ex council semi detached vs terraced private

first_time_buyer.....

TBagpuss wrote: »

As the second house is an end terrace it is effectively a semi.
Do you feel that the extra space you would get would be worth the extra £35K to you personally?

What is the ground rent on the leasehold property? My first house was a leasehold - it had been built in around 1905 and was on a 999 lease. The ground rent was about £1 a year. There were some restrictive covenants but they only prevented me from running a tannery, slaughterhouse or brothel from the house so were not onerous! My second house was freehold but had been built by a housing association and there was a service charge - because it was more modern, (originally sold off in the early 90s, I think) and the service charges were much higher and could go up.

So while normally I'd prefer freehold to leasehold, in those cases the leasehold was actually much better!

Look at the hosues themselves and how you feel about them. Do you like the lay out? What outside space does each have, and how does that fit with what you want?
Why is the end terrace so much more expensive? does it have specifics that the other doesn't, such as off-street parking, more bedrooms, bigger gardens, or is it down to location or style?

the end terraced has been on the market since early August and probably that's the reason why the vendor is open for offer. The property doesn't have roof insulation, no cavity wall and floor .. and will need a new boiler . I'm hoping to try my luck n offer 125k to avoid stamp duty.the lease is supposed to be £4/yr but apparently that end terraced had to pay £27/yr which include the whole row and claim that bk from the neighbours. . The end terraced do not hv off street parking but it has a large garden that could convert into off street parking. The ex LA semi detached has a detached garage.. but the end terraced seems much bigger and nicer but it's more expensive

elsien

Does the terrace actually have cavity walls to be insulated?


As far as the council estate bit goes, again it does really depend on the area and estate. I know of some ex-council houses in lovely areas that now go for a small fortune, there are others I wouldn't touch with a bargepole. Would you be happy living there?
I live in a terrace with on street parking and in my area you can always find a space somewhere. Other places find parking a nightmare. Again, depends on the specific situation.


As for the risk of not being able to sell the property if you're planning to be there for the foreseeable future then that's less important than if you're only going to be sticking around for a couple of years.
Are you buying because you feel you should, rather than because you want to?

first_time_buyer.....

I probably will be happy living in both houses but will be happier in the end terraced because I love the space. . The kitchen bathroom and bedrooms are massive. i won't have any trouble finding parking.. there's lots of parking.. i will be living there for 10 years and will move back to where I live now (currently living with family) about 10 years later.. I'm not really sure about cavity wall but I was told I can insulate cavity wall if i want .. The roof isn't insulated either. . but for the ex LA semi detached, the vendor said he just spent £250 to insulate cavity wall and based on the EPC certificate, the roof insulation is only 50 mm which I assume it's quite thin but I'm not sure..

first_time_buyer.....

I think the area where both properties are quite nice.. i don't really know the area but the crime rate is quite low there and I been there a few days and nights to check the area and it seems quiet.. spoke to the neighbours and some retired citizens who lived there over 30 years and they said it's quiet. .

I'm quite unhappy about the fact that the vendor for the ex LA isn't willing to knock off £500 .. i know it's only £500 and not a lot but just shocked that he would reject.. but I'm worried if i didn't go for that property just because of the £500, I might missed out a good opportunity. . but may be because I look quite desperate, they knew that I really wanted the house anyway..

ReadingTim

Given the vendor of the semi has already messed you around by pulling the sale, then starting it again, refuses to negotiate over £500 and may or may not have resolved their relationship issues, I'd be tempted to steer clear of them - if you've had these dramas within a week or two or making an offer, goodness knows what they'll be like further down the process...

elsien

Can you do a list of pros and cons for each property to help clarify your thinking?
If both houses are in the same area then it's either accept the area as ex-council or walk away completely. But mainly private in a quiet area with low crime rate? What's not to like?
Leasehold versus freehold - very much depends on the type of lease, length left to run and service charges etc. Generally speaking I prefer freehold, but if it's a deal like tizerbelle's then again it's a bit of a non-issue.
Can you afford the higher priced one, is it worth the extra to you, can you afford any associated higher maintenance costs? (I just mention this because my 3 storey terrace needs scaffolding to do paintwork etc higher up.)
I can't see why you're surprised he's said no to knocking another £500 off, given that he's already come down 5K from 115.

first_time_buyer.....

ReadingTim wrote: »

Given the vendor of the semi has already messed you around by pulling the sale, then starting it again, refuses to negotiate over £500 and may or may not have resolved their relationship issues, I'd be tempted to steer clear of them - if you've had these dramas within a week or two or making an offer, goodness knows what they'll be like further down the process...

I went to their house and spoke to them directly. I asked the vendor If they defo going to sell, he promised it would not happened again but his wife seems quite annoyed and said tthey have sorted out their issues and even paid for surveyor for the pproperty they are buying. he said he can get a ssolicitor to write a contract if i want. but I don't really know the process.. i thoughtu will get a ssolicitor afyer ur mmortgage is approved?

first_time_buyer.....

elsien wrote: »

Can you do a list of pros and cons for each property to help clarify your thinking?
If both houses are in the same area then it's either accept the area as ex-council or walk away completely. But mainly private in a quiet area with low crime rate? What's not to like?
Leasehold versus freehold - very much depends on the type of lease, length left to run and service charges etc. Generally speaking I prefer freehold, but if it's a deal like tizerbelle's then again it's a bit of a non-issue.
Can you afford the higher priced one, is it worth the extra to you, can you afford any associated higher maintenance costs? (I just mention this because my 3 storey terrace needs scaffolding to do paintwork etc higher up.)
I can't see why you're surprised he's said no to knocking another £500 off, given that he's already come down 5K from 115.

I know they have knocked off a lot.. The asking price was 114500, they knocked off £4500.he accepted my offer straight away as soon as I offered £110k but there's another property on the same estate up for £115k and accepted an offer of £105 k. i viewed that but at that time II haven't done much research in that area therefore I didn't put any ooffer in. That property that accepted £105k is bigger and nicer and more modern but the downside is it doesn't have a garage. i ddidn't know it was sold for £105k until I saw the "new owner" who went there to check the house and spoke to them. They told us they got it for £105k and wouldn't pay for more .. that makes me wonder if that property actuallywworth £110k..

Pete9501

first_time_buyer..... wrote: »

. They told us they got it for £105k and wouldn't pay for more .. that makes me wonder if that property actuallywworth £110k..

If it has a garage then yes add £5k.

If you definitely going to buy a house find a solicitor when your offer is accepted, not when your mortgage is approved or the whole process will take for ever. You need to check that your solicitor doesn't have an interest with the sellers but they will confirm that. So start looking now and ask 3 for quotes

going_nowhere_fast

I live in a terrace of roughly the same age and my advice would be only buy it as a last resort. I will NEVER buy a terraced house ever again, friends feel exactly the same. Walls are paper thin so you hear every thing music, tv, talking, coughing, sneezing, sex, weeing (really!), cupboards closing.

With nice neighbours its not ideal but its fine, with noisy neighbours its hell.

If you don't want the semi I would wait and go for another semi detached with good cavity walls between the properties.