I would NEVER buy a house with…

[Wyr]

• solar panels

• a ‘garden house’ IE a lockdown special outdoor wooden shed dressed up as an office - usually taking up half the garden and completely pointless

• a neighbour who has a load of cars / shit in their yard - hoarder vibes

who’s next? 3 things that would make you not buy a house…

That’s great it’s worked for you! So the panels were free? I’m confused.

A few more.

A leasehold, unless the price for the freehold purchase was discussed and agreed beforehand. Not that I have ever personally had a problem with a leasehold property, but there has been so much negative publicity about them in recent years it puts people off for resale.

Shared driveway/access.

Poor public transport links.

Lack of local amenities (reasonably easy access to basic shops, doctor, dentist, solicitor). So I couldn't live in a tiny village, no matter how chocolate box the house or surroundings, as nowadays many have few or no such facilities.

A lot of stuff people object to could easily and cheaply be changed, always look beyond the decor and current furnishings. In the past I have bought houses cheap because they were filthy/dilapidated and nobody else wanted the work, but they made beautiful homes, and also made a decent profit when we came to move.

Either that or right wing lol 😆 Out of interest OP, are you over 60?

I can not confirm nor deny 👵

No, they weren't free. They cost us about £10k 13 years ago, and have paid for themselves now.

Exactly. Looking at possible retirement/final home is a lot different from first home. My mum ended up using a wheelchair, so I am very conscious about level access, lift access, etc when looking at a place to downsize to.

A spiral staircase (no cupboard under the stairs)

I agree totally Wyr. Awful for the environment 😕 a bit like those dinosaurs that refuse to accept renewable forms of energy and think they're ugly 🤣🤣🤣

We use ours for wees only. We use the main bathroom for number twos!

What if the main bathroom is just next to your bedroom, so technically closer to your partner....

Oooh dear, I have a lot of these (not artificial grass, that shit is horrible) and am about to put my house on the market….

Still, where I am if you don’t want a house with a tiny garden with right of way access, no hallway and no side access, you better have a multi-million budget because that’s what you’ll need to get anything else in this neck of the woods.

Prince Andrew

Downstairs loo in that case 😅

I can see why elderly people might want fake grass, but the people I know who have it are not elderly. They just want a perfect, sterile lawn that they can jet wash and isn't marred by daisies, dandelions and bugs.

I always encourage DH to use the downstairs loo, it's right at the back of the house, I think originally it was practically outside but now incorporated into the house but well away and very handy if you are in the garden. I wouldn't want a downstairs loo at the front of the house near the living area

Firstly, it's the way estate agents "sell them" as if saying the term means they are bilingual in french. Similar to their "myself/yourself" and thinking they are fluent in English...
Secondly, the en suites most MN-ers are thinking of are in houses that have 2 more bedrooms than really possible squeezed in by the developers, then two en suites and a separate bathroom. People hear 5 bedroom house, 3 bathrooms and think "ooh nice" and move in then realise there is no storage space and they are squeezed in like lab rats.
See also: "Master bedroom", that fits in a queen size double and small chest of drawers.
They think we are bloody idiots (when it's normally just being bound by house prices).

the actual deal-breakers when we bought were

• mid-terrace
• semis / end terraces which were not halls adjoining
• no second bathroom / space to put one in
• flyover nearby
• neighbours who looked like they would be an issue

internal layout / garden choices can all be changed

Anything shared. Any RoW. Huge open plan ‘kitchen is your dining room is your living room’.
Feck that, I like my grilled smoked mackerel smell catastrophes to be confined to the kitchen.

Oh yes, a leasehold. That's not 1 on my list too.

An aeroplane on your drive? What type of plane do you have? I am genuinely interested. Or are you Tom Cruise having a casual post on MN?! 😁

nah its John Travolta https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/506061/john-travolta-amazing-florida-mansion-private-airport-photos/

We viewed a house with a swimming pool in the back, it made the garden quite small so I asked how much it would be to get rid of the pool. £10k to remove plus whatever it cost to fill the hole up! 😳 Noped that one

Bi fold doors

Log burner

Kitchen/dining/living room

😆

😆