Advice on these two homes

[Newhome121]

1. It’s in a private road. Really beautiful house. Issue is all the other homes around it (4 in total) are awful and really run down. Driving up to the house the area is not maintained nicely as grass is growing out of control and it just looks really dirty and messy.

Area is not council owned and so green areas around the development are owned by everyone but doesn’t look like they’ve ever been taken care of. Whole place just felt really dirty. The house is definitely not cheap and will be our forever home. EA very forceful and keeps demanding to know what the reason is - I’ve told her but keeps saying they (sellers) will knock off 100k off price. I’m put off by the neediness of EA plus how awful the area looks. It’s all gated community so not what you would expect when you think of a home like this

1. Second house is beautiful and in a lovely location. All new builds. This one was built in 2014. It’s new build but very karge which is a surprise. Only issue is it’s had 2 owners since it’s been made abs both seemed to only have lived there for 3.5/4 years. Is that something to be concerned about?

I wouldnt want to live in house 1 . You would regret it.

And I would investigate house 2. See the neighbourhood. Maybe talk to some neighbours (especially the ones right next to) . Maybe it it close to a really busy road etc etc.

@Marvellousmadness thank you for responding! As you can tell I’m having a sleepless night worrying, so thank you for the advice. I totally agree but DH keeps saying how beautiful the house is. He’s not wrong it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s 7 bedrooms and 4 have their own en-suite but the area just feel really dirty. It’s a private gated community but it just felt off

I fell in love with a house once too
But the previous owners all lived in it for like 4 to 5 years. Turns out it was next to a busy noisy truck filled road ...
And although it was the pretties and most beautiful house id ever seen: id rather love in a nice house somewhere amazing, than to live in a dream house in a nightmare location.

Your house (no matter what house) will always become a home
But the surroundings /neighbourhood you cant change. So make sure that that is safe/good/well maintained etc etc

1. I really wouldn't want to live somewhere where the neighbours took no pride in their surroundings. It would be a huge red flag to me as would the eagerness to reduce the price. 100k is a huge reduction in a market where buyers are currently paying well over the asking price.

2. Could it be that previous owners have seen the house as more of a starter home so have both gradually grown out of the house and moved upwards? To be honest for a reasonably new home this wouldn't bother me too much but like has been mentioned, definitely good to ask around.

The lack of maintenance of common areas in house 1 suggests there will be disputes or problems going on in the Executive Committee. Avoid!!!

House 2. Consider how connected it is to neighbourhood services. Eg library, shops, schools, public transport. The houses with the most turnover usually do so because they don't suit occupants' lifestyle. Connection is the thing that makes a forever home.

Thank you all. House 1’s back garden was very overgrown too. I just couldn’t understand why they all have overgrown gardens. DH keeps saying we are missing out on an incredible deal and others will put in their offer and it will go for way more. We had first look at it and not officially on market but as our property is sold they let us take an early look.

Neighbours might be the problem in house 2 if bought and sold twice in short period of time.

DH keeps saying we are missing out on an incredible deal and others will put in their offer and it will go for way more.
This jars with what you say about the EA & seller willing to take 100k off.
Agree with PPs, I think there's a world of trouble with this property.
There's a reason for the phrase Location, Location, Location - better to buy a bad house in the best location, than the best house in a bad location. You can change the house, but not where it is.

If it feels off then it's not the house for you. You have to be prepared to walk away, no matter how beautiful the house is.

1. Avoid
2. 3.5-4 years seems a decent amount of time to live in a house if they have moved for job reasons or divorce etc. But as PP said worth investigating the area more and chatting to neighbours. If you have kids check the schools.

I'd absolutely avoid House 1 because of what you've said. As PP have said 'Buy the worst house in the best location' if you have to. Location is vital and there seems to be something 'off' there. Also the EA is far too pushy. I would investigate House 2 further, but wouldn't necessarily discount it. People move for many different reasons.

We lived in out first place for 2 years, and our second for 4. We have had our current home for 30 years. We outgrew the first, and wanted to be out of an urban area with the second.

I’d have to disagree with others here. I’d check property 1 at different times of day/at weekends. Is it just a matter of long grass or is there rubbish everywhere? Long grass can be easily sorted. Not everyone is an avid gardener. If there are no obvious issues other than untidy garden I’d likely go for property 1.
if there are other issues with 1, I’d carry on looking elsewhere.
I’d avoid 2. New builds feel pretty soulless to me, a cookie cutter estate looks dull however tidy the gardens are. If it’s a large house why are people moving after 3-4 years?

Avoid house 1 unless the other owners are very elderly. Then weigh up the likelihood of new ownership in the near future.

