went to view a house - confused.
Discussion
sunbeam alpine said:
Very good observation. I'm currently living in a house I originally discounted based on the estate agent pics. They were - without exception - shot from absolutely the worst angles and made the house look awful. When I arrived I had to double-check the address - I couldn't believe I was at the right place!
I have recently done this too! My wife suggested a place and I discounted it from looking at rightmove pictures. It got relisted with a different estate agent (incidentally £10,000 cheaper too), and the pictures did the house more justice so I gave in and agreed to view.We've now been moved in four months. As others say (I'd attempted to say it to myself, too), you really do just get that gut feeling. I felt it for the first time in this house, after viewing 6 others beforehand and having an offer declined on two of them.
Everything happens for a reason and all that!
PixelpeepS3 said:
we are painfully aware of that - the inlaws lived next door to Huntly (they are still there). - they are right next to the school (across the stream)
Terrible times. My brother and I spent four days searching the area at the time. Just walking the fens and looking in abandoned buildings etc. I thank god we weren't the ones that found them, god rest them both. PixelpeepS3 said:
why soham ?
My partners sister and husband, along with a little niece and nephew live in the town. Ely (4.7 miles) station has direct links into London, house prices are still reasonable, people are (generally) pleasant enough, less traffic, less pollution, less crime, broadband speeds are good (up to 79m)
I long to live in a place where eye contact doesn't automatically = a puncture wound.
Ely is starting to ramp up quite a bit, though admittedly it's still a bargain compared to Cambridge. Friends of mine were shocked to find a bidding war for their 2-bed around 18 months ago and it eventually went for something like 15% over the asking price. It's a nice town with decent restaurants, some nice enough pubs and pleasant surrounding countryside. I would push the budget a little to live there instead of Soham - the train links to London and Cambridge alone are worth it.My partners sister and husband, along with a little niece and nephew live in the town. Ely (4.7 miles) station has direct links into London, house prices are still reasonable, people are (generally) pleasant enough, less traffic, less pollution, less crime, broadband speeds are good (up to 79m)
I long to live in a place where eye contact doesn't automatically = a puncture wound.
Ahonen said:
PixelpeepS3 said:
why soham ?
My partners sister and husband, along with a little niece and nephew live in the town. Ely (4.7 miles) station has direct links into London, house prices are still reasonable, people are (generally) pleasant enough, less traffic, less pollution, less crime, broadband speeds are good (up to 79m)
I long to live in a place where eye contact doesn't automatically = a puncture wound.
Ely is starting to ramp up quite a bit, though admittedly it's still a bargain compared to Cambridge. Friends of mine were shocked to find a bidding war for their 2-bed around 18 months ago and it eventually went for something like 15% over the asking price. It's a nice town with decent restaurants, some nice enough pubs and pleasant surrounding countryside. I would push the budget a little to live there instead of Soham - the train links to London and Cambridge alone are worth it.My partners sister and husband, along with a little niece and nephew live in the town. Ely (4.7 miles) station has direct links into London, house prices are still reasonable, people are (generally) pleasant enough, less traffic, less pollution, less crime, broadband speeds are good (up to 79m)
I long to live in a place where eye contact doesn't automatically = a puncture wound.
Worth also looking at Littleport a few miles up the road from Ely; same line to Ely/Cambridge/Kings X. There's also a new cinema and restaurant complex being built next to the A10 between Ely/Littleport so you'll likely see house prices rise in the short term because of this. See here: http://turnstoneestates.com/project/ely-leisure-vi... Opening through March/April 2017.
dazmanultra said:
Just to add, it's probably worth expanding your search to include the likes of Burwell and Fordham as well, both decent villages.
But that puts you in a far more difficult position to get into London. If you work in Cambridge, I'd agree - it's a 20-25 min drive (when the a14 is not broken), but to get to a train station is a little tricky. If only there were a link across to Waterbeach without having to fight Newmarket Rd traffic which backs up.
Try to be as objective as possible would be my advise - obvious really. When we bought 3 years ago, I wasnt in love with the house but objectively it ticked so many boxes.
I managed to override my indifference to the house (i.e my gut feeling) which was based upon the idea of spending so much money/making a mistake/and the feeling that something better would be around the corner. I'm so glad we did over come that gut feeling because we are really happy with the place and my gut is happy. So gut feels can be wrong. You are doing the right thing asking others to sanity check.
You are == Heart says yes Head says no.
I was == Heart says no Head says yes.
I would go with the head every time because my gut feel/heart is too flakey sometimes.
I managed to override my indifference to the house (i.e my gut feeling) which was based upon the idea of spending so much money/making a mistake/and the feeling that something better would be around the corner. I'm so glad we did over come that gut feeling because we are really happy with the place and my gut is happy. So gut feels can be wrong. You are doing the right thing asking others to sanity check.
You are == Heart says yes Head says no.
I was == Heart says no Head says yes.
I would go with the head every time because my gut feel/heart is too flakey sometimes.
Edited by BL Fanboy on Thursday 9th February 14:24
Podie said:
As it's a bungalow - can you do a loft conversion?
Almost certainly yes. However even if the loft space is big enough, with a steep enough pitch to provide a decent roof volume, this is done at the cost of losing a stairwell-sized part of the ground floor, reinforcing the loft joists to load bearing floor spec, dormer/Velux windows, half a new roof, and all the rest. It's not trivial and I'd put that money into a house that already had the extra space.I think the fact you are asking here tells me you are not sure....& when in doubt, as my old mum used to say, do nowt!
