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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to buy the horrible house next door

295 replies

thegreenlight · 13/04/2022 08:28

We live in a lovely (but small 3 bed semi with no scope to extend) next door has just come on the market - it’s horrible having been rented out by the guy across the road for years and he did the work himself. Our house has an extension, downstairs bathroom and utility. Next door has none of this but massive scope to extend to the back and side. We have never done a renovation before! Do we offer to buy directly from the owner and pay asking (it has been put on sale this morning through a local agent) what should I do? We LOVE our area but can’t afford a ready renovated house. It would mean a real dip in living standards while we do the work. Any advice? Am I being stupid!?

OP posts:
CoconutQueen · 13/04/2022 08:30

Sounds like a brilliant plan - go for it!!!

MRex · 13/04/2022 08:32

Sounds like a great idea if you can afford it; you can get a lot of the work done before combining the houses, electricity etc. (Maybe don't combine the water, so two showers at once doesn't reduce pressure.)

The owner will have signed a contract to pay agency fees; by all means approach them directly, but most likely it will need to go through the agent regardless. Good luck!

Original poster
thegreenlight · 13/04/2022 08:33

Not combing the houses - buying next door and selling ours!

OP posts:
NewHouseNewMe · 13/04/2022 08:34

Your post confuses me. Are you aiming to renovate with a view to combining both houses to make a large detached or are you renting but want to buy next door?

Cuddlywaterfall · 13/04/2022 08:34

Do it! I have dreamed for years about doing the same. Next door is practically falling down, it would not only stop it from detracting g value from my house the road but I would love to have a chance to steal some space and widen my lovely but narrow house. Ahh! Anyway point is moot as we're selling but if I were you I would go for it!
Just near in mind that these DIY-ers tend to leave an absolute catalogue of disasters in their wake.
Let us know how it goes!

Original poster
thegreenlight · 13/04/2022 08:34

Because we are on a corner we don’t have a garage. They don’t either, just a massive double garbage size space at the side of the house. No extension out the back either so we can do to our taste. We have £100 + equity in our house the start the works with.

OP posts:
CarerKate · 13/04/2022 08:35

Do you mean you'd sell the house you have now?

Trainbear · 13/04/2022 08:36

Why not tent the house you are in, having bought next door. It gives you great control on who rents and can ensure they keep to the terms of their contract.

Cuddlywaterfall · 13/04/2022 08:36

Oh sorry just read your second post. Now I'm confused - what's the advantage then? Just the option to renovate and add value?
Bear in mind that you will have a nightmare on your hands with home DIY to deal with and prices of labour and materials have gone through the roof lately.

Original poster
thegreenlight · 13/04/2022 08:36

We are two 30s semis. It would be selling ours which is decorated to a lovely standard and buying the one next door and living in it while we renovate Confused with a 4 and 9 year old! Is that insane?

OP posts:
NewHouseNewMe · 13/04/2022 08:37

I don’t know what you would gain by selling yours and buying next door unless there is something you don’t have, e.g. a massive garden.
Renovations are costing a fortune right now; see the extensions thread under Property. There are lots of “the architect said £100k, the builder said £200k and now we are up to £300k” stories. Many can’t live in the property while it’s ongoing.
Only do it if the return is good enough and there is a significant gain.

Idontevenknow · 13/04/2022 08:38

If you already have a utility extra bedroom and bathroom extended what it is you want to extend next door for? Seems like a bit crazy to me if it's just for a garage x

AllOfUsAreDead · 13/04/2022 08:38

I think she is meaning sell her house and buy the next door one, and do it up while living in it.

Go for it if you want. Would 100k be enough for a big renovation and extensions?

NewHouseNewMe · 13/04/2022 08:39

In your shoes I’d only do it if you were making a big jump: better area, detached, acre of land etc.

axolotlfloof · 13/04/2022 08:44

What's the difference in current asking price of the two houses?

Mamamia7962 · 13/04/2022 08:44

Confused by your post. You say you live in a small 3 bed semi with no room to extend but then you say it has an extension with downstairs bathroom and utility.

Does the house next door have a lot more space to extend on to or would you just end up with what you have already got?

Kuachui · 13/04/2022 08:46

depends, have you added up how much it would cost nowerdays?

my aunties just added a conservatory and tint extension (literally a utilitu room) has cost her 45k....

Kuachui · 13/04/2022 08:48

sorry i meant the extension was 45k and the conservatory was 25k

Original poster
thegreenlight · 13/04/2022 08:48

Full disclosure -
We live in a small 3 bed semi which has been extended 2m out the back to make an open plan kitchen and adding a utility and downstairs bathroom. We only have a meter at the side of our house, no garage to build above. Tiny box room.
Next door has no extension at all but has a massive plot. We would extend to the back and side to add another bedroom and increase footprint downstairs. Our house worth £290k + (not had it valued) next door on for £285k (probably due to extension potential) all semi houses in our road with extensions over garage go for £400k + £500k for detached. We have the smallest houses in a VERY nice area.
We would sell our house and live in the one next door until we have renovated. We will have some equity to start the process.
Have been planning on replacing the kitchen and bathroom in our house anyway. I hope that helps!

OP posts:
BarrelOfOtters2 · 13/04/2022 08:50

What’s the advantage of buying next door?

anon2022anon · 13/04/2022 08:50

Do your sums, if it's worth it then its a good idea as you know the area and like it, you can have a little input in your future neighbour by coosing who you sell to.

Price of new house + Cost of works- Value in the future- does all of that leave you more or less than selling your house? Are the perks worth the difference if it wouldnt be worth it?

anon2022anon · 13/04/2022 08:51

Actually I've written that the wrong way round- value in the future - cost now- cost of renivations

PostingForTrafficz · 13/04/2022 08:51

God get some mortgage advice please!

OwlinaTree · 13/04/2022 08:53

Sounds like a good plan in theory. You need to get in and have a look at the house to see if it's livable in.

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 13/04/2022 08:53

Will the owner wait for you to sell yours first? If it is a nice area it will sell quickly I suspect, can you proceed without selling first?