To ask what you would offer on a house?

[PurpleFlower1983]

Hi everyone, we’ve had some unexpected inheritance and have been round the houses (literally) with how to spend it. We considered buying abroad and staying in our current home which I love but is too small downstairs really now we have our DD.

We have seen an amazing period property, it’s on at £420k (Yorkshire). We viewed it yesterday and it is stunning, 12ft high ceilings, original features, gorgeous. There are compromises though, only 2 bedrooms on the first floor, 2 more in the attic and they’re not ideal, quite small space in terms of full head height and a spiral staircase to access. The boiler works but is coming up to 20 years old. There are damp patches in the corners of the upstairs rooms, probably to be expected at this age of house but needs investigating as it has damaged the cornicing in places. Also the original land has been cut up and sold meaning the garden is quite small for what you would expect at this price/property and the drive at the back has to have right of access for the two flats next door. It has been on the market for a year, we are hoping to keep our current property to rent out so this will mean we will be pulling out all the stops financially to get it as the mortgage will only be in my name. Plus there will be over 20k of stamp duty to factor in.

What do you think would be a good opening offer? The seller said he had had a couple of offers but the estate agent didn’t mention them. She said he was open to offers and ready to sell.

[Lightsabre]

Former =Dormer!

[wanderlove]

I think you could put a proper staircase in. It has the space to do so so can't see it would be a problem. The boiler is an ordinary enough problem so that just leaves the damp. It may be a simple easily fixed issue---or it may not but you can find they out and then decide.
Does it just have a front garden? We have a big front garden and a tiny back yard--it's quite difficult with kids. We have to sit out with them to use the trampoline and swings. It's like taking them to the park rather than bumping them out in the garden. It would prob be fine but I don't feel comfy with them playing out alone. We love our house but one of the reasons we are moving. That would be the deal breaker with me for the house (if it does only have a front garden! If it has a back garden I would buy it as long as you get to the bottom of the damp issue in the survey. It's a lovely house and a good price but lower your offer to reflect a new staircase and rectifying damp and don't buy for a family without a back garden

[BetteDavisWeLuvU]

Gorgeous OP! And a good price. We’re in East Leeds an that would easily be 700 out here, ridiculous as I think that part of Pontefract is lovely.

I'd still maybe cool your heels for a bit.

[Ickabog]

[quote PurpleFlower1983]@Ickabog Absolutely! It’s beautiful, done to our taste and a gorgeous family home. The other one has the wow factor though.[/quote]
Oh I agree it definitely has the wow factor. However, the cost of fixing the damp, new boiler, changing the staircase are likely to be costly, and even once those are dealt with. You will still have to deal with the shared access, school parking, small outside space and the oddly shaped upstairs bedrooms.

[PurpleFlower1983]

@BetteDavisWeLuvU Some gorgeous houses out there! Lovely barn conversions!

[ToelessPobble]

I say go with your heart. You have clearly fallen in love with it and I can understand why looking at the original flooring. The stairs can be changed by could cost quite a lot to do so but that would make it much more useable and safer with kids. I think you need to work out what it is worth to you, start lower and not go over your maximum as looks like they are trying to push it into a bidding war.

[wanderlove]

I really like the 5 bedroom semi linked to above. It looks amazing

[PurpleFlower1983]

@wanderlove The front of the house is the back if you know what I mean. The road is at the back and just has a tailed buffer garden.

[PurpleFlower1983]

*railed

[bilbodog]

I can see why you love it! Dining room is a bit odd but could be a kids den or home office. The kitchen would be my dining room too. Let us know what you decide to do - good luck!

[PurpleFlower1983]

@wanderlove It’s gorgeous and perfect inside. The 5th ‘bedroom’ is actually the downstairs second reception room but it’s still gorgeous.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

Ithink the asking price is very high for Yorkshire, especially for a property that needs further maintenance and restoration work. A spiral staircase isn’t ideal with a child, I think.

I’d be less worried about what to offer on it and more worried about on going maintenance and replacement costs. Perhaps a survey will show other things as well.

[AtaMarie]

Whoa - it’s beautiful. My only reservation would be the damp. But so gorgeous, I can see why you love it.

