How much would you offer for this house?

[Amberellaella]

We’re going to see this house on Monday because ours is now under offer (hurray!). It’s been on the market a while (recently changed agents which is why it looks like a fresh listing). Presumably it been overpriced because it’s price keeps dropping. It’s finally at a point close enough for us to think about it seriously, but we don’t want to overpay. The market is cold here and not likely to pick up anytime soon since the University has just announced significant job cuts…

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163161689

I don’t know the area so can’t comment - but I love those views. I would just want to be pretty sure there was no chance of the land being developed ?

That’s beautiful. I have no idea on the price but if it was here it would be nearer £1m (not helpful I know).

Depends how badly you want it and how popular it is.
Unlikely to need repairs.
I’m thinking very close to the asking price.

I can see why it hasn’t sold, it’s very much personal taste, personally I don’t like the style, further drawbacks for me would be the conservatory being open, if it’s anything like our previous home the conservatory was absolutely freezing in winter, so it maybe difficult to heat the room, in summer we had the opposite issue.

I would check if there are any planning apps on the surrounding fields, and also any public footpath issues.

The garden steps would bother me, especially with little ones or elderly relatives, the garden seems small. What does the front of the property look like? When you view consider, the layout and if that works for you.

With regards to price and what you should offer, assuming you like it when you view, offer what it is worth to you, bear in mind that often a first offer is rejected. But if it’s a buyers market, worth a try.

Good luck.

If you love it when you view it I would try offering 750k and see how the EA responds. I mean, obviously they will try to get more money for their client. But it's an offer they will take seriously and unless they immediately say that they have received a higher offer from someone in a position to proceed, it's an offer that they should be encouraging their client to seriously consider.

It seems to have a conservatory extension used as a living room but where was the living room before this addition? Is the garden room usable in all seasons as a living room, ie not too hot in summer or cold in winter?

I think the living room was fairly small before so they have extended it by building the garden room onto the existing living room.

On the floorplan, there is a room designated as a dining room, BUT no photo of it, unless it's being used as the study? In the photographs, the dining table is in the garden/living room.

It's gorgeous, but I think the floor plan is a bit off when contrasted to the photographs.

I'd be interested in how much the garden room is like a conservatory, rather than a living room. Because I've always thought of a conservatory as an extra rather than an 'instead of' another room.

I love the outside spaces though. So yes, I'd also be concerned about that land being built on. Because a lot of the value of the house (Lancashire, so not the most expensive area) obviously lies in the views.

The views are lovely, and the finish looks good. But I don’t like the layout at all. It’d be much better with the kitchen/ breakfast room where the dining room, bedroom and shower are, with the bedroom before the garden room also going. Then the two bedrooms that get moved as a result go where the kitchen/breakfast and utility rooms are. You end up with lots of living space at the back looking over the garden, and the bedrooms at the front / side.

Open at £750 if you’re in a good position to buy. I looks like a developer is trying to recoup their renovation costs and more!

There are 2 different dining tables, one room has a glass roof and the other roof is solid with a velux window. I agree about the conservatory.

I do live nearby and used to have a house in Lancaster but sold last year (despite that I am always on rightmove so have an idea of prices). That is a lovely area one of my favourites in lancaster, Aldcliffe Rd very quiet, possubly could be built on but all farmland and the nature reserve at the moment. Abit overpriced given the size of the house - maybe more like 700-750k but obvs haven't seen it.

It's a gorgeous house but very expensive for Lancaster even in that lovely position - it is only about 1700 square feet.
I'd fear that the land it adjoins would soon be built on which would make it a very different place to live.
If I was willing to take that risk, I might offer £650K, but I'd probably wait and see if the price came down first.
Good luck.

For a comparable, this one is also on. We went to see it today but it’s already gone to a cash buyer :-(

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163906685

Honestly, as far as I can judge from Rightmove, it's still over priced. What did the initially list for, out of interest?

A house on the other side of the area, which looks as if it has lovely views in the opposite direction sold for 670k quite recently. It looks much larger and is arranged on two floors, although it hasn't been done up like this one. Has the market risen a lot in your area in the last couple of years? Do you think it is falling now due to the job losses and people being more squeezed financially?
It's not a large house for the price tag. I'm thinking it may be 100k over reasonable value still like the last couple of posters, who appear to know the area. What do you think @Amberellaella?
I was also wondering what the chances of development on the surrounding land are, as has been mentioned by others. Essential to check planning applications as the wonderful views are obviously the main selling point.

You'd pay maximum £400k for that where I live... probably less!

So it doesn’t have a sitting room, only the conservatory. That would be pretty chilly in the winter, unless it is triple glazed ( I presume not as they would have said so) . It looks as if you could wall of the full glazed part quite easily and still have a decent window, or put a solid roof on the glazed one.

I would offer the asking price minus the cost of what it would take to make it liveable ( which would include moving the hob near the sink, that arrangement is dangerous).

Don’t you find it’s a very strange market? Ok if you’re a terrace, but nice detached houses are few and far between so it’s really tough to figure out their value!

Irrelevant what a house would be worth in other parts of the country.

It’s just my subjective reaction so I know you won’t mind me saying, I don’t personally see the appeal in that house. Even if I look at it dispassionately and think what would I expect someone whose style it was and who liked it to pay, I still find overpriced. By exactly how much I am not sure because I don’t know the area, and because the site and the views also command a premium and I’m not sure how much the price reflects that.

@rainingsnoring I was thinking £695k based on the comparable I posted and the one that went for £670k a bit back (Inglewood) but there was one a few doors away (Ashlar House) that went for £900k last year. It was much bigger, but a back of the envelope per sq m calculation would make this one £750k.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I don’t think you’d get it for under 700 but I’d probably go in at 710 as a start if I liked it upon viewing. The location looks gorgeous

That's the same as my thinking but you know the areas much better and I was just relying on RM. Good luck with whatever you decide!

How much would you pay for similar in The FAlklands?

It's absolutely irelevant.

EPC rating is only D which is pretty poor for a newly built/renovated house. Think those who question conservatory being cold are right.