Horrible garden, great location

[Elfontheedge]

I can see past the awful interior, we can fix that with our nice furniture and re-decorating. I’m really struggling with the garden though, it’s just so far from the grassy, planty, pretty space for the kids to build dens etc. the owners ripped up perfectly good lawn for that not that long ago. I could cry!
everything else ticks the boxes in terms of location, off road parking, quiet road.

Property

if the garden is big it would be nice, but the garden is bizarre and looks small!?

the decor is just paint and decorating, its not falling apart!

has*

I've had great success planting a lawn on a massive terrace that was completely tiled. I just put down sleepers to form the frame and filled the whole space with compost and topsoil and then turfed it. The grass grew surprisingly well...

The kitchen is fine. The decor is a bit monochrome and not my taste but easily changed. In the garden with young kids I would probably just put some good quality fake grass there.

It looks raised... what is underneath it?

I think you are right to keep an open mind.

Personally, as another poster commented I'd be more concerned about the inside layout than the garden. The terracing is a good thing and there are plenty of options to sort it out to make it more child friendly.

The decor is a trivial issue in the grand scheme of things.

What I'd be more concerned about, is that if it's too of your budget, how much money you have to throw at other issues.

The kitchen isn't that big and frankly the living/dining area is full of wasted space.

I'd partition off the front of the dining room to create a downstairs study (that will add value). Then I'd knock out the half wall between the living and dining room and wall between the kitchen/dining room to create one open space - leaving the sitting room separate as a cosy adult snug.

I'd probably take down the conservatory as It would impede light to the sitting room and frankly they are a pain in the ass as spaces - too hot in summer and too cold in winter.

Our younger two were those sort of ages - DS struggled a bit more wanting ball games but DD1 found ways to play in what we had.

I don't think the garden's great as is for children but I don't think it terrible so yes looking round is a good idea.

(I know PP said get rid of the man shed - but if it's being left I'd be tempted to set it up as a play area for when it's wet but that depends on what the steps are actually like.)

Goodness, some people seize the dream and run with it don’t they. Do you think they ripped those Angel wings from a real angel?

😂😂😂

At the end of the day OP if it suits you and your family take no notice of others- personally I think that garden can be prettied up a lot with some pots and grasses and saves mowing- and whilst the interior it isn't my taste or probably yours , it's suprising what different furniture and a bit of a decorate can do for not that much cost- location and size and budget matter a lot ! We are all different as to what matters- I'm not keen on low ceilings or cottages and properties in the middle of nowhere- but others love them

Yikes, that decor.

Having said that, I think the garden is ok, OP. Plenty of pots, planters, climbers and some bamboo screening, playmats / outdoor rugs etc. It could be lovely with a bit of work and imagination. With your girls the age they are, it won't need to be 'child-friendly' for much longer anyway.

Let's not forget that plenty of people grow up in flats, houses with paved backyards, etc and whilst it would be great if every child could have their own daisy-strewn lawn to run around on, it's not a necessity.

Personally I'd be more concerned with de-Hinchifying the interior asap but that's just me!

Do you need to be in Castleton?
if so this looks much better for the price www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124067663#/?channel=RES_BUY

The decor is beyond awful , but without the horrible furniture most of the rooms would be fairly neutral, the carpets are mostly greyish and neutral, and decor is easily sorted out. Odd if there really is no door between the DR and kitchen as the plan seems to suggest. But otherwise it seems like a good house. The kitchen is nice and 'normal', as is the shower room.
I'd say the garden problem for kids playing is that it's on too much of a slope with too many steps. That you can't change. But if you could live with that, you might be able to sell some of the paving to offset the cost of replacing it with topsoil and turf. Topsoil is pricey, turf isn't all that bad for what a fairly small area. I wonder if they needed/got planning permission for all that paving if it was grass before?
You would have the advantage that the neighbours would probably love you, esp if you removed the hot tub.

Something to consider is the vehement hatred of this property by hundreds of posters

unless you get for a bargain and spend a very substantial amount on overhauling it - you’ll encounter the same difficulty in selling as current vendors

I think most of the loathing is triggred by the decor. If the house was just good old boring neutrals with modern Next/ikea/oakfurnitureland furniture people would not be so triggered. And as I said earlier, most of the weirdness is the furniture- the walls and carpets ate mostly neutral and on the light side. So easily fixed if you take the oddest wallpaper off a few walls.
A bit of me does admire anyone who commits to their decor to that extent, even if it's not to my taste.🙂I'm sure many here would also hate my more extreme forays into decor.😜

No the issues they have been raised are more teaching and include proximity to the motorway and also fact garden slopes.

Not an issue if the op never intends to sell or gets for a bargain and completely overhauls

but if the above aren’t relevant - this is not the property to buy if you intend to sell in the future

Teaching should say far reaching

Where is the garden?

@Lastqueenofscotland2 Blimey that's an absolute doppelgänger for our lovely rented house - almost identical including furniture and taste , except we have a lovely decked terrace and 109ft across ways of nice lawn - did you look at this OP? I also think it's nicer

Just no.
keep looking

People are being a bit snobby about the garden. Surely it's not that much of a leap to understand that lots and lots of people don't have 100 foot back gardens? Kids all over the country are growing up in new builds with small plots, or flats with no outdoor space at all.

OP, what's under the garden?

I think in terms of gardens you use what you’ve got in a way that suits your family. I’m sure people with big gardens who are forever kicking footballs around can’t imagine they’d be happy with something smaller but there are plenty of families growing up with either a small space or no outdoor space at all and it works fine and they’re happy. There are advantages to being able to watch the children from the house and smaller gardens are lower maintenance and can be changed to suit your needs more easily.