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Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (25th Jun 2020  08:51:39) I would like some help and advice please. Can anyone tell me do you need permission to paint the external brick and mortar walls on a house, Any advice would be much appreciated.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - ian (25th Jun 2020  09:20:24) not generally unless there are restrictive covenants. These are normally in place in newish developments such as Silent Garden and Maple Park or former local authority houses that have been purchased.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Joe (25th Jun 2020  10:16:03) It depends on the house if it is a listed grade one or grade 2 property possibly. If you wanted to paint a house bright pink in an area which was a conservation area you may possibly need permission.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Nicky (25th Jun 2020  10:21:56) Dave give EHDC a quick ring. I’ve always found them extremely helpful.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - er (25th Jun 2020  10:41:44) If it was me (and admittedly not many people are) I wouldn't want to be the first in my street to paint my house, but then I don't have much artistic imagination, sometimes it can look great, but I guess once you paint it you can't go back, you have to keep painting, love to see the results just please avoid bright pink ha ha!!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (25th Jun 2020  15:47:49) -ian, The house to be painted is on the Gunns Farm estate. It was a council estate but now is 50% owned and 50% purchased. I have a new neighbour and he has told me he is going to paint the external three wall on his semi-detached house. I am not at all happy about this.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - AA (25th Jun 2020  16:45:10) I'm pretty sure in this case the council will be the freehold owner and it's probably written into the lease that you cant do this. They would own the entire structure so even changing the external windows or doors technically needs permission. It would be a pretty visible alteration so they need to be careful because the council does sometimes notice these things..!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - M (25th Jun 2020  17:00:26) Not 100% sure but if you alter the look of the front of your house you need planning permission (we needed it to change a flat roofed garage to a pitched roof. As other have said get in touch with EHDC planners either via their website or in person, always been helpful to us.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Dawn Hoskins (25th Jun 2020  17:05:55) You can only prevent him from doing it if there is a restrictive covenant. It will be in your documents as well as his (if there is one).

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Anon (25th Jun 2020  17:20:48) Tell them painting brickwork stops the house from breathing and will cause damp problems, which is actually true in some cases!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Irby (25th Jun 2020  19:12:01) Dave, I hope it's not Jack and Vera Duckworth moving in!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (25th Jun 2020  20:02:17) I would avoid this at all costs, you will have to do it every few years. If I remember your estate is red brick? What's up with that? Leave your neighbour be and don't get involved. (I just know some Herbert is going to call me a troll).

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Grant Jones (25th Jun 2020  20:45:47) Gunns farm is not in a conservation area or has any listed buildings, so your neighbour can do Wat he likes. Except insert a shark in his roof

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - joe (25th Jun 2020  21:21:56) If he owns the house on Gunns Farm they are sold as freehold so painting the house would not need any permission.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Dave (25th Jun 2020  21:43:09) Definitely a covenant held by Council to prevent this a Gunns Farm, contact Penns Place who will tell you how to proceed

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Joe (25th Jun 2020  23:25:59) If there is a covenant Dave himself will have the same covenant he just has to find it.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (25th Jun 2020  23:46:46) I remember being told by a EHDC planning officer some twenty years ago whilst discussing an application of my own:- "You need planning permission for a coal bunker but you can paint your house any colour you want". (I just know someone is going to tell me I'm wrong). Incidentally, my application was for building works, not to paint my house nor for a coal bunker. Houses are only really painted through necessity, imagine how many litres of paint would be needed for the smallest house. Take Collyers Crescent for example, you have two rows of nice red brick cottages, then six white houses at the end. Why? Because the white ones were built after the red brick ones out of "Midhurst White" bricks. The Midhurst White is really an interior brick, because when touched by frost they crumble to a powder. To prevent the houses at the end of this quaint little road crumbling in the winter they are painted to protect them from the winter temperatures. With a house that's been built with facing bricks, regardless of the brick's natural colour painting them really isn't neccessary and future purchasers may wonder if the paint is hiding something. But, it's [their] house.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Rob (26th Jun 2020  06:19:14) No offence dave, but it's really none of your business if he wants to paint. If your not happy about it, it's not your house! @

