To want to sell up and buy this house by the sea?

[caramara]

Lockdown boredom has set in and started looking for somewhere to buy with what I could roughly have in equity if I sold my house.

I know Jaywick is a bit rough (I'm the opposite side of Essex currently so know the area a little) but still, can it really be that bad? The idea of being mortgage free is quite appealing, and the house looks like it requires no work at all, plus I love the kitchen.

And I could walk to the beach!

the house

Please tell me I'm BU/ point out all the faults with my plan!

Even though a lot of those are shared ownership and over 60s only VanillaandHoney, there are still some surprisingly low prices.

Dontstandsoclosetome I have not visited Clacton enough to see the bad side. Having said that, I have seen posts on here about my area in South London that make it sound much worse than it really is. I think it’s really important to do a lot of reconnaissance beforehand which probably means waiting until this is all over unless it’s a local move.

A lot of those in your link vanilla are shared ownership or auctions that are likely to go for a higher price. The OP would need to trawl through quite a bit to find a property that can be bought for £150k.

Yes, I'm sure it won't be easy, but I'm trying to say there are other options that don't involve living in Jaywick!

I have family in Jaywick and it is rough, rough, rough. They love it there but not for me

That's very cheap, it must be for a reason. If you really want to do it why not have somewhere smaller and in a reasonable area?

Looks like somebody has tried to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Avoid.

It's a very deprived area as others have said.

Picture 3 - The room looks very long and narrow like a corridor.
Picture 4 - The whole room needs redoing, the storage units are hideous. I thought a PP was exaggerating about them being morgue like until I saw the picture.
Picture 6 - It looks like there is very little storage space. Plus I wouldn't want a downstairs bedroom with patio doors (which are notoriously easy to break into it) anywhere, let alone Jaywick.
Picture 7 - it looks like a short bath, I doubt it's a full size one given a lot of the rooms are narrow
Picture 8 - mind your head!
Picture 9 - it's tiny
Picture 11 - mind your head!

The lounge area is the old hall with the porch at the front, the lounge was probably originally the room that is bedroom 1 and bedroom 2 maybe was a dining room. I wouldn't be surprised if the wall between bedroom 2 and the lounge area was a partition wall only and if there had originally been a wall across the lounge area continuing along from the outside wall of the kitchen next to the lounge area.

I think bedroom 2 would have been where the original staircase was and they have put in a spiral staircase to make another bedroom, that would explain it being so long and narrow.

What age are your children? The local primary schools don't look good, they are academy sponsor led which is often a sign of a school that has not been doing well and has been forced down the academy route. One is in special measures and another requires improvement - they could still be good schools but you'd need to look carefully at why they are SM and RI and what is being done about it. The nearest High School is also RI and academy sponsor led.

All in all I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

Who is going to buy your caravan during lockdown?

@ChicChicChicChiclana it's a fish.

From the outside it looks like it needs a lot of tidying up. The bare wood bathroom floor bothers me, I'm imagining a strong smell of urine from the floorboards.
People who still have candlewick bedspreads may not be the types to best maintain a property.
The rooms all look poky, long and thin.
The back 'courtyard style' garden is green with mildew, moss or slime.
You know it's bad when the agent has to show the garden path as a feature!
And why did they only show 2 bedrooms? The garden path is a better selling point?
I'm sure it would look better when it's clean and tidy......

I think it's a lovely little house... Okay, the kitchen/lounge has an unusual layout, but so what? And for £140k?!

Googled Jaywick and it doesn't look that appealing, but I did find this article where it looks like a normal suburban village. I could be tempted. Then again, maybe we're both crazy, OP.

I went to Jaywick years ago and the houses looked very flimsy, insubstantial and very run-down (it's already been mentioned they were originally built as holiday homes) so I imagine if you do buy it, you'll be constantly shelling out cash for repairs.

I watched that programme. I thought Jaywick looked as though it had a great sense of community.

It depends what community you're from.

Jaywick OMG

It's a shit house in a shit area. You're either the vendor or you're delusional to think you can happily live there.

There's got to be a reason why a 4 bed detached home is less than the price of a 1 bed flat in most of the country....

Flimsy and insubstantial also suggest high heating costs, as illustrated by the EPC which suggests £1200 per year, just for heating, with presumably cooking, lighting, washing etc on top.

It's also possible that even £140k is too much, as neighboroughing houses in last year or two sold for around £90k or so. And it doesn't say that this one has been extended, so unlikely to be substantially larger, just the rooms have been divided up.

Even if you don't mind the deprivation of the place, I would be put off by the amount of Kippers you would encounter all day everyday. You wouldn't be able to move for them. The far right target these places so much.

DH and I were looking at property in Holland-On-Sea and surrounding areas prior to lockdown. To get out of London, have a larger garden, be the near sea and nearer family etc. The beach itself if ok in Jaywick, BUT, its very impoverished and below sea level! We won't look at any property west of Clacton, especially Jaywick!!!

I'd save longer and get something out of Jaywick, even east Clacton, Holland or some of the nice villages between Colchester and Clacton. If its within 2hrs of London you want, what about Suffolk?

No offence, but Jackwick is awful! What about Frinton instead?

An article here:
www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/life-englands-most-deprived-town-3365462

I would be tempted by this
I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/88971251

Just as well you wouldn't be wanting a mortgage because I'm willing to bet that house is non standard construction.
You are also in danger from the north sea. That area has flooded badly in the past due to tidal surges and it will happen again.

There's got to be a reason why a 4 bed detached home is less than the price of a 1 bed flat in most of the country

Sometimes it's just because it's a long way from London.

I don't see this one being located in a crime ridden shithole.

I've looked at the map and streetview, the house is a good distance from the most deprived area (Brooklands) and looks a pretty decent street.

I'd certainly take a long good look at it and the surrounding area, and I'd take down the wall on the ground floor enlarging the lounge into the useless narrow bedroom (they don't even show a photo so it must be bad)

My understanding is that Jaywick was built as holiday chalets, which are now in varying state of repair and largely let to people on benefits.

Part of the problem is that as it was originally a resort it does not have normal town infrastructure like made up roads, and the properties are not really suitable for year round living. It is also not good for transport.

So you have a congregation of the very poorest, who because of the lack of transport would struggle to find work, even if they were not ruled out because of disability or addiction.

Otherwise I agree. The beach there looks fine and there is plenty of open space. However your chances of nuisance neighbours are high, and the sense of hopelessness probably catching.