Advice - what would put you off buying this house?

[surfingdreams]

We've been looking for a while and seen this one in N.Devon, where prices are crazy rn. DP loves it because of the setting and the light feel of the bungalow, I think it's overpriced and the garden is small. It only has one toilet, so we would be looking to add an ensuite to one of the rooms. And the loft has the height for a potential dormer extension so that's a positive.

As it's been on the market for a while we would be justified in offering under, but are there any other obvious things that could be putting people off, that we've missed?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111938369#/?channel=RES_BUY

I really like it, I'd have a field day with that family room because I often have a lot of people over.
The only thing that would put me off is not having a cloakroom and worries about flooding, the colours don't bother me I'd always repaint anyhow.

Ah, the other listing I randomly selected from that EA said Freehold so it looked a bit cagey. If you have already established it's freehold, that's fair enough :)

Thanks all, been really useful to show to DP as well. The house hunt will continue!

I'd knock it down and start again..

Road front and back. Feels closed in by trees. Family room looks as if it would be cold in winter, and has a flat roof

Is the conservatory open to the kitchen? If so I doubt that it would satisfy building regs and your heating bills will be astronomical without a door. Also is the gable end clad in wood or plastic planks? Either would scream maintenance and damp to me? I think it could be nice with a facelift but you’d want to redo the side extension entirely and that could be tricky as the land is raised up.

My main concern would be the possibility of flooding , though the house is built quite high so that may not be a problem.
I would also be very very concerned about the road behind the house being held up by a retaining wall and the maintenance of that wall. A family friend had the road behind their house collapse into the back of their house and the problems in who sorts what (council vs them vs insurance) and the costs have been astronomical

I lived near and the village floods horrifically every year (if not multiple times) cutting off access. Insurance premiums may be exceptionally high.
The village is very long with nothing much there - not easy access to anywhere and not particularly beautiful.

I LOVE how all the windows frame greenery. My house is the same. It I'd incredibly restful and restorative to live in.

Decor can be easily changed but the views cannot.

I think it could be a v nice house to live in.

It doesn't appear to have a proper garden, and I don't like the look of that slope leading to the door; frosty days will be fun!

Also it's not clear where you park your car. I'd want to have a space right next to my front door.

I wouldn't want to buy a house with solar panels (spotted them on the satellite view).

A let hate of mine is properties not having any room sizes listed; I wouldn't even bother to view as it feels they're trying to hide something) despite the fact that rooms appear to be of reasonable sizes, judging solely by the pictures).

I'd keep looking OP.

what's with the weird lights in the giant room.... that's pink chandelier thing and the two others??

the bedrooms are all very small....the longest one is little more than 8ft wide and the other two are 9 ft ish.
I reckon you'd need to lose a bedroom to get an ensuite in there

and the lounge, kitchen family room don't work together...the sitting room is only accessed from the hall, the family room only off the kitchen.

Not for me.

Ooh I think it's lovely! The garden isn't small, in my opinion. Only downside is the one toilet but it depends how big your family is.

The street view map shows the family room was a conservatory previously.

Parking looks a bit of a nightmare.

Being on a steep hill isn't ideal, and it backs right onto a very steep stretch of a road that looks like it might be used by farm vehicles/4x4's etc which could get annoying?

It has a nice outlook but is that meadow out the front a flood plain?

Looks very expensive for the size/present condition but I don't know the local market.

My main concern would be that 'family room' - it looks like a conservatory - look on street view and it has (or did have) one of those horrible plastic conservatory roofs - was it completely rebuilt or bodged into a room?

Which way does it face? If it faces north, you'll get plenty of light but no sunshine in the house, which wouldn't work for me.

What is the flood rating?

I'd need to redecorate throughout, replace the family room floor, replace the bathroom or at least redecorate and get rid of that bath panel.

I can't believe how expensive it is. You'd get a bigger 3 bed semi for that where I live and I am in Greater London.

Just the amount of work that is needed to update it would put me off. Sorry!

The conservatory being open won't satisfy building regs, we are opening ours up at the moment but it's going to be a forever home with under floor heating and a log burner so we aren't bothered as won't be selling

Flood risk; that looks like a river valley.

flood map at

www.getthedata.com/flood-map/weare-giffard

says
"Most Weare Giffard postcodes are high flood risk, with some medium flood risk postcodes."

This is only going to get worse with climate change. I have lived in flood areas, NEVER AGAIN.

Very narrow road access. Those back-roads are generally very low on the priority list for snow ploughing.

Is there any private offroad parking ?

Flat roofs, a pain to maintain and cold in winter.

Those huge empty rooms have the comfortless look of a house which is not homely and convenient to live in. They will also cost a fortune to heat in winter (especially with uninsulated roofs.)

House is too big for the plot its on.
That could make it hard to sell; large families usually want plenty of outdoor space and parking. Rural people want an enclosed garden safe for dogs, etc.

Sorry, but I would not buy that house for multiple reasons.

I would ask to see a full year's heating bill; and ask if there's a flood history/have they ever made an insurance claim for flood.

@PittaMyBread

The street view map shows the family room was a conservatory previously.

Maybe a conservatory where they've replaced the roof with something equally flimsy and cold.

It looks like a very expensive large holiday chalet.