What puts you off buying a house?

[notwhyicamehere]

Other than structural things or location- which can't be changed, what are the seemingly little things that would put you off buying a house?
For me, seeing tumble dryer or vacuum in a random room screams not enough space/ storage. As well as loads of bathroom clutter.

AIBU to dismiss houses based on things like this?

Looking to sell soon so looking to avoid those mistakes!

@Nothappyland

What is wrong with UPVC windows?! What are they meant to be made of? Genuinely confused, only windows I see are UPVC except my next door neighbours, which are wooden and completely rotting and shit. I’m very glad the ones who we bought our house off replaced them prior to us buying it!

I assume people mean cheap UPVC windows - that looks like gross tacky plasticy shit. Rather than timber double glazed or timber effect - especially in character properties or with sash/bay windows.

To clarify upvc windows in period houses
They should be made of wood

@Nothappyland

What is wrong with UPVC windows?! What are they meant to be made of? Genuinely confused, only windows I see are UPVC except my next door neighbours, which are wooden and completely rotting and shit. I’m very glad the ones who we bought our house off replaced them prior to us buying it!

We had metal window frames in the house I grew up in. Beautiful stained glass but absolutely freezing in winter.

My first house had wooden sash windows which were an absolute PITA. Heavy pulley system and wood constantly expanding/shrinking depending on weather.
They were expensive to maintain.

Now have UPVC in current house and they are brilliant. Don’t have to think about them.

@SarahAndQuack *I don't get this? confused

The thread title asks what puts you off. Not whether you'd buy the house or not!*

The title of the thread is "what puts you off BUYING a house?"
It's 100% asking whether or not you'd BUY the house - it's in the title...

uPVC windows
A house thats had smokers in
Fake grass or gardens that aren't established/ no plants or trees
Messy neighbouring properties
Ensuite bathrooms
Overlooked garden or low hedges

Also houses with extensions which have bricks which are a poor match with the original house

SarahAndQuack, Probably is right. It the title of the thread.

Wooden sash windows or metal framed windows would put me off buying a house.

This thread has surprised me. Do people really not consider buying a house if the owners have pets? Surely that rules out about 50% of houses (certainly in our village, probably not the same in a big city). I thought I was quite picky but clearly not. When we bought our house, I had a set list of requirements such as off road parking, decent sized garden, garage but the main thing was location. Cosmetic things can be put right (although if a lot of work was needed, I would expect the price to reflect this).

Lots of stuff out on the sides in the kitchen, shows not a lot of kitchen space.

No it doesn't. Well, it could, but it doesn't automatically.

It shows that the vendors might have a lot of stuff they store (which doesn't mean you won't have enough storage space)
or
The vendors actually like everything being convenient to use - everything to hand, not hidden away, in a kitchen they are using.

Some of the replies on here are hilarious but rather good news for those of us who go to look with an open mind, as there will be less competition for so many lovely houses, if people are genuinely so short sighted / unable to grasp the vendor will be taking their stuff with them.

Do people really not consider buying a house if the owners have pets?

Definitely! Even if the carpets look in good condition they would need to be replaced (allergic to animal hair) - not to mention the smell.

@DavidTheDog

Boring patch of lawn with no flowerbeds Really? I bought a house like that and have had lots of fun over the years turning it in to a wildlife garden.

(I'm aware that my wildlife garden would put off a lot of buyers).

mine too :)

Location, location, location is the only thing that’s important. Crappy houses in desirable locations are sought after and will always sell.

Unmade beds
Anything dodgy about neighbours or their house/garden
No upstairs bathroom
Dark modern kitchens
Too dated/dirty/messy

I want to move in somewhere that feels like it's been looked after. I don't want any nasty surprises. Ill happily replace carpets or paint walls and eventually get a new kitchen but I don't want to move into somewhere where slobs might not have kept it clean or hidden nasty surprises for me

[quote ProbablyProbing]**@SarahAndQuack* I don't get this? confused

The thread title asks what puts you off. Not whether you'd buy the house or not!*

The title of the thread is "what puts you off BUYING a house?"
It's 100% asking whether or not you'd BUY the house - it's in the title...[/quote]
I really don't read it like that.

It asks you what puts you off buying a house, not whether you'd buy it or not.

Surely, if you're wondering why the responses seem odd, it's because most people read it the way I did and not the way you did?

Dark cold rooms. A narrow hallway or landing . Poky bedrooms, not enough storage. Signs that the house has not been maintained generally. Smells, dirt, clutter. Paved over grass, no real garden, or the garden being overlooked. How close the neighbours are and whether they can see in windows or overhear us in the garden. How close the house is to main roads.

Parking.
The ambiance of a house is really important.
Dated decor or bathrooms.
Thin walls and floors.
Only one bathroom.
One of the things that really puts me off is if the owners seem unhappy in the house or I sense tension. Or they seem too desperate to sell.

Downstairs being the only bathroom. Been there, done that. Too old for it now.
Nowhere to park - doesn't have to have a drive but in that case there needs to be reasonable on street parking available.

Why all the hate of fitted wardrobes. They’d be a huge bonus for me.

For starters:
Smell of smoking
Downstairs bathroom
Fake diamond pane windows

Fake grass
Square toilet
No downstairs toilet
Only one bathroom
Damp smells
Open plan
Small bedrooms
No utility room or broom cupboard
Bagged up stinking nappy by the front door
Crap shower pressure

@Blossomtoes - for me I don’t like the fitted wardrobes which go over and above the bed or those with panels of mirrors. So many houses seem to have fitted wardrobes which are too big for the room and leave little room to get down the sides of the bed.

@TheSunShinesBright

Do people really not consider buying a house if the owners have pets?

Definitely! Even if the carpets look in good condition they would need to be replaced (allergic to animal hair) - not to mention the smell.

Fair enough. I understand why people might want to replace the carpets but surely the cost of new carpets is quite small compared to the cost of a new house. If I was prepared to spend several hundred thousand pounds on a home I loved, having to buy a new carpet wouldn’t really come into my decision

Downstairs bathroom as the only bathroom, neighbors, lack of plug sockets, filthy kitchen and bathroom. No side access

Almost 60% of uk households have pets.

I wouldn’t be out off at all by pets - I replace carpets anyway and clean the house.

I also bring my own beds and bedding - and work on the basis I will not be sleeping in the previous owners bed.

Stuff that will be expensive or impossible to change puts me off - not clutter and kittens!

@SarahAndQuack How do you read it?! If it would put you off buying it then it would mean you wouldn't buy it!? That's what that means - there's no other interpretation. "I was put off buying that house because it has no driveway" means "I didn't buy that house because it has no driveway". The word "buy" is in the title of the thread!

No drive/bad parking
Bad smells -smoking
Any sort of mould
No doors to rooms
Washing machine in bathrooms
Main bathroom downstairs
Seperate toilet and sink