Houses

Lunary

Most of the houses we have been looking at in the past six months have been hideously overpriced too but then we are looking in an highly desirable town. Buyers do seem too content to go with the status quo and most sellers appear to be completely ignoring the downward trend in house prices. In the Close where we have had an offer accepted on a 3 bed semi (£160,000), there is an identical property up for £216,000. Admittedly ours needs a bit of renovation, nothing structural, really only cosmetic stuff but we have a bigger garden and the better location in the close (at the end). But a difference of £56k? That is ridiculous! The agent is the same estate agent too, which indicates the prices are seller driven.

wageslave

I have been toying with the idea of selling this place and buying something detached in a better area.

I have pretty much doubled my money on this house, I bought just before the boom started. I am mortgage free and this house is a fairly large 3 bed semi, more than big enough for the brat and me.

I have a secure though not fantastically paid job and could afford to take out a reasonably sized mortgage. Pathetic as it sounds, I feel as though I took the brat away from an extremely nice house in a decent area and I would like to take her back there.

Having said that, we have a nice life where we are. I am really torn, is it worth getting into debt again so the brat can have an en-suite?

Cleaver

Heyman wrote: »

BTW - where are all the usual Bears on this thread to tell us how they can see 20 properties in your area on Property Bee that have dropped in price by 80% over the last 3 months?

We're having a look around the place below tomorrow (edited to protect the guilty). It's been reduced from £190k to £160k, so a reduction of about 16% which isn't too bad. The house over the road sold for £140k in Feb 09 though, so it'll be interesting to see how similar that looks.

I'm not one of these "price it at 40% less" brigade. But selling at peak prices when the market is surely still quite uncertain seems a bit cheeky and pointless.

MrsE_2

lostinrates wrote: »

Have a google Cleaver. see wat you money could get you in other areas...just for curiosity. I want to move north .

Its not that bad:rotfl:

wageslave

LIR, you could do a lot worse than move north.

Quite apart from the fact you get a lot more from your money you get a far better quality of life.

Having said that the last thing we want up here is more Englanders pushing prices up and taking over the villages.

dopester

lynzpower wrote: »

Cripes, over 200k in Stockport- mentalism. There is simply no way I would pay that, NO NO NO. ( im from stockport, I wouldnt live that close to the pyramid if you paid ME! :D

The Pyramid (Co-op bank HQ isn't it) is right down almost in Stockport proper, onto the motorways. I wouldn't be advising to buy down towards that side either.

Lynzpower, if you were asked to suggest a few decent areas for a youngish couple to buy a house around the Manchester area - without going out deeper into suburbia - where would you suggest? Keeping in mind I didn't agree the current asking prices were realistic. Fallowfield perhaps? Levenshulme?

Would Prestwich (North Manchester) win out over say Heaton Moor - edging into Heaton Chapel central-ish area for you (without crossing over onto the A6 side)?

Didsbury was another I put forward, but even pricier, and for me a little less relaxed. Very nice all the same.

BTW - I'm glad you were nicely taken by some of the area you looked around today Cleaver. Also I agree with you about price-jump and the 1/2 mile away from many of the nicer bits, I can see the attraction of living closer by to.

Afriend_2

wageslave wrote: »

LIR, you could do a lot worse than move north.

Quite apart from the fact you get a lot more from your money you get a far better quality of life.

The south, especially Surrey, always comes out rather well in surveys.
People may have to pay for the priviledge, but it isn't that bad in the south.

Even if it is full of shandy drinking southern softies.

Best 20 Places To Live

• Edinburgh: The Best Place To Live
• Winchester: 2nd Best
• Epsom & Ewell: 3rd Best
• Waverley: 4th Best
• Mole Valley: 5th Best
• Surrey Heath: 6th Best
• South Cambridgeshire: 7th Best
• Chelmsford: 8th Best
• Horsham: 9th Best
• Elmbridge: 10th Best
• East Dunbartonshire: 11th Best
• Guildford:12th Best
• St Albans: 13th Best
• Rushcliffe: 14th Best
• Bath & NE Somerset: 15th Best
• Mid Sussex: 16th Best
• Suffolk Coastal: 17th Best
• South Northamptonshire: 18th Best
• Reigate And Banstead: 19th Best
• Wokingham: 20th Best

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/best-and-worst/

wageslave

I never lock my doors, AFriend. I go to work and leave the back door open for the dog to come and go. It takes me half an hour to
walk down the tiny high street in my town because I know everybody and everybody knows me.

No amount of fancy coffee shops or bijoux boutiques can compensate for a real community

Afriend_2

wageslave wrote: »

I never lock my doors, AFriend. I go to work and leave the back door open for the dog to come and go. It takes me half an hour to
walk down the tiny high street in my town because I know everybody and everybody knows me.

No amount of fancy coffee shops or bijoux boutiques can compensate for a real community

I regularly go drinking with my next door neighbour, we do have community spirit. Although perhaps not as sociable as some small northern villages. Walking a dog quickly helps one to get to know the neighbours, it's amazing the number of people that stop and chat when there's a talking point. In this case a cute border terrier/ jack-russell cross.

wageslave

Afriend wrote: »

I regularly go drinking with my next door neighbour, we do have community spirit. Although perhaps not as sociable as some small northern villages. Walking a dog quickly helps one to get to know the neighbours, it's amazing the number of people that stop and chat when there's a talking point. In this case a cute border terrier/ jack-russell cross.

Can you leave your doors open?