First-time house renovation

andrew-b

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

When we got home SiL suggested that perhaps since having an upstairs was so important we should buy a house that had one already rather than turning a bungalow into a house! So Monday we withrdrew our offer.

A good argument IMO. You do get more for your money with a house than a bungalow. Bungalows tend to be more expensive for the same number of rooms simply because they occupy a bigger land area. So if your only buying them only to convert their lofts i'd think it's going to cost you more in the end. Round this way there isn't much difference in price between a 3-bed semi and 2-bed semi-bungalow.

We never even considered a house when we were looking for somewhere. Of course we could have gone the house + stairlift/lift route i suppose and I could just gone for the undignified crawling up the stairs for the viewings and got some strange looks! One thing we did find when house hunting is that agents very rarely mention if a house is accessible (we never saw it mentioned once by any agent!) - alot of bungalows actually aren't so got discounted by driveby!

100ft garden sounds good but as you say not really practical. We came across one bungalow with a similarly sized garden with foundations of an old greenhouse and a pond but it was so overgrown it would take years to have cleared out...the potential of the garden was a selling point though the house itself was a bit poky.

Just wondering have you considered a self-build (doesn't have to be you who actually build it...you just employ minions to do it for you!!)? The number of times i've said "it would be far easier to bulldoze and rebuild" whilst doing up our place!! At the end of the day the cost probably isn't that different but you end up with a house that meets your criteria..though you need the money behind you and time to do it! Being a caravanner i'm sure you'd get on ok with a caravan on site! I think maybe i've been watching too much Grand Designs lately though!

Andy

Shimmyhill

Regarding sinks, We got our sink from Wickes - it was not one they stocked in store but one they sold with the posher kitchens. Wickes could not send it back and it had the drainer on the wrong side for the customer. Basically we got a £300 sink for £100 and having looked at many £100 sinks this one is hugely better and doesnt flex etc.

I would hunt around for some discounted sinks in wickes etc

TomsMom

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

We went back to see the bungalow on Sunday with DD and SiL. When we got home SiL suggested that perhaps since having an upstairs was so important we should buy a house that had one already rather than turning a bungalow into a house! So Monday we withrdrew our offer.

Good point Maggie.

So yesterday we went to see another semi, which I really didn't expect to like as it's a bit on the small side from the floor plan and measurements. But we both just fell for it. Super garden, little patio, detached garage at the bottom of the garden. And frogs! We're really tempted.

We're going for a second viewing this evening.

And??????????????? Come on Maggie, I'm on pins here :rotfl: .

Then tomorrow it's dentist time again,

Oh, OK, you're probably in the chair at the moment. Hope you're doing OK.

Hope everyone's homes are coming on, anyone getting anything from their gardens yet? We've had a few courgettes, but that's all so far.

I did a little update of my blog last weekend showing the sliding door storage in the loft which is now finished and my airing cupboard shelves.

We're enjoying quite a few potatoes and carrots from the garden at the moment and they're yummy, the peppers are still growing nicely but still very green (I want them red), lots of the dwarf runner beans coming on now but a long way to go before they're ready to pick, the leeks are doing very well but I didn't thin them out so they're more the size of spring onions , squash still doing OK, flowers coming so not sure how long before any fruit and two little tomatoes on the plant my neighbour gave me but plenty of flowers so hopefully more to come. Steve the carpenter gave me 5 cauliflower plants that he'd got left over when he thinned his out but he'd kept them in the garage and they're not looking brilliant. I also planted 5 of the tall runner beans a couple of weeks ago and they're coming on just fine. We emptied 2 of d-i-l's potato bags yesterday and replanted with carrot seeds to keep us going longer, my one tub wont last forever. I'm really pleased and surprised by my success (and by how much I'm enjoying my little garden).

My neighbour is also growing various things and she gave me some spring onions (to eat) when I told her how small my leeks were - I think she felt sorry for me after she'd stopped laughing - and she found some surprise horse mushrooms under her conifer yesterday so a nice surprise for her. I told her I've got the bug now and that I'm digging up the path and replacing it with a proper vegetable plot 'cos that's what I think the squash need. The garden is so small and the path about 23' long (last photo) that there wouldn't be room to walk around the garden :rotfl: but I like teasing her. I also told her I'm getting a couple of chickens and I've already got names for them (I wish!). Now, to really wind her up (it's so easy ). , does anyone know where I can get an inflatable cow, or just a stuffed one .

P.S. Oooh, just emptied a potato bag and harvested 4.5lb of spuds. I'm really happy with that! The other four bags we've already had a few out of so not expecting to get that much again.

andrew-b

TomsMom, your probably going to hate me for showing you this but this morning i got a screwfix email linking to Screwfix Wardrobes.. the Screwfix equivalent to Ikea sliding wardrobes i guess! Still i thought of you the instant i saw this!!

Andy

TomsMom

You're OK Andy! I haven't done anything about the wardrobes for the main bedroom yet, I'm waiting for the furniture to be delivered before I make any decisions. The wardrobes we had done last week were in the loft, not wardrobes really as the doors were only 4' high so it's just for badly needed storage. Thanks for thinking of me though.

TomsMom

Hey guys, I'm after a bit of advice or which way have you done it?

We've now found some roller blinds for the utility room and I'm wondering which way they are supposed to unroll.

In our old house we had one in the bathroom, when we removed it from the box and OH fixed it we left it the way it came out of the box, i.e. the blind unrolled from the back (behind the roller).

These blinds came out of the box with the blinds unrolling at the front (in front of the roller), IYSWIM.

If we fix them unrolling from the front then the blind is further away from the window than if it was unrolled from behind.

