What kind of house

[goingonabearhunt1]

So we've recently had a bad experience with having to walk away from a house purchase due to an absolutely terrible survey and now I'm kind of back to the drawing board.

I really really want to find somewhere that's in decent condition. I don't care about the decor as that can be changed and I'm not that bothered by space as there's just 2 of us and no plans for there to be any more I'm also not that bothered by what the front looks like as IMO you can make it nice inside (although I'm not a fan of those houses that have a garage built in and we don't have a car so those are out). We want to be somewhere for a long time and don't want to be spending all our time and money sorting our problems.

Am I best to look at newer houses? I always thought older houses were better constructed but it doesn't always seem to be the case (I suppose it depends on so many things).....Other issue is that sometimes newer houses seem to be in places where you need a car.

Sorry for the ramble, I guess my question is which kind of houses do ppl think need the least maintenance? Obv I understand all houses need some but I'm trying to minimise it as we're short on time and money so I'm wanting to know what to look for (and what are signs to be wary of when doing viewings)?

We are in an ex-council semi, built mid war. We have had to do a lot of renovation (internal alterations, 2 storey extension, rewire, re-render) but there are lots out there which don't need this. The house is solid, well-built, old enough not to be a flimsy new build, but with insulated cavity walls and double glazing. I always though I'd only buy a period property, now I can't imagine living anywhere old, dark, draughty and damp.

I agree winey I've spent too long in damp rentals and I just want to escape it now. Solid and not damp and not flimsy sounds good to me. I'm kind of panicking a bit in case the same thing happens again on the next house we like and it turns out it's got loads of problems that aren't obvious. Not sure I know what to look for really to spot potential issues.

I also like it when there's a good layout and it's a good use of space.....I like open plan kitchen/dining areas though my parents hate them

Classic 1930s semis are usually very solidly built & there are billions of them 😄 - also generally closer to town centres than new builds.

With the kitchen alongside the rear room they’re easily knocked through for a big open kitchen-diner.

Third bedroom is often tiny but with no kids that’s not an issue for you.

We've got a house which is about 18 years old, even though it is not as energy efficient as newer houses it is still very warm and heats up quickly. It is well built, we are a semi and we very rarely hear any noise from next door. We are in a quiet cul de sac with a mix of similar houses, with a similar nice mix of people.
We spend very little on it in maintenance, there is not asbestos anywhere due to the age (my son had loads of asbestos come up in a survey for a victorian flat he was buying). No artex anywhere as it was unfashionable when our house was built.
The room sizes aren't the biggest but they are well balanced, we have no box room for example. I like it a lot.

I could have written @mando12345 's post word for word. We're actually moving to get an extra room and have a new build lined up up the road.

I think a lot is due to personal taste tbh, I grew up in the solid pre war semi and have lots of family in older houses, some with problems and some not, depends how they've been maintained. I think new builds get a bad name, they are usually very energy efficient, heat up fast and are pretty solid. Ours is a semi just now and don't hear a peep inside (and next door have noisy kids who are always screaming on the back). We're moving to a detached for another bedroom and reception room and are getting a lot for our money. Priced out of the same house type that's nearly 20 years old on this street.

Dm lives in a 'solid' old bungalow down the way and it costs a fortune to heat and it takes an age to warm up, the room sizes are very similar too actually.

mando that sounds good, I hate artex!

Got some viewings for next week lined up so I'll see what they're like. I'm going to look at a mix I think and not rule anything out at this stage but avoiding anything that has not been maintained (though this is not always obvious). I grew up in a Victorian terrace house so I think that's what I was initially drawn to but after our recent experience I'm reconsidering. Also I don't always like how they're laid out, seems to be lots of unusable space and poky bits. For some reason semi detached always scared me a bit, think I liked having the neighbours close (and I always thought it'd be warmer) though I suppose that could be a bad thing if you're not friendly with the people next door. So I'm rethinking that one.