What house to buy?
Poll: What house to buy?
Total Members Polled: 94
Discussion
A show of hands please
1) 3 bed terraced house, with basement, 100sq meters over 4 floors, average garden. Limited street parking, on busy street in town
2) 2 1/2 bed detached thatch cottage, 77sq meters, average garden, parking for 2 cars. quite end of village (there are 3 bedrooms, but 3rd is not big at all)
1) 3 bed terraced house, with basement, 100sq meters over 4 floors, average garden. Limited street parking, on busy street in town
2) 2 1/2 bed detached thatch cottage, 77sq meters, average garden, parking for 2 cars. quite end of village (there are 3 bedrooms, but 3rd is not big at all)
Pixelpeep said:
Quality of life. You don't want to be worrying about what is going on outside your house every five minutes. Not being able to park outside your own front door, visitors, etc.
Village every time for me, but i am getting old and paranoid about crime so meh. lol
Currently we can't park near our house and have to park over the road behind other things. It's annoying, and now with a dog, it's annoying-er. Village every time for me, but i am getting old and paranoid about crime so meh. lol
I want to live in a village, but I think the thatch is putting me off. If it didn't have it I'd probably have offered by now!
scenario8 said:
Are there really only two possible options? The two houses seem quite dissimilar - what's the purpose of the move? Twee cottages can look pretty but there can be some real downsides. I'm not a fan of modern townhouses either as I wouldn't want all the stairs/receptions on first floor/small gardens/mid-terrace/limited privacy etc.
I've provide some more info1) It's an old town house, not a new build. You walk into the lounge, which has been opened up to the dining room. Through a arch way into the kitchen, out to the garden. 1st floor has master bed and bathroom, loft is converted to 2 bedrooms. Stairs down to basement, about 11x11ft.
2) Old thatched cottage, with kitchen, lounge and study downstairs, upstairs is a big master bedroom, bathroom, smaller 2nd bedroom and the 3rd bedroom is about 8x6ft. Garden is from the side of hte house running along side the quite road, with the drive at the other end.
These are the 2 we've picked out of all the rest.
We're moving as we've grown out of our current property. It's just us 2, cat and large dog. Late 20's, so not retiring!
Well, a very cheeky offer was put in on the thatched, obviously turned down, but we got told what they'd accept. So that was handy! We've also offered on the terraced house, again, below the OIEO price, and an other couple have done too. That was Tuesday, and we've heard nothing. Apparently the vendors are not answering their phones.
If they do accept, I'm tempted to tell them to do one, as it's unfair making us wait when there are other places we could be looking at.
After a pros/cons list last night, I think we decided that the thatch needed too much spent on it and would still be pokey. We had an additional viewing of it yesterday with my DIY dad and he pointed out a few extras. One of them being I can't stand in the bath, without touching the ceiling, so no way to have a shower! We also added 'no space for a Christmas tree' to the con list, I think that put the missus off!
The terraced house is by no means perfect, but is big, light, spacious, and walking distance to many pubs and shops. A slightly less private garden (we'd put in higher fences) and limited parking is the only downsides.
From the voting the cottage wins hands down, but I think in reality, if you lot viewed it, you'd see sense too. It's just that little too small. Anyway, rightmove is being frantically refreshed, so there may well be an other topic. Oh, if and when we get something sorted, I'll provide you with a build thread, for all of your helps.
If they do accept, I'm tempted to tell them to do one, as it's unfair making us wait when there are other places we could be looking at.
After a pros/cons list last night, I think we decided that the thatch needed too much spent on it and would still be pokey. We had an additional viewing of it yesterday with my DIY dad and he pointed out a few extras. One of them being I can't stand in the bath, without touching the ceiling, so no way to have a shower! We also added 'no space for a Christmas tree' to the con list, I think that put the missus off!
The terraced house is by no means perfect, but is big, light, spacious, and walking distance to many pubs and shops. A slightly less private garden (we'd put in higher fences) and limited parking is the only downsides.
From the voting the cottage wins hands down, but I think in reality, if you lot viewed it, you'd see sense too. It's just that little too small. Anyway, rightmove is being frantically refreshed, so there may well be an other topic. Oh, if and when we get something sorted, I'll provide you with a build thread, for all of your helps.
