The "have a look at this!" thread II

mozza78

zagubov wrote: »

That's brilliant! I'd seen a version of that in a book somewhere and wondered how that never caught on elsewhere. I think there was also a rule in parts of Japan that that houses needed a separate W.C. and bath/shower room, and it has always baffled me when I see those being joined together on "Home Under the Hammer"-type shows, when it's far more ergonomic to keep them separate in a multi-person household.

Yeah there's a lot of Japanese ideas about the home that just make a lot more sense although they can seem strange at first. Most families will bathe in communal water but have a shower first to totally clean yourself before entering. The baths have a heater which can keep the water warm for the whole family.. makes total sense rather than each having your own bath.

Then there's the idea of taking shoes off before entering the house. I found it a bit odd at first but my god after 7 years in Tokyo the very idea now of wearing shoes into a house I find ridiculous! When I see some of my friends wearing shoes lying on their sofas I want to scream.
Lots of other things that I will probably try to incoporate in my house/day to day life when I eventually move back to UK - rice cooker, heated toilet, controlled bath, tatami room

glasgowdan

thecoffeehouse204 wrote: »

Saw this renovated property go up for sale near me recently. Looks lovely but :rotfl: at the asking price.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-61368122.html

For comparison here are the original details from last April.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=48666911&sale=28807077&country=england

They think they've added £300k to the property in under 18 months and gone way over the ceiling price for the estate. Think they're in for a long wait for a buyer.

Can't imagine it cost more than 100k to do. I was expecting a good garden but there's virtually none. For that price I'd want acreage damnit!

glasgowdan

mozza78 wrote: »

Yeah there's a lot of Japanese ideas about the home that just make a lot more sense although they can seem strange at first. Most families will bathe in communal water but have a shower first to totally clean yourself before entering. The baths have a heater which can keep the water warm for the whole family.. makes total sense rather than each having your own bath.

Then there's the idea of taking shoes off before entering the house. I found it a bit odd at first but my god after 7 years in Tokyo the very idea now of wearing shoes into a house I find ridiculous! When I see some of my friends wearing shoes lying on their sofas I want to scream.
Lots of other things that I will probably try to incoporate in my house/day to day life when I eventually move back to UK - rice cooker, heated toilet, controlled bath, tatami room

100% with you on shoes. It's horrible wearing them in the home. But a bath with ones mum and dad....no, you're ok! I just googled tatami room but don't get the point of them?

moneyistooshorttomention

Just googled for images of tatami room and mentally translated into "meditation room"/yoga room and yep..I could see the point of them personally put like that. But the average British home isnt big enough for one.

What I would like all British homes to have is a sauna and a cellar. I think it's a very healthy idea to have saunas regularly - but it just doesnt happen in Britain (given one has to go to one in a spa and they are few and far between in remoter areas). The cellar being for readily accessible storage space etc.

Davesnave

glasgowdan wrote: »

Can't imagine it cost more than 100k to do. I was expecting a good garden but there's virtually none. For that price I'd want acreage damnit!

Depends who did it. Having done one myself, but in more fundamental ways, I can see that it might have cost more than that with a builder leading the job along.....

There was a lady from South West Wales on MSE a year or two back, who'd done similarly, completely bursting through the ceiling price for her estate.

We told her, "Nothing's ever sold for more than £250k in your road, so that's what your £360k house (by then about £335k) will probably go for in the end."

Give her her due, she was calm and didn't go off on one, nor did she agree.

However, after a few months, I saw her house, which I'd saved in Rightmove, sell almost immediately at £250k.

vansboy

glasgowdan wrote: »

100% with you on shoes. It's horrible wearing them in the home. But a bath with ones mum and dad....no, you're ok! I just googled tatami room but don't get the point of them?

TOTALLY agree on no shoes...when I mentioned it to someones daughters, the answer is 'my shoes are clean...'

Yep, thats how I'd like the floors to remain, as well!!

VB

bouicca21

When I was younger a colleague who had a no shoes rule (she said it was inherited from her Greek mother) was considered a bit controlling. Nowadays I find that almost everyone who comes to visit or deliver expects to take their shoes off.

mozza78

glasgowdan wrote: »

100% with you on shoes. It's horrible wearing them in the home. But a bath with ones mum and dad....no, you're ok! I just googled tatami room but don't get the point of them?

No in the house I mean they just use the same bath water! Although tbh nudity with your family and friends in Japan is a bit different. Bizarre at first but after a while you really dont think anything of going totally nuddy with your mates in a spa house.

Tatami rooms are just a great kind of spare room.. you can eat in them, usually have a bunch of futons stored away in the cupboard which are ridiculously comfortable so sleep about 4 or 5 guests in a small room. Very easy to keep clean

glasgowdan

Davesnave wrote: »

Depends who did it. Having done one myself, but in more fundamental ways, I can see that it might have cost more than that with a builder leading the job along.....

There was a lady from South West Wales on MSE a year or two back, who'd done similarly, completely bursting through the ceiling price for her estate.

We told her, "Nothing's ever sold for more than £250k in your road, so that's what your £360k house (by then about £335k) will probably go for in the end."

Give her her due, she was calm and didn't go off on one, nor did she agree.

However, after a few months, I saw her house, which I'd saved in Rightmove, sell almost immediately at £250k.

It's not always the case though. Here's an example where no house in the immediate area has sold for more than £250k, yet the renovated one went for £360k despite it being the exact same basic build as many of it's neighbours pre-renovation http://www.slaterhogg.co.uk/buy/property/4-bedroom-detached-house-in-bishopbriggs,g64-ref-3897460/ It is a very nice renovation though but it's a lived-in one that took years.

vansboy

glasgowdan wrote: »

It's not always the case though. Here's an example where no house in the immediate area has sold for more than £250k, yet the renovated one went for £360k despite it being the exact same basic build as many of it's neighbours pre-renovation http://www.slaterhogg.co.uk/buy/property/4-bedroom-detached-house-in-bishopbriggs,g64-ref-3897460/ It is a very nice renovation though but it's a lived-in one that took years.

In a recent re-run of Sarah Beenys Double Your House series, couplee on there had started with a £200k budget, lots n lots of issues, looked ok (ish) in the end, after spending over half million ££ on it and was one of the first on the road to be 'done'.

She was vague about the valuation, thinking it MIGHT be worth what had now been the total expenditure. The owner felt it was substantially more. Would be interesting to see the outcome, assuming this was a few years ago now and if they ever sold, or had actualy got their 'dreamhouse' for half price and made some equity.

VB