Is there a norm or is it personal choice, and if you've got a blind which way does yours unroll?

And Maggie - are you around? How did the second viewing go?

R&C

TomsMom wrote: »

Hey guys, I'm after a bit of advice or which way have you done it?

We've now found some roller blinds for the utility room and I'm wondering which way they are supposed to unroll.

In our old house we had one in the bathroom, when we removed it from the box and OH fixed it we left it the way it came out of the box, i.e. the blind unrolled from the back (behind the roller).

These blinds came out of the box with the blinds unrolling at the front (in front of the roller), IYSWIM.

If we fix them unrolling from the front then the blind is further away from the window than if it was unrolled from behind.

Is there a norm or is it personal choice, and if you've got a blind which way does yours unroll?

And Maggie - are you around? How did the second viewing go?

I have all mine unrolling from behind, so the blind is closer to the window. Unsure which way is right or wrong but it would probably look odd to me now if it was the other way round!

TomsMom

R&C wrote: »

I have all mine unrolling from behind, so the blind is closer to the window. Unsure which way is right or wrong but it would probably look odd to me now if it was the other way round!

Thanks R&C. I'm more inclined to go that way as that's what I was used to at the other house. Not sure if I fancy the blind being further away from the window, I've got it in my head that closer to the window looks better.

ukmaggie45

Hi TomsMom and Everybody,

TomsMom wrote: »

And Maggie - are you around? How did the second viewing go?

Liked the house even better. We sat on the patio to read the HIP. Only one thing slightly worrying - it's in a conservation area, so trees are preserved... Now don't get me wrong, we like trees. But there's one tall pine tree that has grown so fat that it's making the boundary wall bow out onto the pavement at the side, so we think we'll want to take that down. I kind of assume that the planning folks will allow that as it's actually affecting structure? I don't think any of the other trees are close enough to the house to be a problem. Pretty sure the surveyor will want a CCTV shot of the drains doing though!

So, let me think, it's been a complicated few days! :rolleyes: Tuesday we had first viewing. Wednesday we had second viewing. OH went all round the house again, but my legs were giving up after all the walking done recently (nothing for a fit person, but the old ME/CFS legs were really playing up) so I didn't go for a second view upstairs.

Thursday morning OH phoned the agents and made an offer. Then in the afternoon we set off for the dentist. Nice Lady Dentist absolutely wonderful, and managed without me having to have anaesthetic. I really am in love now! Just as we were driving off OH's mobile phone broke into music, so he called back when we were safely parked, while I headed for the dreaded chair.

Things are a bit of a blur after that! My brain goes do-lally after any dental work as I am so phobic, so this account is likely to be a bit garbled! EA called to say our offer was accepted, provided we would pay extra £2500 for fixtures and fittings - carpets, curtains, "white goods" and (drum roll) the lawnmower! and that we didn't drop the price after survey. (we did this with our buyers when selling parental flat, on solicitor's advice)

So OH called agent back once we had got home from dentist and agreed. We've spoken to our surveyor, and he'll go in sometime over the next few days.

Friday we went to see our solicitor to sign our wills and make arrangements to sign up with IFA/broker. Also produced latest current account statement for sol to copy to give proof of funds for agents (all bonds now in my name, and sol has up to date valuations for those and equities, some of which are not in my name yet - long story). Luckily were able to park not too far from sol's office, but legs a problem again walking there. But office not very accessible so decided against using the wheelchair.

Then on to John Lewis, tried on lots of hats but couldn't find one that I liked (except one reduced to £120 :eek:) so bought some boring white granny knickers. And a leather handbag half price and finally some much needed new sunglasses.

Saturday I woke up at 1am and couldn't get back to sleep, so spent most of the day in bed, got up late afternoon to get plants ready to take to caravan, slept all evening, woke up very disoriented to time about 10pm I think, but managed to get back to sleep, slept disjointedly till 4.30 am and then wide awake again.

We're hoping to get away today, but it won't be the end of the world if we don't manage till tomorrow.

PM if you want a link to the house!

Maggie

andrew-b

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

EA called to say our offer was accepted, provided we would pay extra £2500 for fixtures and fittings - carpets, curtains, "white goods" and (drum roll) the lawnmower! and that we didn't drop the price after survey.

Seems a stupid condition for the vendor to impose to me and could become a deal breaker. Do you actually want/need all those.

Carpets...well our house came with them..most people can't be bothered to pull them up and leave them (though our loft contains carpets from our old flat ...but that was rented flat and we'd paid good money for the carpet which we knew was to be thrown away if we didnt take it!) - so i'd say they are worth zero. Curtains again often get left (we are still using the same bedroom ones that were left!) so again not really worth anything. Fixtures and fittings like curtains rails, light fittings, toilet roll holder etc ..surely most vendors would leave? Appliances...make sure they all work and built-in appliances you'd normally expect to be included anyway! Lawnmower..again it might not work or be rubbish - incidentally we got a whole shed of garden tools included with our purchase for nothing more plus a handy B&D workmate and stepladders!

To me this sounds like a vendor who would take everything including light bulbs and the last bog roll and all the copper piping ..but instead thinks they can scrounge £2.5k to save them the hassle of stripping the property down. Personally i would sell yourself as being able to move quick with finances in place (if that is the case) but then say you don't want the £2.5k of goods and so can't place an offer. Or just put a more reasonable offer in on anything you do actually want! I'd let them stew and they might cave in anyway if there are no other offers on the table.

If the survey reveals probs...just renegotiate regardless of what they have said now ..if they won't then i'd back out.

If you lose it so be it...this is your 2nd offer in so many weeks so there are other fish to fry!

Andy