Consensus on renovating or buy somewhere done.
Discussion
Hi all I've owned a house for 20 odd years and it has become tired and dated, looking at renovating most of it and building an extension I'd be looking at with fag packet maths 45-55k costs.
Now the house is in a convenient location, lots of pubs and shops nearby and a generally sought after location however what was once a nicely tendered street has become a sea of paved gardens as black cab drivers have bought the properties over the years filling the street and gardens with cabs making it difficult to park which is peeing me off no end.
I've seen they are building some new homes a few miles away that would only cost me 20k more than renovating my house.
I guess I'm trying to talk myself out of an option but what would the collective do?
Now the house is in a convenient location, lots of pubs and shops nearby and a generally sought after location however what was once a nicely tendered street has become a sea of paved gardens as black cab drivers have bought the properties over the years filling the street and gardens with cabs making it difficult to park which is peeing me off no end.
I've seen they are building some new homes a few miles away that would only cost me 20k more than renovating my house.
I guess I'm trying to talk myself out of an option but what would the collective do?
If you have the money to throw at it, I'd choose renovate. I wanted to go down " buy a doer upper" route, but with a 3yr old and pregnant wife it wasn't really feesible. I'd also make sure I had all the funds up front.
Friend of a friend bought a doer upper, back to brick, layout change, new plumbing, electrics etc etc, but he spent all his money on the purchase, so has had to do stuff bit by bit. 18mths later he's a broken man. He's constantly knackered and skint
Friend of a friend bought a doer upper, back to brick, layout change, new plumbing, electrics etc etc, but he spent all his money on the purchase, so has had to do stuff bit by bit. 18mths later he's a broken man. He's constantly knackered and skint
Sheets Tabuer said:
Hi all I've owned a house for 20 odd years and it has become tired and dated, looking at renovating most of it and building an extension I'd be looking at with fag packet maths 45-55k costs.
Now the house is in a convenient location, lots of pubs and shops nearby and a generally sought after location however what was once a nicely tendered street has become a sea of paved gardens as black cab drivers have bought the properties over the years filling the street and gardens with cabs making it difficult to park which is peeing me off no end.
I've seen they are building some new homes a few miles away that would only cost me 20k more than renovating my house.
I guess I'm trying to talk myself out of an option but what would the collective do?
It really depends upon whether you are genuinely tired of where you live or just bored.Now the house is in a convenient location, lots of pubs and shops nearby and a generally sought after location however what was once a nicely tendered street has become a sea of paved gardens as black cab drivers have bought the properties over the years filling the street and gardens with cabs making it difficult to park which is peeing me off no end.
I've seen they are building some new homes a few miles away that would only cost me 20k more than renovating my house.
I guess I'm trying to talk myself out of an option but what would the collective do?
If the cabbies really annoy you there is probably not much you can do. Sooner or later the black cabs might be replaced by Uber mini cabs I suppose, but broadly the situation isn't going to change.
If you really are ready to go, then go. But remember you'll be putting a large chunk of money into HMRC's coffers which you could otherwise use productively improving your house. You'll also be paying a new build premium on the new house which may not be as good as the one you own.
Sheets Tabuer said:
I've seen they are building some new homes a few miles away that would only cost me 20k more than renovating my house.
Is that 20k extra including Stamp Duty, removal costs, estate agents fees, legal fees, doing the bits and bobs that you want doing to the new house?There are lots of extra costs in moving house.
But then there are lots of extra costs in renovating the house you have -
Larger bills on an older house, hotels or renting somewhere if it's a big job, extras that occur as you are doing it etc
I'm halfway through a renovation and I'm fed up.
If you're going to do it, make sure you've got the time to dedicate to it.
I've got halfway through and now the day job has built up to the point that I'm pulling some very late nights. In a half-finished house. Massively frustrating and not fun.
If you're going to do it, make sure you've got the time to dedicate to it.
I've got halfway through and now the day job has built up to the point that I'm pulling some very late nights. In a half-finished house. Massively frustrating and not fun.
13m said:
If the cabbies really annoy you there is probably not much you can do. Sooner or later the black cabs might be replaced by Uber mini cabs I suppose, but broadly the situation isn't going to change.
My heart sank this morning when the house next door but one which has been up for sale for a week had a black cab turn up to view it, I'm fed up of parking in the next street as each driver seems to own 3-4 of the bloody things.My house is a mid terrace, nothing special 3 bed with one bathroom, the new houses are 3 bed 2 bathrooms plus en-suite and a drive.
Sheets Tabuer said:
13m said:
If the cabbies really annoy you there is probably not much you can do. Sooner or later the black cabs might be replaced by Uber mini cabs I suppose, but broadly the situation isn't going to change.
