Dropped Curb Applications ‘On The Rise’
- February 2, 2017|
- News|
- Darren Clarke
A huge selling point for houses is having off-road parking, but for many this simply isn’t an option. For those who live in urban areas, the likelihood of having to park their cars on the street is certainly quite high these days – and not having off-road parking can actually bump your car insurance premiums up, since insurers will deem your vehicle as not being secure enough when parked at home.
In-depth analysis from Direct Line has just revealed that there is an increasing number of homeowners looking to have the curbs outside their houses dropped so that they have somewhere to put their car. The study found that 2015 saw almost 30,000 dropped curb applications approved, while estate agents view having off-road parking as absolutely vital in adding to a property’s value and improving its desirability.
It’s likely that people are increasingly putting these applications in because of hikes in on-street parking restrictions. Of course, it depends on where you live as to where you may or may not be allowed to park, so make sure you familiarise yourself with the rules of your local area before parking your car.
For example, in Manchester there are four controlled parking zones in the city centre – the maximum stay for a car in zone one is two hours, while in zone three the maximum stay time is three hours… so it makes sense to have a quick read of the rules before you do drive and park somewhere. You could end up with a ticket and a hefty fine if you don’t!
“As the number of cars on the road increases, so does pressure on available spaces and this, combined with the cost of on-street parking and residents’ permits, means that many homeowners see dropping the kerb to create an off-street parking space as an attractive option. As estate agents highlight, it is also an opportunity for homeowners to add value to their property and to make it more attractive to potential buyers.
“For many local authorities, applications for changes to parking access and other planning requests are a valuable source of additional revenue. It is, however, a postcode lottery, while some authorities charge nothing for applications others charges hundreds of pounds,” head of household products with the insurer Rebecca Clapham said.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the new car market in the UK hit a record year last year, with annual registrations rising for the fifth consecutive year to reach nearly 2.7 million. If this continues, which it may well do, you may find it even harder to park your car near your house – so why not start looking into an application for lowering your curb now, just in case you do decide it would be a good idea to do in the future.
And, as ever, if you need windows in Stockport get in touch with us today.
