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Property headache - need hand hold please

5 replies

propertydisaster · 18/09/2023 15:52

So we bought a property back in January in our dream area. It is very much a doer upper.

just some back ground we’ve come back via different part of world and UK and have owned and renovated 3 lovely properties previously.

This is a very popular and pricey area we accepted we were going to have to make sacrifices and that the majority (4 yrs I’ve been keeping my eye on this market now so have insight) of properties that come up in our price band have been owned by elderly individuals and are in various states of needing updating.

We took a hit on the type of house (period and size/footprint) and immediate loc/plot (house backs onto primary school and on bus route, plus much smaller garden than would have liked) to be where we wanted to be and have what we hoped would be the money to renovate and make it really lovely/nicely speced. We pretty much immediately had to can any plans of even a small extension. No really biggie got over quickly. We really don’t want a massive house.

However it has taken us 8 months nearly of our architects dragging their heels and builders taking ages to quote to finally get the quotes back (5 in total) way way over, 50% over what the architects initially said (spec has not changed even they’re surprised). We have got the extra money together (parents) but there is no contingency.

DH has just had the conversation with me today that he thinks we should pull out. And sell cut our losses. I mean what would this even mean financially??

I can’t even cope, on some level I know he is right, this was never intended to be the forever but we wanted something really nice, for next 6-8 yrs. like I said we are in our 40’s with kids and have worked hard, and I know I know we’re lucky than most etc, but that’s not helpful in reality.

We’ve looked at de-specing but just feels like too much of a stop gap then and starting a the bottom, and even then it is objectively still an awful lot of money and emotional effort and time to be spending that on something that wasn’t really what we wanted.

As well things I was prepared to ignore and hopefully in time forget about (bus route school etc) for the original discussed figures felt doable, at this level it feels like a deal breaker.

we are in a rental and it is bloody awful, similar to the house we bought as in fully pensioner, plus v cold, damp, boiler on blink needs updating. The thought of been here any longer with no end in sight is pushing me over the edge. Nice rental properties are like hens teeth.

Just been to look at new build it goes against my very core, our previous houses have been such a reflection of us and what we love and have been laboured over, I am depressed at the thought of having something very likely poorly constructed and Homogenous - but I know I’m being a bit of a div.

What the heck do we do.

OP posts:
propertydisaster · 18/09/2023 15:59

Should add the new build isn’t in the exact suburb it’s 3-4 miles 5/10 mins out nice but doesn't have same cachet of where current house and rental is (new builds here are all enormous and $$$$)

OP posts:
Eyesopenwideawake · 18/09/2023 16:00

Probably not best to sell in a falling market. Can you go full Sarah Beeny and renovate as a turn project? Take the emotion out, make it safe and presentable with new electrics and plumbing (if necessary) sell it on and then take a break for a while?

propertydisaster · 18/09/2023 16:05

Not sure it is a falling market here very specific but would be too outing to say, properties still going for over asking, we bought in Dec 2022 when the market had dipped but has gone back up again here - been keeping an eye on things

OP posts:
propertydisaster · 18/09/2023 16:28

Okay just done a telephone val and they said it wouldn’t go on for any less than we paid at all and actually given how things are at the moment they might put it on for slightly more given we have building control approval and plans.

OP posts:
Messyhair321 · 19/10/2023 08:31

Personally if you like the house consider doing some renovations & budget it. You don't have to do it all at once?

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