My heart sank this morning when the house next door but one which has been up for sale for a week had a black cab turn up to view it, I'm fed up of parking in the next street as each driver seems to own 3-4 of the bloody things.My house is a mid terrace, nothing special 3 bed with one bathroom, the new houses are 3 bed 2 bathrooms plus en-suite and a drive.
Don't underestimate the pain involved in planning and then doing large amounts of renovation work.
Just getting a plumber/plasterer to answer the friggin phone is hard enough.
If your cost to move is "only" 20k more then have a serious look at it. You sound fed up with your current gaff and it doesn't sound like a place you can grow into really.
Just getting a plumber/plasterer to answer the friggin phone is hard enough.
If your cost to move is "only" 20k more then have a serious look at it. You sound fed up with your current gaff and it doesn't sound like a place you can grow into really.
It sounds lie you no longer like your street and house so why spend money on it? I do know that a £300k (say) house with a £50k refurb is not worth £350k. I looked at a couple of doer-uppers and instead bought one with it all done for no more money. 18 months on I have spent almost nothing. In fact I have spent nothing other than essential maintenance.
If the new builds are nicer places to be with nicer neighbours then £20k sounds cheap to me.
If the new builds are nicer places to be with nicer neighbours then £20k sounds cheap to me.
After living with my wife and usually moving every 2-3 years I have discovered there is no such thing as a "Done house"
I have heard the following words uttered on more than one occasion "This is perfect we can move in and unpack no bother"
This is untrue, what this actually means is that everything needs redecorating or ripping out and replacing to add our stamp on the pad and once the house is done that is the time to sell up.
I have heard the following words uttered on more than one occasion "This is perfect we can move in and unpack no bother"
This is untrue, what this actually means is that everything needs redecorating or ripping out and replacing to add our stamp on the pad and once the house is done that is the time to sell up.
dave_s13 said:
Don't underestimate the pain involved in planning and then doing large amounts of renovation work.
Just getting a plumber/plasterer to answer the friggin phone is hard enough.
If your cost to move is "only" 20k more then have a serious look at it. You sound fed up with your current gaff and it doesn't sound like a place you can grow into really.
this ^^^ I can pretty much guarantee that your fag-packet calculations will be waaaaaay out, then the length of time taken will expand drastically, the mess is unbelievable (and our builders were tidy!), then various trades will let you down at the last moment etc etc. That being said if you have plans for something special/unique/different then it is 'worth' it in spades - if all you're going to do is have an identikit house in a road that you're not in love with moveJust getting a plumber/plasterer to answer the friggin phone is hard enough.
If your cost to move is "only" 20k more then have a serious look at it. You sound fed up with your current gaff and it doesn't sound like a place you can grow into really.
Vandenberg said:
After living with my wife and usually moving every 2-3 years I have discovered there is no such thing as a "Done house"
...what this actually means is that everything needs redecorating or ripping out and replacing to add our stamp on the pad and once the house is done that is the time to sell up.
Versus: "I looked at a couple of doer-uppers and instead bought one with it all done for no more money. 18 months on I have spent almost nothing. In fact I have spent nothing other than essential maintenance."...what this actually means is that everything needs redecorating or ripping out and replacing to add our stamp on the pad and once the house is done that is the time to sell up.
There's one important difference.
I'm a bloke.
Sheets Tabuer said:
I've seen they are building some new homes a few miles away that would only cost me 20k more than renovating my house.
If you're current house is pre-war you'd be swapping something that's a bit more expensive to heat for something where every small detail is built down to a cost; nasty hardboard doors, chipboard floorboards, plastic chimney, prefab roof trusses, etc etc.90% of neebuilds are soulles, Victorian-ish pastice, devoid of anything interesting. If I were you, I'd learn to like the black cabs.
Edited by greg2k on Friday 26th August 14:04
battered said:
Versus: "I looked at a couple of doer-uppers and instead bought one with it all done for no more money. 18 months on I have spent almost nothing. In fact I have spent nothing other than essential maintenance."
There's one important difference.
I'm a bloke.
Keeps her happy and she loves all that interior design stuff and is good at it, so hey ho.There's one important difference.
I'm a bloke.
greg2k said:
If you're current house is pre-war you'd be swapping something that's a bit more expensive to heat for something where every small detail is built down to a cost; nasty hardboard doors, chipboard floorboards, plastic chimney, prefab roof trusses, etc etc.
90% of neebuilds are soulles, Victorian-ish pastice, devoid of anything interesting. If I were you, I'd learn to like the black cabs.
This is the age-old old vs new debate. Anyone who thinks that old houses were not built down to a cost is naive. I've seen any number of old huoses whose only architectural merit or quality is that they haven't yet fallen down.90% of neebuilds are soulles, Victorian-ish pastice, devoid of anything interesting. If I were you, I'd learn to like the black cabs.
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