Is this a good idea - doer upper

[Saffie920]

Hi everyone - posting because I’m so undecided and starting to drive myself a bit mad. For background, my husband and I have a 15 month old daughter and we are pretty decided we would like to have a second child but with a 4 to 5 year age gap. So we wouldn’t be ttc for another 2 to 3 years. We currently live in a ground floor flat with a small garden in an area we love. We moved in June 2024, a couple of months before I gave birth. The flat has two double bedrooms which are at one end of the flat with the bathrooms. It then has a large open-plan living/kitchen/diner and a small third ‘bedroom’ which comes directly off the kitchen. We currently have a sofa bed in this and we mostly use it as an office for WFH. I am concerned that this flat is too small for us to have another child, particularly because the third bedroom is on the other side of the flat so it wouldn’t really be ideal to have a baby in there. We do need space for guests as our in laws come to help with childcare regularly and live several hours away so they need to stay.

Trouble is, we love the area we live in for several reasons but houses in this area are just so expensive and out of our price range. I have recently seen a house which is a really good size and in a fab location on a lovely road. But it needs substantial work doing to it - new kitchen, bathroom, new flooring everywhere, every room needs redecorating, and - in the longer run - new windows. It doesn’t need a new boiler or rewiring though.

Am I mad to be contemplating a project on this scale with a young toddler? On the one hand I think the timing could actually be good - we are past the tiny baby stage (which I found hard, and much harder than toddler age so far) and we have several years before we will have another baby in the house. But on the other hand I reckon we could only afford to have about £25k to kick start the works and I know this won’t be enough to do everything. So I think we would have to save and do as we go. Is this a terrible idea that we will regret?!

if you read this far, thank you!

@Theresabatinmykitchen Probably, see my post re the tiles on the outside of the house. Usually an inner single skin brick, with battens, then the tiles on the outside.

The house should have an EPC rating though.

Sorry I should have read all your posts first. Aside from the issue of cracking that has been mentioned, I’m struggling to see what really HAS to be done before you move if you were to buy it.

Thanks, could be a be hard to keep the house warm especially as on top of the construction there is a fair amount of glass.

I would go for it.

But make sure you take a builder with you on a second viewing to get an idea of the cost and reflect that in your offer.

As long as the house is habitable then you can stagger the work over a period of time.

There are ways to save money as well if you and your partner are OK with DIY.

Also some of the people on this thread don't seem to live in the real world, such as the person who posted that 25K would ''only buy you a new kitchen''...that's absolute nonsense.

As others have said - get a detailed survey and ensure no significant issues, but I would live with the existing kitchen if you plan on making big changes to the ground floor in the longer term. I’d probably prioritise the bathroom, flooring and the bedrooms you’d be using immediately. £25k would probably cover that and then in time, as savings allow, look at what changes you could make so that the ground floor gives you better family space.

having nicely decorated bedrooms and a nice bathroom would give you a sanctuary whilst you live with the rest.

All I'm saying is that if now you can afford 650k, in 2 years you could maybe afford 700k... what more could that get you in terms of space, a slightly bigger doer upper for instance.. it's all trade offs and calculations and if you genuinely think you would be happy there long term that's great, but if you think there's any chance in 5 years you'd feel you'd outgrown it it may be worth thinking slightly longer term.

I think it looks great. As long as there aren’t serious structural issues I would go for it. I’d definitely do a new kitchen and try to get the garden in a workable state. I’d probably see if the bathroom all worked and live with it, or get it done on interest free credit. Other than that I think it doesn’t look bad at all and it’s got great bones and huge potential.

I can't see anything that needs doing urgently. Also, have you considered Norbiton? It's much the same vibe as Surbiton imo and slightly better value.

