Have your house preferences changed with age?
Discussion
enjoying, as I do, the property pawn page and reading some of the comments about neighbours (generally, yuk!), loads of land (generally, yes please) etc etc I was wondering how your wants/needs have changed.
For us our particular wants have changed drastically since Mrs DG's mother became housebound. No longer was a (semi)large garden of interest and a house needed to be looked with a view being able to future-proof. Added into the idea of future-proofing was the idea that neighbours might actually be a good idea (from someone living in the SE that's hard to say!!) and who on earth wants to maintain an acre (let alone multiples of!). Is there room to be able to instal a lift should you become infirm? Another issue is size of house, no longer 'need' more than 3 bedrooms - don't really want more than 5... etc etc
So, has age changed your ideal house and if so how?
For us our particular wants have changed drastically since Mrs DG's mother became housebound. No longer was a (semi)large garden of interest and a house needed to be looked with a view being able to future-proof. Added into the idea of future-proofing was the idea that neighbours might actually be a good idea (from someone living in the SE that's hard to say!!) and who on earth wants to maintain an acre (let alone multiples of!). Is there room to be able to instal a lift should you become infirm? Another issue is size of house, no longer 'need' more than 3 bedrooms - don't really want more than 5... etc etc
So, has age changed your ideal house and if so how?
Yes, we moved to suburbia 18 years ago as I wanted to be closer to shops, people, things...now I'm in my mid 40s I want the exact opposite - no neighbours, no screaming kids, and a little more privacy.
In terms of the property, I've always wanted something more characterful and traditional but I've a friend whose currently around £500k into ripping apart an old townhouse (on top of the purchase price) and the project has a long way to go - he has put me off buying something with hidden issues that needs new plumbing/electrics/insulation/roof etc.
In terms of the property, I've always wanted something more characterful and traditional but I've a friend whose currently around £500k into ripping apart an old townhouse (on top of the purchase price) and the project has a long way to go - he has put me off buying something with hidden issues that needs new plumbing/electrics/insulation/roof etc.
I bought two new builds , thinking the end of cul-de-sac would be quiet and out of the way, finally realised everyone else eventually obstruct your access .... Garages aren't used or converted into living accommodation.... "Shared drives" or more correctly "right of access which shouldn't be obstructed" is a definite no no.
My ideal house now ... in a village hamlet.... own electric gate onto country lane .... large drive with room for 10 cars and turning point on my own land .... only issues now ..... bloody horses crapping , knob-end cyclists having inane shouting conversations riding two/three abreast , dog walkers taking out for a crap and joggers pissing as they run.
P.S. Could be worse ... at least Paula Ratcliffe doesn't live near me
My ideal house now ... in a village hamlet.... own electric gate onto country lane .... large drive with room for 10 cars and turning point on my own land .... only issues now ..... bloody horses crapping , knob-end cyclists having inane shouting conversations riding two/three abreast , dog walkers taking out for a crap and joggers pissing as they run.
P.S. Could be worse ... at least Paula Ratcliffe doesn't live near me
Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Tuesday 7th May 20:31
Yes, we bought a fabulous fishermans style cottage right next to a beautiful bay, three bedrooms swimming pool etc, kids have now grown up and mostly left!
now down sizing to a timber framed house of our own design down a 200m track set in 2 acres of land that we will use to become as self sufficient as possible, when we sell our current house I'm seriously considering selling my cars and other toys, the prospect of de cluttering and living a far simpler life becomes ever more appealing
now down sizing to a timber framed house of our own design down a 200m track set in 2 acres of land that we will use to become as self sufficient as possible, when we sell our current house I'm seriously considering selling my cars and other toys, the prospect of de cluttering and living a far simpler life becomes ever more appealing
Edited by mcelliott on Tuesday 7th May 21:49
Yes.
We bought a large bungalow in west Wales with a large garden. We then finished converting the upstairs of the bungalow into a further 2 usable rooms.
We will hopefully shortly be moving to a smaller 3 bed bungalow near Hereford with a garden a 1/4 of the size. No need for more than 3 bedrooms either (one of which will be used as a snug). The village has a village shop; village hall that has loads of stuff going on; and is walkable to a pub.
