Your 'must not have' list for a house
Discussion
McWigglebum3rd said:
neighbours within half a mile
I would settle for my current none within a quarter mile - only just visible.No main roads, no cul de sacs, not overlooked, not on a dead end road either.
Interior - not newly done up unless not reflected in asking price, no shower only bathrooms.
dustybottoms said:
Shared access, I don’t care what it is, who has what rights, what the set-up is, how well documented the legal stuff is, how nice the other people are; I would refuse to buy any house with shared access a complete non-starter.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This, this and this.
Laurel Green said:
I could never understand this; garish at best, where the gold plate cost less than the cost of chroming, yet go for a premium. 
I have relatives who bought a very large, very expensive house - edge of a sought after village, extensive grounds, out buildings, etc - in which the previous owners had painted all of the ceiling mouldings gold. It was utterly gopping, and took a surprising number of coats of paint to get rid of it.JoeBolt said:
I would never consider buying a house which has had the garage converted into a dining room / study / granny flat, etc.
Garages are for cars and motorbikes. Storing them and fixing them. There should be a law against garage conversions and severe punishment dealt out to offenders.
Ah, but what do you do when you've got a completely unconverted garage - with an inspection pit to boot - that was unfortunately built when the Austin A7 was considered a large car, and as such unless you've got a Caterham, your garage, as a garage, is no use to man nor beast?Garages are for cars and motorbikes. Storing them and fixing them. There should be a law against garage conversions and severe punishment dealt out to offenders.
TA14 said:
Absolutely, whether you like Caterhams or not since there was never a time when the A7 was considered a large car.
We used to have a flat in Hamble. Built in 2001, you could get Mrs Clapham's MX5 in it, you could get the 993 I then had in but not open the doors, anything else, forget it. In the end, we just kept sailing stuff in it.Dogwatch said:
A roof covered in solar panels. May be 'eco' but too many other legal fingers in your pie.
Shared drive as already mentioned.
I will be curious to find out how easy/difficult it is to get a mortgage on a place covered in solar panels.Shared drive as already mentioned.
And a shared drive is ok if the other party is reasonable. But therein lies the rub.
my house appears to have many of these must nots
On a busy road - check
upvc windows - check
shared access - check
false beams - check
gold taps - check
Works for us though.
Also, i took great pleasure today with a crowbar and lump hammer destroying the god awful bathroom suite we inherited. Not only gold taps, but flowers painted onto the sink and bath.
Also the bath had these god awful handles to get in and out (also gold) and the bath profile was such that where the handles were, the bath was about 6inches thinner. Which also happens to be right where your hips are when sat in it.
It was additionally stupidly short, and then they had had a massive shelf put in at one one. Why they didn't buy a bath a foot longer i'll never know.
The previous several owner(s) also had odd ideas about DIY. We are doing some demolishing and groundworks in advance of the new extension starting, and the gravel covered borders had paving slabs under the gravel, and more paving slabs under those, and more paving slabs under those and more paving slab under those :¦
Oh, those gold taps?
Also had porcelain handles!
On a busy road - check
upvc windows - check
shared access - check
false beams - check
gold taps - check
Works for us though.
Also, i took great pleasure today with a crowbar and lump hammer destroying the god awful bathroom suite we inherited. Not only gold taps, but flowers painted onto the sink and bath.
Also the bath had these god awful handles to get in and out (also gold) and the bath profile was such that where the handles were, the bath was about 6inches thinner. Which also happens to be right where your hips are when sat in it.
It was additionally stupidly short, and then they had had a massive shelf put in at one one. Why they didn't buy a bath a foot longer i'll never know.
The previous several owner(s) also had odd ideas about DIY. We are doing some demolishing and groundworks in advance of the new extension starting, and the gravel covered borders had paving slabs under the gravel, and more paving slabs under those, and more paving slabs under those and more paving slab under those :¦
Oh, those gold taps?
Also had porcelain handles!
Shared access
Next to a railway line/dual carriageway/motorway/other busy thoroughfare
Murals on walls
DIY loft conversion with bolts on outside of doors
No off-street parking, but unofficial agreement with 'medical centre' next door
In a council estate
Amid shared ownership properties
Next to alley where local yoof hang out
Fake beams affixed to ceiling
Vendor who does not answer door but peers out of window despite knowing there is a viewing due
Artexed everything
In the shadow of a tower block
More than reasonable walking distance from a tube station
Encountered all of these when house-hunting a couple of years ago. Strangely, none of the estate agent details hinted at any of them.
Oh, forgot to add - bathroom accessed via spare bedroom.
Next to a railway line/dual carriageway/motorway/other busy thoroughfare
Murals on walls
DIY loft conversion with bolts on outside of doors
No off-street parking, but unofficial agreement with 'medical centre' next door
In a council estate
Amid shared ownership properties
Next to alley where local yoof hang out
Fake beams affixed to ceiling
Vendor who does not answer door but peers out of window despite knowing there is a viewing due
Artexed everything
In the shadow of a tower block
More than reasonable walking distance from a tube station
Encountered all of these when house-hunting a couple of years ago. Strangely, none of the estate agent details hinted at any of them.
Oh, forgot to add - bathroom accessed via spare bedroom.
Edited by Silver on Saturday 16th February 22:20
Edited by Silver on Saturday 16th February 22:22
Not not have:
- Conservatory. I hate them with a vengence. If I find the perfect house with one then it will be pulled down and may be replaced by an orangery/proper extension if needed
- Garage converted to a room. I know it suits some people, but I don't want it. Usually results in the front of the house looking awful too.
- Bad street 'presence'. You know the ones where the agent doesn't even show the front of the house on photos, or hides it
- Any main road or railway within a reasonable distance. Railways are allowed if not too close.
- Parking problems - classic example is streets with modern townhouses with single garages that are not used (either due to being too small or the owners having too much tat).
- Gold fittings/door hinges (OK, I can change these over time, not a showstopper but not nice either)
- Dark painted/coloured window frames. I find these depressing.
- Brick fireplace thingumy in the lounge. Pass the dynamite.
- Oh, and most importantly artexed ceilings. Arrrrggghhhh!
I'm house hunting this spring ...
- Conservatory. I hate them with a vengence. If I find the perfect house with one then it will be pulled down and may be replaced by an orangery/proper extension if needed
- Garage converted to a room. I know it suits some people, but I don't want it. Usually results in the front of the house looking awful too.
- Bad street 'presence'. You know the ones where the agent doesn't even show the front of the house on photos, or hides it
- Any main road or railway within a reasonable distance. Railways are allowed if not too close.
- Parking problems - classic example is streets with modern townhouses with single garages that are not used (either due to being too small or the owners having too much tat).
- Gold fittings/door hinges (OK, I can change these over time, not a showstopper but not nice either)
- Dark painted/coloured window frames. I find these depressing.
- Brick fireplace thingumy in the lounge. Pass the dynamite.
- Oh, and most importantly artexed ceilings. Arrrrggghhhh!
I'm house hunting this spring ...
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