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (26th Jun 2020  08:48:02) -Rob, I am well aware that it's not my house. My daughter lives in the house next door and it could devalue her property as well as the other houses close by including mine. We could have a situation in the future where we have a rainbow estate houses painted all different colours Things happen in this world and sometimes you have to make a stand. It's easy to shout from the roof tops when you don't have to look out of your window at it. I rest my case.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Rob (26th Jun 2020  10:25:14) I imagine your neighbour wants his/her house to look like an owner/occupied house on the Gunns Farm estate. I admit if it were a detatched house it would not look odd. As there are many more important life threatening issues for people, it should not really become an issue. If he/she is not flouting any planning restriction, let it go.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Nicky (26th Jun 2020  10:35:38) Dave, please go to planningportal.co.uk Everything you need to know is there. Should you still have a query could I politely suggest you call EHDC at Penns Place in Petersfield as I’ve already suggested. It would appear no planning permission is required to paint an exterior of a house (with a few exceptions- in a national park, if it is listed etc...), although I would definitely check for any covenants in your purchase paperwork as it’s possible there maybe something there. Should your neighbour do a really nice job of rendering before the house is painted there is a possibility that it looks fabulous and increases the value of your daughters house 😊 Sometimes change is a good thing. Just a thought.......

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (26th Jun 2020  12:43:14) To continue Nicky's positive outlook on this, there are some terraced houses in Pompey and Brighton all painted different colours and they don't look bad at all.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Rob (26th Jun 2020  18:50:54) Dave, you look around there's loads of properties painted on the outside, I can't see your issue here. It's a painted house for goodness sake, it’ll probably look lovely when it's done and will look better than boring old council bricks. Also, I'm sure they won't be painting bright red or pink, so chill out.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (26th Jun 2020  19:36:31) -Rob. Rob I ask the question would you paint your brickwork on your house ?????. YES or NO.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (26th Jun 2020  21:35:13) David, no, I wouldn't. But it's [their] decision.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Keith (27th Jun 2020  08:52:58) If it's a rented property, then the landlord will have to give permission. In this case the landlord is probably Radian. Unless he wants to paint it a really garish colour Radian are likely to give him permission but they do charge around £50 for the permission process so that might put him off. If it's a private property then no permission needed (unless as others have said there is a restrictive covenant on the property), if he wants to paint his house he can. Have you considered discussing with him what colour he wants to paint it? There's a world of difference between a property painted magnolia and a property painted with a rendition of the Union Jack. Just an aside - in Alresford there is a local bye-law which says no two neighbouring properties can be painted the same colour - but I doubt any such bye-laws exist in Liphook (although you could check with the Parish Council).

