Gorgeous Georgian house - on a roundabout

[DressedToDepress]

Hi all. Am so torn about putting an offer on this house. I've fallen in love with it and am trying to convince myself the negatives aren't SO bad but DH isn't convinced.

Positives: It's SO PRETTY. More than big enough for our growing family, way bigger than we could normally afford. Has all the quirky period features we love in buildings, plus great sized rooms, layout etc. Nice size garden, excellent location for schools, amenities etc. Did I mention it's pretty?!

Negatives: It's on a small but very busy roundabout. Parking is a space rented in the pub car park opposite, £50 a month. No real back garden to speak of so nowhere to relax outside away from traffic noise. Single glazing and no way of changing that because it's Grade 2 listed. Very old building which is lovely but possibly a money pit? Needs some work doing, poor condition windows / possibly roof, bit of plastering.

We have one toddler and a dog.

What do you think: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-90118949.html

Don't do it! We live in a beautiful cottage not dissimilar to that in a beautiful village....but we cannot wait to move because we have no garden which is a nightmare with small DC. Particularly so during lockdown! we're moving to a 1930s semi in a nice area but not as nice as where we are now, mainly for the benefit of getting a big garden for the children. So this combined with the lack of off street parking and off a busy roundabout- it's a bad idea, sorry but just talking from experience

And also, that cliff would scare me! What if some of it fell away

I lived for a few years in a house where the parking was round the corner - you couldn't park outside the house.

It was a pain in the arse, and I was single with no children or pets.

Shopping was multiple trips to get out of the car - and horrible in the winter. It was a factor in moving.

It's pretty, but not that pretty.

Step away OP! Yes it looks lovely but it has far too many negatives which outweigh it's loveliness!

Not being able to change the windows is an especial bummer in that location. Double glazed (or even triple) well-sealed windows would keep out noise AND pollution - but you'd be stuck instead sharing air with the vehicles basically. I really wouldn't.

The cliff up behind is to the south, too, so little sun at the back in winter?

@pooeylouie thank you, that's really interesting to hear from someone in a similar situation - I think you're absolutely right. I think a 20s or 30s house would be great, they tend to have nice big gardens and rooms... just need to stop having my head turned by chocolate box cottages!

If it had parking I'd say yes but lack of parking wears very thin after a while.

We did this for 4.5 years because we couldn't find anything else that would take a dog in our budget. With a toddler and a road to cross I wouldn't consider it at all.

@Tuemay I did wonder about potential avalanches...

I just watched the video. The back ‘garden’ would put me off and the kitchen is so narrow!

We had our eye on a lovely chocolate box cottage too, similar in there was no parking and a courtyard garden. It was so so pretty. But we would have hated living in it. It just wouldn’t have suited our needs. I just dribbled at country living magazines and Rightmove instead to get my fix of pretty properties. Now in late 1940s ex local authority house. We have storage!! And parking. And it’s got what we need. I have prettied it up with textiles and bedding etc. Good luck finding somewhere!

Not a chance

It's dark and the kitchen is tiny. The outdoor space is not adequate and the thought of parking across the road and trying to cross a massive road with bags, kids and shopping etc fills me with anxiety

Walk away. The fumes alone would put me off, you might as well take up smoking a pipe!

It is lovely but the location sounds a bit of a nightmare with dogs and kid(s). But I can so see it's appeal

No, I wouldn't go for it. The kitchen looks very dark, so does the family room that's part of it, plus it's very narrow - I don't like galley kitchens. Maybe the dark rooms is part and parcel of having a Georgian house but the bathroom and sitting room look very dark too - I like my rooms to be flooded with natural light as much as possible.

The rear courtyard looks miserable, I'd want a lovely back garden for that price. A front garden doesn't give a space to sit and relax in the evening and is a lot of work to maintain for no added value even though it's fenced off from the road. Also, artifical turf! That would have to be replaced immediately which is yet more expense. The rear garden goes up the steep hill so you're paying for land which even the estate agent says in inaccessible. If it's so steep as to be inaccessible it's wasted money and is there the risk of landslip causing damage to your property?

I also wouldn't want a Grade 2 listed house, especially one which seems to have had all the interior period features ripped out except for the fire place in some rooms.

Then the lack of parking, being opposite a pub and with a busy road nearby means I wouldn't even consider viewing it.

Walk away - pretty is simply not enough.

How busy is the road/roundabout?

I live in a grade 2 listed Georgian townhouse in Central London. I don't find the noise bad, you just tune it out. You would probably be allowed secondary glazing. I would research that before making an offer. The dirt and dust isn't too bad. I use Rain-X on my windows, that seems to help keep them clean. Pollution would concern me with a toddler though. You can get air purifiers and plants that help remove pollution (eg spider plants) for the house though. Hedges rather than a wooden fence will help with pollution and noise or grow some climbers.

You could probably terrace the rock in the back garden, cut a staircase in the rock or create stairs and a path with decking/patios. It looks like the neighbours have done that. It would probably be expensive and a lot of hard work but it would probably add value to the property. Again, you could research costs before you put in an offer.

It will be harder to sell in the future than an "average" house though.

Just imagine you’ve done your big weekly shop. And it’s raining. And you have to go and put your daughter in the house. Then go back to you car to get in all the shopping. Or you’re packing to go on holiday. Multiple trips to car. Where do you put your daughter. It’s beautiful inside so I can see why you like it. I think the kitchen is fine. Much bigger than ours. (I hate our kitchen). Or daughter wants to go out an play while you’re getting dinner ready. But she has to play on the front garden which would make you anxious. Out back isn’t safe.

Are you local to Clevedon? I don’t live in Clevedon but close know the area well. It is a very busy roundabout for schools/local business park/getting to M5 etc. No parking and no garden would be a no from me two of the things I insisted on when moving 2 years ago. Very pretty house but with tiny kitchen, no parking or garden plus the location I would not consider it.

Having to park in a rented space would put me off on its own. What if the pub changes hands and they exude they can't rent you a space any more. What if they put the cost up?

Also the road noise/traffic issue would put me off on its own. That would drive me insane. Constant noise of traffic so not able to enjoy your garden or open your windows. Plus the massive issue of pollution especially if you have young children.

No way.

Yep I agree save the impractical chocolate box cottages for when the children are all grown up! I’ve defo learnt that the hard way!

You need to check out the area between 4.30 and 6.30 on a Friday evening. The M5 is awful but so many back roads are as well as people coming from Bristol try to avoid it.

I’m an absolute sucker for old houses. 22 years in a Grade ll has cured me! That house has moneypit written all over it.

It’s a lovely looking house.

But.

The back garden isn’t suitable for kids-too small, and if you did put in a cliff access, it’d not be safe for them to manage alone, then play out of your sight, until they’re way older.

The lack of parking.

The busy road.

The grade 2 listing.

Narrow kitchen

Front overlooked, back is onto a cliff so will be v dark (is it not damp)?

It’s a lot of compromises.

Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. That was before I looked at the link. It is such an inviting house inside. Don't know if the negatives you listed re parking ect is enough to put you off. But I can absolutely see why you love this house.

The parking situation seems like a nightmare!