House 2. Unless there is something absolutely obvious such as road noise or being nowhere near any sort of amenities with a bloody horrible school run, then I wouldn't consider four to five years that bad.

If it’s a large house why are people moving after 3-4 years? relocating. Downsizing. Divorce.

Jesus anyone that would go for house 1 needs their head checked. You couldn't have more red flags if you tried. That's buying a nightmare. Dropping the price by 100k is desperation and red flag number 1. The dirty area, overgrown grass, lack of upkeep anywhere etc are all the other red flags. If you buy that, you deserve the hell that awaits you.

I'd go for house 2. That amount of years isn't a bad thing for them living there, people move for jobs, family, divorce etc. Chat to the neighbours if you want, see what they are like, but I wouldn't be slow on it. The house will likely be gone before you know it, then your only option left is the house from hell.

Definitely not house 1. The owners are clearly desperate to move and the long grass and general air of untidiness indicates bad neighbours.

House 2 I’d investigate further but keep looking for house 3

With house 1 I would want to know a lot about the legalities of an unadopted road in relation to costs. The grass being uncut is what you can see easily but what if the roads need to be dug up to maintain services? How is the road surface maintained/any street lighting? Is there a management comittee and service charge in place to fund these sorts of things? I guess there must be to service and maintain the gate itself. An emergency call out if the gate breaks and you need to get out to work?

Not sure about living behind a gate myself. It's different to your own gate that you can leave open for a delivery/dog walker. Is there an open pedestrian access? If not is it easy to get in and out like older child getting back from school.

The house is very large. Do you expect it to be costly to heat? Utilities that were £300 a month a year ago could be over £600 after October. Even if that's not a problem for you if your neighbours are in difficulty it could impact the communal costs fund.

Your husband could be right and the house is snapped up by someone else/goes for more but the question is is it right for you?

Similarly with house 2 the newbuild - is it freehold? Is there a service charge or an ever increasing ground rent.

Either house could be moving due to neighbours - even if house 1 had been there for decades bad neighbours could be new? Try to visit at different times of day/ask about neighbours/why moving.

Your forever home doesn't have to be either house 1 or house 2 if neither feels right. Don't you feel that you will know the house you want when you see it? If the first time you visited house 1 you thought the area was dirty and uncared for I think that would grate on you everytime you get home. Unlesd you sort it out and that could mean doing it/paying yourself (after getting their permission for any changes) or getting involved in and pressuring the committee.

Good luck!

I’d be somewhat suspicious of both, tbh.

A house that’s changed hands twice in less than eight years sets off warnings for me. But if you really like the house, you should investigate further.

I’ve previously lived in private roads/community upkeep areas/whatever you want to call it.

The issue is always the same; one owner can’t afford/doesn’t care/is tight and the whole concept starts to crumble. Inactivity begets inactivity and before you know it you’ve got overgrowing weeds and potholes like craters.

It’s a bit like living in ‘share of freehold’ buildings. It only takes one disinterested, neglectful or unwilling neighbour to upset the entire apple cart.

Realistically, if you end up in House One you’d end up either doing all the communal maintenance yourself to tidy the area up (and resenting it) or doing nothing, and chuntering about it privately but ultimately never getting anywhere and living in a poorly maintained area.

You can’t change the environment or control others. If you think the immediate area looks run down now you’ll think that every time you look out of a window or walk out the door.

3.5-4 years is a decent amount of time to live in a house. Google the street name, look at crime stats for the road. Can you walk past their in the evening or at night? See if there’s any noise, people loitering etc..

I wouldn't expect a private gated community to be that run down tbh unless the houses have been abandoned.
Also if you are having doubts so will future buyers if you sell.
Keep searching until you find exactly what you want in a neighbourhood you are comfortable.

My parents lived in their house for 45 years. After they died I sold it in 2016 and it’s been sold twice since. First couple divorced, the guy they sold it to was an absolute tosser who managed to piss off all the neighbours and fortunately moved on. Nothing wrong with the house or neighbours.

A gated community with 7 bedroomed houses... Could it just be that they're all partaking in no-mow May? If it's just overgrown grass then that could be it. If it's general rubbish and untidyness them I'm just really surprised tbh. Usually people who can afford 7 bed houses generally care for their upkeep or can afford gardeners. Very odd!

I wouldn't live in house no 1. That would depress me. I've lived in a scruffy area before and it ground me down.
As for house no 2. We lived in our last house for 3 years and the flat before that for 4. Why? Noisy neighbours, both times. We now have a detached house. It sounds like the houses you're looking at are detached though, so it should be less of a worry.

I’d think to myself, if house number 1 is such a bargain why hasn’t it been snapped up? It sounds like the neighbours are a nightmare and the sellers are desperate. Think how hard it will be to sell if you do end up buying it and want to move.