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Joe (27th Jun 2020  10:35:00) Hi Dave my house is coloured light cream it was that colour when I bought the house. I prefer it to the look of immediately seeing a "council house " brickwork. Keith I believe it is an owner occupied house. If the whole of Liphook were a grade one conservation area then that would need permission. The Gunns farm estate is not a listed area and not restricted in the same way the Cowdray estate would be. If you lived there you would have to live with the Veuve Cliquot sponsered dark yellow colour.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (27th Jun 2020  11:23:55) -Joe, What a snobbish remark. 50% plus have purchased there houses / bungalows on the Gunns Farm estate and are very proud owners All the houses are brick with tiled roof and that is how they should remain. The owner of the house in question has told me he painted a house in Haslemere. So why did he leave and after he has ruined the appearance of our estate will leave as well.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Nicky (27th Jun 2020  12:18:08) Dave you are quite right that a high percentage of Gunns is now privately owned. Regardless of their ownership the development looked gorgeous when I walked round it with some stunning gardens. Clearly there are some very proud residents. However you come across as rather presumptuous in your assumptions about why your neighbour left his previous home. Have you seen what sort if a job/ colour he did on his previous house? People move for many reasons but I would suggest rarely for having done a paint job they or the neighbours are not happy with. Unless there is a covenant on the houses or if planning is needed then the resident concerned is free to paint his property. Just because you would be prefer the entire development to stay paint free doesn’t actually mean everyone agrees with you. This is I’m afraid just differing opinions which people are perfectly entitled to have.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (27th Jun 2020  14:42:13) -Nicky I agree 100% you have your opinion and I have mine . END OF. If he paints it I accept that I am a position where I can't do anything. But if I don't voice my displeasure he wont know. When it's painted it is to late to complain. It appears I have lost the battle I accept that but that doesn't mean I should give up. If it goes ahead he will not of made any friends and I for one will never have any contact whatsoever under any circumstances. Who would have thought that painting a ***** house could cause so much grief.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Jackie Bond (27th Jun 2020  16:53:01) Wow Dave I certainly pity your neighbour whom you have embarrassed on a public forum for something he/she hasn’t done yet to their own property. What a lovely Liphook welcome from the old guard. Daves neighbour I can’t wait to see your painted house! May I suggest Pride Colours or perhaps a glow in the dark Union Jack? Magnolia is so 1990.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - M (27th Jun 2020  17:18:28) Dave calm down, it's only some paint on a house! We all have neighbours who annoy us sometimes but we all have to live next to each other and get along. Check with EHDC and if they say there is no planning permission required then chat in a friendly way to the neighbour, who wants to paint his house, and voice your concerns. See if you can come up with some agreement on colour? If you don't get the response you want then you'll just have to agree to disagree and move on. Who knows it might actually look nice to have some variation in the street scene once it's done?

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Joe (27th Jun 2020  18:19:33) The remark I made may be snobbish but you are sounding like a very sad person Dave if you let it affect you that much. As for house prices what will devalue your house is a neighbour dispute- when you come to sell a house there is a question on a legal document which asks you to affirm you have had no neighbour dispute. If this is found to be untrue by the person buying your house they could sue you afterwards. Is a coat of paint worth getting bitter and twisted over?

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Nicky (27th Jun 2020  20:21:53) Dave you’re right ‘who would have thought painting a house would cause so much grief’’! However it was your post no one else’s!!! 😂 How rude you are using capital letters in your reply to me too. We are all trying to help and advise which presumably is why you posted to start with. Frankly I thought my response was quite polite and measured. So good luck with your neighbour. I hope they paint their house neon green 🥳

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - er (27th Jun 2020  21:06:44) OMG sorry but I had to reply. Those who know Dave or have followed this site will know how public spirited he is. Those of us who have invested sometimes all their savings into their home will understand how worrying it can be. I've been to that area recently and I didn't see a single brick house painted, I thought how lovely the estate looked all the houses as they were intended showing their brickwork, but that is just my personal opinion. I know in a lot of other areas of the country the estates seem to have been painted, often I'd say tarted up by individual buyers over the years, my god do you remember the mock stone cladding or Tudor strips as it seemed every Del Boy wanna-be 'Kevin McCloud' bought his council home? Less bad (often good) was rendering, followed by tasteful painting, but just painting brick on both levels doesn't tend to look good on a council house (my opinion). As for neighbour disputes needing to be mentioned on sale, yes but I somehow doubt you will be sued for every disagreement like asking your neighbours not to paint their brickwork, what an overreaction, I'd like to think we are talking more about disputes that turn into hostility or anti social behaviour, border disputes, litigious disputes or involving the police or council, not just a disagreement on decor, we are not all snowflakes, we must be able to talk to our neighbours without being unable to sell our houses! All dave did was ask if there were any rules on this, so he would know where he stood, which is what talkback is for. Then he said 'If he paints it I accept that I am a position where I can't do anything' so chill people, go take a stroll. On a plus side, I'd guess painting it probably shouldn't affect the price of neighbouring houses, unless the job is especially great or especially terrible, (I've seen some of both), some will see it as progressive, like when your neighbour builds an extension blocking all your light, you think your house will lose value, but then when you come to sell you find it's actually increased the value, so I do agree life is too short to worry unduly!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - John (27th Jun 2020  21:20:57) Wow Dave sounds like a very tolerant person to live next door to. ‘I don’t own my house but my neighbour does and I don’t want him to paint it.’ If the neighbour moves on, I’m sure that loads of people will be queuing up to live next such accepting neighbours. Maybe they might end up parking a caravan or an old speed boat on the drive, be careful what you wish for. What happened to ‘be kind’? Looks like that’s been left ‘be hind.’

