To think 'character' properties aren't all they're cracked up to be?

[LellyGreen]

We live in a Victorian house. Its cold and drafty, we've had various issues with damp and leaks, the ceiling on the landing collapsed three years ago, we got it fixed for it to happen again last year and we had to have the whole roof replaced. There are weird alcoves in the lounge on every wall that has stopped us from being able to hang the TV on the wall like we wanted to. Solid wood floors in every room that haven't been maintained well by previous owners and dons hard hat I've wanted several times to tear up and chuck carpet down because they're in such bad state. The room sizes are very generous, but they're too big and apart from a few more sensibly sized rooms they feel cold and empty. Our hallway is 5mx5.5m!! Who needs a hallway that big? It just looks like a big empty room. Anyway.. it's just been so much hassle. We go to do one small job and it turns out it's actually a huge job, every time. I've always vowed to never buy a new build because "they have no character" but I've done it. I've gone to the dark side. I have bought a new shiny new build and I couldn't give a toss about the character I'm losing and I can't wait to be in a house that is warm, and doesn't feel empty all the time! I get a lot of it is down to developers, I've heard the persimmon horror stories of paper thin walls and box rooms.. but I'm firmly in the new build camp now. Pick a good developer (ideally a small/local one) with a good build quality and generous room dimensions and don't look back!! Character is a pain in the ass and over hyped. You can add character to your beautiful new house that isn't full of hidden problems.

AIBU? If you're avoiding new builds purely because of these reasons everyone goes on about.. I highly recommend viewing one for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised

@LellyGreen

We live in a Victorian house. Its cold and drafty, we've had various issues with damp and leaks, the ceiling on the landing collapsed three years ago, we got it fixed for it to happen again last year and we had to have the whole roof replaced. There are weird alcoves in the lounge on every wall that has stopped us from being able to hang the TV on the wall like we wanted to. Solid wood floors in every room that haven't been maintained well by previous owners and dons hard hat I've wanted several times to tear up and chuck carpet down because they're in such bad state. The room sizes are very generous, but they're too big and apart from a few more sensibly sized rooms they feel cold and empty. Our hallway is 5mx5.5m!! Who needs a hallway that big? It just looks like a big empty room. Anyway.. it's just been so much hassle. We go to do one small job and it turns out it's actually a huge job, every time. I've always vowed to never buy a new build because "they have no character" but I've done it. I've gone to the dark side. I have bought a new shiny new build and I couldn't give a toss about the character I'm losing and I can't wait to be in a house that is warm, and doesn't feel empty all the time! I get a lot of it is down to developers, I've heard the persimmon horror stories of paper thin walls and box rooms.. but I'm firmly in the new build camp now. Pick a good developer (ideally a small/local one) with a good build quality and generous room dimensions and don't look back!! Character is a pain in the ass and over hyped. You can add character to your beautiful new house that isn't full of hidden problems.

AIBU? If you're avoiding new builds purely because of these reasons everyone goes on about.. I highly recommend viewing one for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised

Do you mean draughty?

Current house - since that appears to be the term here - was built in 1665. I regard living in it as a privilege.

@Janegrey333 Do you mean to be so pedantic?

OP Defoe get the people who fixed you roof. When did the leak start ? what does your contract state on how long they guarantee the fix for etc. Partner is a builder and you wouldn't believe what people say when he quotes the price of things etc. I have seen people that would spend 20 or 30k on their kitchen of how it looks but baulk on the price of windows, insulation etc. I myself was one when we were building our house 5 years ago, a fortune was spent on insulation and the heating and was only allowed 10k for my kitchen budget including appliances caused some row. But now I see the benefit my house is never cold, don't hear any noises from outside. I say I spend 500e every two years on my heating oil. I agree totally houses are money pits, my mother in law has house built in the fifties with extension after extension added. There is always something needed to be done and I say she spends about 2k a year on heating oil trying to heat it. My partner has done loads to the house over the past few years to improve things however it still costs a fortune nd the list is never ending. I would never go old, will always be a new build. It does help that I do love modern architecture.

Do you mean draughty?

You must be board, I mean bored.

@Bluesheep8

I think might be illegal to hang TV's on a wall in a period property🤔

Really? Why?

For one thing it would look incongruous. Not illegal but incongruous. Imagine doing that in any house. Dreadful.

@Gobbycop

Do you mean draughty?

You must be board, I mean bored.

I also spotted another “drafty” used by someone else. Tut x2.

New (ish) houses can be shit too.

My parents house was built in 1968 and they bought it new. In a little over 10 years they were dealing with damp issues / Rotten floors / rotten window frames.....

[quote LellyGreen]@Janegrey333 Do you mean to be so pedantic?[/quote]
grammarist.com/spelling/draft-draught/

Mine is also over four hundred years old and listed. It’s as solidly built as they come.

All old properties don’t come with the issues you describe op. Mine didn’t. And all new properties don’t come with the issue you see in the media constantly. It seems you bought a property in a state of disrepair. You’d have the same issues if you bought a newer house in a state of disrepair, other than complaining the rooms were too big.

I think the issue with a lot of new builds is they are cookie cutter. Smallish rooms, no features, small gardens etc, they are often like boxes. And that’s where the bad rep comes in.

