What small niggles put you off from buying properties

Davesnave

There are so many Big Things to consider, being picky just prevents you seeing the clearest picture.

We've all known people at work who focus on too much at a time, don't discriminate sufficiently and who are less effective as a result. It's like that.

Paully232000

I wouldnt be put off by anything that i perceived as a small niggle, if I was I wouldnt have bought the house I have recently moved into.
It was great for size, cul-de-sac location, schools, big enough garden, price, but if i had been put off by the small niggles as I saw them I wouldnt have bought an otherwise near-perfect house.

The small niggles as I saw them were,
colour of the walls
kitchen hot tap didn't work
garden was a bit unkempt
carpets very old and the previous owner had a dog so who knows what stains on there
kitchen worktops, windows and showers needed resealing in some places
parts of the tiles in the ensuite needed grouting

have been in the house since November and most of these things have been sorted, mostly by me, and some by professionals, and the garden is being worked on. Mostly easy (although time-consuming) to sort.

Things I wouldnt even consider in a house, so I guess would be more than a small niggle, would be
shared driveway,
front door opening onto the living room
rooms too small
more than just cosmetic alterations needed as I am no DIYer beyond the basics.
small garden
no storage
no toilet downstairs

I am sure there are others.

nodiscount

Neighbours giving you death stares (usually because they are arris holes but possibly because they don't want dark-skinned neighbours).

Bella73

The things that out us off were
Shared driveway/No parking
Communal areas...we wanted our home to be all ours...communal areas can be a nightmare depending on your neighbours.
Front door opening into sitting room
Stairs in the sitting room
No garden
Tiny kitchen

mpet

Small niggles I can usually overlook like hideous wallpaper/carpets etc. Some things annoy me but are easily fixable like mouldy grout (how much does a bottle of bleach cost vendor!) and unswept carpets. Some of the houses I've looked at are bordering on house of grime and really distract from what is underneath.

Big no no's
Shared drive
busy main road (yellow lines)
Front door opening into living room
Stepped garden (either up or down)
illogical layout (I've looked a several bungalows that have been extended with no thought to layout - going through one bedroom to another, leaving stench pipe, that was outdoors, but now in the corner of the kitchen etc)

System

Shared drives. I just see them as a recipe for disaster.

Low or poor fencing in the garden on the side that the neighbour is responsible for. I would prefer not to have people having a view of my garden.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Niggles I would class as knee-jerk responses to the vendors' hygiene, tidiness and decor. I've viewed a lot of rental properties in my time too, so am used to judging people on their bookshelves, colour schemes and the amount of pubes in their bath. I particularly hate:

Huge studio photos of ugly, gurning babies
Trendy modern kitchens with black surfaces
Open plan lounges/kitchens
Washing machines in the bathroom
Mouldy shower curtains
Half dead house plants
Unloved gardens
Any variation of the Keep Calm & Carry On poster
Ceiling spot lights


The house I bought was a probate sale, so it was shabby, still filled with old lady junk and had ancient decor. However it had a bigger kitchen and bathroom than most on the estate, and a lovely garden so I had to look past the woodchip, cobwebs and orange 70s tiles.

Prothet_of_Doom

Walcott wrote: »

Shared drives. I just see them as a recipe for disaster.

Low or poor fencing in the garden on the side that the neighbour is responsible for. I would prefer not to have people having a view of my garden.

Our first house had a quite narrow shared drive, so narrow that you couldn't park inbetween the houses, and the gardens at the back were long, so I had a nice big long garage.

Never had a problem.

3rd House has a shared driveway, and the garden is too small for a decent sized garage, so most jobs on the car are difficult in the garage due to space. Next door does not have a car, does not use the garage, and there's plenty of space inbetween the houses to work on the car, and get around. But there is no flexibility. "You can't park there" was the first 5 years, Where upon I would explain that it's not parked, but stranded :rotfl:. but I've managed to soften her up, and now she knows I can't afford to pay for car servicing, she's reluctantly grumpy.

The stupid thing is that the developer and planners, left loads of spare land at the end of the road, which would have allowes larger plots, had they used it.

My 4th house, will have to have a 3 car garage.

CWSmith

While house hunting for the first time, I discovered dislikes that I didn't even know I possessed and a few that I did know I possessed!

Pet hates:
No garden, tiny garden or paved over/gravel garden
Shiny kitchen units
Black and white kitchens (usually white units and black tiles)
Kitchen islands (yes I know that's a weird hate)
En suite bathrooms (another weird one, but honestly, unless your house is so big that the loo is a ten minute walk away, who really needs a toilet in the bedroom?)
Red and white "statement" wallpaper
No hallway
Main/busy road outside
No fireplaces

Slinky

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Front door opening directly into lounge.

I really prefer a vestibule with an inner front door between the outer front door and the hall.

That's reminded me of one I don't like, front door opening outwards.