I need your help!! Pull out or not?

[Mightymaniac1]

Thank you in advance for any help!! Opinions needed please. Early twenties buying first house with partner.

We have been searching for a while in the area we currently rent in. (An area of Bristol) we both love the area and it is convenient for both of us for work and places we go including transport links and parking. We viewed many properties in the area on a budget of around £300,000 for a two or three bedroom house. We quickly realised that houses were too pricey in the area we wanted and therefore we were looking at very small two beds that required lots of work still at the top end of our budget without lots left over for necessary modernising.

Therefore when we found a set of 13 new build houses built by an independent development company only 1.2 miles out of this area we were very interested. The house is £25,000 over budget but parents kindly agreed to lend us that extra.

The house is perfect for us- we’d change nothing about it. Apart from its location. Currently it’s in a bit of a nothing area, not much going on etc. We have received the searches to say that the land around it (mostly green areas common type thing) are being built on. Almost becoming a huge development.

So essentially our perfect house is in a location we are not sure on, and we do not know how lots of upcoming building work could affect life here.

The alternative is to continue renting our flat for a year despite being keen to have our own place and trying to find something that has less concerns. Please help!!

I'm baffled. I just put your area into Rightmove and several 3 bed period terraces have com up within your budget. That's without any extension of search area.

So with Westbury on a Trym and Henleaze, they neighbour some areas which estate agents list as them, but really are not at all and are completely different. So any houses listed as in ‘Southmead’ are a very different area all together and not one we would be comfortable living in.

Hope that is less confusing! Bristol varies so much in such short distances!!

Sorry *Westbury on Trym.

Location, Location, location.

There is a reason Kirstie and Phil’s show is called that!

Do not compromise on location, especially as you don’t know exactly how it is going to change over the coming years.

We have a meh house in a fab location. We bought knowing the house didn’t tick all our boxed but the location did. Almost 15 years down the track, the location is still perfect - schools, trains, shops, etc all in walking distance. Wouldn’t change it for the world. But we are planning on extensive remodelling of the house to give us what we want. It has taken a long time to be able to afford it, mind!

I know Bristol very well, and it's not unusual for prices to dip by 10% depending on one digit of a postcode - just look at Southville vs Chessels - so moving 1.2 miles away seems loads!

I'd keep looking, new builds come with a different set of risks - but this seems too sketchy. Anyway, Phil and Kirsty are always looking for applicants in Bristol so maybe head to channel 4 for some help 😝

If in doubt, pull it out
a good maxim for many areas in life

Location is the most important thing - you can fix a house but not a location

I wouldn’t buy now as a first time buyer. I suspect house prices are about to fall.

OP you’re totally right that most EAs try and market Southmead as WoT but I’m with you-not somewhere I would live given the choice. The streets off the bottom of Southmead road used to be a good bet as they were close enough to Henleaze to get away with, but even those streets are now out of your budget.

How about this:

Home Ground, Bristol, BS9
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73523740.html

A bit over budget but decent location?

I live in WoT
I love it here so I can see why you want to stay!
Having had a quick look on Rightmove, there are some nice properties in Home Ground/Clover Ground area?
Otherwise yes, you're looking at flats and compromising on gardens/parking spaces etc.
Have you considered areas like Blaise/Combe Dingle?

Pull out, chalk it up to experience and call it a lucky escape.

I pulled out of one flat last minute because I discovered the developers had plans to put more floors on top & use the space behind my building as a builders yard for their projects in the area. No sodding way! They haven't sold a single flat in that building. It's shit & everyone pulls out when they realise. I'm still in the middle of buying my first btw (third time lucky, hopefully) and desperate to just have something that's mine, so I do appreciate how you feel, good luck!!

Worst house in best location = winner
Best house in worst location = meh

As someone else said, gut feeling is important with houses so if you're doubting it that might be a sign. Personally i wouldn't want a new build in an area that has yet to had plans done but is likely to be developed.

As far as your house hunt goes, write a list of priorities. For us, location was our main criteria. We had an area we wouldn't look outside of set up on zoopla with alerts. From there we were willing to compromise a bit on style (old vs new) but not size. We weren't afraid of having to do some work but wanted a garden. Just keep looking, do not rush. Our house ended up being one we had discounted based on cost which later got reduced - we had already had two second viewings at other places and were trying to make our mind up on them and ended up going for the third house.

Home Ground, Bristol
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73488697.html

Don’t do it. New build estates come with many, many problems, especially if you are one of the first ones in. Lack of infrastructure, roads not being adopted for years, no pavements, no community to speak of... plus all the headaches of living on a building site for years and the inevitable problems that come with a new build property that by rights should be perfect but really isn’t. If you aren’t completely convinced by it, just don’t.

I don’t know your area but we had a choice between a new build on a new estate and an existing property on the main road in the village we already lived in. We went back and forth deciding, the older property sold and fell through 3 times in the time it took to sell our home, and I thought maybe the new build would be a more certain option. It all came good for the older house in the end. 3 years later, people I know who bought those new houses have been plagued with problems and the development is a shambles, and this is somewhere close to schools, shops etc. Never would I buy a new build now.

You are young, the market is unpredictable at the moment, it might feel like a waste spending money on rent over a mortgage but far better than the costs involved in moving somewhere that’s not right for you. Good luck with the house hunting! It’s quite addictive 😁

Thank you everyone! Not sure about clover ground personally, it is a good location but lots of houses very close together and some other points of concern (don’t want to offend anyone who could be living there)

@Mightymaniac1 understand your concern!
I'd rather spend £300k elsewhere, but if you're desperate for Westbury/Henleaze your options are limited 😢
If the development you're considering is out near Cribbs/Patchway, I personally wouldn't do it. No character or atmosphere! ESP if you're used to WoT x

Not Patchway or the mall! I do find all the estates a bit soul less up there! Which is what I am sadly envisioning for the new place 😓 have not exchanged yet and think I am understanding everyone’s points of views. I will be sad to lose this home as inside it is perfect :(

If it's in the wrong location then it isn't the perfect house. Location is the one thing that you can never change. Sorry.

My late FIL told us many decades ago when we married if you buy a home adjoining fields beware. Our own LDP has just spat out a lot of fields which were considered untouchable to build a huge estate complete with school. Our old school and fields will probably be turned into social housing. We had a 1000 houses built over a few years recently finished. Friends bought in. Well between the buy to let and social housing there is a drug problem there. Many of them are coming back on the market at a loss.

My advice, wait, keep saving and buy in an established area within a good school zone.

My advice? Never live anywhere you can't walk to the local shop, the local school, and the local pub.

A new estate is never going to give you that convenience, you'll be driving every time you need something.

We moved into a new build with nothing around in Bristol too, it’s taken a few years but now it’s a lovely little village so I would say go for it

If the location is important it’s only a mile away from where you want to be very easy to go for dinners, lunch ect (assuming you drive) and like you said the area will be built on. Go for it!

Sounds like you'll be living on a building site for the next five years. I'd pull out.

Given that you do really love the house, I think the advice to try and have a look at the plans for the rest of the land would be good if possible?

My Mum's house backs onto a huge piece of land and the local residents have been resisting development on there for years. They've finally lost the battle and development is going ahead - but the houses are actually going to increase the value of my Mum's as the average selling price in the area is going to increase massively when the new builds sell.

1.2 miles from your preferred location isn't too far either...

But also trust your gut instinct!