What to expect with an old house

MrsCrafty

G_M wrote: »

Dampometer :rotfl:

These things measure electrical conductivity, not damp! Work fine on wood: If there's an electrical current passing through the wood, it must be damp. But brick, stone, plaster etc can contain materials other than water/damp which conduct electricity, so an electrical reading does not necessarily mean it's damp.

I am sure you knew what I meant. Its a thingy with prongs on and that's my name for it. It's probably called something really important. But I liken it to the wheel of fortune, cos if it goes red, you have won............a farking problem:rotfl:

duncan32

Update, if interested: we've checked the house out for a second time and both myself and my wife fell in love with it even more. We are, however, getting increasingly scared off it due to the quoted £125.00 a month that the owner told me he pays for gas, the increase in the council tax, the money we'd have to pay to update (even without the potential problems many on here have highlighted for me ....). We are thinking that we may end up living in a gorgeous house but being totally skint and falling out all the time :eek:

Still got to sell ours though, although a couple that came today seemed to be struggling to hide their liking of the place. Got some over houses that we could possibly go for, falling firmly in the normal modern variety of house. Here's one, anyone got any thoughts? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-27022696.html

Although not as much of a house as the old one, it is a nice property and would not stretch us at all, which is good for the state of mind! The one thing that concerns me about this one is that there is a conservatory that does not have a dividing door into the main house! That just seems wrong, surely?

Anyway, thanks for the help and advice so far, hope it's ok to ask for more opinions, and I am sort of still open to be persuaded either way on the old house if anyone fancies giving it a try.

Thanks.

Duncan

hcb42

buy the old one, the new one is ok, but it's just a box, not a home.

SuzieSue

duncan32 wrote: »

The one thing that concerns me about this one is that there is a conservatory that does not have a dividing door into the main house! That just seems wrong, surely?

Yes, this is strange - did you ask them how much their gas bill were - you might find that the older house is cheaper to run!

G_M

I know gas has gone up a lot but how can it be £125 pm?
If it's because the silly tw*ts haven't insulated their attic and all the heat just disapears, well, insulation is really cheap just now so whack on double thickness and down come the bills!
Or maybe it's a really inefficient boiler. Costs more to replace, but again, can make a big difference.

Is it 125 EVERY month? Some accounts are billed by usage, so that winter costs much more than summer, some accounts are 'smoothed out' so it's the same all year.

duncan32

helencbradshaw wrote: »

buy the old one, the new one is ok, but it's just a box, not a home.

Thanks Helen, I really appreciate the enthusiam you have for the old home! :T I think the new one is a bit more than just a box, tbh, but certainly understand what you're saying....

Duncan

duncan32

SuzieSue wrote: »

Yes, this is strange - did you ask them how much their gas bill were - you might find that the older house is cheaper to run!

No, but I did say that I thought they'd lose heat from the house when cold, and the man said that the conservatory was top quality spec, and that this wasn't a problem. Bit suspicious still, though, imo. If I bought (unlikely) I'd put an outside door back if that was possible.

Duncan

duncan32

G_M wrote: »

I know gas has gone up a lot but how can it be £125 pm?
If it's because the silly tw*ts haven't insulated their attic and all the heat just disapears, well, insulation is really cheap just now so whack on double thickness and down come the bills!
Or maybe it's a really inefficient boiler. Costs more to replace, but again, can make a big difference.

Is it 125 EVERY month? Some accounts are billed by usage, so that winter costs much more than summer, some accounts are 'smoothed out' so it's the same all year.

Made me laugh with the silly tw*ts remark! :rotfl:Good point though, silly me didn't ask. I thought it was wall insulation that reduced bills more than roof though?

Duncan

G_M

duncan32 wrote: »

Made me laugh with the silly tw*ts remark! :rotfl:Good point though, silly me didn't ask. I thought it was wall insulation that reduced bills more than roof though?

Duncan

Well, heat will get out everywhere, but it does rise you know! And loft insulation is SOOoo cheap and easy it's a no brainer. Why my house had none I have no idea. See? There really are tw*ts out there!

But yes, wall insulation helps a lot too. Costs more, and not suitable for houses with solid walls as opposed to cavity walls.

murphydog999

My twopennyworth, for what its worth. Isn't property cheap in Kettering!!! Anyway, what a dilemma for you. First house looks lovely and you have got a chance to put your own stamp on things, you don't need to do it all in one go, and it has potential. Second house doesn't look very appealing from the outside, but they decorated very well inside, no potential to improve as it's all done for you.

By the time you have got a bit off the first house, and as it offers over £195,000 on the second there's probably not much in it. How do the areas compere?

I see it as a 'potential' exercise. Live dangerously and get a great deal of satisfaction with 'a project' - albeit with some extra cash spent - or take it easy, spend the doing-up money on holidays, and move straight in to no.2 (just try not to look at it when you pull up on the drive!!). I'd choose no. 1 any time.