What do you prefer when buying a house?

[CVVFan]

I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority group that prefer either houses that are ready to move in or that are liveable for at least 2-3 years. I never buy based on a vision/project/putting my stamp on it.

We’re selling our house in 4 years, and quite frankly as much as it’s liveable for whoever buys it, it does look outdated.

I think we’re already on negative equity, so we think we’ll at least need to refresh the kitchen somehow (and possibly the bathrooms) the question is how much work is it sensible considering we’re selling it? The whole pint of the remedial work would be to sell it faster and not get cheeky offers because to some it might look more like a project than a liveable house.

“Lesser of two evils”
what a way to live

ok I think I’ll hide thread! Take care op

To comment purely on housing and not your arrangements it’s all become a bit intrusive and very judgemental. We are planning to move in 2 years. We bought a house with a kitchen and bathroom not to my taste at all. The kitchen is however huge which was the one thing I wanted and it’s an extremely desirable road . They were however extremely good quality and had only been put in a couple of years before. They were replaced a couple of years later.

Location is always the main concern for me. I’m someone who will buy a house if it needs work but not structural. I would only do that if I could buy somewhere and live elsewhere when it was being done. I have bought 2 properties in my life both were on the most expensive roads in both towns and you pay a premium. I am happier in a smaller home. I rented cheap housing in bad areas when a student and that was enough for me.

I’m not sure why you’d be in negative equity in four years’ time? Assuming you haven’t just moved in, presumably you’ll have had 5+ years of mortgage repayments by then, so should have another 15-20% equity, on top of whatever your deposit was? Has your house really halved in value since you bought it?

I think I mislabelled it.

but basically my house will be worth less that I paid for it (or around the same) than when we bought it.

the mortgage is now mostly paid off, so I was referring to the purchase vs sale value of the house

Oh come on, lots of people put up with non-perfect jobs for better pay. Long commutes, long hours, stressful deadlines, awful coworkers/clients.

OP is just saying the same thing. She can make a lot more money wfh so she’s willing to put up with it for a bit.

Then honestly I wouldn’t spend very much at all in doing it up. Enough so people aren’t worried about structural problems/damp and mould, but you aren’t likely to get back as much in value as it costs to replace a kitchen and bathroom.

The most somebody might knock off the price for dated decor is £20k, and you won’t get a new kitchen and bathroom for that little.

Thanks! And the house has zero issues in that sense.

it was cheaply made but I think that’s the case for most “new-ish” builds.

OP have you secured the builders for the conversion? It’s a definite?

10 years of this and another 4 to go.

i imagine you feel like a prisoner scratching off each days until you’re released and your life can begin.

Not quite! It’s only when I can’t do x,y , or z that I remember we’re leaving.

These days I find the joy in the here and now.

I imagine having read the thread, that the house would benefit from a MASSIVE clear out and tidy up OP and that would hopefully mean you don’t “hate” it so much and try to be be out of the house “as much as possible”

That must be hard when you WFH full time 5 days a week, and also do your exercising (on the landing?!) there too. Do you manage to spend much time out of the house? Evenings? Weekends?

It has nothing to do with the actual house and more to do with WFH. I once had a more spacious house with a cleaner and still tried to be out as much as possible.

when I had to go out to work, I liked being at home

You last went out to work 14 years ago?

and given you have “zero love” for the house and “hate” being at home, I think your environment probably has something to do with always being out at the weekend (although given young kids - I imagine out for sports clubs and party drops etc!)

Would you consider getting a cleaner now? Post massive clear out?

No, I actually had one year of going to work which was like 7 years ago. So in between WFH jobs

Yes that’s the idea. The problem is that there’s nowhere to put the stuff right now, so that’s part of the plan. The new larder should be here any day now!

So one year of not WFH in 14 years and you “hate” WFH. That’s bleak op. And another 4 to go?

it just make life with 6 so difficult with stuff everywhere op. I imagine so much can be got rid of rather than stored.

Is focus on that in your shoes.

If anything it’s a mix of both…. We have no shelves, no bookcases, no pantry, and only one shoe rack!

so as much as yes, we need to get rid of things, we also need somewhere to put the ones that should remain.

Lockdown must have been… difficult?!

This is making me come out in hives!

good luck for the future @CVVFan

Again, it’s the prize to pay to keep my career afloat and keep a “London” salary (although I still don’t get paid the same, but I’d never be able to get that salary locally).

I bet you’re counting down the days until the garage conversion! When are the builders starting?

They’re not