status of "semi" with joined converted garages ?

Isn't it to do with having rear access?

If the arrangement is house-garage-garage-house then it's known as "Link detached".

sPoNiX

It sounded like in the OPs case it was:-

garage-house-house-garage-garage-house-house-garage

So sort of "link semi detached" if there is such a thing. (personally I think link detached ought to be called semi)

Yes, I was wondering if there would be a change of status, when the linked garages in the middle were converted into extra rooms, so you have garage-house-house-converted-converted-house-house-garage. Looks like a terrace to me, unless the fact that it's only on one storey has an effect. Also, this would change the outside houses into end terraces ! I wonder if this type of thing has caused legal issues before.

The two are not the same: a semi - IMHO of course - is one of two houses separated by a party wall, and if the neighbours make a noise you hear it. A link detached house is joined to another house by a bit of wall, garage or whatever but there are no party walls between living spaces.

In my old BCO patch, New Malden, SW London, Wates built thousands of link detached chalet-style houses in the 1930's. They are detached with alternate flank walls facing one another, about 3' apart, with a decorative arch linking the houses. So all the sound insulation (and heat loss) of a detached house but AIUI because you were joined to another house you only got rated as a semi. Picture at

I expect it all ends up being called whatever the estate agent believes will secure the best price ;-)

I would guess that maybe as only part of one house joins part of another it's still link-semi-detached the converted garage still being the link.

Hence the reason for halls adjoining types.

On 17 Nov 2004 01:48:06 -0800, a particular chimpanzee named sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Simon) randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

Hmm, would this affect the amount of Permitted Development rights one has, which are different for semis than terraces? If you had to apply for planning permission when you thought you were under the limit because your house was turned from a semi to a terraced by your neighbour's garage conversion, I'd imagine you'd be a bit miffed. Would it be retroactive; if you'd built a 69m³ extension, then your neighbour turned your house into a terraced, would you then have to apply for retrospective permission?

In message , on Wed, 17 Nov 2004, Tony Bryer writes

My house is essentially a two storey house but connected to an adjoining two storey house by a single storey habitable room some 18ft by 12ft. There is a party wall between the two properties where my single storey room is connected to the end wall of the adjoining two storey property, behind which is the neighbours lounge.

Both the building society surveyor and the independent structural surveyor I engaged when I bought the property referred to it as a link detached house.

One surveyor told me that a semi-detached property has to be joined to its neighbour to the full height of habitable accomodation.

Phil