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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think fitting a water meter can put off potential buyers?

100 replies

Mydietstartstomorrow · 20/01/2020 11:32

That really. Our house is on the market, I'm moving out and estranged husband moving back in till the house sells. He wants to put a water meter in to reduce his water bill but I am worried this may put potential buyers off. Would it put you off buying?

OP posts:
catlady3 · 20/01/2020 12:17

It's the other way around, if there are more bedrooms than people, then a meter will usually be cheaper because the fixed charge is set based on rateable value, which is related to the size of the property.

NothingIsWrong · 20/01/2020 12:19

5 of us in our house and it significantly reduced our water bill.

Nat6999 · 20/01/2020 12:24

I wish I could have one, my water bill is included in my council rent but not covered by housing benefits, my water bill for a 2 bed flat is nearly double what my mum pays for a 3 bed semi, I pay £17 a week.

Clariana · 20/01/2020 12:24

We had a water meter installed and saved over £25 / month. There are four of us in the house.

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 20/01/2020 12:25

I have 5 adults in my home and a water meter and it is still less than our last home with 2 adults and 2 teens on a standing charge

But it does Make you more aware of your water usage. For example I now only do full loads in the washing machine, have several water butts in the garden, don’t brush teeth with the tap running etc but these are all things that we all should be doing anyway.

TheAncientEnemy · 20/01/2020 12:28

Definitely would put me off. We lived in a new build once with a meter, it was over £100 per month for water and that was underestimated, we had a large amount to pay off when we moved out. (3 bed semi, family of 5) We now have an older house with rateable value at £33 a month and we can use what we want. I wouldnt even live in a house with a meter let alone buy one.

Fidgety31 · 20/01/2020 12:30

Definitely put me off . Now I am on a metre my books have doubled . Currently paying £100 a month for water

ByAppointmentTo · 20/01/2020 12:34

YABU. It wouldn't put me off at all. We have a water meter and pay around £35 a month. There are four of us. We do at least one load of washing every day, DS has a bath, the rest of us have showers. We don't really think about water useage. It's far cheaper for us on a meter than the rateable value.

gamerwidow · 20/01/2020 12:36

I wouldn't want a water meter it would cost me more than my rates cost and it would put me off of a house.

bellinisurge · 20/01/2020 12:41

It would put me off, I'm afraid. I'd be worried it would affect the resale value and people with kids wouldn't buy it.

TheyWentToSeaInASieve · 20/01/2020 12:45

If you have a big property, a water meter can reduce your bill by a huge amount! Ours went down by three-quarters (and I used the washing machine and the dishwasher twice a day; plus we occasionally water the (small) garden). They have a bad rep but for no reason!

FrangipaniBlue · 20/01/2020 12:47

It's the other way around, if there are more bedrooms than people, then a meter will usually be cheaper because the fixed charge is set based on rateable value, which is related to the size of the property.

This

Every person I know without a meter pays more than double what I do despite their houses being similar size but less people in them!

What on earth are you all doing to spend £100 per month on water? Our shower is on twice a day, DH washes both cars every weekend (pretty much) and there are 3 peoples worth of clothes to wash.... including all my kits from training which I do EVERY DAY. I pay £33 per month by direct debit.

DillBaby · 20/01/2020 12:47

It wouldn’t put me off if the house was cheap and otherwise ideal. My house has a water meter but it was dirt cheap so I just accepted it. But if I had other similarly priced options I’d probably pick one without a water meter.

ColaFreezePop · 20/01/2020 12:48

OP you need to check that you are not in a water company area where they will install a water meter if someone else buys the house anyway. I am in such an area but can't have a water meter.

Lovewinemorethanhusband · 20/01/2020 12:48

Wouldn't bother me at all, I have a water meter, 3 children at home and my water is still cheaper than my parents who pay rates for just the 2 of them!

MrsBennetsnerves · 20/01/2020 12:52

Wouldn't bother me at all. Our bills came down after having one installed.

Ariesscientist90 · 20/01/2020 12:54

We had a meter fitted in the house we bought as our bills were double what we paid in our previous house, since having the meter installed our bills have gone from 54 per month to around 24, that’s for two of us having daily showers. I can’t see how your bills would increase unless you had a lot of people in the house, and/or you were using a huge amount of water.

ApacheEchidna · 20/01/2020 12:55

It would put me off if I had young kids - running the water for baths is expensive on a meter! Kids roll in mud and the laundry is endless! In older families, if everyone in the household is just having showers and isn't getting their clothes dirty very often then a water meter is a bonus. So it depends on your target market - if you will be pitching at young families then you could be throwing away c£5k not because that's a tangible "value" but because it might make just enough of a difference that someone chooses a different property and you end up dropping the price, or missing out on a bidding war between two interested buyers because one walks away. If it is bought by an older family then a meter wouldn't be an advantage in the opposite direction because they can easily make the switch themselves if they want to, but it is impossible to switch back from meter to rates so I think the property is more marketable without a meter.

SilverySurfer · 20/01/2020 12:57

Why should you not pay for the water you use? I much prefer to have a water meter - the old method I was paying more, obviously subsidising those with big families who apparently don't want to pay their fair share.

SilverySurfer · 20/01/2020 12:58

Oops, forgot to answer the question, no, OP, it wouldn't put me off at all.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 20/01/2020 12:59

3 of us in 3 bed house on a meter, and I pay £20 a month. Moving into a house without a meter would put me off tbh.

pumpandthump · 20/01/2020 13:03

We are really frugal with water but a water meter made our bill go up massively! I wouldn't buy a house with one.

mumtomaxwell · 20/01/2020 13:04

I didn’t even realise they weren’t installed in every house Blush
I’m in my forties, living in my 4th home since I started work/living independently and have always had a meter.

ioioitsoff · 20/01/2020 13:09

I wouldn't, I'd rather have it as it is and be able to use water as I want without bothering about the bill.

MinnieMountain · 20/01/2020 13:10

We live in an area where new owners have to have a water meter fitted (Anglian Water).

It will get increasingly common to have one.