I got fed up with 'death by gardening' due to the size of our current place...although it was a godsend during lockdown. Where we currently live is also in the middle of nowhere and 10 miles from an A road. The new place is less than 5 miles from Hereford.
We bought a large bungalow in west Wales with a large garden. We then finished converting the upstairs of the bungalow into a further 2 usable rooms.
We will hopefully shortly be moving to a smaller 3 bed bungalow near Hereford with a garden a 1/4 of the size. No need for more than 3 bedrooms either (one of which will be used as a snug). The village has a village shop; village hall that has loads of stuff going on; and is walkable to a pub.
I got fed up with 'death by gardening' due to the size of our current place...although it was a godsend during lockdown. Where we currently live is also in the middle of nowhere and 10 miles from an A road. The new place is less than 5 miles from Hereford.
We currently live in a 4 bed semi, town house, new(ish) build, bought mainly for its location close to our city centre offices. Now we both wfh, location is no longer important, so we intend to downsize to a slightly cheaper location. The older we get the more conditions are being imposed on our next house. So far we have: detached, well away from other neighbours (current neighbour is an absolute psychopath who has made our lives unbearable at times), no shared spaces (everyone takes the piss, constantly), no trees (fed up with sap dripping on the car), decent sized garage (another reason for buying current house was oversized garage), 2 floors max (the older we get, the less we venture to the top floor), ideally no fences, only walls or hedges (fed up with constant battles over fence maintenance and access to repair), normal neighbours (impossible to judge I know, but some warning of what we were moving into would have been nice), granny annexe (Mother may need to move in eventually), no social housing anywhere near (judgemental probably, but having an enclave of them on our estate, I am astounded at the amount of crap they are happy to leave outside their houses and how filthy you can let a house get and still pass an annual inspection). Other than that, we don't want much 
Yes.
When we were both looking for our first place in 2013 we were considering two flats close to the city center (Liverpool), as we were childless at the time and still relatively young.
We didn't end up going for either and ended up in a small-semi 10 miles out of town - which turned out for the better, as we had a small garden and space for two cars at the front.
Fast forward 10 years, we have just moved into a place a little older in a slightly more desirable area - one of the key requirements was to have a little more privacy and a little more peace (the new build estate we were previously in had some interesting characters!).
I can now sit out in the garden in peace - which is golden.
Not planning on moving just yet, but once the lad has finished school in years to come, we may try somewhere a little more remote, I quite like the idea of having some land should the finances allow.
When we were both looking for our first place in 2013 we were considering two flats close to the city center (Liverpool), as we were childless at the time and still relatively young.
We didn't end up going for either and ended up in a small-semi 10 miles out of town - which turned out for the better, as we had a small garden and space for two cars at the front.
Fast forward 10 years, we have just moved into a place a little older in a slightly more desirable area - one of the key requirements was to have a little more privacy and a little more peace (the new build estate we were previously in had some interesting characters!).
I can now sit out in the garden in peace - which is golden.
Not planning on moving just yet, but once the lad has finished school in years to come, we may try somewhere a little more remote, I quite like the idea of having some land should the finances allow.
Yep, like a lot of people, our younger years were spent enjoying the hustle and bustle of city living - we lived above shops in SW London and loved it.
Now, we crave space and quiet and live in a forest in NE Scotland. It’s soooo quiet that unfortunately whenever we go away and stay elsewhere, our first complaint is usually about some form of noise which would be imperceptible to others!
Other than that we do think about age and what ifs for the future (garden become unmanageable and being so remote causes issues) and suspect that may change what we want as we finally grow up.
Now, we crave space and quiet and live in a forest in NE Scotland. It’s soooo quiet that unfortunately whenever we go away and stay elsewhere, our first complaint is usually about some form of noise which would be imperceptible to others!
Other than that we do think about age and what ifs for the future (garden become unmanageable and being so remote causes issues) and suspect that may change what we want as we finally grow up.
Yes - we spent 20 something years in a couple of small farms - mostly for horses but a few other things like chickens and alpacas etc.
The kids left home and my wife's 2 main horses died in quick succession and it came as a surprise that she said she didn't fancy replacing them one thing left to another and we moved to a 5 storey Georgian townhouse with hardly any outdoor space. We've kept some of the land which is about a 15 mins drive away.
