Critique this house

[S10GTA]

Been and seen it this morning, I love it mostly due to the epic garage...

Other half isn't so keen.

Here it is, what do you think?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

More pictures to follow shortly as taking the MIL round, see if I can get her onside.

[Thankyou4calling]

Here is my take on it.

Not looked at others in the area so i can't comment on the value comparison.

The room sizes are decent, utility gives lots of options and it's liveable comfortably whilst any work is done.

Personally i'd be looking at giving it more kerb appeal too, perhaps changing the windows to bays and putting plants under that.

There really is loads you can do to it if you wan't or just a relatively simple redecoration and remo0val of a few bits.

What are your intentions?

[lunarscope]

I find it hard to believe the price of houses 'down South'.
That property would be £120K in my town on the North Wales coast.

[S10GTA]

It would be a long-term home.

If we went for this we wouldn't have much disposable income to do loads of work. The top garden is a mess but nothing a few days of hard graft wouldn't sort. The kitchen is dated and we'd have to do something with it longer term but it's livable. Likewise the lounge.

Problem is I can see potential and looking long-term it ticks boxes, other half can't see past tomorrow.

[S10GTA]

lunarscope said:

I find it hard to believe the price of houses 'down South'.
That property would be £120K in my town on the North Wales coast.

It's crazy isn't it. We'd be moving from a 3 bed ex council like this one http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

[Marvtec]

A very stuck in the 70s semi for £278k!

Kitchen very dated, horrible fake beams and artex combo. Fireplace is vile! Horrible concrete tile cladding on the front.

Edit: Oil heating too which although cheap atm wont always be

Edited by Marvtec on Saturday 3rd September 11:36

[Mastiff]

Shared drive as well.

[S10GTA]

Marvtec said:

A very stuck in the 70s semi for £278k!

Kitchen very dated, horrible fake beams and artex combo. Fireplace is vile! Horrible concrete tile cladding on the front.

Fair comments. Values round here really are that high, see the link above for the ex council house. The price is certainly negotiable, it's a probate sale and I'd expect somewhere around 260k. A 40k different from where we are now.

[DoubleD]

You would need a fair chunk of cash to modernise it.

[roofer]

Nothing a bit of decorating won't sort. Any house you can make your own over time, and it looks like you'd get a car in the garage with room to open car door.

Big plus.

[jonwm]

lunarscope said:

I find it hard to believe the price of houses 'down South'.
That property would be £120K in my town on the North Wales coast.

I though the same, a strong £169k in my village just outside tamworth

[S10GTA]

roofer said:

Nothing a bit of decorating won't sort. Any house you can make your own over time, and it looks like you'd get a car in the garage with room to open car door.

Big plus.

I'll add a picture later, but I reckon I could get the V70 and the frogeye in it, with space to spare. It's got a roof area too, accessed via steps at the back.

[S10GTA]

And yes, the prices are crazy. It's tempting just to stay where we are with minimal outgoings. We'd be increasing borrowing from 100k to 150k roughly.

[CAPP0]

If it's really going to stretch you financially to buy that, I'm not sure I'd go for it. It is, being brutal, a very unremarkable house needing a lot of work to make it halfway-nice. If the garage is the only draw, then whilst I completely understand that, I'm not sure it makes sense to go for it?

[lunarscope]

S10GTA said:

And yes, the prices are crazy. It's tempting just to stay where we are with minimal outgoings. We'd be increasing borrowing from 100k to 150k roughly.

So you have around £120K equity in your current place ?
Sell up, move to my town and be mortgage-free. :-)

[S10GTA]

CAPP0 said:

If it's really going to stretch you financially to buy that, I'm not sure I'd go for it. It is, being brutal, a very unremarkable house needing a lot of work to make it halfway-nice. If the garage is the only draw, then whilst I completely understand that, I'm not sure it makes sense to go for it?

A good question.

The garage is a draw undoubtedly, but so is the parking/driveway situation compared to where we are. It's a nicer setting than we currently have. I like the layout too.

Edited by S10GTA on Saturday 3rd September 12:12

[S10GTA]

lunarscope said:

S10GTA said:

And yes, the prices are crazy. It's tempting just to stay where we are with minimal outgoings. We'd be increasing borrowing from 100k to 150k roughly.

So you have around £120K equity in your current place ?
Sell up, move to my town and be mortgage-free. :-)

I'd love to, North Wales is incredible. Stayed near swallow falls last year for a few nights and was totally taken with the place.

[DoubleD]

You live in your house not in your garage.....well your Mrs will at least.

[S10GTA]

DoubleD said:

You live in your house not in your garage.....well your Mrs will at least.

Yep. I like both! If it was just me I'd have moved already. So much nicer than what we have in my opinion. Have a 3.5 year old and a Mrs to consider.

[vixen1700]

lunarscope said:

I find it hard to believe the price of houses 'down South'.
That property would be £120K in my town on the North Wales coast.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

One bedroom ex-council flat needing a bit of re-furbishment in my neck of 'used to be unfashionable' East London.