To ask for your opinions on my house?

[StylishMummy]

We're in the stressful and expensive process of moving house, next door have just sold for £170,000. We're on for less and have slightly less space and less than all agents suggested (165-170). But we're not selling!

Collective brain of the vipers nest is my next place for feedback - be as brutal as you like!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70481371.html

Looks like a knocking shop from the outside is my first thought you did say be brutal! ... office/commercial vertical blinds and very outdated brown frame windows and pebbledash.

All those weeds at the base of the brick wall need clearing it makes it look like rising damp problems, plus give the wall a lick of bright white paint.

White carpeting might scare some people. High maintenance if they have kids.

I don’t like the spermy wallpaper in the bedroom !

You’re on a main road, wth buses, and there doesn’t look to be enough parking spaces for the residents.

Yet there’s a nice enough aspect from the front across to the green gardens of the bungalows, and the sports field out the back. Yeah I googled earthed the address! and it’s true I have nothing better to do right now

Back garden gates could be higher as they’re at easy jump-over level.

Why’s there a front door in the dining room?

Kirstie and Phil would say buyers are confused as to why the front room isnt the main room and you’re using the ‘thoroughfare’ dining room as a front room.

It’s the lack of kerb appeal and the buses on the main road would put me off. The rooms are great sizes.
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No worries! It's actually pretty interesting, there are massive class divide issues with U.K. social housing. I'm sure there are more knowledgable people on MN who would be able to tell you more.

Anyway, that could affect pricing of OP's house in contrast to quite a few of the other houses for sale in the vicinity.

@StarlingsEverywhere what have I missed with those houses though, how can you tell they're ex council? They don't look like the description you gave? (I'm not from the uk either) The first one is lovely.

Council houses were well built, with large gardens so the residents could have a veg patch. The same architects were used for lots of councils, so that's why you can recognise the style. Some of the estates built in the early 20th century, are now listed, and highly sought after, which is reflected in their selling price.
However, a lot of them also have "non standard construction" so mortgage lenders won't lend on those.

There's an interesting Twitter feed called @MunicipalDreams that focuses a lot on council housing. They have a book out too.

I would get rid of the Venetian blinds in the front, and the curtains too. A cheap, smart blind from Ikea will make all the difference.
Would be ideal if the front of the house could be painted, or spruced up a bit.
Some of the decor looks tired and dated.
The conservatory has a real mishmash of furniture, so I would get rid. And is that patio flooring?!
Good luck with the sale.

Also, I beg to differ when it comes to vertical blinds. They are still in. I just bought them last year😂 But they must be nice and from nice material. Not the plasticy cheap stuff.

Thanks for the interesting info on ex council houses!

The conservatory would put me off. Why doesn't it have a floor?

And it's pointless suggesting putting a rug on the conservatory floor, as you wouldn't lay a rug on concrete slabs outside!
With the conservatory, get rid of all the furniture, and focus on making it like an indoor garden, with flowers and plants in pots. Or make it into a gym. Anything where you could 'bring the outside in'.

@driftingcloud it does. OP said this was done by a previous owner. It's actual flooring. Makes you wonder if the foundations were done correctly tbh

It’s a nice house, but not near the standard of next door. You said yourself the rendering, window frames and conservatory floor is thousands. So I would take that into account if considering your house.

Would love to see how you change the conservatory.

Also, I beg to differ when it comes to vertical blinds. They are still in. I just bought them last year😂

Erm sorry but no they're not! They look either very 90s but not in a cool retro way, or like an office. As per other's advice to get rid of them it's because they make it look dated. Especially from outside. They may be your taste and nothing wrong with that, but they're definitely a dated style. And walking past from the outside it doesn't matter what nice fabric they're made from, the style is still dated or office.

Vertical blinds are an abonimation, they always have and always will be.

We all have them here😮
Whole estate stuck in 90s😂 Maybe that's why I like it here.
They do collect less dust and were easy to install🤷‍♀️

-Looking at my out of fashion 90s blinds while listening to Backstreet boys. I am a 90s child after all-

I think the the whole house looks tiny. It’s as if the estate agent has taken the photos with one of those fish eye lens that makes things looks bigger. The only room that looks of any decent size is the bathroom.

