Help me choose whether to just buy this house or wait for another one

[BathmatOfDoom]

Situation as follows: we've sold our house and are in rented. We'd originally planned to move closer to work, but in my heart I want to stay here. DH feels the same but hates the commute more than I do so is more open to moving away.

Having trawled through the local property market with some trepidation and heartbreak along the way, there's only one house on the market which ticks our boxes. It's been significant reduced because the owners are desperate to sell. It's beautiful, genuine walk in condition, clean, modern, good location. I don't love the kitchen but we could soon fix that. We'd have a healthy LTV since it's valued at £20k over the sale price, which I reckon we could negotiate down further. We could probably afford to add a conservatory for a bit of extra outside space.

The downsides are that it's a bit dark in the kitchen, there are only three bedrooms (we really would prefer four, although would compromise with a dining room if this had one, which it doesn't) and it's down a close so feels a bit claustrophobic. It's also been on the market for ages and needs little done by the way of improvements, so would we be stuck with it if we them wanted to sell it?

We could just wait - but we're all fed up of living in limbo and want somewhere to call our own. The market here is slow. Wwyd?

In addition, I'm feeling the pressure to buy ASAP before interest rates fly up too much

Could you rent closer to work for a year and see how that feels? I wouldn't rush to buy because of interest rates esp if the house isn't for you? Have you actually viewed the house in question? I understand limbo but it might be worth waiting for the 'one' or more realistically the 'one with the potential to be the one'. Good luck.

You know the deal OP, we’ll need a link

it sounds as if you could do something about the kitchen. With the bedrooms I think it depends if you need 4 or just want 4. If the fourth bedroom is as a guest room and you don’t have loads of people staying then you might manage . If it means any one not having their own space I wouldn’t do it . It’s so expensive to move house that you should feel that a house is special , although there are always compromises that need to be made

Hmm. We've been in rented for a few years and have had spacious homes, so I think we'll help a bit constrained without more living space. And family are far away or sometimes need to stay to help with childcare.

Wasn't going to post link since it's outing but I'll NC soon.

I found this property on the Rightmove Android app and wanted you to see it: www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/54181107

Why is being in a close claustrophobic? I'd love the lack of passing traffic.

Because a) it's dark and b) the outlook is someone's garage wall.

I was going to say it doesn’t look bad and has potential for improvement. But it looks more like a two bed with a dining room than a three bed to me.

I think it's lovely, I also assumed two bed with dining room, but it's also three bed, I'd go for it, seriously. There is going to come a time where you miss the boat.

Is there potential for extension? The ground floor looks larger than the first floor? That could add another bedroom. The first floor corridor looks dark - any scope for adding windows?

Lovely house! What about the garage/workshop? Its very big. Could it be converted into a bedroom?

It has a ground floor bedroom and the living room is an offset flat roof extension so not really possible to go up from there without knocking it all down and starting over. Hard to explain but floorplan makes it clearer. Meh.

Big kitchen and dual aspect lounge! if you don't want it, I'll have it

The thing is If you've been in rented for years, at some point you need to bite rhe bullet or you risk the market getting away from you.

Nice house but I'd use the downstairs "bedroom" as a dining room and look to get another bedroom in somewhere. Can you extend up?

Not my taste at all. All that dark woodwork would need painting & it generally needs complete redecoration & a bit of modernisation. Could easily spend 10K+ on getting it to standard. The only plus points for me would be the wood burner, (although I hate the surround) & the fact that it has no passing traffic. Thats the best thing. If you're not sure about it then there is your answer, to keep looking. I know its frustrating, because we're in the same position where there is nothing much to view.

If you ideally want a 4 bed I probably wouldn’t buy that as it’s essentially a 2 bed, and this may be why it’s languishing on the market. Unless you plan a double height extension for the future.

There is a four bed on in grantown, it needs a lot of work, but it's only on for 185 and you could possibly get thr price down. Would you consider renovating?

Part of the problem could be you want more than your budget will buy.

I’m a local (historically!) - where is your husband commuting too? Budget?

It's not to my taste at all, I'd want to paint all that dark woodwork, replace the kitchen, bathroom and fireplace surround. I think with all that done it would sell more easily. It's not a pretty house from the outside but if the price reflects the outside appearance and work doing then It may be a reasonable buy.

Could you up your budget or is it constrained?

This for example is beautiful and although advertised as a three bedroom it has a forth attic room,

I reckon you could get it well under the 300. Maybe around 275.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66351623.html

That's not a three bed, it's two with a dining room. I wouldn't compromise on this house.

Ok so we both commute to Inverness but have lived locally for a long time and it's home, so while the head says move, the heart says stay.

Budget could go up a fair bit but we don't really want to exist just to pay a mortgage unless there's no alternative, there's too much fun to be had round here. The Advie one is just too much.

The four bed is one we have spent a lot of time looking at alongside a builder and asbestos surveyor and it's a no go unless someone is very cash rich. We might be able to afford to do what needs done, but we might not - sadly that one isn't a straightforward renovation, and I'm the vendors' position I'd be asking for a full refund on the home report.

I'm glad my instinct in this one isn't far from the mark - it's immaculate inside, very good workmanship and everything is in great order, but it's too small.

I think we need to wait sigh