For one thing it would look incongruous. Not illegal but incongruous. Imagine doing that in any house. Dreadful.

I happen to agree. But the post said illegal, not incongruous.

For one thing it would look incongruous. Not illegal but incongruous. Imagine doing that in any house. Dreadful

My tv is on the wall in the inglenook. The inglenook is however approx 12 foot high and 15 wide, so it pushes back when we aren’t using it.

Listed or older buildings are to be lived in. They are not museums.

@Janegrey333

Current house - since that appears to be the term here - was built in 1665. I regard living in it as a privilege.

Listed too. Aren’t all decent properties that have been preserved and are in a conservation area? It’s not a barn - but a proper house.

My 1850 house has no issues at all.

12 foot ceilings, generous rooms, warm, no spiders, not one bit of damp - not expensive to heat. Can't hear the neighbours.

Can't imagine ever complaining a room is too large dead easy to divide with bookcases, furniture can be in middle of room instead of hugging walls

My pet hate is 'corridor' living rooms - 8 foot wide, 15 foot long (basically 1980's houses) - all furniture shoved against walls

@Bluntness100

For one thing it would look incongruous. Not illegal but incongruous. Imagine doing that in any house. Dreadful

My tv is on the wall in the inglenook. The inglenook is however approx 12 foot high and 15 wide, so it pushes back when we aren’t using it.

Listed or older buildings are to be lived in. They are not museums.

It’s not just about getting g a crick in your neck, it’s more to do with tackiness.

@Bluesheep8

For one thing it would look incongruous. Not illegal but incongruous. Imagine doing that in any house. Dreadful.

I happen to agree. But the post said illegal, not incongruous.

I know.

Yanbu. Just as not all new builds are good quality, so not all older houses are good quality. Just because a thing is still upright doesn't mean it was built to last, necessarily. Some Victorian houses in particular workers' houses were never constructed with longevity in mind - inadequate foundations, single brick walls etc. And as a pp said if you add in the potential for numerous bodge jobs over the lifespan of the thing, this just exacerbates matters.

I love my relatively modern place - previous owners were the ones who had to deal with snagging issues and I just reap the benefits of having a well insulated hassle free home where I can't hear the neighbours and spend fuck all on heating.

It’s not just about getting g a crick in your neck, it’s more to do with tackiness

That’s just about as bitchy as you can get. Who shit on your cornflakes this morning 😂

Look, I live here, the tv is going someplace, the most discreet place is the side wall of the Inglenook where it pushes back and can’t be seen and is pulled out when we wish to watch it.

But feel freee to lash out and tell randoms how they live is tacky 😂

I think what's tacky is coming on to a thread to pick at peoples grammar and talk to them like they are lower class. I'm glad you love your older property janegrey and can afford to maintain it with no issues. This thread was for those who struggle to afford money pit older properties and may be put off new builds by the mumsnet snobbery you've just highlighted perfectly.

I live in a flat carved out of a huge Victorian house. My TV is on the the wall so my toddler doesn't pull it on to his head and kill himself .

Anyway, I love my high ceilinged victorian flat - it's warm, and has lovely wooden floors that the previous owner put in. It's generally been well maintained, so no awful issues, although the wiring needed a bit of help. SO much more space than the cramped new build my parents bought in the 80s.

I prefer houses with character, but I'd be happy to live in something like a newly done barn or church conversion, or something new and architect designed. I'm just not personally a fan of Barratt home style developments.

Op, don’t worry she does it on every thread on every subject. 😂

I've lived in older houses, 1980s boxes and new builds. We are currently doing up a Victorian house and all the things that need fixing are the botch jobs that have been done in the last 30 years or so. Once done we will have a good size (not enormous) family home with parking out front and a decent size garden. No "character" though as all that was ripped out by previous owners. All the new builds around here are crammed in together with one parking space per house and tiny gardens. That is enough to put me off new builds. Conversely in other parts of the country, a new build development might appeal if there is more space.

I like character, but I love my persimmon new build. We've had no problems with it and it's a nice size and has a garage for storage. I wouldn't swap it.

I think you have to love new builds to live in them happily, and love old houses to live in them happily too.

With old places you need to purchase with your eyes well and truly open, and preferably with some decent diy skills and knowledge of old properties and how to maintain them, which sadly many owners don't have.

Some of your comments about the house you live in are nothing to do with its age though Our hallway is 5mx5.5m!! Who needs a hallway that big? It just looks like a big empty room. That's because you don't know what to do with it, how to furnish or dress it to make the most of it. Same with complaining about alcoves preventing you hanging your tv on the wall. Your taste doesn't suit an older property, that's all.

@LellyGreen

I'm not saying there are no other properties than either really old or brand new. However in my experience people on mumsnet speak so negatively about new builds and how they lack character and are soulless and I found myself holding that opinion too despite never being in one. When we actually did, we found it seemed a pretty perfect fit for us. Hence why in my OP I've said if you're unhappy in an older property don't be put off looking at new builds as I don't believe they all deserve the same bad reputation. I don't think the 'character' mumsnet use against them is always all it's cracked up to be.

I agree. I see it as a class thing. Those who identify as or aspire to be upper middle class gush over "character" properties and show conplete disdain for new builds. I honestly think it's to do with the fact some new builld developments had the Help to Buy scheme and had social housing. Subconscious classism.