What do you think of this house?

[helpbuyingahouse]

Good morning

I have been looking for a house for a month or so. Ideally I wanted to live in Highgate/Kentish town, but the two areas are very expensive.

Just now I saw a house on rightmove in Finchley Central, which is bang in line with our budget (£1.2m). The house looks lovely, the location who knows? I have never even considered Finchley but I am now looking at areas further and further out to afford what I want.

How vibrant is the area? Shops, mix of people? What about the very immediate area around the house? I want to make an appointment to view the house, but prefer to do the research in advance.

Please see house below and thanks for your help!

Village Road, Finchley Garden Village, London, N3
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-58075220.html

[Sandbagsandgladrags]

I don't know the area, so don't have anything useful to contribute. But just wanted to say... what is with that teddy??! Lovely house though.

[helpbuyingahouse]

I have no idea about the teddy, I am still unsure whether to go and view it or not. The problem with moving area is that you really don't know anything about it. Even walking around doesn't really give you an idea. Difficult!

[Firstmum24]

I don't like the interior decoration but the house itself is HUGE and has loads of potential to become a gorgeous family home.

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

Looks like no one actually lives there and it's been abandoned...

[helpbuyingahouse]

Thanks all for all the comments. We are looking for space, then we can decorate how we see fit. The only thing that can't be changed is the location, of which we know nothing (we currently live very close to Highgate tube station, which we like). However houses in shepherds hill (where we live)/Stanhope road etc go for £1.8-2m, unfortunately.

So we want a lot of space that we can then do up in time. 2000 sq ft in zones 2-3 near the tube is very difficult to get, that is why we are looking at less nice areas.

Maybe Stroud green would be a better bet for us, given we want a lively area.

[alwaysfancywine]

Perhaps post this on your local mumsnet page for a more targeted response. Kenton Finchley in the subject line. And also, follow some Finchley Facebook groups and ask some questions about the area - people love to talk about their community on facebook, good and bad. X

[helpbuyingahouse]

Alwaysfancywine, that is a great idea. I have the feeling I want to stick with areas I know but then I need to buy another flat rather than a house. Thanks again.

[Sunnyshores]

I dont know anything about the area, but this looks very 'ready to go' with expensive kitchen and fully decorated etc and its price may reflect that.

[helpbuyingahouse]

I would prefer something like this but where do I find another £200k?

Almington Street, London, N4
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59235980.html

[Sunnyshores]

What the area? or the victorian instead of 1930s style? Or the 2nd owners beautiful furniture? and interior design? Its smaller isnt it.
If you (one) moved into that second house with crappy furniture you'd instantly devalue it!!

[helpbuyingahouse]

I prefer both the area and Victorian properties. My furniture is horrible IKEA stuff, can't afford to upgrade anything as all the money would be used to pay for the deposit

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

Closer to your budget? Only a few streets away
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53764918.html

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53834173.html
Same area - three beds plus a loft "office" - looks properly done though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40146129.html
Other direction - again 3 beds but owners appear to be using the dining room as another bedroom. Kitchen diner is large so might be workable.

[helpbuyingahouse]

Thanks treadsoftly, I like the Ossian Road one, will go and have a look at the house!

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

A similar house sold for £1,170,000 in Jan with a full loft conversion [2 beds and a bath] so I think the asking price is pretty speculative at the moment even if they have "planning permission" which is bollocks anyway as it's permitted development.

[Sunnyshores]

Thats interesting Ossian Rd and the lovely house are pretty much the same sqft. I know area makes a huge difference and I dont know if this is the case?

If not though, if Ossian Rd is overpriced as TreadSoftly suggests, lovely house could be well overpriced too (especially as its on with KFH). Well worth a look there Id say, or ringing and asking KFH for its pricing comparables.

[lalalonglegs]

I really like the Finchley house (I don't know the area at all though). I'm very meh about Crouch End and I don't understand where the fourth bedroom is in the house you linked to . It's a dreadful layout and poor value (and I am generally inured to London prices).

[helpbuyingahouse]

Yes I actually did lots of digging on the house in Ossian road and the one in Finchley. Ossian road came on the market in November 2015, sale fell through a couple of weeks ago.

House in Finchley came on the market on February, sale fell through yesterday.

I see lots of houses whose sales are falling through. Is it people getting cold feet or is it the bank valuation not coming in in line with the asking price?

I have lots and lots of examples of sales falling through in the past 3-4 weeks, why is that?

[firesidechat]

Nice house I guess, but where's the colour? Looking past the grey interior it would be a lovely family home.

[puddlejumpingqueen]

It's nice but there is nothing special about it, I find it a bit uninspiring really. Not an ounce of character.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Every single person in the whole history of house buying ever has been able to find their ideal house for their budget - just not in their ideal area!

Why do you need a very large house? Are you an enormous family?

I don't like all the downlights in the Finchley house and the laminate flooring on the ground floor looks suspiciously cheap. It is also very fugly from the back garden looking back on to the house.

Op, you might be better off asking people to chat to you about Finchley in the thread title? Maybe start a new thread?

[helpbuyingahouse]

Ok a few more for you

Palace Gates Road, Alexandra Park, London
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54020134.html

Countess Road
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-40512159.html
(this one has subsidence, I know they have an offer of under 1m on the table)

[Skittlesss]

Oh yes, I did like that first house. Very lovely. I particularly liked the two toilets next to each other. Perfect for when you both need a wee.

Not too keen on the second. It didn't look as nice and it looked too tall from the back. The garden looked smaller than the first and not as nice.

[Skittlesss]

Palace gates one is lovely too, but I much prefer the first one (two loos and a big teddy).

[helpbuyingahouse]

Thanks a lot. I hate house buying especially when I can't afford the area I want, I own a flat in Highgate that I bought many years ago (3 minutes from the tube) but it is now too small for the family. There, I bought in the area I wanted, now I can't afford to buy in the areas I know. How annoying!