Buying cottage off partners parents + right of way

[Rosie1974]

My partners gran has died and her cottage has been left to his mum. His parents live a few doors away. The cottage needs a lot of work, possibly structural work. I am getting a survey done next week.
2 questions!!
1. The cottages are in a terrace and so each house has right of way across the back yards of everyone else with a communal gate one end. This worries me - any ideas?
2. Should I consider buying it (jointly with my partner) from his mum? His mum was born and grew up in the cottage and understandably wants to keep it in the family. I get on great with his parents but what if they started commenting on the changes we want to make to the cottage?
We can afford to borrow more money to buy another house but buying the cottage would mean cheaper mortgage.
HELP. I'm having a big dilemma.

[CheekyChops]

Have your partners parents offered to sell it to you or is it your idea to buy it from them?

[Rosie1974]

Yes his parents have offered it to us for slightly less than the market value.

[buildersmate]

Question 1
What worries you about it? It is a very common arrangement - defining both rights and obligations of householders in the terrace. Legally it is OK. But you will undoubtedly find stories where it doesn't work for people. Usually that's when one or more parties to the arrangement have a different set of standards or norms about what behaviour is acceptable (blocking others in, leaving c**p in the common spaces etc.) That's about understanding the strength and the stability of the community. Only you can assess that.

[Rosie1974]

"Our" back yard if we bought the cottage would be 26 foot by 11 foot, the biggest in the terrace and it is second from the gate end so about 8 other houses have right of way across it. Obviously as his family have lived in the street for 70 odd years they know it is an ok area and a nice little community - this is one of the things that attracts me although the cottage is only a 2 bed and we really are after 3. (we are in our 30's and want a family). It worries me that neighbours will be going across our property (possible lack of privacy) and that there might be a security issue when you compare it to a house with an enclosed garden.

[buildersmate]

Yes, neighbours may walk across the end of the property. Maybe you could erect a plant screen or trellis.
Yes its not as good as having your own control 100% on the gate. It is normally permissable to put a lock on the gate if you give them a key. But relies on the quality of the control exercised by the neighbour.
Back to square one - my comment about you assessing the quality, reliability and trustworthiness of the people around the property.