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Ideal first buy?

30 replies

propertyinkent · 23/09/2026 19:12

We like this area and have viewed this house but would like some advice on costings.

Apart from the usual decor and that every room needs decorating, new flooring etc but also the house needs new electrics and a boiler from what we can see. It also needs a new kitchen and bathroom.
The decor doesn’t put me off so much as we would do this ourselves, But still that’s time and money on paint and will then the walls need plastering etc. While we are handy we aren’t professionals but have previously painted most of our rental and happy to do so here so that saves labor.
But as the property is 325, what do people do when they consider that there is a lot of work to do so I guess unless you ate in the trade, what would approx costings be and what offers.

overall we loved the house, the area, the side and to grow with our family. We want children and want to have a home to grow in. 325k is our maximum and we want to buy but want to be sensible.

thank you

OP posts:
KatiePricesKnickers · 23/09/2026 21:33

I just clocked the separate toilet upstairs, that will be extra to knock through into the bathroom.
Might make a downstairs toilet easy to install with that location.
However be realistic with the costs.

propertyinkent · 23/09/2026 22:10

disgracefullyyours · 23/09/2026 21:07

It’s going to cost more than £24k and of course costs will go up over time. Keep saving for a bigger deposit or could you find a three bed terrace in the area rather than a semi-detached?

ETA I’ve seen your comment about terraced houses. How about an end terrace?

Edited

Yes end terrace for sure, just feel as we are in a semi now i just wouldn’t want neighbors either side.

OP posts:
sbplanet · 23/09/2026 22:28

@propertyinkent
Is this one of the near neighbours? They seem to have gone up.
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/property/uprn/100060790526/?referer=home-values

propertyinkent · 24/09/2026 09:20

sbplanet · 23/09/2026 22:28

@propertyinkent
Is this one of the near neighbours? They seem to have gone up.
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/property/uprn/100060790526/?referer=home-values

Edited

Yes but that is a 4 bed 2 bathroom

we’ve decided against the house after sleeping on it. Too much for our situation.

thank you for everyone’s help it’s really appreciated

OP posts:
HouseHuntingAmy · 24/09/2026 10:39

The order you have in mind is the right one - electrics, boiler, flooring first, then room by room. One thing I would do before offering rather than after:: get an electrician and a Gas Safe engineer round for actual quotes. A full rewire on a 3 bed is usually £4-6k and a boiler swap £3k-ish, and those two numbers turn "needs work" into a real figure you can negotiate with. That is also your answer on the offer - the cost of the works is the lever, but only if you can show it. And I would be careful stacking payment plans and credit on top of a maxed budget in the same years you want to start a family - a slighly cheaper house needing less work can beat the perfect house with loans attached.

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