Would you buy a 70s house?

[oncloudnine]

Have found a house that is ideal in terms of size, layout, nice area and good school catchment. It ticks all boxes.
But DH says it's ugly/old fashioned, and won't be a good long-term investment as these types of houses will deteriorate by the time we want to sell (it will be our home until kids leave home at least).

It's a standard 70s suburban detached with similar houses around it...the concrete-grey pebble dashed type. Maybe not the prettiest but we don't have a huge budget and it can always be painted and given a bit of TLC, so I think he's being silly. Or is he right? Particularly regarding the house keeping its value long-term. Keen to hear from anyone living in that type of house...what do you like/dislike about it? Or if you don't live in one, would you?

I love 50s, 60s, 70s box houses. Cheaper, usually on better plots, nice square rooms... I don’t want to pay more for the outside to be pretty, and like you say can be painted/changed etc.

Watch ugly house to lovely house for ideas! Although this series have been a bit less doable and more batshit.

Could you post a picture of a similar house? I’m struggling to imagine what it looks like as I don’t associate 70’s houses with pebbledash.

However, 70’s can be easily made great for modern living and made to look cool with their large windows etc.

My house is a 70s, lady we bought from bought it when new and we still have the original avocado suite in one bathroom.
I have OCD so it took a lot not to go for a new build. However, my husband is an architect so I had to listen to him when he said the 70s house was a better option. Which it is. Yes, we still have to update a lot of it but the space of the plot and position wouldn't be available with a new build in the same price range.
We've had to spend about £6k on roof repairs this year but that's the usual wear and tear from having an older property.

I've got one. You get a lot more hour for your money than either older or newer builds.

Pros - big rooms, lots of light, usually have a cavity wall so decent insulation. Solid floors without draughts. The boxy nature of them lends itself to easier remodeling or extending as needed. Easy to heat more efficiently than older houses. Gardens bigger than new builds and often in more established areas.

Cons - big windows are expensive to replace and cost a lot in curtains, often heating pipes run under a concrete floor and can degrade so need replacing (not a big job if you just cut them off and replace above ground). Not pretty from the outside ( although you spend most of your time in your house, not standing outside looking at it). Build quality generally better than older houses, but may still include things like shared sewers with next door which can make adding additional bathrooms difficult.

This isn't the house but it's one very similar to it. I'm not sure if you'd call this pebbledash? It's rough pebbly material anyway.

I love the big windows, we're in a period flat now so used to huge windows.
The house is at least £30k less than newer builds of a similar size in the areas we're after.

I agree it's not the most attractive at the moment but it's certainly not the ugliest house I've seen. I think you could easily distract from the pebbledash by making the garden a real masterpiece.
As someone else said, you don't stand outside staring at your house all the time so don't be put off the inside.

I think the 60s-70s era is the best for building on good sized plots, compared to their similarly priced counterparts from other eras. I never thought I'd go for that era but have watched lots of property programmes doing them up, they end up looking great and I'm always very envious of their spacious plots (speaking generally).

They'll become very trendy eventually, I believe 1960s flats have become trendy in some areas, like you say the big windows!

The alternatives for our budget are prettier houses of a similar size but in a rough area, semi-detached in a nice area, or country cottage.
I like the idea of a country cottage but so far most we've seen are either not big enough or have a strange layout (eg front door leading straight into living room) or shared access through garden. There was only one we liked and offered on but lost out to someone who offered way over the valuation price.

It would be easy to make that house more attractive, which would also add value.

Google things like paint pebbledash makeover

You will see some lovely results.

Round where I live lots of people paint the grey pebble dash, upgrade the windows, put nice planting up against the house and the whole thing looks lovely.

I live in a 70’s build, and it’s waaay uglier than the one you posted

I love mine, it’s very light and spacious, compared to many styles of house, and def cheaper than others in the area.
However, they can be difficult to sell on.
(As I’ve found recently, as trying to sell. Mine is stuck on the market despite being about £60k cheaper than smaller Victorian or Edwardian ‘character’ houses).

We have a 70's house. Just right for us. Have lived in it for 36 years.
It's a Baratt semi. It was the show house.

I wouldn’t, as I don’t like them, but I’d choose that house you posted over any new build.

Of course we'd all like a "pretty" home but quite honestly if I need lots of space and that provides lots of space cheaper than a more attractive property I'd definitely go for it.
There is nothing worse than living in a tiny cramped space with children.
It sounds ideal and there is a lot you can do to make it look more presentable.

I think it’s beautiful! That huge front window that will let in lots of light. The typical school childs drawing of a house with a window in each corner.
I’d say if you go for it keep as many original features as you can. Keep the doors and light switches and don’t add any extras such as cornicing.
Have a look at some 70s interiors. You don’t have to go all orange and purple, although I would, but you could nod to the era.
I’d probably leave the gray pebble dash and just paint the front door a 70s colour.

Newbuilds will depreciate much quicker.

I don’t really understand his logic. A 1970s house will be at a stable price, having been built 40-50 years ago.

You definitely can make a plain house like that quite contemporary looking by changing the windows/ front door, maybe add some cladding and spruce up the front garden, to improve the kurb appeal.

I dont agree with your DH.
I think 70s houses will become more popular, I think covid has made us more aware of our homes and gardens. 1970s houses often have larger plots with bigger windows than period homes and these features are becoming much more desirable, as well as space to WFH which period homes dont often have.
I live in a lovely looking Victorian house which is on a tricky plot and has lots of layout issues, my next house will be 60s or 70s.

That's a prettier house than my 70s semi, complete with crazy paving on the front and a big chunk of fascia board. Ours isn't big but we have large windows, decent bedrooms and a massive garden which all the new builds don't have.

Buy in the best area you can if you are worried about house prices.
I would have no issue buying a house like yours, you can re render it in a crisp white render add thin frame aluminium windows and a new door, it will look completely different.

if you can render/paint it and i love dark grey window frames then go for it

Have a look at the before and afters on here www.backtofrontexteriordesign.com/

@GreyishDays He is saying that unlike period properties, 70s homes weren't build to last. So if they're already 50 years old, in 30 years time they'll be 80 years old and will have deteriorated and no one will want to buy a house like that. He is citing the 70s blocks of flats of a similar concrete-y style (although obviously not the same as a detached house) that are already being torn down to be replaced with modern ones in our area.
Whereas a period property will still be nice in 30 years time. And a newer build won't be that old by the time we sell.
I sort of get the logic...but it's very hard to find something else with enough space and also in a good catchment for our budget.

You have to buy a house you are both comfortable with. Keep looking or go on Kirsty and Phil