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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:
Lunalae · 13/04/2022 13:50

@thegreenlight

Not combing the houses - buying next door and selling ours!
Why would you want to trade a nice, finished house for a shithole?

I live in a renovation. It's shit. Just don't bother, honestly. At the end all you'll have is an extended 3 bed semi with a smaller garden. Totally not worth it.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 13/04/2022 13:52

@thegreenlight

Here is my family room currently - I would like a new kitchen though! Is it too small? Should I go for next door? We are not really DIYers!
This looks lovely...

Does it feel overcrowded when you have 4 adults in it now?

This should answer the question!

It looks lovely by the way

SniffMyQuiffyHair · 13/04/2022 13:53

@ComeSailAway

Don't have time to RTFT, but just wanted to say don't assume you'll get planning permission for the extension you're envisaging. Might be worth having a chat with a planning officer first.
I think OP stated PP had been passed previously but good advice otherwise
PattyMelt · 13/04/2022 13:58

If you do it, you could always get a small older caravan for the side of the house and use it whenever the house isn't for for habitation during renovations. Gives you a toilet, shower and tiny place to cook at least.
Our neighbour just bought a little one in gorgeous condition for £3000 double bed and a table that folds to another bed.

MarmiteToTheEdges · 13/04/2022 14:08

You need to cost it carefully and factor in stamp duty, legal fees etc.

Lalliella · 13/04/2022 14:14

Too much hassle. I would look around for a house that you really want.

PruGnu · 13/04/2022 14:16

Your room looks lovely and totally fine size wise. Bear in mind that once your boys get to the size that you're worried about they'll either be off out with their mates all the time or holed up in their bedrooms.... We extended for an extra bedroom and downstairs utility, it was fairly straightforward and went without a hitch but still stressful, no way would I live like that again.

Catshaveiteasy · 13/04/2022 14:22

If it's just to get bigger rooms, I wouldn't bother. If you actually need an extra room, then that's very different. We moved to get further into a school catchment. By doing so the price naturally rose. We saw several houses no bigger than our existing house, but much more expensive and it all seemed pointless (as there was a chance our child could have got in - the catchment kept varying as they do). But in the end we were lucky to find a house that had not only two extra rooms, but bigger rooms, a larger garden and a garage for the extra expense and we made an offer immediately. (TBH we don't really need all the space and it's a lot to keep clean and tidy but we do love the house, and given the area, it's a great investment.)

ShhItsMySecret · 13/04/2022 14:23

I'm a bit bemused by people thinking once a board is up you can avoid agent's fees by going straight to the owner!

Good luck with whatever you decide op

strawberrycheesecake1989 · 13/04/2022 14:23

Bear in mind that the prices for renovations have basically doubled since brexit and covid and inflation. We were looking to do a side return and loft extension which would’ve cost about 120k 4 years ago. Now it’s more likely 300k plus

mumwon · 13/04/2022 14:24

check if anyone down your road has extended over the garage &how big a gap between the houses after you have done this. some council planning dept object to this type of infilling but if you can prove its been done before & they disagree you can object & get permission from DOE (? memory is that the correct dept)
We did this years ago that's how I know about this process -

Blondeshavemorefun · 13/04/2022 14:26

@sunshinesupermum

It’s livable currently but has a tiny kitchen. I’m concerned what we would do for cooking when the whole back of the house gets knocked out!

Having done just this a few years ago you use your microwave and wash up in the bath! It's doable and so worth it in the end.

Get a halogen cooker. From home bargains £35/40

We use ours all the time. Only really had main oven for roast dinners

But

I think mad too sell them house uou love

To buy. A wreck next door with £100k

Will cost more then that to restore and extend

Original poster
thegreenlight · 13/04/2022 14:28

This is the house next door - you can see how big the space to the side is. You’re all being so helpful. I’m now having doubts but DH (who I thought I would carry out of here in a box!) is really keen!

AIBU to buy the horrible house next door
AIBU to buy the horrible house next door
OP posts:
faithinnature1 · 13/04/2022 14:30

I think the fact it is next door is a bit of a red herring.. you have a house that has reached its extension potential and you think it's too small long term, extended houses on your street go for 400k and you presumably can't afford one, a doer upper has come on the market and you see potential to upgrade from what you have by taking the hit on having to renovate. I'd do your research and if you really think you are getting a bargain and can cope with the mayhem, then it sounds like a totally normal thing to do. I think some posters sound like they are being deliberately obtuse.. the why would you swap like for like type questions- obviously nobody would!

