I'm Scottish: I was born cynical.
    Devon.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    TPOs can be lifted depending on the circumstances. If you really love the house and the tree is the only thing that's putting you off, consider consulting an arborist who can provide a full assessment of its current condition and ascertain whether there may be any future problems. I wouldn't like to say how much such an assessment would cost though. I used to work in a subsidence claims department for an arboricultural consultancy, but that was 16 years ago. It's not just subsidence that can cause problems, removing it could cause heave. I used to have an enormous ash tree on the boundary with my next door neighbour (God knows how the developers got away with leaving it) which had to be taken down as a result of heart rot. I was worried about heave given the size of it, but luckily there's never been a problem. There is also the issue of buildings insurance. Whilst it won't be impossible to get a policy, the likelihood is that you would have to pay a higher premium. 

    It probably all sounds really negative but it's not an insurmountable issue. It depends on how much you want the house. Personally, if I really loved it I'd find out whether the tree was a problem or likely to become one before making a final decision. 
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