Whilst I understand people get busy, all they need to do is make that apparent. It makes us think they'll drag their feet come crunch time with other parts of the conveyancing.
They had an open house, the next business day they've suddenly decided to not answer their calls. Not really on.
They had an open house, the next business day they've suddenly decided to not answer their calls. Not really on.
Well, we got a call last night at 6pm from the agent of the terraced house. We didn't get it, turns out someone had offered way above the OIEO price, and we'd offered lower than it. It's not worth the OIEO price, so we're out.
In the mean time, the thatched property has had £15k taken off the asking price, as I imagine with our low offer and explaining what needs to be done they've come to realise it's overpriced. It will potentially drum up more business for them, but the agent has said they'll give us a heads up about any movement.
If we went with the thatched place, it'd need some work, new bathroom and kitchen, a few cupboards taking out, new floors throughout (currently cheap laminate), a few trees out as well as doing the whole garden, and making a space in the garden to park cars (there is already a nice metal gate).
Most of the work I can do, so we won't have massive labour, but it'll take time and still cost a chuck of cash, so we're undecided. We think if we done the lot and put it back up, we'd maybe make £20k after all costs, but then factor in stamp duty for the next move, and it's not worth the effort. So, I think it needs to be somewhere to do up and live in for a good few years.
In the mean time, the thatched property has had £15k taken off the asking price, as I imagine with our low offer and explaining what needs to be done they've come to realise it's overpriced. It will potentially drum up more business for them, but the agent has said they'll give us a heads up about any movement.
If we went with the thatched place, it'd need some work, new bathroom and kitchen, a few cupboards taking out, new floors throughout (currently cheap laminate), a few trees out as well as doing the whole garden, and making a space in the garden to park cars (there is already a nice metal gate).
Most of the work I can do, so we won't have massive labour, but it'll take time and still cost a chuck of cash, so we're undecided. We think if we done the lot and put it back up, we'd maybe make £20k after all costs, but then factor in stamp duty for the next move, and it's not worth the effort. So, I think it needs to be somewhere to do up and live in for a good few years.
Don't know if you lot are interested, but hey.
So, the house was live with it's new price on Rightmove this weekend, with only 1 viewing and no interest. We decided that we'd like to see it empty, as it's a tip due to the tenant moving out.
I phoned up and was told NO viewing until the tenant moved out, as it was so messy. No problem as no one else could see it. We agreed Tuesday (next week), but they'd do no later than 4pm as they finished at 5. Not sure what they are thinking, but usually the only people buying houses are in jobs! I was also told that we would have to offer what they told us was the vendors minimum they'd take (20k off the now revised price). I'm pissed with them, telling me they won't do 'out of hours' viewings and dictating what I should offer.
Someone suggested they're 'fed up' dealing with me, but I can't see why they should get fed up with 4 viewings, on 3 of which I couldn't get into 2 rooms due to the mess!
Anyway, a house we liked some 6 months ago has fallen through, so we've got a viewing with that. Down side is it's just been renovated, so no work/profit for us. Upside is it looks great and we could just move in and pocket some cash (911?) from our sale.
So, the house was live with it's new price on Rightmove this weekend, with only 1 viewing and no interest. We decided that we'd like to see it empty, as it's a tip due to the tenant moving out.
I phoned up and was told NO viewing until the tenant moved out, as it was so messy. No problem as no one else could see it. We agreed Tuesday (next week), but they'd do no later than 4pm as they finished at 5. Not sure what they are thinking, but usually the only people buying houses are in jobs! I was also told that we would have to offer what they told us was the vendors minimum they'd take (20k off the now revised price). I'm pissed with them, telling me they won't do 'out of hours' viewings and dictating what I should offer.
Someone suggested they're 'fed up' dealing with me, but I can't see why they should get fed up with 4 viewings, on 3 of which I couldn't get into 2 rooms due to the mess!
Anyway, a house we liked some 6 months ago has fallen through, so we've got a viewing with that. Down side is it's just been renovated, so no work/profit for us. Upside is it looks great and we could just move in and pocket some cash (911?) from our sale.
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