Would you.....?

[FunSponge82]

.....buy an ugly house if the inside ticked every box?
Does kerb appeal mean that much to you?

Yes I would prioritise inside space/garden/location over appearance of house. Although I am hoping to get a house that ticks all these boxes next time (the compromise being a bigger mortgage!) Are you thinking of buying an ugly house? Sometimes there are things you can do to improve kerb appeal. You could always post a photo...

Yes as I think there are things you can do to improve it or just live with it. Ours isn't particularly ugly but it does look much better on the inside. My sister's house is worse, they nearly didn't buy it, the house is built side on and from the road looks like a garage. They've planted shrubs to make it look better but it doesn't really have kerb appeal but inside it's lovely.

yes, we did.

Our house is very boring box from the outside, not attractive at all.
BUT inside it is huge. It sold for the same as other houses in the area, with the same number of bedrooms.
We have 4 bed and most houses in our area are 1930 semis with extensions over the garage to get 4 beds with basically 2 doubles and 2 small singles.
Ours is a house that was massively extended on 2 sides in the 1980s. It had 4 large bedrooms, all of them doubles. One of the kids rooms could comfortably be split into 2 rooms. Our bedroom was large with and ensuite. We have converted it in to a master suite, now you come in to a small hallway with the ensuite bathroom off, and an office off (large enough for a single bed) and then our bedroom, which is still a very large double.

The downstairs space is equally spacious and the garden is 150 feet long, backing on to school field, although we are close into town.

It was a no brainer really. I love the big square lounge, and huge dining kitchen etc etc.

My only hesitation would be that we knoe ours was on the market for a while before we bought. I think it is because the whole house badly needed redecoration, which we have done, and we have added a wood burner and other nice touches, but it may have been because it has no kerb appeal.

No. The outside is either harder to make it look nice or can't be made to look nice. If the inside is ugly, it doesn't matter because you would probably redecorate anyway.

Check the deeds don't stipulate you can't change it.

I lived in an area where the developer would not allow any external changes whatsoever (even windows to UPVC double glazing) without his permission. In his mind, he had designed the houses and he should have a say whether their appearances can be changed over time.

My house is plain rather than ugly, and there's street appeal, so yes I settled, but that's as low as I'd have gone.

... because it's nice to be on the approach and think "ah".

We are considering a house which, I think, is ugly. It's been on the market nearly 2 years. It's overpriced and there is a lot of work to do.
I am concerned that resale would be an issue (amongst other things)

I always thought buying a new house would be exciting. For indecisive, procrastinators like myself, it is nothing short of a nightmare

Yep, I live in a 1960's ex-council flat in the middle of a beautiful Victorian conservation area. I have a great view .

I got a huge, spacious, well-built flat for the price of a pokey 1-bed Victorian. Wouldn't change things at all.

You always make a house more attractive from the outside. Harder and more expensive to move it across town or double the size of the rooms.

Yes we viewed ours in the middle of winter, it was unoccupied ex rental that had been previously tarted up, freezing cold and hardly working lights, grotty dirty front yard. And on a main road. We only viewed because the estate agent encouraged us.
We walked away having decided against it, but on paper it ticked the boxes.
Then on our second viewing we meet the next door who showed us their place (ie what it should look like) that's when we knew all the problems were fixable, although two years on we are surrounded by dust and tools.

I'd be more concerned that that you might be paying an inflated price, rather than the outside appearance.

Spoken to EA told them our price would be 20% under asking if we were to proceed and have been told the vendor will only go down around 7%.

It's really not worth the asking price (or 7% under) in the state it's in so I guess it will be on the market another 2 years

I had a similar problem. I walked away from it, got a better deal on a better house and the overpriced house is still on the market.

Absolutely, but only at a sensible price because it may have limited market on resale.

To be honest something like stone cladding, that looks very damaging and expensive to remove, I would prob steer clear of unless I had the appetite to tackle it myself.

Our house is pretty bland 1960s pebbledash house with a mono block drive but internally it's great. The livingroom is 5x4m, the bedrooms 4x4m, hallway big enough for 3 prams & lots of junk with 2 big side windows letting in lots of light above the stairs. The garden is 8m wide & must be at least 20m+ long. We are the second owners & had to renovate before moving in so everything inside is modern. We love our house & made an offer on it after viewing it just once.

Dont over pay on your house but try & see the bigger picture & what it offers.

Please post a link to the house. I'm a property whore.

Our house is fairly boring outside. It was also bright red. I'd say inside and location top external appearence for me.

Please post a link to the house. I'm a property whore.

Our house is fairly boring outside. It was also bright red. I'd say inside and location top external appearence for me.

Honestly, how often do you stand outside and look at your house? Its all about what is inside.

Put in a best and final offer and leave it on the table. If they won't meet you then your initial question is academic anyway.

I'd buy a house that's ugly on the outside if it ticked all the other boxes. Other people spend far more time looking at it than you ever will. Besides there are all kinds of things you can do to make the outside more aesthetically pleasing.

Yes
No

I used to live in a 1970s chalet style house. I was quite fond of it but it wasn't conventionally considered attractive. We did what we could to improve the appearance e.g. got rid of timber cladding, but it was still distinctively 1970s.

It had huge rooms and was on a massive plot. We both bought and sold it for a price that reflected the unpopularity of the era. A modern or period house of same square footage would have been worth more. I thought it was nice inside. I did have a significant cosmetic nod to the era with Ercol furniture, orla kiely bits in bathroom etc. The buyers have gone gloss kitchen, hotel bathroom and so on which also looks fine if that is your thing.