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Original poster

What are your home/property aspirations for 2024?

55 replies

KievLoverTwo · 16/12/2023 22:56

I'll start.

To be homeowners; we have a collective age of 89 so it would be quite nice for that to happen some time very soon. The reason we haven't done it before now is because we were both single, not earning much, and living in the SE.

For said home not to have demonic heat fluctuations, nor to be full of flies for 3/4rds of the year.

To get out of the county we currently live in, and either closer to the county my heart has been taken by, or the one that's more practical for the other half's career.

OP posts:
TheNoonBell · 16/12/2023 23:11

Anywhere out of the south east is going to feel liberating. Less people, less stress.

Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 16/12/2023 23:15

TheNoonBell · 16/12/2023 23:11

Anywhere out of the south east is going to feel liberating. Less people, less stress.

Do you have any idea of whereabouts you might like to move to yet?

OP posts:
user1471548941 · 16/12/2023 23:21

We are looking to get rid of our tiny damp bathroom and convert out 3rd bedroom into a lovely bathroom with a separate tub and shower. Then the current bathroom will become an office/boxroom.

We have a savings plan that should mean we can afford it before next Christmas and the change in interest rates/market conditions means that this house is likely our long term home, rather than a step on the ladder so we have decided to invest in fixing the thing that irritates us the most!

Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 16/12/2023 23:28

user1471548941 · 16/12/2023 23:21

We are looking to get rid of our tiny damp bathroom and convert out 3rd bedroom into a lovely bathroom with a separate tub and shower. Then the current bathroom will become an office/boxroom.

We have a savings plan that should mean we can afford it before next Christmas and the change in interest rates/market conditions means that this house is likely our long term home, rather than a step on the ladder so we have decided to invest in fixing the thing that irritates us the most!

That's quite a lot of exciting changes to make in a home in the space of a year. Wishing you good luck, and good tradesmen!

OP posts:
PlipPlopChoo · 16/12/2023 23:29

Fixing the dripping tap in the kitchen.

Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 16/12/2023 23:46

PlipPlopChoo · 16/12/2023 23:29

Fixing the dripping tap in the kitchen.

I sympathise. The poxy dripping taps in our rental were apparently imported from Italy. What that means is: nobody can fix them, because the parts don't exist. Even the plumber who went away and custom fit a hole in a washer. Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.

OP posts:
Barmecide · 16/12/2023 23:48

Small ambition. Fix dropping tap, hang up all the paintings that have been leaning against walls for years.

Big ambition. Knock down two walls and build a new kitchen, plant an orchard.

Karmatime · 17/12/2023 08:09

Turn my tiny bit of city centre outside space from a shabby patio to an oasis of gorgeousness. So far all I’ve done is create a Pinterest board!

BlueRidgeMountain · 17/12/2023 08:14

We want to convert the garage into a usable space. Basically, create a utility area (the dryer is out there already), and for the rest to be used as storage (but done nicely with purpose built shelves etc and everything stored in proper boxes), and a gym area for the DC.

Katharineblum · 17/12/2023 08:16

To move back over the Pennines, nearer remaining family. Already live in the North but in a not very desirable area. Looking at prices, never going to happen, just absolutely priced out. Can only hope.

user701 · 17/12/2023 08:20

Sort out the driveway. It’s been put off for three years because it’s going to cost an absolute fortune. Cheapest quote we’ve had is £25k

Biscuithelp · 17/12/2023 08:24

I want to paint my bedroom. There are huge fitted wardrobes covered with textured stuff, the wardrobes are still good so I would like to paint those doors too. Haven’t investigated how to do this yet!

I would also like to renovate my front door and change the dated glass for stained glass, and make the letter box bigger. The postman can’t fit anything through and always has to ring

HurdyGurdy19 · 17/12/2023 08:24

To actually have a kitchen in the massive space we have created for it (been without any kind of kitchen since September)

Then any of:

  • Refurbish the downstairs toilet.
  • Decorate lounge, hall/stairs/landing *Rescue the front and back gardens, which have been ruined by builders' rubbish
BG2015 · 17/12/2023 08:30

We are looking to downsize and pay our mortgage off. There me, DP and my 20 year old son.

We looked at 2 houses yesterday and have a,ready come to the conclusion that modern houses are probably going to be too small.

Traditional 3 bed 30's semis are going to be a good size.