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - JP (28th Jun 2020  01:52:27) If the covenants are anything like those for a similar ex-council house that I've seen then there won't be anything specific saying that painting the house has to be approved but there is likely to be a catch-all clause saying that no alterations may be made to any external elevation without the written consent of the vendor (presumably EHDC).

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (28th Jun 2020  08:15:56) What a pity this thread has descended to the snobbish level of "ex-council house". Still, that's Liphook for you. You will find, JP, that the deeds, covenants and conditions of purchase or whatever else you wish to call it are much the same regardless whether it is a ex-council house or not.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Joe (28th Jun 2020  09:04:04) Dave did say he was not going to " give up" and he implied he would not like it if othet people spoke to his neighbour. If Dave takes that sort of attitude things escalate. Why not accept the neighbour graciously despite the painted walls?

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - David Lambert (28th Jun 2020  10:04:39) Good morning to you all, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has made a comment in favour or not. The worry of all this has made my wife ill so this is my last post on the subject. My new neighbour has tried all weekend to avoid me but I did manage to speak with him on Saturday evening. We had a heated exchange I told him I was well aware he could paint his house I tried to explain to him that myself and some neighbours were of the same opinion as me and didn't want the house painted . He wasn't interested. He works away all week and we have kept an eye on his house put out the bins, brought them in, kept his goldfish pond topped up in the hot weather, watered his plants well that all stops as from now. I just hope he never ever needs my help. It is a very sad situation but that's how things have turned out. I just hope he sees that he has upset a few of us and changes his mind.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Mandi (28th Jun 2020  17:27:56) The house in question isn't part buy with the council, it's a private sale.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Rob (28th Jun 2020  19:36:21) Obviously it's going to be painted professionally, if it's any good I'm thinking of getting mine done, so may pop up and have a look for the new painted house. I know there are 2 houses painted up gunns farm as you come in on the left, they look fine.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - JP (28th Jun 2020  23:30:35) My mention of it being an ex-council house is very relevant as there are additional covenants on these houses that don't exist on other houses of a similar age. It has nothing to do with being snobbish - I was just pointing out that the legal situation could be different. It isn't a planning issue - the permission would need to be granted by the EHDC housing department or their successors. Of course modern private houses also now have similar covenants which owners need to be careful of as there are now companies that buy up the legal rights to enforce these covenants and who go round charging fairly large sums of money to anyone who has broken these covenants.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Ann (29th Jun 2020  06:52:09) Rob, those two houses were painted when the estate was built.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (29th Jun 2020  07:48:54) JP, the deeds and covenants are specific to the individual property as I'm sure you know. The only additional ones I'm aware of concerning ex-council houses is the one pertaining to if the property is sold within a three year period then part of the discount must be paid back to the council. Actual planning laws, which are not applicable in this case, are the same whether it be an ex-council property or a private one. Once a council property is sold it becomes private even though, as this thread has shown, it will always be referred to as "ex-local authority" even by the estate agent selling it. As has been suggested earlier in this thread, the council do not retain certain authorities over an ex-council house once it is sold.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - JP (30th Jun 2020  01:08:41) D - I recently moved to an ex EHDC council house (though not on Gunns Farm) and there are certainly specific covenants covering alterations that are intended to ensure that EHDC have a say in any external changes to the house. I would assume that these covenants are common to most ex EHDC properties so you certainly aren't free to do what you like with the house. I've yet to find out whether they still enforce them but they're definitely still there in the deeds. I know that some ex-council houses have even more onerous conditions attached to them - like you can only buy the house if you are already a local resident. Having lived in a few houses in my lifetime I've experienced all kinds of legal issues which aren't always obvious to the unwary (or inexperienced conveyancers) so I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to things like this.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (4th Jul 2020  19:01:50) I think I would rather look at a painted house than look at a caravan on the front drive . I wouldn't go rubbing people up the wrong way just incase your not allowed a caravan on your drive. It would be a shame if you have to find somewhere else to have to store it .