The town we live in isn't exactly the best but we can walk to the shops and a few half decent bars and restaurants. I have a couple of meetings a month and there is a west coast mainline station 5 mins walk away so I'm in Manchester in 20 minutes and London in 1.50. my wife can walk to yoga and the gym in less than 5 mins walk
The design of the house means we get out own floor for home office and sitting room as well private space for visitors if anyone stays over.
It was a bit of a risk but we said we'd give it a year and can't see us going back to our of town living. I quite like the mixed nature of the town - we are right in the thick of it and there are some "interesting characters" but once the door is shut we've had no issues whatsoever
The kids left home and my wife's 2 main horses died in quick succession and it came as a surprise that she said she didn't fancy replacing them one thing left to another and we moved to a 5 storey Georgian townhouse with hardly any outdoor space. We've kept some of the land which is about a 15 mins drive away.
The town we live in isn't exactly the best but we can walk to the shops and a few half decent bars and restaurants. I have a couple of meetings a month and there is a west coast mainline station 5 mins walk away so I'm in Manchester in 20 minutes and London in 1.50. my wife can walk to yoga and the gym in less than 5 mins walk
The design of the house means we get out own floor for home office and sitting room as well private space for visitors if anyone stays over.
It was a bit of a risk but we said we'd give it a year and can't see us going back to our of town living. I quite like the mixed nature of the town - we are right in the thick of it and there are some "interesting characters" but once the door is shut we've had no issues whatsoever
Edited by TownIdiot on Wednesday 8th May 09:05
In my 20s my house was a place to sleep really and so being somewhere busy was important, space wasn't so much, did not desire any outside space and didn't want something to maintain.
In my 30s I gave suburbia a go because I outgrew the flat and really wanted a house. Suburbia in the 90s proved the most affordable way to try that and still be able to commute to London. Learned some basic upkeep skills and quite enjoyed it.
In my 40s life was more settled. Happily married and with no desire to be out every night, and with work changing to be more remote-first, I decided to build on the enjoyment of the maintenance side of things and had a hankering for a home with character. I think this is when I started to really think about my house as a home, somewhere to spend time, to enjoy, to add value to etc. So we bought a 16th century listed former Hall House in a Kentish village. Coupled with 1/3rd of an acre it was glorious just the wife, dog and me. Out in the orchards most days we enjoyed that a lot.
But I could never really get to grips with gardening. Didn't mind the constant DIY of upkeep of the buildings but the garden just always seemed like outdoor cleaning to me. One day every weekend between March and November needed to be spent in the garden, and that was just to keep on top of it. Plus towards the end it got tiring always having to drive everywhere and nothing being close by. No cab ranks, no late trains and limited travel options means I don't think we went out for dinner for a decade where both of us could have a drink.
Thus in my 50s I've just moved to a Victorian house in a small town. Still has character but being on a smaller plot means less outside work. GP surgery around the corner (sadly appealing as you get older!) , shops ten minutes away, plenty of good pubs/restaurants in walking distance plus a capital city with art and culture only 15 minutes door-to-door is proving a real plus point we were looking for. Remote working became almost permanent so that opened up the whole country to move to meaning we could get a property by the sea and also a configuration that works for home and work. First two floors are home and top floor is all my office.
In my 30s I gave suburbia a go because I outgrew the flat and really wanted a house. Suburbia in the 90s proved the most affordable way to try that and still be able to commute to London. Learned some basic upkeep skills and quite enjoyed it.
In my 40s life was more settled. Happily married and with no desire to be out every night, and with work changing to be more remote-first, I decided to build on the enjoyment of the maintenance side of things and had a hankering for a home with character. I think this is when I started to really think about my house as a home, somewhere to spend time, to enjoy, to add value to etc. So we bought a 16th century listed former Hall House in a Kentish village. Coupled with 1/3rd of an acre it was glorious just the wife, dog and me. Out in the orchards most days we enjoyed that a lot.
But I could never really get to grips with gardening. Didn't mind the constant DIY of upkeep of the buildings but the garden just always seemed like outdoor cleaning to me. One day every weekend between March and November needed to be spent in the garden, and that was just to keep on top of it. Plus towards the end it got tiring always having to drive everywhere and nothing being close by. No cab ranks, no late trains and limited travel options means I don't think we went out for dinner for a decade where both of us could have a drink.
