To buy or not? End of terraced, faces busy-ish road and bus stop.

[gillyweed]

FTB so need some advice please! Sorry it might be long.

There is very little to buy in our price bracket (under 120k - we're in the North West), I want a project and certainly don't want a new build or flat. I'm very creative, have an art/design type degree and am better than average at DIY (I think!). Husband has no interest really but totally understands the above, he does however have a lot of brute force and takes instruction well - he also happens to work for a large national plumber/builders type merchant! We have a dd (1.5) and want some more soon! I think we need to buy run down places, do them up over a few years, and move on to a bigger project again and again till we get to our forever home!

I've found a house; its in an ok location, at the end of a very long tree lined street of 2 bed terraces. This is a 3 bed, with much more space than the other terraces, including 2 reception rooms, large-ish kitchen and utility room. (My sister lives half way up this street, its almost half as big again as the average house. Hers, which needs updating is valued at 90k). Pretty sure the house needs gutting, almost everything needs doing but it has lovely original features, room proportion and light. The guy who owns it has gone to live in a home and it clearly hadn't been done since the 50's. The front door however is not on the above road, its at the 'side' of the house, straight on to the pavement of a reasonably busy road; 20 yards from the back yard is a bus stop, right opposite the front door on the other side of the road is another! There is also a lamp post about 2 metres from the door almost touching the wall!

Its on 85k but I think I want to offer 70k as there really is 15k of work to be done (we'd all have to move in with my parents as we did this). Some finished houses on the road have recently gone for 109k/105k - but its hard to tell what its worth as its so unique.

Am I being crazy even considering this,have I watched too much Phil and Kirsty? will it take much longer than 6 months to get it livable for a child (main rooms at least!)? will it be worth it?!!! would anyone else want to live there? Will anyone even lend us the money to do this (We can almost certainly get a 'normal' mortgage)?! Will the bus stops drive me crazy?!

Any advice would be great, sorry its so long!

[PareyMortas]

Where is the garden? Is it at the back or at the side of the house where the bus stops are? Which rooms are nearest the busy side if the house. You can get used to a busy road if the traffic is moving but lorries, buses idling outside will become annoying.

[MousyMouse]

• bus stop: is it a shelter type where teens hang around at night?
• has the house double glazing and good insulation (or is it possible to install)? -> noise!

if the house is otherwise ok, why not if ou can get it at the right price.
but get builder's quotes (and add at least 50% so you know you can finish the job)

[gillyweed]

Thank you for the replies!

Original wooden windows, they're in ok condition just need some TLC but they could be beautiful, we could afford to do a few windows (upvc) and the front door but not the whole house just yet.

I was wondering about seeing if its possible to get the bus stop moved (at a cost I assume) -5 metres would make all the different and wouldn't overlook anyone. That said only the top windows overlook the road side, maybe I could try some sort of obscuring sticker type thing... or a net curtain!

[gillyweed]

good point about the teens! it is a shelter, maybe I need to go for a few wanders around there at night!

[gillyweed]

Sorry lots of posts!

the garden is at the road side, my mum is pretty green fingered - with some high and fast growing wall climbers it would be quite cosy, there would be noise though. And I guess people would see in from the top of the bus!!!

[InsertUsernameHere]

We lived by a bus stop at busy lights and it was fine. We did two things that really helped. One put in double glazing and in the living room we had the two panes of glass that made up the double glazing pane different thickness and this stopped a the noise. (Can't remember the thickness of the top of my head - but the idea is that they vibrate at different frequencies I think). Second thing was we put purl frost film on the bottom third of the windows. This meant the people didn't catch you eye and they walked past of stood waiting for the bus. This worked out better than I expected as from the outside you couldn't really tell it just seemed to make the windows more reflective - so people saw themselves rather than into the house iyswim? If I lived on a busy road i'd do both these things again.

[littleoaktree]

Very much doubt you'd be able to get a bus stop moved but guess you could ask the local authority.

I'd have several concerns - if it's bigger than others on the street but in a worse position it's not going to be worth more than the smaller ones once it's done IMO. Also would £15k be sufficient if it needs gutting? If it's just redecoration and maybe new bathroom/kitchen then possibly but if it needs new electrics/ plumbing/heating/roof repairs/window repairs etc etc then I would expect it to cost considerably more.

[karron]

We've bought something we couldn't afford if it was pristine and are going to be doing it up forever so don't think it's a crazy idea. Does it have central heating? What about a re wire? If so these will be big jobs and take a lot of your budget.

My only thing is you want to take about 15% of the asking price which is a lot and they might not go for it so would you be able to up your offer?

[karron]

Ps also have a bus stop outside and the buses do make a bit of noise starting and stopping. Not annoying though (yet!)

[gillyweed]

Frost film on the bottom third of the window is exactly what I'm thinking! Although I like the windows and want to save them I guess most people would prefer double glazing, all other houses in the area have plastic so would probably do that bit by bit.

The kitchen and what I would use as the lounge wouldn't be on the road side of the house, noise might be an issue in the bedrooms tho.

It has GCH, the boiler is in a bedroom and would probably need moving, the pipes haven't been chased into the walls either - bit of a botched job, should be able to get relatively cheap through my husbands work.

Bathroom needs completely ripping out. Again do through husbands work.

There has been a leak in the roof, a hole in one bedroom ceiling, can't tell how bad but nothing to ominous from the outside.

Kitchen needs gutting and utilities put in in different places.

The fuse box says 2010 - again could be a botched job.

There is mould and damp in various places (quite bad on the external wall in the kitchen).

I guess I won't really know how bad till get a builder round - will they come and quote even if your only possibly going to buy?!

An offer was excepted at 82k but the buyer pulled put (before survey). I don't think we would want to.pay more than 75k. Still not worth more the the other terraced done up, even with the extra bed and reception room.?

Is this crazy as a first house with small child and part time job?!