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Original poster

Buying an ugly house in a lovely location

123 replies

CordeliaBrideshead · 14/04/2022 18:09

I'm getting divorced and need to buy a new home. Desperate for a fresh start. Have a son living with me (17) and my daughter isn't (16) but if I live in sane town may see more of her

I've got about a 450k deposit and can get a mortgage if about 200k but only due 15 yrs due to my age. I'm in rented.

I live in the SW and this house is in Stroud.

My dream is a Victorian semi but I can't afford/find one. Lost a gorgeous one recently in a road I love.

Saw another today advertised for 425k. It's 3 bedrooms and needs a complete overall. Plus a two story extension to add a 4th bedroom/2nd bathroom. Has the ugliest kitchen, a utility room under a lean too etc Prob Art Deco though all the original
Windows have been replaced with UPVC.

It's on the road I love with views to die for and is detached. It also has a home office in quite a big garden and a large art studio I could make a teenage Den/Airbnb accommodation. Garden has some gorgeous mature trees.

Estate agent wants offers by Tuesday. I'm undecided. Such a lot of work but I could add value.

Any ideas about what I need to think about re cost of extension.

Any advice?

Buying an ugly house in a lovely location
OP posts:
Fizbosshoes · 15/04/2022 08:34

I think your post is an insult to those of us that really do live in ugly houses.

Beauty (and presumably ugliness) is in the eye of the beholder!
We viewed a very dilapidated house in an idyllic (but impractical for us) location with great views. It went to a bidding war (we weren't involved) and the new owners must have spent a fortune renovating it to look ,imo, really ugly and unsympathetic to its surroundings!

Blimecory · 15/04/2022 08:35

That is a lovely house. I can’t see anything wrong with the inside, and the outside is fine. I don’t see why you need to add another bedroom either.

CarmenThePanda · 15/04/2022 08:37

Would you get planning permission for a 2 storey extension?

Based on your description I thought it would be in much worse condition,

It isn’t an ugly house, especially, it has just had some original features removed.

With a fire escape can the attic / loft room be made into an a suite bedroom?

The years of having teens at home are reducing now as Uni etc looms, and they are back for holiday periods only.

Mummyoflittledragon · 15/04/2022 08:43

Definitely go for the house. It has great potential. You have the full cash amount, which puts you in a really strong position.

Blimecory · 15/04/2022 08:43

Your description of the house doesn’t match the reality of it at all. It doesn’t need a complete overhaul. It doesn’t need any sort of extension, let alone a double storey one. It does have a downstairs loo as well as a bathroom upstairs. The kitchen looks lovely. The garden is lovely. The attic room and studio are great pluses.

CoastalWave · 15/04/2022 08:45

It's on the road I love with views to die for and is detached. It also has a home office in quite a big garden and a large art studio I could make a teenage Den/Airbnb accommodation

100% buy it!!!

CarmenThePanda · 15/04/2022 08:48

You hate building work.
You haven’t got time before Tuesday to get a builder to give you estimates about various extension configurations.
Or check any planning permission requirements for an extension.

So I would say that any offer you make on Tuesday would be with significant risk.

It will probably go to a bidding war but you are in a string position as a cash buyer.

KylieCharlene · 15/04/2022 08:50

If you think that's ugly you should see mine.
Blush

Moonflower12 · 15/04/2022 08:55

The garden looks lovely. The house is absolutely fine as it is!

I know Stroud really well and would love to live there.

StScholastica · 15/04/2022 08:58

I think it will sell for much more than that.

tabulahrasa · 15/04/2022 08:58

I was expecting a dump tbh, then I clicked on it and not only was it a nice house, I’m not even understanding why you’d need to do any building work to it.

The attic would work fine as a guest bedroom, plus you’ve two rooms downstairs and the outside ones.... that to me seems like loads of space for 2 possibly 3 people full time and visitors.

Hallmark1234 · 15/04/2022 08:59

You know the saying....Location, Location, Location!

You can make all sorts of changes to the house and grounds, but you can't change the location and views!

You could make changes to the front, extending the lower bays upwards and creating a gable roof, similar to the house to the right (as you look at the photo on RM), to create more interest and possibly re-render?

HairyMuttttt · 15/04/2022 09:01

Just taken a closer look and it’s a great house. The attic will be fine for youngsters and grandchildren briefly visiting regardless of the restricted height. The out door spaces are great too.

RoseWindow · 15/04/2022 09:01

Our builder said to us that extensions don't add value like they used to because building work is so expensive.

I don’t follow. If building work’s expensive, why would it not add value to have already done it?

cheapskatemum · 15/04/2022 09:05

@SatinHeart

Wow my house is much uglier that on the outside!

FIL once said to me that you can't see the outside of your own house while you are in it, but you can see the view. Wise words.

Kirsty Allsop also shares your FiL's opinion.
applespearsbears · 15/04/2022 09:11

We are being given an approx build budget for a two storey plus loft conversion of £300k in Bristol by our architect and that's noting fancy - prices are astronomical at the moment

tabulahrasa · 15/04/2022 09:14

“I don’t follow. If building work’s expensive, why would it not add value to have already done it?”

I’m assuming they mean that building work is so expensive that it won’t add as much as it costs to do onto the value of the house.

RoseWindow · 15/04/2022 09:20

Yikes!

Ginajo · 15/04/2022 09:20

I live in a very very ugly house. I'm in a London suburb and I'm currently sitting in my garden eating a hot cross bun and listening to the birds singing in the sunshine. I can walk to the station and shops in less than 15 mins.

Go for location every time.

Wrongkindofovercoat · 15/04/2022 09:20

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122439395#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is nice and has 4 beds and 2 baths

Blimecory · 15/04/2022 09:24

I don’t follow. If building work’s expensive, why would it not add value to have already done it?

Because the building work will cost as much, or even more, than any perceived added value. It may actually be a financial loss. Eg, you spend 100k on building works, but the value of the house only goes up by 70k. You’ve “lost” 30k. For some, however, having the house the way they want it is worth doing.

wonkylegs · 15/04/2022 09:31

I'm an architect. One of my clients bought the ugliest (seriously ugly with a terrible layout) house in the street but with an amazing view and good plot. Over the past few years we have transformed it (phased renovation & extension) and it now is the best house on the road both inside and out. It's unrecognisable, the layout is now fantastic (mainly because we moved the stairs) and they and everyone else loves it.

Original poster
CordeliaBrideshead · 15/04/2022 09:34

@applespearsbears

We are being given an approx build budget for a two storey plus loft conversion of £300k in Bristol by our architect and that's noting fancy - prices are astronomical at the moment
Wow! 😩😩😩
OP posts:
Loopytiles · 15/04/2022 09:37

I don’t think it’s a good option if you’d want to extend. Building costs are sky high now.