Talk me into or out of this house please

Talk me into or out of this house please

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BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Monday 21st June 2021
quotequote all
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108907565#/

Pros are it is in the right location and on a good big plot

Cons are well look at it.

My thoughts are to knock down the flat roof bit and replace with a pitched roof extension then add a separate garage block, but then how to make the rest of the house look less grim?

Thoughts and suggestions please.

Ben

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
quotequote all
okgo said:
What are folk seeing that I'm not?

1 million quid all told to live in the worst looking house in a private road next to a depot?
I largely agree with you and that was why I started the thread. Surprised it has found so much love TBH

Although you do score extra PH points for assuming it can't be made liveable for anything less than £250,000

Ben

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
quotequote all
Baldchap said:
That £900k one is a much better buy to my mind.
Agreed, but it isn't for sale.

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
quotequote all
Mr Pointy said:
covmutley said:
I like it! I love the way it sits in its plot, although outside needs completely landscaping to better connect the house and garden and create livable outside spaces.

I will chuck some guesstiamte figures out there, just for fun! :

Kitchen £20k, plus 5k to reconfigure kitchen/dining
2 bathrooms £10k
doors and windows £15k (nothing fancy)
stairs £10k
heating system £10k
electrics £7k
decorating and odds and sods £10k
landscaping £20k

Total: £107k. Fairly standard stuff. Start adding bi-folds, fancy bathrooms and kitchens and obviously it can double, or quadruple!
No chance - those numbers are way out unless you are a builder & all the labour is free.
My own numbers were more:

- some tins of paint and brushes £500
- 3 bay garage with room above £50k

Ben

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
quotequote all
Going to view on Sunday to see what it is like in the metal......

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
There must be a restriction. What you can't see from the picture is the houses to the West are up a massive hill from the industrial estate so really not noticeable. The house I wanted to buy in the first place (mortgage / survey problems now beaten to it) is one of them. Despite being closer much less of a concern.

Ben

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Wednesday 23rd June 2021
quotequote all
GT911 said:
A study of the Local Development Plan would give some insight.

Admittedly, is not easy though trying to navigate around half a dozen interlinked documents of several hundred pages each, all with random reference numbers, annexed references, and trying to work out if any of it has been superseded or not.

Anyway...

This document shows two sites nearby that are being considered for residential developments, the Great Houghton Prep School to the north, for 240 homes (LAA1024, page 59) and the Green to the south for 840 homes (LAA1098, page 60).

https://www.northampton.gov.uk/download/downloads/...

The fields that surround the house would physically link these two sites, the ones to the south over the old railway line are identified as not being considered for development (for now anyway...), see LAA0787, page 172. It's possible the remaining field directly next to the house already appears somewhere else as allocated for development. Or maybe the owner isn't yet ready to consider development, but might be at some point.

OP, it's worth doing your own digging if this amount and proximity of development would concern you.

Extracts from the document I linked appear in a February 2021 news article in NorthantsLive, so maybe the seller got wind of that and decided it was time to upsticks.

It's always a good question to ask yourself why the house is for sale.
Thank you that is really helpful. I would not be fussed about houses being built nearby, less delighted if a 30ft high warehouse appeared in the adjacent field.

Ben

BigBen

Original Poster:

11,663 posts

231 months

Monday 28th June 2021
quotequote all
Thought I would update this after viewing yesterday.

The house looked much better in person than in the photos, however the pictures from the front were rather flattering about the amount of space available.

The garden was really nice but needed a lot of trees taking down to give it any sort of light. Room sizes were good and the heating system + double glazing were all relatively recent.

There is a large bund topped with trees between the house and the industrial estate so you really can't see it unless you are looking and the way the land goes the gap is fairly unlikely to be filled in.

However, despite quite liking it neither my partner or I are 100% sure about it, the agent already has an offer and the vendor wanted to decide today. I am not going to rush such an important decision so will wait for the next property.

Ben