to ask what you would not choose again if moving house

[chaletdays]

Just been reading the open plan thread. When I move again I would definitely not choose an open plan layout, or to buy a place right beside a green or any other communal area where children and teenagers will gather 24/7.

What would be your no nos if moving again?

One that is straight onto the road, (not a terrace) filthy windows, traffic (scary big artics trying to squeeze round the corner), people gawping in, bloody kids from my school banging on the windows on a Friday night.

Fixer-upper when we don't have not enough time, energy, contacts in trades or money to do the desired work.

Not near much within walking distance and no public transport so very reliant on car. Bad when DC get older.

Too long a commute door to door.

Crumbly and Victorian terrace flat - money pit and noisy.

Not in catchment for popular schools.

Different homes!

Another one for definitely no shared driveway, our neighbours are considerate on the whole but they had 2 cars when they moved in and now have 4. Garden on a slope has been a constant problem with drainage, thrown money at it over the years but now given up. Having to go through garage to gain access to garden.

I bought a new build 3 bed semi- love it but it's on a main road...
So would add to this- not on a busy main Rd x

Friends had a nightmare with a rural property with another property very nearby: shared access, unclear boundaries (they had to move a huge expensive wall that had been there for decades because new owners of next door went to court) and responsibility for maintenance for the shared drive and gate.

Don't usually have the choice in rented, but if I ever get the chance to buy, storage heaters. Fucking atrocious way to heat a house and I'd never buy a house with them.

Somewhere I wasn't prepared to live in for several years.

I last bought in 2006 expecting to move up and on in a couple of years.

I wouldn't want to buy again now without:
Catchment
Garden
Parking
Ensuite
Bath with shower above
Kitchen you can sit in
Storage
No damp

Small kitchen/big lounge. The kitchen always seems untidy and cramped, while the lounge is an echoing void no matter how much furniture goes in there! I'd try to find somewhere with a better balance next time.

I would never live next door to students again. We've just moved from a lovely 4 storey Victorian house with a lively neighbour on one side and a house of 8 noisy students on the other. Horrendous. We now have a detached which is so gorgeously quiet.

Lively neighbour should be lovely neighbour!

On street permit parking. Costs you money to park in your own road, the kill-thoughts towards neighbours as pp mentioned (especially when they take up more than 1 space) and the rage you get when non-permit holders have the cheek to park on the street and don't get caught by a trafgic warden.

We would never buy terraced again, between the yapping dog on one side and the DIY enthusiast on the other it's a PITA.

Also, lack of storage. Our house is a good size but there's no under stairs cupboard, no airing cupboard, no utility room etc .

Also downstairs toilet, so handy with young DC's.

*traffic

Our house has 3 floors. Not usually a problem.
It has a bizarre layout: suits us fine, except that the sitting room is a through room and people leave the doors open all the bloody time leading to mahoosive howling draughts.
It was a fixer-upper: this was a lot of work and expense but meant a) we could afford the house in the first place and b) had no guilt at ripping out disgusting kitchen and bathrooms and replacing everything. It looks fab now only took us 12 years

The things I don't like are:
Being right on the street, at street level, with nosey passers-by
Garden which gets no sun at all during the winter
No south-facing windows
The draughts: we have done lots to sort them out (secondary glazing, draught-proofing, door curtains etc) but still still the whistle.

Love old houses, though. Love this house.

still they whistle.
Wish I could type. And proofread.

Shared drive. Our neighbours have hit our cars three times now. Twice in the same morning, while we watched in dismay.

I wouldn't buy a house with no off-street parking, or one where the main bathroom is downstairs, and the only upstairs facility is a (crappy) ensuite Saniflo thing. It's ok for us, but a PITA for any overnight guests. Also, not sure would choose a Victorian terrace again. Freezing in winter and needs too much doing to it.

Need off street parking
Definite side access to the back and front (no mid terrace)
Downstairs bathroom and def 1 bathroom per 2 bedrooms
Place to eat in the kitchen
A place between the entrance and the house for wet coats, shoes, dog stuff, wellies, mud ...

I have a LONNGGGG list of essentials

The neighbouring house to our left is divided into 'units' and we've had no end of trouble there over the years, from wild parties with people being stabbed, fights, fires, drug dealers, and all manner of creeps. If I was buying again I'd make sure the houses on either side were just ordinary houses.

I'd also love a decent parking space directly outside.

when i bought my current house (pre children) my main consideration was off road parking. If I move again then I would have to have a second toilet (as well as off road parking).

I wouldn't live near traffic lights. When we lived in London, there were some temporary ones for a couple of weeks... boy racers revving at the red light with their music blaring in the middle of the night wasnt good.

Oh and I wouldnt live in a road that's on a double decker bus route. We used to see some sights from the top deck of the 3, I can tell you.

I'd never buy a semi detached/mid terrace again!

Actually our neighbour at the mid terrace were lovely. Current neighbour has nearly triggered several breakdowns due to his behaviour (swearing through the walls, banging, tapping, screaming, loud music etc because our cat flap is too noisy and he can hear our floorboards creek)

Buying a lovely house that was dirt cheap... I should have realised when they proudly showed me the burglar alarm.

Definitely more than one toilet. We were fed up with having only one so moved and have 5!

A drive. i wouldn't buy a house without offstreet parking again.
I dream of a drive.