Happy to do a bit of work in kitchens /bathrooms for the right price.

Hoping we can find a property.

LittleRedY0shi · 17/12/2023 08:56

We're hoping to do a small extension (an additional reception room). We got all the drawings and planning permission sorted and were just about to take out additional borrowing on the mortgage to fund it, when along came Liz Truss and mortgage rates rocketed, scuppering our plans.

Alternative plan, if the extension still proves unaffordable for now, is replaced the old, warped garage door with a new electric roller door, and refresh the front door (paint a different colour, replace the tarnished door furniture) to match.

Cotswoldbee · 17/12/2023 09:13

To finish landscaping the garden.

Moved in nearly 2yrs ago and we have done quite a lot to the garden but it need finishing off.

TipsySquirrel · 17/12/2023 09:29

We moved house recently and our estate agent was shocking. We’ve complained and they’ve not really read our complaint, lied and contradicted themselves. They also haven’t followed their own complaints procedure by offering. Deadlock on the first letter.

So my property ambition is to go to the ombudsman and hopefully they’ll side with us. The house we bought needs a bit more work than we originally thought so I don’t think we can do everything but maybe new flooring downstairs, take out the old gas fire and replace, change the lighting in pretty much every room, decorate, paint the front door, replace the blinds.

muddyford · 17/12/2023 10:43

To move from the southwest to East Anglia and downsize from five bedroom house to two or three bedroom bungalow.

Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 17/12/2023 18:00

BG2015 · 17/12/2023 08:30

We are looking to downsize and pay our mortgage off. There me, DP and my 20 year old son.

We looked at 2 houses yesterday and have a,ready come to the conclusion that modern houses are probably going to be too small.

Traditional 3 bed 30's semis are going to be a good size.

Happy to do a bit of work in kitchens /bathrooms for the right price.

Hoping we can find a property.

Modern homes seem to focus on having many rooms rather than spacious rooms. There are a few 20-30 year olds that buck the trend. Otherwise, it seems to be 70s houses that have the best proportions.

I don't want three bathrooms! I want bedrooms big enough that I don't have to shimmy past the end of the bed!

OP posts:
MuchTooTired · 17/12/2023 18:08

Finish painting the bastard house. Maybe replace the roof on the conservatory for something solid and insulated. Get the weatherboarding painted and roof cleaned.

Longer term, magic up the money from nowhere to do the bathroom and knock through the kitchen to open it up to a kitchen diner.

Then whack it on the market and move!

Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 17/12/2023 18:12

user701 · 17/12/2023 08:20

Sort out the driveway. It’s been put off for three years because it’s going to cost an absolute fortune. Cheapest quote we’ve had is £25k

Ouch!! What sort of material does 25k buy you?

OP posts:
Original poster
KievLoverTwo · 17/12/2023 18:16

Katharineblum · 17/12/2023 08:16

To move back over the Pennines, nearer remaining family. Already live in the North but in a not very desirable area. Looking at prices, never going to happen, just absolutely priced out. Can only hope.

I get a lot of housing related news fed to me by Google and one of the most prolific items I see at the moment is councils cracking down on second home owners. Many of them are introducing full or double council tax. I would imagine that will eventually hit the Pennines as an attractive tourist destination, and hopefully bring prices down. At least, I hope. Wishing you luck.

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 17/12/2023 18:20

Replace soffits, gutters and fascia boards.
Repair velux windows
Paint exterior render.
Paint front door and garage door
Rebuild chimney stack (joint job with the next door neighbours).
Paint fences.

RainDropsStorm · 17/12/2023 18:38

Fingers crossed my plans for 2024 is to rip out our woodshed and get a bigger one built. Plant evergreen bushes in pots so it looks nice all year round. Plus other garden stuff like new hanging pots etc. Why is gardening so expensive 😫

Decorate the bathroom, including new flooring.

Completely empty the sitting room and get a entertainment unit built, new carpet, paint and new finishing touches, new couch.

New kitchen flooring.

Think that's it 🤔 anyone got the winning euro numbers Grin

Ambi · 17/12/2023 18:45

We've been in our fixer upper for almost 2yrs now and spent nearly £40k on renovations so far. We still have the bathroom, kitchen, our bedroom and garden to do but we have 3 yrs left on an excellent rate % mortgage so our priority is to now pay that off and then carry on with the refurb. It is a tall order but we hope to have it gone in 3yrs.