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AIBU?

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Original poster

If buying a house, what would make you want to walk straight back out?

354 replies

JMSA · 07/11/2025 16:41

I mean it lighthearted-ish, as we probably wouldn’t be quite so rude! But what is an absolute dealbreaker for you?
For me it would be the presence of a Saniflo/macerator toilet. Evil things.

OP posts:
HotHorseHerbie · 07/11/2025 19:08

A "new meets old" single storey kitchen room with lantern skylights, or open plan monstrosity in what could be a lovely house, if left as originally designed by the architect. Especially if it's decorated grey. With an island in the kitchen. Bleurgh.

MoominMai · 07/11/2025 19:07

Serious answer: anti social neighbours as you’re royally screwed as neither can you do anything at all to mitigate against the stress but also it would be difficult to sell or perhaps even rent out.

Light hearted answer: flowery walls and carpets everywhere - I know you’d eventually redecorate but it still takes to save and then to actually redo and it would likely just make all my belongings and furniture look crap in that intervening period!

Ineedanewsofa · 07/11/2025 19:06

We did leave a viewing pretty quickly after spotting an enormous patch on the ceiling that had clearly been badly repaired/painted over that the estate agent “couldn’t see”.
Also in our renting days, left a viewing as the flat was absolutely filthy, kitchen was inches in grease and all the ceilings were yellow.
I’m always super suspicious of houses with immaculate gardens, IMO you either get a well maintained property OR an immaculate garden, finding both is like stepping in unicorn shit 🤣

Rainandwaffle · 07/11/2025 19:06

Turning up to a viewing and having a police cordon around the house is quite off putting. We just kept driving 🤣

Qwerty21 · 07/11/2025 19:05

ilovemeahack · 07/11/2025 17:31

crap water pressure in showers - I can’t stand washing my hair under a shower that is going to take 5 mins to get the shampoo/conditioner out (obvs other things too, but that’s my random deal breaker!)

Are you going to ask for a try of their shower before you decide to buy ?!

Washingbasquait · 07/11/2025 19:05

Serious hidden mould issues.

A vengeful spirit who couldn’t be reasoned with.

Any carnivorous predator larger than a badger.

hazelowens · 07/11/2025 19:05

The first house I bought with my ex husband, I wish we had went and looked when it was dark and at the weekend. It was a 4 in a block and our thru the wall neighbour worked Monday to Friday 9-5 then made so much noise after 5 and all weekend. We lived there a year before we sold up and left.

Happyjoe · 07/11/2025 19:03

Titasaducksarse · 07/11/2025 16:42

Stinking of fags

Wouldn't put me off, as sugar soap and decorating would happen anyway, plus removal of anyone else's carpets. So smell would go.

Happyjoe · 07/11/2025 19:01

Next door having a barking dog. Next door being a shit tip, living near a pub, things we are moving away from. Plus.. we've just seem a perfect, lovely cottage down a country lane with.. a manhole for sewage in the downstairs loo. That was a dealbreaker for me.

We've just put and had an offer accepted on a old tired house with character, needs rewiring, central heating put back in and plastering, not even that put us off in comparison! Plus the garden is sublime.

sesquipedalian · 07/11/2025 19:00

Next door neighbour’s garden looking like a scrapyard. Large dogs next door (looked at one house which had five large dogs in a small yard - that was a NO.) Basically, things over which I have no control and I can’t change.

Skippydoodle · 07/11/2025 18:58

shared drive that wasn’t mentioned in the listing. Boarding kennels/cattery next door ☺️. These are things that absolutely happened & I was ‘just no’ not at any price. We like DIY. I will always want to change the layout & decor anyway, so nothing inside would put me right off, just the local/external things that you can’t control.

Aluna · 07/11/2025 18:58

Depends what I’m buying. I’ve bought wrecks in the past, including a house with no roof, in which case nothing made me walk out.

Tumbler777 · 07/11/2025 18:58

An estate agent told me that the best bargain you'd ever get on a property was a dirty house, especially if the doors were bashed in. Others wouldn't consider it so the price went down, but it wouldn't have to be you that did the clean up!

BeRoseSloth · 07/11/2025 18:58

Titasaducksarse · 07/11/2025 16:42

Stinking of fags

Or of dog.

Giggorata · 07/11/2025 18:56

Bad vibes (yes, I know)
Smells, including plug ins
No off street parking

TheGoldenApplesOfTheSun · 07/11/2025 18:55

Japanese knotweed in the back garden. Fuck no.

In fact, any kind of suspiciously blank garden fone on the cheap eg just wall to wall gravel or paving slabs gets me twitchy… hiding something

taxguru · 07/11/2025 18:52

Fag smell or discoloured walls/ceilings due to nicotine. Evil stuff and takes years to get rid of the smell.

Dog/Cat smells too - again, seeps into the carpets, curtains, wallpaper, etc and takes years to get rid off. Also usually dog/cat hairs stuffed down the fins of radiators which is a nightmare to get out.

pinkpanther84 · 07/11/2025 18:51

Bad neighbours or a bad smell

user1476613140 · 07/11/2025 18:50

Ensuites.

localnotail · 07/11/2025 18:50

But really, if the price is good none of those are a problem. Because if I would buy a house I would completely renovate/ change it anyway.

MMAMPWGHAP · 07/11/2025 18:49

Denim4ever · 07/11/2025 17:54

Ooo, I didn't think you were permitted to open peoples cupboards when going round with an estate agent

Show quote history

If it’s a fitted cupboard that you’re buying then you’re mad not to open it.

tommyhoundmum · 07/11/2025 18:49

small windows

localnotail · 07/11/2025 18:48

oh yeah - another horrid thing - public right of way through/ close to the garden!!!

localnotail · 07/11/2025 18:47

Damp smell
Only bathroom on the ground floor
Carpet in the bathroom (unless the plan is to renovate the whole place completely)
Too many tiny rooms
Narrow front entrance

Blarn · 07/11/2025 18:46

PInkyStarfish · 07/11/2025 17:50

Damp.
Storage heaters
No hallway and front door opening into the shitting room.
No front garden and front door opening into the pavement.
Low ceilings.
No bath in any of the bathrooms, showers only.
A pylon in the garden.
Under a flight path.
Next door to a prison, abbatoir, brothel, massage parlour, pub, restaurant, cafe or takeaway or nightclub.

Amazing typo! Surely the shitting room alone would put you off!