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Grant (4th Jul 2020  21:20:38) D I think you have just done that Good work..... Come on D come out, or are you the dark Knight of Liphook?

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Rob (4th Jul 2020  21:57:02) If you store a caravan in your driveway you have to seek permission 1st from your local council. Secondly you can't have a caravan stored in your front garden.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (4th Jul 2020  23:55:52) The "D" who made the post about caravans on driveways is not the same "D" discussing house painting and deeds earlier in this post. You only have to look at the terrible spelling mistakes made by the latter. I'm surprised you didn't notice, Grant.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Al (5th Jul 2020  06:52:09) Seriously it's bad when people bicker over a house being painted. There's people with no homes in this world. People dying, really moaning about a bit of paint on houses is so pathetic. Get a life!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Ian (5th Jul 2020  11:48:53) Al - what a patronising post! Most of us are aware that in the bigger world there are those that are less fortunate than ourselves and face greater challenges. However for most of us, that is not our life, our life is dealing with local challenges which for some individuals are important and we don’t need self righteous twerps like you belittling our lives. We have a life thank you!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Hayley (8th Jul 2020  16:31:32) Already seen the painted house. Looks awful!!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Grant (8th Jul 2020  19:18:14) Has Banksy been working Liphook?

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Gunn’s farm (9th Jul 2020  16:10:43) The house looks good painted fair play to them you should paint yours to! might cheer you up and your Neighbours Instead of moaning. All it is down that road who better then who and who’s got the most money grow up !!!!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Rob (10th Jul 2020  06:32:06) Must say it looks real classy,well done to the owner, lights the street up, looks very welcoming.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Jackie Bond (10th Jul 2020  13:24:40) I think it looks really nice cannot understand the huge fuss! A real asset to the road!

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Grant (11th Jul 2020  06:22:50) Sounds great. I will be taking a trip out with the kids to see this new local attraction.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - D (11th Jul 2020  09:53:01) I like it, the negative comments on this thread aren't dissimilar to the ones I used to hear at school aimed at the council house kids by the private house kids. You'd think they would grow out of it, wouldn't you?

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - richard (11th Jul 2020  12:45:04) I am going to look too

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Richard (11th Jul 2020  18:02:26) if it is the white painted semi next to an unpainted one, I thought it looked great, as does my wife and tweenager. With all the noise about it though, I was expecting it to be yellow with pink spots or similar! Houses used to be quite often whitewashed, and I recall it was a regular task for my grandparents

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - er (11th Jul 2020  21:34:14) I'll be organising minibus tours from the Square daily, included in the itinerary will also be the Sainsburys Pond, the The New BMW building, controversial statues and of course a tour of the new estates where we can observe the incomers. There will be a night trip around the Drug Ridden Skate Park, London Road Racing Track, Recreation Ground Louts and the Anchor drunks, pre-booking essential.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Robert (13th Jul 2020  20:34:46) Wow that's some comments just for a house to be painted, I bet Mr lambert wished he'd keep quiet now

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Jackie Bond (14th Jul 2020  07:59:25) I’m not sure what he expected humiliating his new neighbour on a public forum. Welcome to Liphook viillage of tolerance

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - Gfm (17th Jul 2020  04:57:14) The house is lovely painted and the garden is so pretty. Whoever lives there really has improved it.

Re: Paint the brickwork on a house - May (20th Jul 2020  09:32:47) I think the painted house looks lovely, well done

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