If you're looking to buy, what would put you off the most?

[WhoNose88]

Neither buying nor selling for a year or two, but I'm looking around to keep an eye on things and idly curious about what would put other people off.

For me, it would be a garden with no plants (just decking or paving, or that horrible astroturf stuff) or a house with only a shower, no bath (the kids love their baths!).

What are things that would put you off?

Negatives -
Dark kitchen
Shared access
No garage
No private parking
Lack of flow through

Positives -
Large dining kitchen with space for family dining table and sofa
Downstairs loo
En suite
Well placed for motorway access
Rural community

These were on our list when we moved recently. It took a while but we chose well.

Opp a school - any school

Busy road

Building sites nearby of new housing estate

Uncared for house/garden

Storage heaters

No street lights

We had a list of wants and a list of nots. Our house pretty much matches the not list.

Storage heaters! Def a no no

Lack of natural light. A basement or semi basement level - we have that now, it seems impossible to get rid of damp areas. Small rooms.

Agree with Toomanycats that a downstairs bathroom has its advantages, it works very well when the DGCs are staying. Also, someone getting up early doesn't disturb anyone else when showering.

New builds
Toy town estates
Small garden
No garage
Town houses
I would only buy a detached house
Would want parking
And a decent sized garden front and back

No one looking over into my garden

No drive.
Main bathroom downstairs.
No downstairs loo.
Tiny kitchen.
Busy road.
Shit garden.
Lots of work needed.
Open plan.
Bungalow.

New building with building still going on

Lots of high maintenance land for a number of reason but 1) you have to pay a stupid amount of a service charge and 2) it never quite looks the same as the day you first view your new house

Grey windows
Green windows
Black windows

Windows should be white!

No downstairs loo
Nowhere to park
Run down houses close by
If it wasn't open plan I wouldn't be interested
Dark, small, square rooms

I love a period terrace so I can accept that there may be no downstairs loo, drive etc. What I really hate is when the whole soul of a period property has been ripped out.
Obviously houses are modernised but ugly laminate instead of floor boards, fire places ripped out and replaced with (shudder) those awful fires that hang on a wall or are a weird ceramic bowl. To a lesser extent, kitchens and bathrooms that age very quickly. Those fake marble bathrooms favoured by medium range hotels now look very dated as do those shiny white kitchens unless very high end. Whilst these can be replaced, they cost several thousand to install and are factored into the selling price. Also loads of kitchen layouts are really poorly thought out. If you want a modern house, buy one rather than force it into a space it does not suit.
If you cannot afford to do something well, leave it. Amateur developers have an awful habit of sticking in a cheap kitchen, bathroom and carpets then painting the whole house magnolia and trying to 'flip' quickly. I notice these houses now tend to stay on the market and the asking price reduces over time.
Finally, the weird extensions that make a house layout really odd. And conservatories a plastic roof.

Poor Noise insulation
be that from road/rail adjoining houses
(or upstairs/downstairs if your looking at flats

Also, beware of anywhere that's near a junction with traffice lights - emergency vehicles put on sirens to go through them.
Everybody was complaining when they closed the local fire station a few years ago - but as the trfic lights outside my flat were on their main route east - Huge plus, lot less noise and flashing lights!
Fire engines still arrived quickly form somewhere when there was a problem!

It’s funny as I would have previously said no terrace, no busy road and these were deal breakers for me

But I’ve just bought a terrace on a busy road so....

I guess you compromise on some things when there are other bonuses to be had (huge house, lots of potential for renovation, parking)

I guess I’ll worry about the road when we come to try and sell many years down the line!

We passed on several
Beautiful homes because the neighbors homes were a disaster.

I guess I’ll worry about the road when we come to try and sell many years down the line!

If electric cars come in it’s likely to become less of an issue because less noise and pollution.

Excellent point @soulrunner
To be honest the houses on this road never seem to stay on the market for long, I think people do compromise because of their size and location (very close to so many amenities, excellent schools and town)

Also, watch out for barking dogs in the neighbouring houses!
This, we've moved house twice because of non stop barking dogs! Luckily we were renting.

Following would put me off:

Shared driveway
North facing garden
Open plan living room and kitchen
No driveway
Near a school or shops
On a busy road
Overlooked back garden

Completely open plan kitchen/living/dining area. My worst nightmare - trying to watch a show while someone's cooking and some else has the radio on! I like doors and quiet rooms.

More than a mile walk from train station/town centre. Could not deal with having to drive to get anywhere.

I come from the ‘lots of things can be fixed’ camp so lots of things wiuldn’t Put me off for the right location/ potential but for me,
Walking straight into the front room,
Cottage beam type houses with low ceilings
N or E facing garden (been there, it was rubbish)

We lived on a busy-ish main road which is a bit rubbish but the back of the house is on a private road with no through access and loads of parking which is makes the busy road easier to deal with being in London.

I love open plan! I realise I'm on my own here but I like it so much better.