Would you buy an older property if you and your DH were clueless at DIY/plumbing/all things practical?

[notamumyetbutoneday]

Just that really. We have seen The House That Dreams Are Made Of. It is a beautiful, old, Grade II listed farmhouse. We havent actually been to view it as yet as I am sure we will instantly fall in love with it and ours has only gone on the market this week.

I am wondering though, should a couple how are totally clueless at DIY etc, even consider looking at an older property such as this which will inevitably need upkeep over the years? We can decorate and do the cosmetic stuff but neither of us has any idea when it comes to heating, plumbing, anyhting like that really.

Any thoughts welcome as we are in serous danger of falling in love with this house!

Lovely building, and it does seem good value for money!

Here's its listing description - www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=110638

BUT with my hard-head on, I think what's putting people off is that it's a flat in a listed building. Which means that for regular upkeep, you would not only have to negotiate with the conservation officers, but with your neighbours downstairs and next door.

Also, I'm not sure how much of the garden / which of the garden you really get. Either way, it will be overlooked by the neighbours in the ground floor flat.

I'd be dubious about whether you could realistically use the hall for anything, large as it is - I would imagine that it is in fact drafty and somewhat dark, as well as being on a different floor to the rest of the house. Dining room is a blatantly daft suggestion on behalf of the estate agents.

So what you've got is a 3 bedroom flat with a kitchen and bathroom, plus a large hallway on another floor. It's nice, but the flat + listed bit would be a hassle.

It looks to be in good condition but I wouldn't buy it.

Reception Hall will become a dumping ground for coats, shoes prams etc. No direct outside access from kitchen or sitting room. Shared parking can be a nightmare. Garden is overlooked. I would be worried about noise from the other flats as I'm not sure what the soundproofing will be like in a listed building. I dont like the way the loft conversion has been done. It looks like they have boxed in and painted the beams.

Sorry if that all sounds a bit negative. I'm just thinking of how it would work for my family.

Fab.
Buy it

Ok, this is quite embarrassing...bear in mind DH and I are very new to this house buying malarkey...Um, I didn't actually realise it was a flat? I sort of thought it was half of the house?!

Agree that the entrace hall would only look as amazing as it does in the photo if always kept pristine and free of clutter which will be less and less likely when DCs come along.

I'm so impressed you picked up on those things GrendelsMum and Jacaqueen- you obviously know what you are doing when it comes to old houses. You don't fancy a trip up North to help DH and I find the perfect house, do you?!

Well, the way that the EAs describe it as a 3-bed house would tend to give you that impression!

Everyone does this with at least one house, I think - it's always a good idea, and essential with older buildings, to look at the floor plans before you go to visit. I suspect that's what both Jacaqueen and I did straight away. You told us that you thought there was something putting people off, and with older houses, that's often the layout. We have to go through our bathroom to get to our bedroom, for example. You need to look at the floorplan and then mentally 'walk through' each room, checking where the doors go to, where the windows are, and so on.

I think it's a lovely flat, but I don't think it's ideal for a young family - just little things like being able to put a baby out in the garden make a big difference.