What do you reckon cost wise? Northolt area

[fringeandtrainers]

We have just bought this

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-82472234.html

I am worrying a little at the cost and I am mainly buying it for all the 1930s tiles. I grew up about 25 mins away but me and my partner are worried about moving to a brand new area (as people often are) and leaving the area that we are in!

Should we just go for it and make it lovely?

I love the fireplaces, do any work?

If you have the money, energy and vision you can make anywhere lovely.

We have some of all of those things! Just worrying about making such a big decision!

Some do and some have had a massive gas fire shoved in front so that's job number 1

You mean you've had your offer accepted but aren't sure whether to go ahead?

It's a big project and is it even mortgageable (due to the barely existent kitchen facilities)? And what's the agree price? Looking at sold prices, terraces in decent nick are only a little more.

I live in Eastcote, just up the road.
If you like the area you currently live in, I wouldn't move away to that part of Northolt!
That being said, I haven't ever travelled down that road specifically, so once you're off the main road it might be ok

We've had the offer accepted but if we get the survey done and it's just too much, we'll have to have a serious think!
Kitchens only have to have a working oven and sink to be mortgageable (I looked into it) - the house is solid enough to the naked eye.
I know Northolt gets a bit of bad rep but we are in enfield which doesn't either and we haven't had any trouble! I like it for all the proximity to other places and the connectivity
Thank yoU!

That bathroom is fucking awesome!

I really like it, garden could be a beauty too.

I lived in South Harrow (closeish to the station) years ago, it's fine.

Thought so! There's no area of London that is perfect?! Particularly on my budget. All the tiles are from 1935! It's amazing! Want to keep as much as possible!

Just need to calm down and be reasonable

Sorry, didn't mean to come across rude about it, I'm sure it'll be lovely!
I just know what it's like moving to a completely different area.
The house is fab and I think a good price - especially if you can invest in it - the value will shoot up around there!

What do you mean cost wise, the house price or what it'd cost to do up?

By the way that's not Northolt, it's Harrow.

What are you expecting the survey to tell you or not tell you? I can see from the pictures that the property needs tens of thousands spent on it. Is that something you're expecting?

We've budgeted about £25k but if the survey suddenly says - oh, its covered in asbestos then we might have to rethink! Yeah, just trying to ascertain in rough figure in doing up.

@LauraLooDerby No worries - I used to work in eastcote so I know that it's lush!

25k? Is one of you a tradesperson? If you were to get tradespeople and pay market rates, I can't see how it's possible on 25k.

@JoJoSM2 no - but having just done up one house that needed damp proofing, painting, new flooring, plastering on ceilings, new kitchen, doors moved, painting upstairs, new garden and all that over time came to about 15k..... we were quoted £40k on a similar larger house nearby that also needed asbestos removal (£10k) so i'm working off those figures

If you know any trades I think £25k would be doable for a basic refurb, as long as the windows and roof are okay. That's with you doing decorating.

For example, if you were to hire a floor sander and sand, stain and fill where required you could live with the floorboards as are rather than spend £?k. A lot of man hours and effort though.

I don't think asbestos will be an issue given the period it was built unless the ceiling's are artexed.

I like it, but think £25k is very optimistic for the refurb since you’ll need new kitchen, bathroom, all those fireplaces safety-checked and then fitted out as you want and every room decorated (the materials add up even if you do the work yourself). And it looks like some windows need re-doing, such as picture 3? DH and I worked out that we’ve spent almost £20k on our tiny semi since moving in 18 months ago, and are about to spend another £15k ish doing the kitchen.

Are you totally stuck if it does go over £25k or could you find some more if needed?

I imagine a full rewire and replumb?

Sounds like you got a lot done in the last house on 15k. Did you do some of the work yourself?

I would be very impressed if you do it for £25k, but it's not impossible if you do the vast majority yourselves & choose cost effective options like putting up lining paper yourselves instead of paying someone to skim.
Will you live elsewhere while it's being done or will you be living there during (something like a rewire is simpler if you haven't moved in, plus it's nice to get away from the dust)?
It's likely to need a rewire, new windows, a whole kitchen, new boiler (do all the rooms have radiators? I can only see one), and that's providing the roof and plumbing is sound...
It looks like you have polystyrene ceiling tiles in the kitchen - there could be something nasty like asbestos behind them, or just a cracked ceiling like ours! They are a serious hazard if you ever have a fire (they can melt and drip), so I'd recommend getting them down straight away - a paint scraper will do the trick (& make an almighty mess!).

We did a lot of the cutting and painting and used howdens trade etc
I’m really appreciating the input - it’s putting a plan in my mind. We don’t have a clear idea of everything that does need doing. We’ve got friends/labourers that we use who are reasonable and my partner is happy to do a lot of it.
Buying houses is FUN! (Not)

@AwkwardPaws27 weirdly they have updated the boiler and stuck a new garage in! But you are right, I think it will need more radiators and rewiring. Good tip about the lining paper! The attic has been boarded and the roof looked sound. Argh, who knows. I’ll get the survey done and make a plan!

Clearly I meant gutting not cutting

In the picture with the bedroom with the corner cupboard it looks like the pipes run above the floor, so you may need to budget for the radiator pipework to be rerouted under the floorboards.
If you can stay somewhere else for a couple of weeks when you get the keys, I'd get the rewire, central heating and windows (if needed) done before moving furniture etc in, so you are safe, warm and dry.