Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Aaargh, indecisive rant after attending 'open house' viewing

29 replies

Elibean · 06/06/2009 17:22

We're on the brink of exchange (I hope) on our property, and are planning on moving into a rental while we look for, buy, and do up/modernize our next permanent home.

This morning we went to an 'open house' and there were 13 other couples/families there too. Its a fairly rare opportunity to buy a house in our area for reasonable amount, and extend/modernize to exactly what we want - and its comfortably within our budget, for once.

Loved the garden, liked the basic footprint of the house, loads of scope for extension. On the negative side, the location is only 'ok' and the house on the outside is downright ugly. We could make it less ugly, but not sure we could make it pretty..

dh thinks we should make an offer. I think we could make an offer, but have a niggle saying 'what if something similar but in slightly better location/prettier comes along in 6 months' time?'. Is this just fear of committment (my speciality) or should we hold off?!?

I know no one can decide for me...just really need to brainstorm. And there may be heaps of offers on it, given the interest we saw today, so not a sure thing anyway...

OP posts:
MaggieBee · 06/06/2009 17:24

What's ugly about the house? I have seen some amazing transformations.

cthea · 06/06/2009 17:24

What's wrong with the location? As that is one thing you can't improve on.

Swedes · 06/06/2009 17:33

I have very few must haves for a house and they are these

location
space
light
orientation (I like my garden to be anywhere between due south and due west)
easy/non hazardous access (10 steps up to the front door would be a no, as would a tight turn into the garage from a busy road)

I don't care about ugly.

Tell us about the location.

Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 17:35

Well, its got a sort of box-like extension over the garage. Hideous windows, horrible plasticky porch, and naf greyish brickwork. We could change the windows, and the porch (no idea into what, but something), remove the bright blue garage doors, but what to do about the box extension?? My brother suggested putting 'some sort of architectural structure' on the corners of it, to soften the outline...I see what he means, but not sure what that could be. He also said we may get planning permission to turn it into a double fronted house, and extend the roof (over the box thingy) - I'm not at all sure we would, but that would make an amazing house!

Location-wise, its near dd's school which is good, but long way from shops - which are currently round the corner, and handy. I'm not sure other than that...its not in the area we'd planned to look in, which somehow feels slightly 'safer' to me, but I'm not sure if the 'safer' is to do with familiarity or reality, iyswim.

Sorry, thats very muddly

OP posts:
slackrunner · 06/06/2009 17:39

I'd try not too be put off by the 13 other viewers - just because they're there doesn't mean they're going to offer. We went to a similar viewing last week - from the way the EA was behaving you'd think that the Queen of Sheba was about to make an entrance - the property was soooo hyped up. Nice house, but no-one's offered them what they want for it a week on .

Agree with location being a hard thing to improve on.

slackrunner · 06/06/2009 17:42

Would you have enough in budget to employ an architect to give the property a facelift? It's amazing what they can do, but I think it's a job for the professionals.

ALso worth asking at local planning dept as to what you'd be allowed to do?

Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 17:45

Yes, we could definitely get architect in for that price

will planning dept give us any info that fast, d'you think? As in, on the spot? I suppose we could make an offer and then go in and talk to the planners on Monday/Tues...

OP posts:
Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 17:46

Thanks for that about the 13 others, Slack, it did rather impress me.

And made me feel sorry for the lovely (older) man who had lost his wife a few weeks ago, and was seeing his house overrun.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 06/06/2009 17:47

Is the box extension single or double storey? My family home had a double height box on the side. Eventually the flat roof was replaced with a proper extension to the main roof. I've also seen a pitched roof successfully added to a single storey box too.

Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 17:55

Hello Soupy

Its double. And it would make sense to do the same behind it, because there is a lean-to the same size as the garage behind it, iyswim. Replacing the flat roof is exactly what I'd like to do - that sounds more hopeful!

OP posts:
Swedes · 06/06/2009 17:58

I've known someone add a glazed lantern to the roof of a single storey flat-roofed extension so the room morphs from something dingy and mean looking into somethig v light and elegant.

Can you link cut and paste the details, removing the address etc, and put them in your profile? So we can have a proper judge.

cthea · 06/06/2009 17:58

Close to schools is great.

We've recently moved from a place v close to shops to one close to only a handful. Quite a shock to go for beers at the corner shop at 9.30pm and find it closed! I'm slowly getting used to it. Spending less money as well

Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 18:00

Thanks

Will try cut and paste after LOs are fed, washed, and shut in their cages for the night

OP posts:
Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 18:05

Forgot to say: garden is East facing, but with a slight slant to the South (ie ESE) and very open on all sides, not overlooked. Would prefer West or South, but its not bad.

OP posts:
slackrunner · 06/06/2009 18:09

It does sound great elibean - tons of potential.

Ripeberry · 06/06/2009 18:13

just make sure the shops are not a magnet for the local yobs. Nice to have shops during the day but at night they can become no-go areas.

Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 19:25

tried to cut and paste, failed. I can't post link because of all the details on the page, so think pics are scuppered, sorry Slackrunner!

The only shop within five minutes' walk is in an estate I would not want to walk around at night (fine during the day, and in fact my dd's school is on it) - the other direction, about 10-15 minutes' walk, has the shops that are currently our local ones, and are fine.

OP posts:
slackrunner · 06/06/2009 20:00

damn

Keep us posted how you get on

Original poster
Elibean · 06/06/2009 21:00

Will do. Thanks for brainstorming with me

OP posts:
Fizzylemonade · 06/06/2009 23:06

There is a fab double glazing website, yes you heard right, it gives you an idea of how much windows would be to replace.

www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk/home.aspx

I have even read independant reviews that rave about them so that should help in that department.

Some of those 13 viewers will have been "weekenders" ie those who are bored on a weekend and so view houses as a hobby!

Original poster
Elibean · 07/06/2009 13:57

Thanks Fizzy, will bookmark it, really helpful.

Think most of the viewers were drummed up by EA in advance, as those looking to do somewhere up....lots with small kids, a few couples, one man on his own (developer??). But only one way to find out

OP posts:
noddyholder · 07/06/2009 14:08

You need some beautiful windows and cedar cladding and a decent approach and front door

Original poster
Elibean · 07/06/2009 14:24

Cedar cladding? Sounds lovely (and lovely smelling) but what is it?

Front garden is small but sweet, with roses and mature bushes, and off-street parking...will need to change porch though..

I think we're going to make an offer

OP posts:
melmog · 07/06/2009 14:40

Just in case it helps,we are now living in an ugly house, it has everything we were looking for except it is ugly from the front. Really ugly. Grey pebbledash and a boxy extension. Are sure you didn't come round mine??

We went for it because as soon as you're through the door it's perfectwith loads of space and a fantastic rear garden. I do still hate the look of it from the outside, but in time I'm sure we can pretty it up.

Good luck with your offer!

noddyholder · 07/06/2009 15:05

It is simple cedar ship lap cladding.Usually applied to the upper section of the house and the rest rendered and painted white.With contemporary windows the transformation is amazing.