Going to view a house today that I want badly !

[skidamarinkadinka]

Gorgeous 1930s detached house, needs alot of modernising, huge garden, big drive and garage. It's on a main road into town but all the houses on this road are the same and just so lovely to look at.
We are not on the market yet but plan to get the same estate agents to list us asap. We need to move, we've outgrew this house in the last two years.
They want £450k. It was reduced in October.
Feedback has been the main road putting people off and also the work that will need doing.
How can we up our chances ?
We can probably go upto £430k but that would be the maximum.

Well he’s never enthusiastic about much anyway lol

Sounds amazing op. Ignore the naysayers, sounds like your dh is capable of the work in the house. Ours is a long term reno project and everyone thought and still thinks we are mad but the structure is sound, the survey was good, it’s just old and needs a lot of love. We are stripping every room back to stone and starting over. It’s stressful at times but three years in and I’m more in love with it than ever.

Well, we’ve put an offer in. Not going to get all worked up about it, if they don’t accept then that’s okay, we’ll leave it on the table. We’re in no rush to move, so if another house comes along we love, great, if not no matter !

Fingers crossed, let us know!

Fingers crossed for you x

Goodness! That is quite a turn around OP from yesterday

If you love it then you love it. Please get a thorough pest and building inspection though before signing on the dotted line. Good luck. It sounds gorgeous.

On tenderhooks today ! Hoping we here back and with good news 😬

Good luck! How much did you offer?

Good luck! I remember going through something similar as a child when my parents fell in love with an old house that needed an entire renovation. They bought it and it was our family home until my mum died. Many happy memories. I hope you get it!

My parents bought three old houses that needed a lot done. One was a probate sale and had no central heating It was a beautiful house once my father had painted it and central heating was eventually installed .

Has the hyper focus passed Op? Or still very keen on this property? What did you offer in the end?

Did you hear back?

Any update OP? I think I read you’re planning on living in the house whilst you do it up? Can I just give you a small piece of advice and say do not do that, it’s fucking hell on earth. We’re 3 years into renovating a house we’re living in, should be done at the end of this year and I’m so so fed up of living here, it’s dirty and dusty and I hate it. We had a baby too who’s now 2 and it made things even harder. The bits of the house that we’ve done up are constantly getting contaminated by the demolition happening in other parts. It’s honestly just a nightmare. Also dealing with workmen and having them in your space constantly. Leaving their shoes on whilst they traipse about the nice bits of the house. Being unreliable and not showing up when they say they will. Fucking vaping inside in front of my toddler. Everyone says ‘it’ll be worth it when it’s done’ but I’ve reached the point I want to sell it and fuck off as soon as it’s done 😂

That's such a shame. Your builders sound so disrespectful. We've done a huge renovation and multiple extensions on our home over 12 years. I had 3 babies in that time and (mostly!) loved having the builders around. They became like family (we live hundreds of miles away from actual family) and held the baby on occasion during manic school mornings. It's all about finding the right builders!

Hi all. Just coming back to update, I’ve been weary to post because I’m worried the vendors daughters will recognise some details, but also, I need the advice.
after our offer of 30k under asking, the EA called and said that the husband wanted to meet us, without the agents there, we was pretty nervous 😬 but needn’t have been as he was just as nice as his wife, a really friendly man and also keen for their home to go to a family. I feel the wife is pushing for us to have the house but of course it’s a family decision with their daughters involved. It’s on for 450k which we’ve explained is just out of our price range, I love the house so much, I love the history of it and its charm but I think it would need a lot doing like a rewire etc. we can’t go above what we’ve offered.
They've said they will wait for us to get ours on the market, which should be by next week! But obviously if someone comes along in the meantime we don’t expect them to turn them away. So that’s kind of where we’re at right now, we’re waiting for the photographer to come round next week. I think the husband is watching how much we might get for our house too.
the second viewing I was just as keen, noticed more little quirks I didn’t see the first time and it really did drive home how much I want the house. But it’s a long process, we can’t afford what the husband wants for it, so it might be a case of meeting in the middle somewhere. I guess it depends aswell on how much they want to sell. I don’t think he’s in a rush as such but I think Mrs is keen to get going.

Well they haven't said no!

Ultimately the house doesn't seem to be worth what they're asking for it, or it would have sold by now. So stay firm on your offer and get yours on the market then see what happens.

Yes no firm no which is positive. It’s so hard because I don’t want to offend them either, it’s their home, their memories, their pride and joy and I don’t want to say oh it needs this and that doing. It’s really tough. But it is a huge financial commitment and we need to be sensible offer wise. So I think we will stand firm definitely and if it’s meant to happen, it will.

Sorry I was supposed to add it’s been on the market nearly a year.

That sounds like an interesting conversation, OP. I’m just worried for you that even 420k is overpaying given that the asking price seems to be based on a bigger, modernised house. But ultimately if you want to live in it long term and can fund the work and any mortgage shortfall then it may not matter!

Yes he did say he’s based it on what next door is now worth… but I don’t think it’s works like that does it ? I may be wrong as I’m a novice to this property game but that house has already had the money spent on it to get it to the standard it’s at. We’d still have to spend that money AFTER paying for the house.
I don’t think he’s going to budge any lower than 430k, and that’s even if his daughters agree to that price.

From the details you’ve already given he is a long way off and I’m surprised the agents haven’t made that clearer to him (maybe they have). My concern is that your surveyor will give a valuation far more in line with the market value, and you’ll have to bridge that gap yourself to continue with the sale.

People often do this as they simply don’t see the difference between their home and the other house. My parents in law often comment on what other houses on their road are selling for and what that means for them without recognising that their house hasn’t been changed since the 90s and these other houses are totally different inside.

Yes this. Bil is actually a surveyor so we will get a top end survey for free thankfully !!
also the ceilings upstairs in most of the bedrooms has bubbles all over, this to me says the roof is leaking ?!