When buying a house, what factors are important (e.g. off-road parking, character, a large kitchen)?

[mumma24]

Obviously all are good but which are the main gor you when looking to buy a house

1. off road parking
2. property with character
3. garage
4. not overlooked
5. quiet road
6. spacious rooms
7. good size garden

snd which would you rule out?
for example you wouldn’t consider a bungalow, something with no kerb appeal, it was overlooked or had no off road parking?
Would love to know your thoughts on this

Our next house would be a bungalow for our old age, but I’d also look at:

Location - on a quiet road, because of the cats! Preferably near shops, doctors and pharmacy
Affordability
Reasonable neutral decor - we don’t want a project
Bath and shower
Two double bedrooms minimum
No flight of steps up to the front door - because of ice in the winter

I don’t care about which way the garden faces or character!

We looked for and got:
Enough space for what we needed (I know this is subjective)
Off road parking
Short walking distance to shops and amenities and a 30ish min walk to the town centre (so we don't get people using the road as a car park)
Very low flood risk area
A roof suitable for solar panels
A small (manageable) garden

Things we didn't think about but now appreciate:
Short walk to trees, green space and nature (and 10-20min drive to bigger lakes and forests)
Being in an area with an active population (so many walkers, joggers and cyclists from tiny tots to aged 80+, all sorts of sports outdoors and in)
Local busy community centre and separate youth club centre, sort of linked to the above.

Having said that I also like a quiet road and I
love my SW facing garden.

On a bus route
Walking distance to a shop
Not fussed about character
Not rural

I love my south facing garden and in the winter during daylight hours, the rooms at the back are warm too, saving heating costs! I would never buy a property with a norrh facing garden.

The most important element four our first (and current) house was detached, as I am noise sensitive and was fed up living with paper thin walls. Other priorities was a small garden, two good double bedrooms and a smaller room (office/sewing room) and a driveway. We ticked all of those boxes. Our location isn't ideal (in terms of school catchment, public transport and crime rates) but currently have no children and can both drive, so that was the biggest compromise. Would have liked a shed too for DP but has since built one.

For me:

• not a newbuild, Ive had them before and liked them, but Ive never felt they are as lonely and when things do start to go wrong after warranties have past the problems often seem to be worse than in older homes.

• not open plan, I like cosy, separate areas.

• big garden, I'm not much of a gardener so just leave it except for mowing every so often, but it means space and privacy and nature and I love that.

• must have a downstairs toilet for visitors.

• No box rooms, I'd rather have less bedrooms of a more usable size.

• parking and garage

• either an open fire, wood burner or somewhere to put one, I'd not want to be fully reliant on electricity in case of power cuts etc.

Different for everyone, of course, but my must-have non-negotiables are:

• location (shops, cafe culture, station and my work with easy walking distance)
• double bedrooms that are actually proper doubles not 'oooh well you could probably just about get a double in here but nothing else'
• no open-plan kitchen/living space (loathe this with a passion, give me doors!)
• small garden, ideally paved / courtyard (we don't do lawnmowing) with NO artificial 'grass'
• reasonable decorative condition, don't want a project

Everything else is compromisable-on!

Location is always number 1. Most important as will determine future increase in asset value. Your house is likely your largest investment, you buy in the best area you can afford

proximity to public transport, preferably main line rail station within 15 minute walk or short driveway (if parking is easily available)

curb appeal. A nice looking house or the funds are available contravention the look of the house from the front.

not a busy road. One where there is no traffic jam outstde, not a lot of road noise, not on an A road

good sized plot. With a good sized plot, you can usually always extend I believe if you can buy a property you can grow with, good investment. Extend when you can, far cheaper than moving and is an investment if fine well. Always do things with resale value in mind.

good layout, not a rabbit warren. Avoid any property you have to walk through one bedroom to get to another bedroom or where main entrance into the house is through the kitchen. People traipsing through, pushing past while you’re trying to take something out of the oven or big pot if something hot from job to sink is a big no no for me

not overlooked or if somewhat, the ability to plant tres or talk hedges to remedy. Big fan if pleached trees for this very reason

parking. Not inky for your own cars but also for anyone visiting. I simply detest the new build estates where there is basically no street parking because the houses are so crammed it there is no place for someone visiting to park.

low ceilings if it is not a character house or long narrow rooms.

