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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

House buying

66 replies

CharlotteRose90 · 09/12/2020 14:29

Hi,

So I’m not sure if this is the right section for it but I’m needing help.

I’m a first time buyer and I’m hoping to buy a house early next year. Haven’t found one yet but is there anything that I should be looking out for in terms of no nos .

Im northwest way. All I care about is having 2-3 beds, a drive or parking and a back garden.

Just feel I’m in over my head with not knowing what can be dangerous etc.

OP posts:

Saz12 · 11/12/2020 10:24

Remember that everyone has to compromise on something: everyone. Even if the house seems perfect there’ll be a downside, you just need to get the best you can in your budget.

If you miss out, there will be another house to buy. Don’t get too carried away with offering high just to secure it.

There might be things you don’t care about that make the house more expensive - en suites and huge bathroom, or hot tub in the garden, or new kitchen in style you hate, or whatever. Be wary of paying for what you don’t actually value.

Botched DIY jobs are a PITA to fix. Artex is a nightmare. Woodchip hides bad plaster! None of these make a house a bad purchase, but you will curse them all the same.

Houses need redecoration. Don’t be too swayed by how nice the decor is now, though good quality flooring, doors, kitchen & bathroom that you like are a big plus!

SchrodingersImmigrant · 11/12/2020 10:32

View the house WITHOUT owners in it. We were stupid and viewed it with them and they distracted us enough to not spot some bits. You also feel like you can't really properly examine the house with the owner behind you. There was a kid in a bed when we looked into the bedroom... We never had a chamce to look behind the furniture.

BarbaraofSeville · 11/12/2020 11:08

The owners have done the viewings during just about all the houses we've looked at so I'm not sure what you'd have to do to view it without the owners there?

The only time the agents did the viewings was when the owners had actually moved out already.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 11/12/2020 11:17

@BarbaraofSeville

The owners have done the viewings during just about all the houses we've looked at so I'm not sure what you'd have to do to view it without the owners there?

The only time the agents did the viewings was when the owners had actually moved out already.

I don't know how yours but ours stood right behind us all the time. And they kept talking and talking. I am pretty sure it was to distract us from finding out the house is painted around wardrobes only! Plus, you really don't want to stand in a bedroom and look around when there is a person in a bed there who is just not leaving the room. In other houses they left us to it and stayed downstairs or in a garden.

Livpool · 11/12/2020 11:18

Don't be too close to a school or a sports arena

raspberrymuffin · 11/12/2020 12:04

Use a local solicitor, one with an office in the town your new house is in and a reputation to uphold. We did this and everything went extremely smoothly, but I've heard horror stories from people who went with big national conveyancers who were slow, impossible to get hold of, and reluctant to provide actual advice.

Flat roof, leaky detached garage, storage heaters with no option for a gas connection, tricky parking...these are things to keep an eye out for but we actually bought a flat with them all because it meant being able to afford a decent amount of floor space in an area we loved. I would much rather be here in this imperfect 70s flat with leafy views and a nice high street in walking distance than in a "perfect" semi with a driveway in an edge of town development. Choose a place that works for you and how you want to live. Unless you are a bazillionaire there will be compromises so make sure you're clear with yourself about what those are going to be.

Oh, and view a wide range of places in your price bracket, so you really understand what your options are. We were never going to live in a flat again and only viewed this place to humour my mum.

CloudyGladys · 11/12/2020 13:29

Remember the estate agent is being paid by the vendor and therefore working for them and not for you.

Look at the Facebook page for the local area and the local newspaper website. You'll get an idea of what is going on, what the residents are grumbling about and whether they would be deal-breakers for you.

Visit at different times of day.
Try what would be your morning commute to work and see how long it really takes at that time of day.
Visit at school hometime. The house may be near the back entrance of a school or along the secondary school pupils' main walking route home.
Also visit at closing time, on the day the local team are playing if you're near a pub, stadium etc.

AftonGlen · 11/12/2020 13:41

Try not to be too risk adverse. There's a big difference between a place needing completely renovated and needing some upgrades. The house we bought had problems with damp and all it needed was a new roof which was accounted for and new gutters.

Original poster

CharlotteRose90 · 11/12/2020 17:26

Thank you sorry I’ve not responded been a busy day.

My list is getting bigger haha but so far my non negotiables are

Drive
Not on a flood plain
Freehold
Somewhere I can rent out if needed
Definitely not a new build

I’ve been recommended an amazing solicitor and a good surveying company so now I just need to find that property.

I’ve been able to put some money away incase the property needs a new roof, boiler, kitchen, bathroom etc. Anything after that I’ll just save for.

Oh and I’m looking at prices below the stamp duty threshold so fingers crossed I’m good there. It’s just me buying so I’m hoping for £150k and under ideally.

OP posts:

ZaraW · 11/12/2020 17:42

Not sure if it's been mentioned but I wouldn't buy in a high radon area or if you do be prepared to pay for the work to be carried out fan, sump etc. if needed.

ZaraW · 11/12/2020 17:48

You can check by postcode.

www.ukradon.org/information/ukmaps

Scottishskifun · 11/12/2020 18:36

My tip with any house that you like is to visit it more than once and at different times/days.
Definitely go for freehold. New builds if over a few years old are generally OK as they have all their snags sorted but do your research on the house builder as some are definitely far worse than others!

I would also look at empty properties which are just above your price range for 2 reasons. The first is that people struggle to "see themselves" in a empty property so your less likely to have competition buying. The second is that empty properties still cost money so generally you can get more house by offering under the asking price.

We got our house for 20k under because of this!

Reedwarbler · 11/12/2020 18:56

@SchrodingersImmigrant we have always hosted viewing in our own homes, never the estate agent. You don't have a choice. I find most estate agent viewings lack detail and there are many questions they can't answer. Also, if you came into my house and started moving furniture so you could look behind it, you would be out the door. I have never ever had a prospective buyer move my furniture around!

SchrodingersImmigrant · 11/12/2020 19:14

I have never ever had a prospective buyer move my furniture around!

You don't need to move furniture. It's possible to look behind wardrobes without moving them.
You may not like my opinion, but I didn't like the fact that "ready to move in" house ended up having to be redecorated because someone quickly painted around furniture only. On wallpaper.
And on top, would you be able to properly look around the room if someone is lying on a bed in there? I am still sure that we were being distracted on purpose there so we missed things like a low quality flooring, not so great tiling in a bathroom, badly plastered ceiling in one of the rooms, the aforementioned paint job and few other bits. I wouldn't mind the re decorating if I knew about it and could plan on wallpaper stripping and so on. I am never viewing house with owner following behind me like that again. And now I wouldn't stop even for a person chilling in a bed. Lesson learned. It's a big purcahse, I should be able to check it properly.

It was a good house though so we bought it😂 I would just renegotiate the price a bit if I had a chance of proper (silent) viewings.

Skysblue · 11/12/2020 21:58

Try to find out who the neighbours are and avoid living next door to teenagers in an semi or attached property. The teens next door to me keep having rows with their parents - loud enough to wake me up and disturb my child ☹️ Playing music til early hours etc.

We are in a ‘nice’ suburban area but avoid teens (or babies) next doors is my advice to you. Ideally if at all possible you want an old couple or single person so you don’t have to listen to the sex either.

My neighbours are lovely people but I hate living next door to them.

Chailatte20 · 12/12/2020 05:13

If you can't afford to buy a detached house then buy a halls adjoining semi rather than a living room attached one. It's the next best thing as there'll be very little noise coming through. Only your communal areas are joined rathar your living rooms.

like this

not this

If you're renovating a property then get decent sound proofing in between the adjoining walls.

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