opinions on this bungalow

motherofstudents

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-15163341.html

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has any views on this bungalow as I know there are a lot of people out there with more experience than us. My son and his girlfriend have been looking on the internet for a while but now they are quite interested in this one. It obviously needs work which is what they want. As they have not managed to save a big deposit they are not able to go any higher but can easily afford the mortgage payments. It is a good area and has been on the market for quite a few months that I know of but not sure exactly how long. Originally £130k then £125 reduced yesterday to £120k. Any views would be helpful just to see if we are missing anything. They have a viewing tomorrow.

poppysarah

Needs a lot of smartening up. Possible a new boiler. Gas fire looks old. I'd want to know when it was all last serviced.
Could be quite livable though.
That carpet is loud.
Check the fuse box too.

halflost

motherofstudents wrote: »

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-15163341.html

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has any views on this bungalow as I know there are a lot of people out there with more experience than us. My son and his girlfriend have been looking on the internet for a while but now they are quite interested in this one. It obviously needs work which is what they want. As they have not managed to save a big deposit they are not able to go any higher but can easily afford the mortgage payments. It is a good area and has been on the market for quite a few months that I know of but not sure exactly how long. Originally £130k then £125 reduced yesterday to £120k. Any views would be helpful just to see if we are missing anything. They have a viewing tomorrow.

I guess just go and view it, let them view it, then second view it with them and see if they genuinely like it and if it looks sound. Any major issues would be found in a survey if they decide to proceed with it. Seems reasonable and its price is coming down, so I would expect them to be open to offers - just look at it, see if its nice and go from there!

motherofstudents

thanks, I'm assuming a new boiler would be needed and a rewire but that's no problem. When we rang esate agents to book the viewing they seemed to think it wasn't suitable for first time buyers but said you can view it if you want ! I would not like that if it was my house they were selling.

halflost

motherofstudents wrote: »

thanks, I'm assuming a new boiler would be needed and a rewire but that's no problem. When we rang esate agents to book the viewing they seemed to think it wasn't suitable for first time buyers but said you can view it if you want ! I would not like that if it was my house they were selling.

I think thats pretty shocking for them to be saying its not really suitable for a FTB. I dont see what makes it so undesirable apart from the work involved, so long as they can pay for the deposit, and mortgage payments and do the work necessary (if you are going for it, having someone with a good idea of the work and cost involved would be pretty good and useful to take with you for a good indication of costs).

The only problem will be if the mortgage isnt so easily obtainable for a property like that (construction issues, structural or otherwise etc.) which mean mortgage isnt really so easily achievable and the kind of LTV you are looking at though. Just ask the EA what its like and what potential pitfalls might be.

PasturesNew

It's in lot better nick - and smarter than where I'm living at the moment. There might not be any "need" to do too much to it if you're happy living in the 70s.

Just go and look and poke about.

Doozergirl

It's been on at £125k since March. So it's pretty fair to say that no-one seems to think it's worth what they were asking then and £5k isn't much of a drop, especially in a market that was rising until the end of the summer!

Just because something needs work, doesn't mean it's a good deal.

What immediately strikes me is that it's tiny! Loft pitch is too shallow to be converted.

Not much turnover in the street at all - which leads me to think that it is indeed inhabited by old folk. Would they really be happy surrounded by oldies? You see, I could live surrounded by nice quiet old people - but I can imagine them not being happy with me living there! And that does mean that they might make my life a bit of a misery because whilst living quietly, they might not be all that nice!

Previous prices on numbers 7 & 27 put the value of that one around £135-137k. It's the worst house in the street so that's a good thing; it's all neat and tidy.

motherofstudents

thanks everyone, we will see better tomorrow after the viewing and I do know what you mean about maybe older people there but they are a fairly quiet couple so no wild parties or anything. I do agree it is small but for the two of them but probably big enough as a starter house. They are both at the start of their careers so in maybe 3 years or so will be able to afford a much bigger and better place. The work is not a problem as my son is a building surveyor and works on multi-million pound commercial projects so he knows what he is looking at and has plenty of contacts to do the work free or very cheap (lucky him). PN I could easily live with the 70's look, I like retro and it's a bit of nostalgia for my youth !

emmell

It's very similar in size and design to our first home. Ours was a new build in 1980 and we were first time buyers and just married, kept it for about 3 years then moved to a three bed house. It was fine for the two of us and our dog because we used the 2nd bedroom as a dining room.
The thing is, as it's not that big it wont cost a fortune to upgrade, maybe check the roof though, that street view shows somebody on the roof and, with that little sooty van, he doesn't look very professional.
ML.

Davesnave

emmell wrote: »

maybe check the roof though, that street view shows somebody on the roof and, with that little sooty van, he doesn't look very professional.
ML.

The van looks perfectly good to me. Unfortunately, my 24" screen doesn't pick out the soot. I agree the man appears to be working class, but you can never really tell these days...;)

The man is clearing the moss from the roof, and he's doing it in a methodical manner. If you go into Greenhill Road, you can see he's already done the back.

Next door have done something with their loft. May not be habitable though. Hobby room?

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

motherofstudents wrote: »

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-15163341.html

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has any views on this bungalow as I know there are a lot of people out there with more experience than us. My son and his girlfriend have been looking on the internet for a while but now they are quite interested in this one. It obviously needs work which is what they want. As they have not managed to save a big deposit they are not able to go any higher but can easily afford the mortgage payments. It is a good area and has been on the market for quite a few months that I know of but not sure exactly how long. Originally £130k then £125 reduced yesterday to £120k. Any views would be helpful just to see if we are missing anything. They have a viewing tomorrow.

Years ago when my now ex and I were buying this house I now own it didn't look much different to the one you are asking about.

It was covered in orange and brown and totally unmentionable colours on the walls and ceiling. Plus the kitchen looked very similar, the bedroom wasn't that much different as well.

If they are prepared for a hard slog which will take quite a bit of time then go for it.

I would buy it as I can see the potential.