[LockdownLoppy]

You sound like you have made a quick decision to buy based on your heart and not your head! Go for a second viewing and have a long hard think about it - there were some very big negatives in your post. Don't rush into such a life-changing purchase.

[saleorbouy]

Damp on the second floor usually indicates issues with guttering( blocked/cracked) or roof issues with cracked or loose slates or lead flashing around chimneys and roof valleys.
I would check that the attic rooms are compliant with building regs regarding access, fire escapes and fire retardant barriers. This facility they are not then they cannot be regarded as bedrooms.
Old houses are beautiful and interesting places to live in but you should be wary of possible pitfalls regarding structures, windows and period freatures which all added to repair costs if you want to maintain the heritage.
I would strongly recommend a full structural survey from a surveyor who is knowledgeable on this age/type of property.
After reading the survey you will have good grounds to get quote for work required and use these to negotiate a purchase price.

[anothermansmother]

Don't do it. With a shared access drive damp and a new boiler required. Plus low head height in attic rooms it won't be worth it, as it will cost lots to fix. I live in a Georgian semi and even painting cost about 3 times a normal sized room and my curtains cost 1000s as the windows are so big. I'd bide your time and wait until this is over. You'll still have the money but more things will be available. If it was a really good buy a developer would have bought it, done it and sold it on.

[saleorbouy]

This facility - If....

[geojojo]

It sounds lovely op. We have just bought a house which is probably in a similar if not worse condition and they really are moneypits. However we love it and want to stay here long term so hoping it will be worth it! Have you factored in how much the renovations will cost you? Will you have it available to do straight away or have to save? If it's been on the market for a while there is no harm putting in a cheeky offer, they can only say no but it shows your interest.

[FAQs]

I actually know the owner of this estate agent, straight talking Yorkshireman, just be straight with him with what you think it is worth. He is not one for messing around, really nice guy (even for an estate agent)

[geojojo]

Sorry made the mistake of not reading the whole thread and just saw the Rightmove link. It's so gorgeous and far better condition than the one we have just bought! I would go for it. Make a cheeky offer and get a full survey? That should throw up anything too bad.

[ClareBlue]

10 perc off because no offers. Take off price of all repairs and get this costed. Add 20 per to repair bill and take off. That is where you should be starting. And say why. This will be why it hasn't sold
This will be too low for sellers but it is what you have to offer.

[DontTouchTheMoustache]

I was going to say dont do it until I saw the house and now I want the house 😂

[Winter2020]

The house is obviously very grand and impressive but I think it's pretty impractical as a family home. Those huge rooms are going to be so difficult and expensive to heat. I think you would have to have extremely deep pockets to keep it comfortable for your kids or you will all be wearing coats surrounded by grandeur.

If you want it (but are prepared to take a chance of losing it too) I would watch the market for a few months. You describe this house as rare and that may be so but it is not sought after if it has been on sale a year. We will be moving into job losses and recession unfortunately with the associated loss of demand for buying houses and tightening of lending. The house may be worth much less in a year or two. If prices fall up to 30% and take a decade or more to recover you will have put a lot of money down the drain and may come to regret it - unless it is your forever home and you won't care?

We bought in cornwall in 2007 just before the recession. The price had just about recovered to what we paid for it before Covid. I expect it will plummet again and take another decade to recover. It's a risky time to buy if you care about loss of equity.

There is always a debate over heart or head in buying a house but definitely don't buy with the ego because of the "wow factor" It's you and your family that have to live there no one else.

[Freddiefox]

Honesty it’s beautiful and the photos of the house are amazing and the style they are taken in. But the top floor is almost unusable as bedrooms, it’s really a 2 bed house with loft rooms. Which is fine bit I wonder if that’s why they are finding it hard to sell.. because it’s been on so long and the current climate I would offer £365

[PurpleFlower1983]

@Winter2020 It’s not an ego buy but definitely a heart buy as I know there are impractical things about it. The house I lived in now is more practical upstairs, two doubles, a good single and a full height attic bedroom but lacks downstairs space and off road parking being a Victorian end terrace, it makes me smile though because of the high ceilings and features and I feel like in this one it would be that feeling x100.