Thinking of offering on this cottage

Steffi747

I live in an area where there are cottages quite close together and my living room window looks into my neighbours front garden. I don't mind (otherwise I would not have purchased the property). I appreciate why people may be put off, but the garden is nice and well kept, the neighbour is lovely and as it's their front garden it's not really utilised.

If you can live with it, don't be put off.

carefullycautious

Don't touch with barge pole. As above has said you could be in for whatever the neighbours decide to do. I also thought it was built onto existing house and sold. A recipe for disaster, run

It's ok if you have a good neighbour but what happens if you don't?

phoebe1989seb

Is it just me, or is there no mention of the Aga/Rayburn in the property blurb?

I can see it refers to 'electric cooker point', but that's all, unless I'm being stupid

Just a point that requires clarifying as I know from experience issues can arise over what is/isn't included range-wise.......when selling our last house our EA (well, actually the manager who hadn't even visited our property) messed up insofar as confusing our Aga with our Rangemaster range cooker, leading our buyers to believe both were included in the agreed sale price.

Not saying that's likely here, but possibly omitting it from the blurb indicates it's going to be an *added extra* requiring separate negotiation and more expenditure to you if offering OP

My turn to edit now, lol - actually is it the Rayburn that's providing the heating, as I can see no reference to a boiler either? In that case it must be included, although odd it hasn't been referred to......

blushingbride_3

There are conditions in the plans that the neighbours can't build on the front garden.
The vendors don't own the cottage it's a lady who's been there for 10yrs or more. She's just relocating

Aga is for sale separately as she says she can sell it back to the converter she got it from. I'm not too bothered about the Aga tbh as it will give more cupboard space

My dad has the same concerns about it being tacked onto the main house

AlexMac

I wasn't going to comment on this post, because although I found the question, and the replies and come-back fascinating, I didn't feel I could add anything to the options- which can be summarised as; 'buy it if you like it (because someone else will)', or 'don't buy if you don't like it enough (to risk being lumbered with it)'.

But I clicked on the link anyway... and was a little surprised and disappointed. On streetview, the area looks like a suburban development of 1960'2 and 1970's bungalows and 2-storey props on big sites, whereas words like 'cottage...aga...rayburn...oil-fired' had made me assume this was a rustic idyll kind of place. This property looks very 1970's too, despite the fake internal ceiling timbers; all a bit too square, with a poorly designed single storey extension with a shallow pitched tile roof and modern plastic wood-alike double glazing and french doors

So who's it aimed at in terms of selling; or if you buy, re-selling 5 years down the line?

I'm going to sound a bit inclined to stereotypes here, but...

Rustic Idyll people are prepared to put up with poky, quirky little places with limited gardens, offset by village location, woodburning stoves and a village community (we have mates with a Dorset cottage just such). But this looks more like commuter-retirement land - and to judge by other local gardens, aimed at the kind of people who listen to gardners question time...

OK- prejudiced rant over - and I can't talk, as having owned homes built between 1830 and 1900 most of my life, I've just moved to a 1980's place with double-glazing (admittedly its wood). But I'd hesitate at the price.

But hey- buy with your heart, not as an investment!

Strapped

I agree with the comments made so far. Down here in rural Devon, you often find cottages with unusual layouts or strange garden arrangements (my own cottage has moved the main entrance into what was the back garden). BUT - I personally wouldn't buy this particular "cottage" without the garden outside those windows. It doesn't really make any sense why the neighbours have that patch as the access to their property doesn't rely on it.

To be honest, I probably wouldn't buy it at all, in the midst of 70s bungalows, but if you like it, then you could always try approaching the neighbours re. the garden. But as it's already over your top budget, then it's unlikely you'll be able to seal a deal with the vendor of the cottage AND have enough to buy a patch of garden as well. No harm in trying though.

blushingbride_3

thanks everyone!
I do like it but I am worried about resale and all the comments but around the area it is hard to find any period properties.

I think at the lower price I wouldn't have such an issue reselling

I'm waiting for the estate agents to call. they aren't very quick I viewed Sunday and still nothing.

I will tell them I'm willing to put in an offer if the vendor first tries to negotiate some of the garden area into the sale.

carefullycautious

The more I look at this the more I think 'granny annex' wonder if this was its first life

lincroft1710

blushingbride wrote: »

I do like it but I am worried about resale and all the comments but around the area it is hard to find any period properties.

You will have to continue your search as I don't think this is a "period property", unless your interest extends to late 20th century. There may be some older part lurking within the house, but the visible brickwork (as seen on Google Streetview) appears to be standard cavity. Roof, dormers, windows, doors all modern.

I think they've either built this on the footprint of a derelict or burnt out barn, or have built it semi-detached to the existing house in a very similar style and basic shape.

If you want genuine "character", I would look for somewhere else. It's overpriced, the rooms are small and awkward shape/size, GF bath and WC only, there's the garden "issue", and it's in the middle of some rather unattractive 1960s/70s housing.

Own_My_Own

I would be a bit concerned about the garden.
What if next door sold to a young family and you had a trampoline right outside your lounge window.
Or a couple that liked a BBQ/ party every other weekend during the summer.