Shall I buy this house?

[LondonHousingAdventure]

Name changed as I've sought opinions in real life and don't want to be linked to previous posts.

Anyway, this is the house:

www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/80172998

I think it's okay. I don't have much of an imagination so struggling to think what I'd do with it.

If your budget is 325k then look at houses around 350k up to 400k! And yes some vendors will take offers. Be aware that you don't want to be that easy target for Estate Agents to shift their hard to sell properties... E.g. Possibly the one you have posted. Good luck OP!

I don't like houses with front garden all covered over.

Re leasehold properties, look for ones where you will own part of the freehold, you will have more control over the maintenance costs.
Definitely look for properties over your budget, and check out how long properties have been on the market, loads have been on the market since last year and since then prices have definitely dropped in the S.E. I sold my house in Kent in 4 months because I was realistic about the fact prices had dropped and I was serious about selling. I see loads of properties near me that have been on the market since last spring/summer and that means they are overpriced. If a house hasn't sold in a year there is something seriously wrong.

I meant to say if that house was all I could afford then I would change the windows, change the front door, tidy up the frontage and put down grass and new gravel and put in some plant pots - like the neighbours have done. I would paint the outside white as well and remove the satellite dish on the front.

I would move the bathroom upstairs to the smallest bedroom and possibly keep a downstairs loo and small basin and use the rest of the old bathroom as a utility room/storage. Put a washing machine in there as the water/drainage is already in place. Or, alternatively, knock down the dividing wall and make the kitchen bigger.

Tricky.
Unfortunately Surrey is stupidly priced and I can't find much for your budget, within easy commuting distance to the hospital and central London.

This house looks nice, but I suspect the commute from Old Woking, would be too much for you!

I would consider some of the leasehold maisonettes particularly. I used to have one. The only thing we had to pay to the freeholder was buildings insurance and ground rent every year, so no expensive service charges.

I love the maisonette linked above, but am suspicious that there's no outside photos - it must be very ugly outside! It is enormous though.

Remember you don't have to stay there for ever! Get in somewhere that you think will be OK for a few years, try to overpay a bit into the mortgage every month and you should be able to get somewhere much bigger in a few years time.

Why don't you look further out and commute a bit longer ? I live in West Sussex and loads of husbands round here commute to London . Obvs you don't have to come this far but that house is horrible and tiny .. sorry

gubbsywubbsy

I'm the one who needs to commute into London DP needs to be able to get into hospital within an hour as he's on call basically once a week.

restingbitchfarce

Oh I love the bungalow!

Will see about arranging a viewing if I can.

Chippy - I never knew rightmove had that function! It’s brilliant!

Definitely not. Chessington is awful.

Schools not great either.

the bathroom is a nope the bath is in a bad place b

have you tried farnborough good links to london or frimley is a lovely place

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71653873.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61608063.html

My dd has been looking in a lot of the areas you have in the last year with a very similar budget.... she has gone down the flats route because you get far more square footage for your money... 2 bed terraces seem to be by far the worst value..
Also if the seller bought it after 2015 it is unlikely you will reach a deal because they will be quite unlikely to get what they originally paid... and no one likes to sell at a loss, they feel entitled to some uplift in value even if the area has stagnated

It's gone under offer now.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71142250.html

What about the one? Quite a pleasant area very close to the hospital and walkable to Sutton for your commute. If you ever need a primary school, there's an outstanding one around the corner.

I think this is now under offer (from you OP?) but I actually think it’s not too bad, nice wide street, looks in a nice area for London. If you need 3 beds, yes the bathroom is a compromise but it would work ok with a shower, but it has a nice garden and looks to be a nice wide street. It could be made to look like this which I think is really nice!
www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=33657803&sale=49873917&country=england

I think housing is probably going to fall or stagnate in nominal terms and definitely fall in real terms (inflation adjusted). I guess I'd be working out how much I would be spending on rent in a year and compared this to a small loss if you buy. If you're in rented are you able to save and live in a nicer house? This would be the comfortable option, especially IF you have a good landlord, who isn't intending on selling in the near future.
On a positive note it looks like you could make a huge improvement to the house and maybe add value, it's the ugliest in the terrace, I don't think this would cost a fortune to improve. It also has a nice sunny aspect. You could extend relatively cheaply under permitted development. Google tiny houses and look at all the clever ideas people have about not living with too much stuff! Good luck and if you do put in an offer, bargain HARD. I think you could add value to it!

It's definitely a buyer's market at the moment. We know several people who are aiming to sell up in and around London and re-locate for various reasons but are struggling. In your shoes I would be seeing all sorts of things over budget and making some cheeky offers.

Not under offer from me, we decided against it.

DP wants as low a mortgage as possible, which makes this whole process so much more frustrating.

What are your objectives to get on the ladder or staying long term. If the former then it could be sensible getting a 2 bed flat (fh or share of) that is bigger &/or in a better location. You could also get outside space in some areas. They a quicker to sell than an unsuitable/impractical hs any way. Plus it could work if/when baby comes along when you can move just before they start school or another 1 comes along if you wanted.
That said the hs someone showed in carlshalton was nice.
Good luck!

You said very early on in the thread that you don't like it. So no, you really shouldn't buy it op. Do you really need 3 bedrooms? Try to make a list of must have and would like to haves. And a list, in order, of things you are prepared to compromise on. Also agree with pps, tell the agents your budget is higher than it is, it's their job to negotiate and who knows what the vendor of a higher prices property is prepared to consider? Good luck