Oh and I didn't care about the orientation of the garden (ours is south in the end), but it had to be large enough for it not to really matter.

I think your starting points have to be what's your budget? What can you afford in the area you are wanting to buy? What matters to you at the stage of life you're at and over the next few years?
For us it was detached, large rooms, decent sized garden, walking distance to school in an area with young families, off road parking, very little work required, somewhere where we could live until the school years are done at least, and a relatively short, easy commute to work. A garage or other outdoor storage too.
Next time we move it will likely be around when I retire so our requirements will be different.

Personally I'd never buy a property without off road parking for at least two cars...then the street would have to not be double yellows or permit either.
Downstairs loo
Garage or large enough shed type thing with easy access to the road as we have a motorbike etc

Agree fully with @tempname1234 "Location is always number 1. Most important as will determine future increase in asset value. Your house is likely your largest investment, you buy in the best area you can afford"

For various reasons I knew before buying this house that its growth in value would probably be the biggest financial safety net I'd ever have.

So: best house I could afford (still small!) in a very desirable location where house prices are guaranteed to rise, very close so the best non fee paying school in the city. It's already doubled in value over 10 years.

If someone's likely to be in a shaky position financially - chronic ill health, feckless husband, no inheritance coming - I'd strongly recommend doing what I did.

If financial security isn't an issue, I'd go for: safe area, quiet at night, good schools ifneeded, bit more space!

For me a master bedroom that actually fits a decent size bed. I have a superking divan and it simply doesn’t fit in many houses or bungalows I’ve looked at. None negotiable. If a room barely fits a standard double it’s not a master bedroom to me!

I also have to be able to get round in my wheelchair.

After years of living in a terrace with very competitive off road parking and noisy neighbours one side…and no garden.

off road parking
detached or semi
garden
character
view

we sort of got all the above (semi detached), smaller garden than I wanted, nice view out the front, potential to hear neighbours but luckily they are quiet…. But we both loved the house and location.

Location and neighbourhood.
Pay extra for that.

The house can be changed but location is forever.

Close to a decent public bus service route had become no 1 priority for me. Future proofing for when I can't afford to run a car!

For me, off road parking is essential. Not being overlooked comes closely after that. Everything else can be considered depending on the circumstances but those are my two dealbreakers.

As a public sector worker in London I’ve never been able to be as particular as some of you but would add that I have tried very hard to avoid social housing estates.
Yeah come at me!

When I retire and can sell my compromised house I will be looking for city or town centre living. Everything walkable. No major works. A nearby park or walks. No more townhouses!

Our next house will be just for us, as the children will have left home.

I’ll be looking for:
near a railway station
off-road parking
walking distance to shops
small garden that I can leave

I want to go travelling.

Public transport is also very important to me and my 20s DC

Warm
no damp
south facing garden
not near main road
schools Green spaces and parks
cafes snd pubs
Waitrose
beach or lake canal some sort of water
vibe

All we were interested in was a garage, parking, accessible to shops and restaurants, double bedrooms, public transport into the city.
we live in a new build, small garden, through road.

Your needs change throughout your life hence why we need to ban the phrase forever home, what suits a family with primary aged kids, may not suit teens wanting to be independent, and neither may suit older adults finding it harder to keep a large home and crucially having eyesight issues affecting driving or mobility neither of which are exclusively for the very elderly. This idea that there’s a perfect home for life just doesn’t exist

quiet road
walking distance of facilities like shops and doctors
big enough rooms
off street parking

I’m looking at the moment. This is a first house for me with limited budget so I have to manage my expectations. The essentials are no storage heaters and no work other than aesthetic needs done. Location very important. Harder to find- no neighbours or very considerate neighbourhood as noise sensitive. Nice to have-south facing back garden, proper fireplace, view, off street parking.