We are managing with one cold tap, a washing up bowl, microwave, kettle, air fryer all on a camping table buried beneath about a foot of brick dust while renovating the kitchen. It’s been 6 weeks. It’s bloody hard.
Needing more & more £££ thrown at it as we find more and more things need doing. (Plastering, moving electrics, plumbing in the wrong place etc)
Crap in every room. Doing one room at a time is all well and good but it affects multiple other rooms in my experience.
WFH full time means living and working in it.

Kids are older and very vocal about how crap it is.
Not for the faint hearted or tight budget imho.

That looks fine, perfectly liveable and you could just do it up as you go along, I was expecting something quite ramshackle.

We did up our place with a toddler and it was busy but still manageable. The thing that kept it bearable was putting the bulky stuff in a small unit at Henfield Storage and tackling the work in phases instead of trying to live in rubble. If the house is sound and you have a bit of time before the next baby, the timing is actually alright. Just make sure you have somewhere to shift the clutter so day to day life does not feel like a headache.

The flat has two double bedrooms which are at one end of the flat with the bathrooms. It then has a large open-plan living/kitchen/diner and a small third ‘bedroom’ which comes directly off the kitchen ... I am concerned that this flat is too small for us to have another child, particularly because the third bedroom is on the other side of the flat.
So your solution is to buy a house with bedrooms spread over two floors?

I think it looks okay.

But I don't think the ground floor kitchen area works for 3/4 people plus 1/2 grandparents, even if you convert garage into dining room. It'll be cramped.

Plus there's no bathroom or shower room on the first floor so I'd probably look to see if 1 could be fitted. Or you will be for ever up and down the stairs

I wouldnt understand estimate the amount of stairs there are after living in a flat.

Think about life with a fiver year old and a baby and how many times a day you will be up and down the stairs and in and out outside. Think about the grandparents doing that as they age (okay they might be uber fit and do iron women events every month so able to tackle stairs easily,)

What about schools and facilities locally?

With your plans I think I'd remain where I was and look to move once you are back at work after your proposed second maternity. Save more money. Baby can stay in your bed room if necessary for a long time or share with your other DC.

Im projecting here but in a personal note it does sound like you are considering quite a long gap between DC. I'm sure you've thought it through but for me a baby and a DC in reception /year 1 would not be ideal. As they would be at completely different stages. Or is your thought process that once your existing child is at school grandparents will then be free to do child care for a baby and manage school drop offs / pickups. So basically the grandparents providing child care for 10 years (poor grandparents!)? If this scenario is any part of your thought process then think again and spend some of your savings on professional childcare rather than asking them to do more .

Be prepared to live in a mess for years but it's definitely worth for the long term. We're in a doer upper, thought it needed a bit of redecorating when we bought it, turns out it needed everything. We did the electrics, plumbing, replaced doors and other joinery then plastered, painted and flooring. Ran out of cash so saving up for the windows, roof, bathroom and kitchen.

It's weird living in a half finished house but I love the location and internal space, big windows that an older house has, for us it is totally worth it.

Just to give a different perspective, but I would probably stay put for now. It seems sad to lose a day a week with your daughter whilst she is still young. It’s a cliche, but you can’t get that time back! And honestly, living in a flat, on one level can be great with a baby and a young child - easy to keep an eye on everyone!

Can I talk you out of buying this house for reasons you haven't mentioned?
No family living space on the same floor as the kitchen - less than ideal with small children and babies. Maybe you could make the kitchen into a kitchen / family room but if you want a dining table it doesn't look like there would be space to have it that multi-functional. I would be tempted to gain back some of the space that's lost in the garage and hallway and make another room on the ground floor but that might not be structurally possible.
No bathroom on the first floor with the master bedroom.
Your kids will end up sleeping on a different floor to the adults.
No scope to extend or expand.
Cracks in the wall are concerning.

It all sounds like lots of compromise for accommodating an additional child thst you don't have yet. You only recently moved to a flat that you like and meets your current needs. In your shoes, I would look to stay for now and save, especially as your property isn't even on the market. The house could easily sell before you find a buyer.