Would you buy a village house if...............

phoebe1989seb

..........it had a reasonably large and attractive garden, but to access this you have to emerge from your back door, walk across your smallish patio area, bypass three large grade 2 listed buildings (with bricked up windows) which belong to the next door gastro pub (and which were formerly a bowling alley but are currently used for storage purposes) before getting to your lawn which then has the pub carpark and two new-build houses to the rear?

The house, in a desirable village, is also grade 2 and we have had an offer of £244,000 accepted against an AP of £280,000.

Your thoughts please guys

poppysarah

I wouldn't.

I suspect most sane people wouldn't if they wanted to stay sane.

LandyAndy

I wouldn't buy a house in a village at all. There are lots of villages around here and mostly very pretty ones that command a premium particularly if they are within the New Forest.

But if you need anything at all you have to drive. There are no public transport links. I much prefer living in this small town where everything is within ten minutes walk.

Just my view.

Oh, and the house you describe? Doubly no.

WelshNic

That's not a garden, it's just a piece of land you own

phoebe1989seb

poppysarah wrote: »

I wouldn't.

I suspect most sane people wouldn't if they wanted to stay sane.

Thanks poppysarah - fortunately OH and I are already way beyond sane! Joking aside, I do feel the vendor bit our hand off when we made the offer as it didn't take much negotiating considering the difference between AP and offer is so great.............we initially offered £240,000 but this was rejected. We assumed it was just because she needs to sell as her marriage has broken up and thus was pretty desperate.

We have been assured by the agents (not that I trust them much as they told us the new-builds were to be chalets, when in actual fact they are standard two storey houses), that the pub has no intention of changing the use of these buildings. They are not unattractive, being grade 2 listed themselves and have wisteria etc covering them - they appear like old walls with bags of character but they do somewhat dominate the garden space when you first enter it from the kitchen door.

OH believes they are not a problem as this is his favourite house out of the two we have short-listed and he is convinced that if anything they add to the character of the property. As it is to be our forever home and the offer on my favourite has been rejected I want to get it right though

FTBFun

Call me crazy, but if I had a garden the route would be back door -> maybe patio -> garden.

phoebe1989seb

LandyAndy wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a house in a village at all. There are lots of villages around here and mostly very pretty ones that command a premium particularly if they are within the New Forest.

But if you need anything at all you have to drive. There are no public transport links. I much prefer living in this small town where everything is within ten minutes walk.

Just my view.

Oh, and the house you describe? Doubly no.

Yes, and I don't drive - although OH is a very willing chauffeur

On the plus side there is a Waitrose within 4 miles and I can easily cycle there.................

phoebe1989seb

WelshNic wrote: »

That's not a garden, it's just a piece of land you own

Thanks WelshNic, maybe I didn't describe it properly though - it is a continuation of the garden, not a separate plot of land - it's just you have to walk around these buildings to reach the remainder and main part of it

LandyAndy

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

Yes, and I don't drive - although OH is a very willing chauffeur

On the plus side there is a Waitrose within 4 miles and I can easily cycle there.................

Good luck in Winter.:(

Wobblydeb

If a large garden was important, and I couldn't afford to buy in that village without a compromise such as this, then yes I would.

If you've got more money and want "perfect" then bide your time. There's not a lot on the market at the moment, and it seems most of what is available has a fault or two...

mlz1413

phoebe1989seb wrote: »

..........it had a reasonably large and attractive garden, but to access this you have to emerge from your back door, walk across your smallish patio area, bypass three large grade 2 listed buildings (with bricked up windows) which belong to the next door gastro pub (and which were formerly a bowling alley but are currently used for storage purposes) before getting to your lawn which then has the pub carpark and two new-build houses to the rear?

The house, in a desirable village, is also grade 2 and we have had an offer of £244,000 accepted against an AP of £280,000.

Your thoughts please guys

i'm the same as landyandy would NOT buy in a village full stop.

so bias put aside what happens when the buildings that are currently storage change use? have they been residental? are they likely to be swallowed into the pub or become the next leisure time activey? (god forbid a gym that everyone drives to!)

what is the parking like and what would it be like if another business opened up in the buildings?

when you get to the garden is it private or will the noise from the pub always ruin a lovely sunny day?

if cycling is your only transport make sure you can get a online shop delivered, if hubby can't drive for any reason you need to make sure you can shop somewhere other than the local village shop / post office - if of course you have one.