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 don’t think that’s true, I think the flats were badly designed and also don’t work from a social planning point of view. Aren’t they being replaced with lower blocks?

Can he find some more info on it?

I see where he’s coming from, but don’t think he’s right, so you need to prove to him that it isn’t the case I think.

Yes, 70's houses usually have decent size gardens, sensible parking and good sized windows that let in a lot of light.

Check the structure, is it brick and tile? Have the windows already been replaced? If so, it should be fine.

If it's built of brick then it won't deteriorate like the concrete tower blocks he's thinking of. My 70s house is brick and they are so hard it's really difficult to drill into.

Houses built like the flats with those concrete blocks reinforced with steel do deteriorate but you can't get a mortgage on them anyway.

There's loads you could do to that style of house to personalise it. I'm getting ready to be in the market do I would definitely consider one like that.

I much prefer 60s/70s houses - usually larger windows, massive bedrooms and much larger gardens and decent sized driveways - what's not to like!

I'm not sure if it's brick. It has inner timber frame, cavity and then rendered masonry for outer layer. Not really sure what that means and if it's good or bad.

That does look ugly with that pebbledash. However, painting/rendering/cladding etc and it would look nice as the shape of building is nice.

I think it’s nonsense what your husband is saying about 70’s build houses. They’re just normal houses with proper foundations, brick walls etc with maintenance they’ll last just as any other.

I'm not sure if it's brick. It has inner timber frame, cavity and then rendered masonry for outer layer. Not really sure what that means and if it's good or bad.

You’d need to find out what it is. If it’s non standard construction, it might be difficult to mortgage and I’d stay clear.

Yes...I did!

I’d grown up in beautiful but draughty, damp period properties with endless problems (everything from structural to drainage).

New builds were flimsy and badly thought out with too small bedrooms, not enough parking space, built very quickly in places with poor drainage etc.

From the outside I thought my 70s house was kind of ugly (although it’s brick not pebble dash). Inside however, three great sized bedrooms, lovely kitchen diner and separate lounge, big under stairs cupboard, upstairs linen cupboard, lots of light, big garden with room for extension, garage and driveway big enough for three cars plus another two on pavement (they liked their parties in the 70s) lovely quiet well planned culdesac.

With a new drive, window boxes, hanging baskets, plantation shutters etc, it looked great. Loads of options for an outside revamp. It’s warm. Solidly and sensibly built. I think they can often be real gems.

70s is probably the last decade houses were made properly before being made out of cheap crap materials... maybe the 80s were OK
Wouldn't buy anything built late 80s onwards tbh

@oncloudnine my husband is an architect and was just saying it seemed good but as soon as he read timber frame he said don't touch it with a barge pole. He also says don't touch a new build though.

I live in a 70s home and I love it.
I have owned several properties- a new build city flat, a Georgian villa apartment, a 16th century cottage.
Although my house is not attractive externally the rooms are huge, lounge is 28 feet long, several living areas, and huge bedrooms. Even the smallest ( of 5 ) bedrooms is big enough for a double bed, wardrobe and other furniture.
Massive doube glazed windows and very light.
It is cheap and easy to maintain.
Some of my other properties have been £££ to repair.
Unlike living in a listed property, keeping up with stonework, limited by regulations , replacing cast iron guttering, etc.
I love my 1970s build. Huge, light, cheap to maintain and heat.

NameChange84

Sound like my house!
From the outside I thought my 70s house was kind of ugly (although it’s brick not pebble dash). Inside however, three great sized bedrooms, lovely kitchen diner and separate lounge, big under stairs cupboard, upstairs linen cupboard, lots of light, big garden with room for extension, garage and driveway big enough for three cars plus another two on pavement (they liked their parties in the 70s) lovely quiet well planned culdesac.
I too have a great L shaped kitchen diner, a walk in understairs cupboard, garage, good sized garden, cul de sac with no parking problems, a driveway, two large upstairs linen cupboards.
French doors from living room and kitchen, just a very large and practical house.

Have a look at this Instagram post about makeovers for similar houses; you could change it loads! www.instagram.com/p/CHf_6hdF7ct/?igshid=mh3a9lxcvfjy

bestbefore

THat would stand out like a sore thumb in my street.
I think you have to consider neighbouring properties.
It may be possible to do a makeover on a 70s house, but set in a street of similar properties it doesn't fool anyone- and would look prett crass imo.

I think houses are homes for living in. They’re not cars that depreciate in value as soon a they’re bought.

Have you looked at the website
The modern house ?

@speakout That's a good point. All the other houses in the street are of the same type and haven't been made over (although they look well maintained).

So hard to find something we both agree on. DH is swayed by shiny new kitchens and bathrooms, attractive facades and nice decor. I'm all about the practicality and long term potential of a house.

As @JoJoSM2 says, double check the construction!
The people who offered on my house couldn’t proceed as they only had a 10% deposit, and the survey on mine came back saying it’s unmortgageable as it’s got tiling on the exterior!!!
They said it’s non standard construction so is a risk. This is bollocks, as it’s brick and mortar underneath (as stated in the survey I got when I moved in 3.5 years ago, and I got a mortgage on it)
However, post Grenfell, lenders are being massively cautious (and looking for every reason NOT to lend if there’s even the smallest risk).

@oncloudnine

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.

Big windows are not to be sniffed at. I hate dark houses.

That style of house can be made to look very stylish and modern with the right windows and doors and lends itself well to an easy to source mid century style interior

I love my 70's house. It's so warm (we live in Scotland), great light, massive rooms, large front and back gardens, driveway, garage, lovely neighbourhood, amazing views.

The biggest drawback is noise. Within the house that is. Must have thin walls.

And yes, it is fugly on the outside. However, I spend time looking out, I never stand on the road looking in.

I love mine. I care about sustainability but had a limited budget and did not want to compromise on comfort. It was relatively easy to insulate and upgrade, warm in winter and cool in summer, came with a large level garden for growing veg and flowers. After living in an old listed house which was very pretty but freezing in the winter despite spending a fortune on bills, it is bliss!

I miss mine. It may not have been pretty but it was cheap to heat, light, and easy to maintain and clean. I now live in an old pretty (from outside) house which is a nightmare to look after and always bloody cold.

It shouldn't be a surprise from my user name that my house was built in the 70s....

As all of the internal walls are blockwork, it's pretty much bombproof. Check the construction, but don't be scared away from a house just because it was built in the 70s. Even our 1960s timber framed house was fairly solid, and we had no trouble selling it.

Fugly houses in my estate have no trouble selling.
A smallish estate- 150 houses, the location is phenomenal.
Surrounded by ancient woodland, deers trotting around- in a hsitoric setting, great schools, a railway on our doorstep- takes me into the city centre in 20 minutes.
Large international airport 20 minutes away, unspoilt coastline 15 minutes drive.

When houses come up for sale in my estate they only ever take a week or so to sell.

@speakout

Fugly houses in my estate have no trouble selling. A smallish estate- 150 houses, the location is phenomenal. Surrounded by ancient woodland, deers trotting around- in a hsitoric setting, great schools, a railway on our doorstep- takes me into the city centre in 20 minutes. Large international airport 20 minutes away, unspoilt coastline 15 minutes drive.

When houses come up for sale in my estate they only ever take a week or so to sell.

You’re not in Fife are you?!