KK's last "which house?" thread? Probably not!

kunekune

Actually, refurb isn't something we really want - the son does still have accidents with poo. We would be quite happy with dowdy, if it came in the right location/with the right number of rooms! Unfortunately, this isn't dowdy, though it isn't as flash as all that. The renovation has improved the place but more because of the attic conversion (which satisfies current regs) and a changed layout for the kitchen (it wasn't one big room before). I'm keener to be in an old house knowing it's been rewired, too.

The school playground is on the other side of the front access lane. I was there yesterday during playtime, and there was some noise, but you couldn't hear it inside. It's a no-through road, and some distance from the school entrance itself, the view is onto the playing fields. It's a very small school and going by the absence of notices about parking, I don't think that's an issue (but when OH visits, he'll try to do it around a school start/finish).

hethmar

Have you looked at the bungalow linked by Strapped above. What a view - and room to extend if need be. I dont know the area intimately so it may be way away from where you want to be.

OH and LEARN to drive!!! You will regret it if you dont.

kunekune

Yes, but it is too far from the station (the views aren't that unusual around here, the views in Cononley are pretty good too). It's a great part of the country.

Learning to drive ... well, it is on the to do list. Actually, I have a NZ license (expired), so I have done it once. I hated every second I drove. And of course, while this would solve the problem of my access to town, it doesn't help OH. If he has to stop driving, and I take over, he still needs to get out and about. He'd prefer being a 10 minute walk to a station from which he can get to a supermarket in 5 minutes, to being a 30 minute walk to that same supermarket.

hethmar

Do take lessons again, if you have already had a licence you should get pass quickly. It will make such a difference to your family - the kids are bound to need a taxi

Catblue

I think the house itself is really nice, but the location really seals it for you. Great neighbours, a lovely village and a CAMRA pub are excellent and will still be excellent selling points if and when you ever come to sell this house.

By the time that your husband's mobility might be a problem, you could well be thinking of moving on anyway because of secondary schools, changes in your own jobs etc. anyway.

I'd go for it, personally.

JonathanA

I think that if it ticks enough of your boxes to make you think seriously about it, then it could be a winner. There are distinct advantages (and disadvantages) to living in a 'community spirited' area. There will always be someone looking out for you and your family, they will also always know pretty much everything about you. If you can live with that, then that's great.

The schools in that area are exellent,, it is a very nice part of the world and if you can make the house work for you, then I you should follow your heart!

Strapped

kunekune wrote: »

8. Keenness of neighbours .. I get that point, Hethmar! You do need to know your neighbours in this style of house, as there is access between all the gardens (gated, though). On both sides there are older people with grown up children. I think they don't like having somewhere empty between them, they didn't like the seller (he was single and out to make money, and not very considerate with parking), and are worried because he might end up renting it out.

That's the deal-breaker for me, if neighbours have a right of way across the garden. My first house had that across the bottom of the garden - it was fenced off, so more like a little lane "beyond" the garden so I didn't think it would be a problem. Unfortunately, the seemingly normal middle-aged couple who lived next door turned out to be anything but normal. The husband used to sit out at night in a deckchair staring up at my lodger's (young air hostess) window, and was constantly walking back and forth across the bottom access lane. Never again!!

kunekune

It's normal around here. The only terraced houses that don't have it, don't have gardens. So if you want a big garden (semis don't have 'em) you have to put up with access. We'd need it too, so it's a two-way thing. Not sure, but I'd imagine the more normal it is, the less it's likely to be abused. We had a rental like that, and they only asked to come across once in a year (the convention is that you are asked whether it's ok). But that must have been a pretty horrible experience for you.

kunekune

Update.

We still think it's a cool house. Measurements pretty much stack up - it is bigger than it looks once you get going with a tape measure. But, despite all that, I prefer the one I mentioned in an earlier thread (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1400569).
Bit of a domestic about that earlier, when OH said he didn't realise that I preferred the one in our current location over this other one (obviously wasn't reading the sub-text, but maybe it's unreasonable to expect a man to do that??? It did keep coming higher than the village houses on the charts I sent him comparing all the various houses, but perhaps he thought charts ain't everything! The red brick extended semi is cheaper, bigger and more convenient than the stone terrace with a long garden. What's not to like other than no veggie patch?). Especially if you have a child with a statement that is working ok, and village house is in another LEA.

So, he was all set to do the offer on the village house, but now wants another night to sleep on it. Minimum. For those worrying about us doing this when OH's salary is at risk, please don't lose sleep. We're not going over 3.5 x my own salary, and that ignores my extras. We've been living on mine alone plus CB and DLA for the last four months (well except for childcare, hols and xmas pressies - but they will either go if OH doesn't work or can be cut back, note that we've never ever ever gone overdrawn since we came back to the UK, and the credit card is unused), so I know we're fine. And that's still with (a) quite a few bottles of decent wine a week (12? and I don't buy under £6), (b) a liking for expensive meat, (c) a serious Amazon book habit and (d) £500 a month average childcare bills. So I'm not scared, I know that so long as my job is ok, we can do it without suffering much. And my job is very secure.

I think the plan is to offer low on the first choice house, and then when they turn it down, offer low on the second choice. I'll let you know when I have news. All the houses we like have reduced by 20% already, and were originally priced in line with similar properties that had sold in the last few years.

silvercar

Good to get follow up reports.

Especially if you have a child with a statement that is working ok, and village house is in another LEA.

Not impossible, but major hassle. I would be inclined to ask the school their view on the provision that the new LEA would offer. The special needs department should know.