BakeOffRewatch · 13/04/2022 14:33

I definitely think you should buy it. You don’t have to do the extension straight away. It is the better house with more future options. If you were going to do the kitchen and bathroom in your house anyway you might as well move and do it in new house, and you have options for when the kids do actually get bigger.

faithinnature1 · 13/04/2022 14:33

And whoever buys it will extend, it's obvious looking at the pictures. If you can afford it, do it, if you can't quite but can cope with living as is for a while to overpay mortgage and build equity to do later then why not?

chaosrabbitland · 13/04/2022 14:41

your kitchen and family room look lovely , its bigger than mine i can tell you , personally i couldnt be bothered with the faff of all this proposal , finding reputable workmen to do it , having them trapsing about all the time , dust and the sound of tools whining away , the upheaval of it all with kids thrown into the mix, wondering how bloody long its going to all take until its all finally done , i personally as long as i was happy in my currant home couldnt be doing it

BeenHereForYonkyDoodles · 13/04/2022 14:52

Id do it. Honestly it'll be so worth it once the works done. You'll still have to go through their agent if it's listed with them. Not sure where you are but the market by us is pretty fast right now. Id call agents today and book in for viewing ASAP, ask them to value yours at the same time.
Good luck! It'll be an adventure (slightly stressful at times but worth it!)

AmberLynn1536 · 13/04/2022 14:55

thegreenlight
We have around £150k equity in our house I was hoping that would cover some of it and only £5000 stamp duty according to calculators. I will ring my mortgage advisor and ask for advice

But surely that equity is in the 320k though that you need 285k to cover the purchase price? The 150k isnt about the 320k you will receive. So if you get 320 and buy for 285k once stamp duty and fees are paid you will have 25k left unless you remortgage

The equity will allow you to remortgage but if you can do that surely it is best to look at the 400k ones

Can you actually afford to buy the house and fund the extensions and renovations your £150,000 equity will be taken up just buying the house?

SpiderinaWingMirror · 13/04/2022 14:59

Hopefully it will be sold to a developer and you can buy the done up version on 6 months time!

Bunnyfuller · 13/04/2022 15:06

You’re insane if you think your 100k equity will cover all you want to do. Double that as a starting point.

I wouldn’t be advising anyone to take on big mortgage debt right now with inflation and more interest hikes to come.

Fairnair · 13/04/2022 15:12

It depends on your council’s planning policies, but round where I live it’s quite difficult to get permission to do side extensions when there is not an existing garage to convert, or build on top of. It’s something to do with fitting in with the other properties. My next door neighbour (not joined) was only able to build a side extension because we had a garage. Neighbours were not allowed to have everything they wanted I.e. sloping roof because the semi-detached houses in our street all had flat roof garages/converted garages.

The detached house at the end of the road was not allowed to build a side extension either. Our council is really quite strict now on planning.

I know you said planning was approved a while ago for an extension, but it would be worth double checking what your local council’s planning policies are.

I would not buy the house next door if I was you. Think your kitchen/family room is lovely.

chaosrabbitland · 13/04/2022 15:14

@Fairnair

It depends on your council’s planning policies, but round where I live it’s quite difficult to get permission to do side extensions when there is not an existing garage to convert, or build on top of. It’s something to do with fitting in with the other properties. My next door neighbour (not joined) was only able to build a side extension because we had a garage. Neighbours were not allowed to have everything they wanted I.e. sloping roof because the semi-detached houses in our street all had flat roof garages/converted garages.

The detached house at the end of the road was not allowed to build a side extension either. Our council is really quite strict now on planning.

I know you said planning was approved a while ago for an extension, but it would be worth double checking what your local council’s planning policies are.

I would not buy the house next door if I was you. Think your kitchen/family room is lovely.

her kitchen /family roon is really lovely isnt it ? i felt a spark of envy when i saw it
Franklin12 · 13/04/2022 15:16

Looking at most of this thread. I wouldnt do it. Everyone thinks if the builders are slowing down all you need to do is chase them, if materials are delayed just carry on with other things. Having done a huge 2 storey extension (think increasing the house size by half again and one more recently) you will underestimate what an undertaking this is.

Looking at your current house you dont look like the sort of people who would be able to put up with the mess, dust, kids moaning, electrics out for hours on end. Not sure whether you work but if you dont I suspect this will bankrupt you. If you do work then you wont be onsite to answer the endless questions that need immediate answers.

If you have pets DEFINITELY DONT DO IT!

My DH had a daft idea that all we needed to do was to tell the builders to close gates behind them etc etc. There were loads of different people working on our large extension and what exactly he was planning to do if they left the gate open and the dog escaped is anyones guess. He also fell out with the builders and I had to claw it back. The roof was off at the time as well...

gravelpit · 13/04/2022 15:18

Have a look on Instagram at thecrozierhouse_project
I follow them and their family page and they’ve just done exactly this, bought the house next door to them as it’s a corner plot and has space to double storey extend. The husband is a builder though so is doing the work himself so they are saving money that way. They have 5 young daughters, the youngest 4 being quadruplets.