Thus in my 50s I've just moved to a Victorian house in a small town. Still has character but being on a smaller plot means less outside work. GP surgery around the corner (sadly appealing as you get older!) , shops ten minutes away, plenty of good pubs/restaurants in walking distance plus a capital city with art and culture only 15 minutes door-to-door is proving a real plus point we were looking for. Remote working became almost permanent so that opened up the whole country to move to meaning we could get a property by the sea and also a configuration that works for home and work. First two floors are home and top floor is all my office.
Yes, in my younger years I always aspired to have a bigger house. Went from three to four to five bedroom. Finally got to 3000 sqft with full size snooker room but end terrace in Surrey.
Now I'm retired, we downsized to four bed detached about half the size, in North Yorkshire. Life is much more peaceful and quiet with lovely neighbours. And much less maintenance work.
Now I'm retired, we downsized to four bed detached about half the size, in North Yorkshire. Life is much more peaceful and quiet with lovely neighbours. And much less maintenance work.
We're about to move to our seventh place in the last 16 years since returning to the UK. Plus many more places lived in overseas before that.
Some of those places included what at the time were expected to be 'forever' homes but we've realised that for us, there's no such thing. We love the variety and the change of scenery, and can no longer imagine staying in one place for very long. I keep cars longer than I keep homes, and am happy that way.
Some of those places included what at the time were expected to be 'forever' homes but we've realised that for us, there's no such thing. We love the variety and the change of scenery, and can no longer imagine staying in one place for very long. I keep cars longer than I keep homes, and am happy that way.
Yes, currently live in a 25 year old house in an estate of a similar age, with a small garden. Rooms are well sized compared to most modern houses although ceilings must be around 1m lower than our previous house!
10 years ago, I'd have never considered such a house. Small kids and a big old house which needed loads of work wasn't a great mix though and the money / time investment didn't seem worth it.
Current house is great, limited hassle and easy to work on. 110% the right decision. I love old 1930s houses but there's not much stock near where I currently am and we want to walk the kids to school so not going to happen.
We'd love a bigger garden but ours isn't terrible and parks are nearby. A similar house (1 less bed) with a bigger garden came up recently, £150k more than houses like ours. I think it's overpriced but even if it's £100k, once you consider moving fees, etc. we both quickly agreed it wouldn't be worth it.
10 years ago, I'd have never considered such a house. Small kids and a big old house which needed loads of work wasn't a great mix though and the money / time investment didn't seem worth it.
Current house is great, limited hassle and easy to work on. 110% the right decision. I love old 1930s houses but there's not much stock near where I currently am and we want to walk the kids to school so not going to happen.
We'd love a bigger garden but ours isn't terrible and parks are nearby. A similar house (1 less bed) with a bigger garden came up recently, £150k more than houses like ours. I think it's overpriced but even if it's £100k, once you consider moving fees, etc. we both quickly agreed it wouldn't be worth it.
plenty said:
We're about to move to our seventh place in the last 16 years since returning to the UK. Plus many more places lived in overseas before that.
Some of those places included what at the time were expected to be 'forever' homes but we've realised that for us, there's no such thing. We love the variety and the change of scenery, and can no longer imagine staying in one place for very long. I keep cars longer than I keep homes, and am happy that way.
seventh place in 16 years Some of those places included what at the time were expected to be 'forever' homes but we've realised that for us, there's no such thing. We love the variety and the change of scenery, and can no longer imagine staying in one place for very long. I keep cars longer than I keep homes, and am happy that way.
All the SDLT, conveyancing, legal, removal costs, decorating, mortgage admin fees etc. must add up to the price of a house.
We've gone from tradition 3/4 bed 1930s semis (doer uppers) in the suburbs of a city to modern 5 bed detached in a village to modern 4 bed detached in a town.
Next move will be modern bungalow/apartment in small coastal town but with decent transport links.
Small enough garden to maintain easily.
Next move will be modern bungalow/apartment in small coastal town but with decent transport links.
Small enough garden to maintain easily.
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