Thoughts on this house?

Laaaaa · 2021-02-04T20:31:17+00:00

[[https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/69176829#/]] Does this look like it needs too much work? Could I get away with doing up slowly and cheaply?

NoSquirrels · 04/02/2021 20:34

If you can live with the kitchen and bathroom it looks mostly cosmetic - decorating & new carpets/flooring. You can paint those kitchen cabinets for a quick enough fix.

There’s no floor plan and the bathroom is a shower room, though.

LolaButt · 04/02/2021 20:35

Hard to tell properly in pictures, but it looks dated but clean and maintained?

I wouldn’t move in there and feel horrified at the work needed. But you never know what a survey will throw up!

LeroyJenkinssss · 04/02/2021 20:38

It depends on you really. I could live with it and do it up as I went along so long as electrics were ok. Others wouldn’t be happy.

What type of house do you live in now? How stretched would you be for that mortgage?

KirstenBlest · 04/02/2021 20:43

No floor plan and no photo of the rear of the house.
It has access to the back, which is unusual, and a plus.

Housebuyer2020 · 04/02/2021 20:55

If you can live in a dated house for a while and do up slowly it’s doable.. it’s personal preference.. we moved into a house worse condition than that.. we did one bit a year... and now it’s fully done.. we are moving onto a bigger updoer project... but we always buy somewhere that is lovable but cosmetically needs love... good luck

GenderApostate19 · 04/02/2021 20:59

As long as the electrics and heating are ok and the doors/windows are sound, everything else can be done as and when.
I think it took us 5 years or more to decorate everywhere and change all the carpets in our house, let alone change the kitchen, bathroom and windows/doors.

Chattercino · 04/02/2021 21:03

Looks really bright. Could be really lovely

Aknifewith16blades · 04/02/2021 21:05

You would need a re-wire at some point - photo 5 has a dodgy looking socket on the skirting board.

Honeyroar · 04/02/2021 21:07

Easily. You could paint those kitchen units for the meantime, paint the walls, put a few new carpets in and it’d be great.

Totallydefeated · 04/02/2021 21:09

I don’t know if that’s a dodgy socket? Just looks like the wire was encased in trunking, rather than chased into the wall. It’s cheaper and quicker that way, and doesn’t look great, but not necessarily unsound.

Original poster

Laaaaa · 04/02/2021 21:10

Why would there be no floor plan?

OP posts:

Liminalstate · 04/02/2021 21:11

Photo 2 has a dodgy socket on the side of the chimney and it looks like a lump of wall has been removed to accommodate it. Not an electrician so not sure what that means-but I'd probably want someone to check it out.

Totallydefeated · 04/02/2021 21:12

OP, looks like the kitchen’s the biggest problem, from photos, unless the survey throws up damp/wiring/needs new windows/doors etc. Mainly looks cosmetic. Depends if you can live with if? Or you could quickly chuck some white emulsion on the walls of, say, the sitting room and bedroom, just do freshen it up a bit, and then do it up properly, at your leisure.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 04/02/2021 21:15

I could live in that house no problem.

I note that they have taken the pictures from odd angles that don't show the roof, and don't show you the top of the walls (where they meet the ceiling) in the upper rooms. I would want to look closely at those bits when viewing.

Persipan · 04/02/2021 21:16

There's nothing in the photos that I couldn't personally live with until I got to it (although I will acknowledge that I have quite a high tolerance for dated decor). Assuming nothing earth-shattering came from the survey I'd say it's perfectly doable.

3dogdnorth · 04/02/2021 21:18

Looks positively palatial to some doer uppers that we've bought and moved into. Nothing terribly wrong with it. Just take your time and do it up as and when you can!

LimaFoxtrotCharlie · 04/02/2021 21:18

@Liminalstate

Photo 2 has a dodgy socket on the side of the chimney and it looks like a lump of wall has been removed to accommodate it. Not an electrician so not sure what that means-but I'd probably want someone to check it out.

Looks more like some pipe work has been boxed in, effectively extending the chimney breast, and a piece of the box work has been left out to save having to move the socket

LalalalalalaLand123 · 04/02/2021 21:19

It needs a lot of work OP.

Really depends on what you can live with. Doing things up slowly is a nightmare, as youre always living in a construction site; doing things up cheaply is never as cheap as you hope it will be.

LawnFever · 04/02/2021 21:19

Looks livable in to me & mostly cosmetic, like someone else says you could easily paint the kitchen cupboards as a temp fix until you can update the kitchen.

I’d view it, and take it from there, you’re under no obligation from viewing it

Candleabra · 04/02/2021 21:21

A survey should throw up anything really dodgy.
It looks like a nice house, lovely big rooms.

LawnFever · 04/02/2021 21:21

@Laaaaa

Why would there be no floor plan?

Lazy estate agent, just not been uploaded yet? Ask the agent, no floor plan is a bit annoying but it doesn’t mean anything’s necessarily wrong with it

Whatthebloodyell · 04/02/2021 21:26

Looks like a perfectly decent house for that price.

SaltyMermaid · 04/02/2021 21:27

I would want to know where that side entry leads down to, is it shared between you and the neighbour? Is there a right of way or easement allowing you onto their property or vice versa.

No photo of the back of the house would possibly suggest the alleyway could be an issue.

Also if you drop down on the map and get to the right house it is next door but one to a shop. I would want to know how busy that get with cars etc as it is on the corner, plus if it is the same shop on street view it is open 6am to 11pm. Just worth a ponder.

But I agree, need to see ceilings meeting walls, look at sockets etc. Nothing is horrific, just cosmetic unless survey throws up anything else.

user1471538283 · 04/02/2021 21:27

I think it's very liveable. Once you removed the carpets and painted it it would look so much better.

As long as the electrics and roof is ok you can do it up as you go along.

Some agents dont use floor plans.

PatsyJStone · 04/02/2021 21:42

As long as you get some a survey done, maybe second level up not just the basic. Has a utility and downstairs cloakroom, you could look at increasing the kitchen size, even extending at some point. I’d consider how you could improve the bathroom to make it for a bath. Could you lose a bit from the bedroom next door? I’d say make sure you have some cash spare initially as even just decorating & carpets will cost you. And more spare cash just in case something like the boiler needs upgrading. you could see if it is one eligible for the upgrade funding.
Can you look at the back gardens and see what other houses have done? If they have extended? Also look at others that are for sale or have sold, can you find sales particulars see what they were like inside and what they sold at. Also if they had a bathroom with bath and what the bedroom sizes were? You’d need to see if the wall between the bathroom and bedroom could be moved.
Then consider what your ambitions are and if you cou,d get that already done in a different house and for what extra cost, if any.