Would you buy this house

[LateToTheAprilParty]

We're going to view a house tomorrow that's been on the market for 18 months. Another similar house on the same road, admitedly in much better condition, just sold for much more money in under a fortnight! We really like the road and there's nothing else avaiable so i was kind of hoping this house would be ok. The agent says it needs a lot of work, a new kitchen etc. do you think this is a big enough problem to put people off, or would you think there must be something else really wrong for it not to sell?

Do you have the funds, time and inclination to do the work required? If yes then why not? You can then get the house done to your specifications, the kitchen that fits your lifestyle best etc.

I think for many people a complete refurb is quite off putting. It's a big thing to take on. But if the house is in the right place, the potential is there and you love everything else then why not?

Some people can't see past the decorative order or the current furnishings (or lack of). Go with an open mind, if necessary take a builder with you on a second viewing and go through specifying what work you'd like him to quote for. Get a proper survey. It could be an ideal opportunity.

We're happy to get the work done to get the house the way we want it. Asking a builder along is a really good idea, thank you. I'm just surprised that in all that time no one else has seen the potential...

We'd be put off a house that needs loads of decorative work. Putting in a new kitchen is a pain in the arse, frankly. It's even worse when you have toddlers who will get into anything.

When DH was a toddler, his parents had loads of work done to their house. He managed to get himself stuck under a floor in the midst of it all. Our DS2 is an awful lot like his father...

Is it priced to allow for the work? If it was on at a higher price initially that might have put people off.

I would ignore the other house for now, if you like this house, are prepared to do the work and get a survey to check there are no hidden surprises, then go fotr it!

A lot of people can't see past basic decoration, let alone be willing to do a complete refurb. As long as it looks solid (and the survey confirms) and you are willing to do the work go for it.

I love houses that need stuff doing and a complete refurb is my dream (and hopefully will be my what we look for next).

I would take a look. It might be worth finding out if any sales on it have fallen through and why, if the estate agent will tell you. Maybe also ask them to be more specific on the work needed - a new kitchen is fine, underpinning would be a different matter!

Unless I had the funds to do the necessary work straight away and all at once I would not buy such a house - and probably not at all with toddlers/babies. And I would get a full strucutral survey done if you are seriously contemplating it.

I would also be deeply suspicious if a house that needs a lot of work hasn't been snapped up.

It would indicate to me either that the asking price is too high in relation to the amount of building works needed, or that there is a major structural issues such as dry rot, or needing a new roof or something. Ime houses which can have value added by developing are the first to go.

It depends on where you are as the market seems to be so different across the UK at the moment, but I wouldn't let this put me off going to look. The other vendor may simply have been lucky to find a buyer so quickly.

If, for example, you were in my area, you'd find that the house was priced as if it needed little more than a lick of paint and it was 2007 and the market wasn't utterly grim.

For example, we went to see a 3 bedroom semi. On for £250k (and in NE England before anyone images that might be cheap). It was a disaster. They'd ripped the bathroom out and partially replaced it. It had no ceiling at all. They'd put in one of those green glass bowl sinks, but just cut a hole in a cheap white Formica worktop and dropped it in there. Beautiful. There was an interesting extension on the side/into the garage, accessed only from the incredibly dated kitchen which included a shower room next to the back door and (our favourite bit) a weird internal room with a bath in it. It looked like where they went to chop the bodies up. Lovely. You'd've had to knock the entire extension down and start again. Still the EA and the owners didn't think it might be a tad overpriced.

Yikes Damsel, i thought i'd seen some odd places...
This is in Isleworth, so not really london but definitly a commutable suburb and things do seem to be selling at the moment. It's on for a teenybit over the estimated price that pops up on Zoopla, so maybe it is a bit expensive if it needs work. It's a 1930s semi. All recieved wisdom (ie my mum) says they tend to be fairly solid and problem free. Who knows, maybe there is a secret body-disposal room that's not showing up on the floorplan

If there is a secret body disposal room, it's worth viewing just so you can tell everyone about it. The room did have a window, but it looked into the garage rather than outside. Because everyone needs a view of the garage while chopping up bodies.

There's another one come on the market just this week also at £250k but a 4 bed terrace. It has no actual kitchen. There's a room with a standalone electric cooker on the first floor, but not an actual kitchen. From the photos it seems to need a scary amount of work. Given that you can buy fully done up 4 bed terraces where it is for that amount of money, I think they may be taking the piss somewhat.

I guess the thing is that you need to judge how much any work needed will cost and then judge if you think it's reasonably priced. In some ways, it's better to do the work yourself as you don't have to put up with someone else's new but tasteless kitchen.

It will have been on the market for so long because of the expense of work needing done to get it up to scratch, that's all. But it's up to you if you want to go ahead with all that. I would if I didn't have children!

I'd ask if an offer has been accepted in the past and whether that sale fell through at the survey stage.

If you like it and can face the work offer low and see what happens. Our house was on the market for a very long time indeed because it was in a comically bad state ( there were property forum posts about it along the lines of 'look at this monstrosity'). We bought it cheap(ish) and could never have afforded this road otherwise. But don't underestimate the time and money involved even if the work is mainly cosmetic.

Any chance of a little linky?

Didn't want to link incase the owner spotted me, but after all this sage advice how can i not. Here it is. Whaddya reckon? No pics of bedrooms/body disposal rooms/fetish chambers etc

Ha haa!

Because I am a nosey old gimmer I looked at 3 bed semis in Isleworth and saw this one earlier. It doesn't look too bad! can certainly be lived in. But it does seem a shade pricey compared to others I saw, and the back garden seems maybe a bit small? But I don't know the area at all, just going with what I saw on Rightmove.

Incidentally, the house we bought in 2004 had EXACTLY those same hideous wooden kitchen cabinets (plus brown tiles and a dark green carpet in the kitchen) and we lived with them til late last year when we could finally afford to get the kitchen done .

TBH that looks OK to me - you wouldn't believe some of the utter wrecks we've viewed recently....

oi mintyy my mum has that kitchen still! i am trying to persuade her that it needs changing to selll...

1st flat we bought had minging decor
fortunately we saw past the sticky carpets and 70s decor
it had plenty of viewings but no 2nd viewing or takers

I'm sure it was the handle-less white high gloss (what we now have) of its day!

thats a good solid property op
nowt significantly wrong with it
i dont know area or if that competitively priced, but good luck

there is more than that to address at parents house in fairness to mother...

but yes i don't see this house even as that much of a challenge...bathroom ok?

has it previously sold stc and come back on?