On the few occasions we have moved (or considered moving - this process once persuaded us to stay!), we worked out a scoring system for places we looked at.
We would start by scoring the place we live to compare with - you are generally paying £££ to move, so you want to improve on the current! I actually have an old book with some of this still in from many years ago - makes for entertaining reading now ;-)
Start with MUST haves: these are showstoppers, without which you will not consider a place.
For us, this has included things such as no nearby power lines (!), a double garage (or space for), min X bedrooms, good (<15 minute) access to motorway Junction X, access to certain schools perhaps. Yours might include commute time to <PlaceX>
Without those things, a property is blown away.
Then we devised a scoring system - such as living room size 150sqft = 1 point, >200 = 2 pts. Similar for other important rooms (master bedroom, kitchen).
Downstairs loo? +1
Separate utility room? +1
Sunroom/conservatory? +1
etc etc etc
Garden - score out of 5 (including potential)
Usable or convertible attic could be +1 to +3
Basically trying to add a bit of science & logic to a decision which is very clearly based on "feeling an opinion". Not that feelings and opinions don't matter - for housing, they very much do.....but this could help reinforce any decision.
You could pick certain rooms and add the ability to add a bonus point if you or SWMBO really like the room.
You may want to try that as you compare places. Or you may not: I fully understand either way!
On the few occasions we have moved (or considered moving - this process once persuaded us to stay!), we worked out a scoring system for places we looked at.
We would start by scoring the place we live to compare with - you are generally paying £££ to move, so you want to improve on the current! I actually have an old book with some of this still in from many years ago - makes for entertaining reading now ;-)
Start with MUST haves: these are showstoppers, without which you will not consider a place.
For us, this has included things such as no nearby power lines (!), a double garage (or space for), min X bedrooms, good (<15 minute) access to motorway Junction X, access to certain schools perhaps. Yours might include commute time to <PlaceX>
Without those things, a property is blown away.
Then we devised a scoring system - such as living room size 150sqft = 1 point, >200 = 2 pts. Similar for other important rooms (master bedroom, kitchen).
Downstairs loo? +1
Separate utility room? +1
Sunroom/conservatory? +1
etc etc etc
Garden - score out of 5 (including potential)
Usable or convertible attic could be +1 to +3
Basically trying to add a bit of science & logic to a decision which is very clearly based on "feeling an opinion". Not that feelings and opinions don't matter - for housing, they very much do.....but this could help reinforce any decision.
You could pick certain rooms and add the ability to add a bonus point if you or SWMBO really like the room.
You may want to try that as you compare places. Or you may not: I fully understand either way!
Depends on if you prefer to do things up yourself slowly or you want something finished inside but personally, I would prefer this by stretching myself a tiny bit +/- try to negotiate a bit on the price:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
3 decent sized bedrooms - check
Detached - check
Off street parking - check
Get out of your car when you're on your drive - check
Garage which you can use as a workshop - check
Garden - check
Outside / local area - looks good, better than the other one if anything
Inside - needs some work, some, including me, would prefer to buy in this sort of state anyway. Liveable but modernise to your own taste without ripping out brand new stuff.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
3 decent sized bedrooms - check
Detached - check
Off street parking - check
Get out of your car when you're on your drive - check
Garage which you can use as a workshop - check
Garden - check
Outside / local area - looks good, better than the other one if anything
Inside - needs some work, some, including me, would prefer to buy in this sort of state anyway. Liveable but modernise to your own taste without ripping out brand new stuff.
Late to this, but...
When we bought our first place in Cambridge, we didn't have a clue. Having just started looking to figure out the basic process of house viewing, the first house we saw 'nailed it'. Cue a lot of panic.
The solution? We booked to view 13 other houses within the week. Different areas, variations on the budget and size. The extra viewings put the first one in context, and helped us work out what were genuinely 'unique' features worth fighting for, and what was par for the course on our budget. Every house got compared to that first one.
As it was, we bought it, and lived happily in it for nine years. I'm not advocating buying the first house you see, but the only way you can make an informed decision is compare it to all of the available options.
When we bought our first place in Cambridge, we didn't have a clue. Having just started looking to figure out the basic process of house viewing, the first house we saw 'nailed it'. Cue a lot of panic.
The solution? We booked to view 13 other houses within the week. Different areas, variations on the budget and size. The extra viewings put the first one in context, and helped us work out what were genuinely 'unique' features worth fighting for, and what was par for the course on our budget. Every house got compared to that first one.
As it was, we bought it, and lived happily in it for nine years. I'm not advocating buying the first house you see, but the only way you can make an informed decision is compare it to all of the available options.
Grandad Gaz said:
Soham is also a long way from Cambridge! I had an uncle who lived there.
Not sure how you would get to London?
No station in Soham and it is roughly equidistant between Newmarket and Ely.Not sure how you would get to London?
Fastest rush hour train from Ely to Kings Cross are 1hr 15 mins direct service. All the others change at Cambridge but only 2 mins longer.
Fastest rush hour train from Newmarket to Kings Cross is 1hr 23 mins with a change at Cambridge. No direct service it seems.
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