Old house with back garden development

[OlafLovesAnna]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-59216110.html

We're going to see this house this afternoon- big enough for us but on a busy road. I think I need talking down or advice on things to think about.

The bungalows newly built on the land at the back are all sold but not quite ready yet. The main house seems expensive but I'm not sure of the position of the developer yet.

My concern would be that the access road seems to be very close to "your" front door. How many bungalows are there, and how much traffic will that access road get?

The kitchen layout is odd. Too many cupboards not enough floor space.
You're looking really to replace everything.
Windows look newish

The kitchen layout is not good - the fridge is not within the usual cooker/sink/fridge triangle.
Is that a proper-sized bath.
Is there some sort of tie in picture 21, next to the drainpipe and where the colour of the bricks change.
Really, it's a 4-bed, not a 5-bed.
Again in picture 21, that fence needs sorting.

I has LOADS of potential but I would want to spend a lot on it to release its potential.

Open up the kitchen into the dining room.
Close the conservatory off (or get rid totally...)
Bedroom 3 and study become a huge big nice suite. Might even be possible to
New bathrooms.
New kitchen obviously after the work.
Then I guess there will be a lot of new flooring and redecoration etc.
Electrics?
Boiler? Plumbing?
Roof?

So like... £100k minimum..

I wonder if one of the utility room pics is from the previous sale of the builders have been using it. It has the potential to be a lovely house. There are some signs of damp - patch on kitchen ceiling and a mark on the wall of one of the bedroom. The kitchen is over ten years old, but looks serviceable. Painting the wooden panelling in the bathroom would make a world of difference. I think it could be a great buy if you can get it at the right price.

Download the title register from the gov.uk Land Registry website - it costs £3 - to find out who owns it and cross reference with the planning application on the council website. If you do decide to buy you'll need to be sure the plot has been divided up correctly and the house registration details correctly amended. Is the developer maintaining any kind of interest via ground rent, etc and is there the potential for any maintenance issues for the bungalows, access road and fence to impact on the house?

Wow fudge is right about downloading the title, I have done it three times recently when deciding on a house. Another £3 gets you the plan which you will need in this case.

I think that's been used as a TV location you know. The exterior looks very familiar.

We went to see it; it is huge but in quite bad nick. It's been rented out for years whilst the amateur developer gaffes about trying to get permissions for various different things but hasn't been lived in since the beginning of this year so is looking very sad.

Nearly all the rooms are a bit mildewy as they haven't been aired out in so long. The kitchen is falling to bits and the bathrooms are on their last legs sadly.

The windows are double glazed but pre 2000 probably so again are tired and would need updating but the conservatory/ kitchen roofs have the most potential to be a disaster the way they've been put together.

They're still hoping for close to asking price which I wouldn't consider paying because of the money that would need to be spent on top just to get it to a decent state, not even a top spec state.

I would walk away in that case, shame but still for sale for a reason it seems.

Barchester, that's the conclusion we've come to really. It'll either sell in a year or so for a lower price or somebody might want to buy it and pour an awful lot of money into it but I don't think it will be a quick process either way.