I would try and get better photos taken. And either soft furnish the rooms or empty them. The basic furniture gives the impression of trying to show what can fit but without any ‘soul’ ie, not homely

My honest opinion - I wouldn't buy this house unless it was very competitively priced. It just doesn't appeal to me at all, I like a bright and modern looking house and I wouldn't want to do all the work to get it looking that way. I do like your bathroom though.

That Magyar Crescent house is fantastic, WBWIFW (the one for £179k-ish.

I wonder if it is one of those lovely, architect-designed mid century terraces?

WBWIFE sorry

@liamhemsworthsrealwife, so this is what makes me think the first one is ex-council:

The windows in the front bedroom - that arrangement of separated one small, one large, one small window is often seen on council houses. Also it being part of a short terrace of just four houses, that’s a bit more like council houses of the 60s and 70s than privately built homes. And the massive back garden. Finally, if you read the description, there’s something about a bit of land you can park on that’s owned by the local council - to me that implies the house was also once owned by the council. I could definitely be wrong, it’s just the impression I get.

The second house - pretty certain this is ex -council. The flat awning over the door, the bricks, the privet hedge, the garages round the back.

I grew up in a poorish town in Greater Manchester, and there were a lot of big council estates nearby, plus my Dad was brought up on a council estate and several of his family lived in council houses when I was growing up. I’m not snobbish about it, I’ve just seen a lot of council houses and after a while you see there’s a “look”.

I like the way modern new build estates have to incorporate local authority stock in with the privately owned housing. Hopefully gets rid of some of the stigma and snobbishness.

@StarlingsEverywhere so apparently council housing looks the same in different cities, because they used to use same architects. One council was happy with them, so others used them too.
Imagine. You plan one nice estate and you are set for life when it comes to work. Nice. We have about 10 postcodes running around the city, all with the same houses - 30s semi. Only difference is that some are rendered (pebble dash😮 who the heck came up with that), some brick, some plaster. That's why I thought council's built nearly everything that time.

Also, apparently Victorian end of terrace houses were bigger, because workes lived in normal teraces and end houses were for management.

I've just realised. OP be careful if you are putting the rug in conservatory. With this uneven floor it can create quite a tripping hazard.

Yes, true about the end of terraces in Victorian houses! I grew up in a Victorian terrace, surrounded by other Victorian terraces and all the end houses were just that little bit wider and nicer, often with a bay window at the front instead of a flat window.

Starlings
I like the way modern new build estates have to incorporate local authority stock in with the privately owned housing. Hopefully gets rid of some of the stigma and snobbishness.

Sadly the stigma and snobbishness persist- have you been following this story in the news?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/cities/2019/mar/30/dont-make-this-rich-v-poor-the-women-who-won-the-right-for-their-kids-to-play-together-segregated-playground-baylis-old-school-development

Social housing kids not allowed into playground at the development- Guardian have just exposed it and the developer has done a u-turn

To be honest the Ex Council houses around here are still in the rough areas. Bad schools, higher rates of crime and anti social behaviour. So based on the areas I know I wouldn't look at Ex council houses.

Jessie I did see that and it’s fucked me right off. I suppose they though they would get away with it because most of the social housing is part of a slightly different block. I live on an estate built in the nineties, we have four social housing families on our close and one of them has a son the same age as my little boy - they’re good friends and I’d be extremely angry if only my little boy could use the little park on the estate. At least it looks like the negative publicity may force that case to be resolved favourably - and I was pleased to see some of the people objecting to the segregation were private home owners.

The old council houses are usually much bigger than the new builds or equivalent and in a lot of places are very sort after.

I know a couple of friends who have their own homes on one of the council estates in the area. We went to see the new build show home within walking distance of their houses.

You could have fitted the whole ground floor of this new build into their living room. It was so tiny.

First, you need a better photographer. Get a professional, could make a world of difference. Garden needs some colour and conservatory some rugs at least. Can you get rid of the stag wallpaper? Less furniture where possible, especially that coffe table in front of the wood burner. Except the conservatory, it needs more.