Was there anything you didn't notice as quite common until looking to buy?

Slinky

I've been idly looking at bungalows online recently (getting old), and am surprised at the number of wierd layouts there are for bungalows. It occurred to me that I've always lived in houses with what I would call a 'standard' layout. Front door to entrance hall, stairs up to the first floor with bedrooms where you'd expect and bathroom above the kitchen. Doors from the entrance hall to the lounge at the front and kitchen at the back with the dining room at the opposite corner to the entrance hall. Mentioned this to OH and his homes have also had this layout. Don't know if we've unknowingly been drawn to homes with this layout because that's what we grew up with, or whether it's a coincidence. I do think there must be millions of these homes with this sort of layout because it works pretty well.

With bungalows though, seeing they're all on one level, it seems like anything goes as far as a builder is concerned. I think I've worked out what sort of layout I'd be looking for now though.

Gingernutty

Gingernutty wrote: »

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53857331.html

Money_maker wrote: »

Is it me or has bedroom 2 got really odd furnishings?

It's a 'thing' in Middle Eastern households where one has guests round but in deference to one's hosts and guests no one is above another, they're all equal.

In this instance, instead of putting junior into his/her own room, the man of the household entertains his guests away from the women who are stuck with a variety of suitcases and childrens' toys in what we would call the lounge.

And the scuzzy ensuite to boot. :eek:

moneyistooshorttomention

GoldenShadow wrote: »

Gosh the scuzzy things are just not nice. I looked around one that was AWFUL, I felt dirty and smelly when we left

Funny how you notice all these what seem to be unique things which, it turns out, aren't unique!

House we are buying has windows on the side of the house instead of the front upstairs, so your master bedroom looks into the master bedroom of the detached neighbour. I was worried about it until I noticed how many similar (and identical style) houses sell well. Not ideal by any means, but with a whopping kitchen for our budget, being set back from the road and the potential to extend and move the windows around, I'm willing to deal with it.



Looked at a house rather similar.

It did have a fence which gave separate access. It was owned by the property, but I would have had to rip it down to get the piano in. Wouldn't have fancied the odds of neighbour building a brick wall or their own fixed fence on their side. Would have meant not being able to get the piano out unless it was in bits :eek:

Looked at that one and thought "Doesn't look bad - but I'd forgotten just how many people seem to think its acceptable to have the boiler/bits of it on show". In that case - boiler pipes coming up out of a cabinet in the kitchen.

In my starter house - I made sure the boiler/all its pipes were hidden away in airing cupboard in the bathroom. In my current house - the original boiler was in a "boiler room" and I replaced the boiler, but kept it out there in the boiler room. Its a pain having the hot water take a while to get hot - but, in my book, boilers and all their pipework are obviously hidden.

Am now trying to think just where the boiler is for my parents' house - and I think it must be in a cupboard on the landing and all the pipework is hidden away. To me - its just obvious you don't have that sort of "functional" type of stuff on show in your home.

Gingernutty

Slinky wrote: »

I've been idly looking at bungalows online ...am surprised at the number of wierd layouts there are for bungalows.

With bungalows though, seeing they're all on one level, it seems like anything goes as far as a builder is concerned. I think I've worked out what sort of layout I'd be looking for now though.

You mean like this beauty?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46609903.html

ETA: I've been to see this place, it smells as bad as it looks. :eek:

moneyistooshorttomention

DaftyDuck wrote: »

The number of blown units in uPVC windows... Smelly houses. Just damp and cooking and stale.... People just don't prepare a house for a viewing.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: ...re the "preparing for a viewing"......

Errrm...there are some vendors that will check out the names/details of their viewers and then google them...

....and make sure things are arranged accordingly...

"Oh yes...this one is interested in cookery and reading....get out the cookery book stand and have glossy cookbook there in situ for currently fashionable form of cookery"......not that some people pay any sort of attention whatsoever to detail.....ahem.....:rotfl:

Slinky

Gingernutty wrote: »

You mean like this beauty?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46609903.html

ETA: I've been to see this place, it smells as bad as it looks. :eek:

Oh that's a delight isn't it!

I've come to the conclusion I want the bedrooms to be separate from the rest of the living area so you don't have to always keep the bedroom doors shut all the time away from prying eyes if you have visitors. So for me I'd be looking at having bedrooms at the front of the house, entrance at the side of the house with the kitchen, lounge etc at the back. Doesn't work if it's the other way round as a conservatory would have to come off a bedroom. Have seen that and it's odd to say the least!

penguingirl

DaftyDuck wrote: »

The new trend for "Lovey Dovey" word poems on the bedroom walls. Long, gushing things in bedrooms, framed... with strange formatting ...Things like

"My love for you
burns softly
as a river flows slowly you are
as paradise
my
simple
soulmate"

Like this one with McFly lyrics on the wall? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36054300.html

DaftyDuck

Money...

Of course we do just that, but that's why we manage to sell two houses this year, one within three days of going on sale, one within a week. I knew they had three kids, got the Mamod steam train out for the little boy ('s father), knew she was a keen gardener, so had my plant books and tea out on the potting bench, knew he wanted a home-office, so had some obvious work out in my office....

Of course there was coffee on, but also a trug of soft fruit and herbs from the garden, right by the back door. And a sandy surf board... tossed casually, as one does, when one is as rugged and, well, just so darn manly... as anyone buying that house would be (come)... {breathe in D, there, see those? They're your toes! Still there... now, breathe out before you collape...}


I even confess to having a "Jamie Oliver" and "Huge Furry Wotsitsname" pair of books. Can't stand the celebrity t0ssers, but they do help me sell houses.

We buyers (such as I am now) are incredibly shallow!

Sad to say, it works... But, I can assure you, it does!

DaftyDuck

penguingirl wrote: »

Like this one with McFly lyrics on the wall? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36054300.html

Just like that. Worse, even. They rite them themselves, the sweeties, and there sence of poetree and grammer is just.... offal!

I would post one up, but I might still make an offer on it... and I'd come (justifiably) a cropper for being rude about ikkle them and their wuvw for each owver....

Pass the bucket, Maud.

Gingernutty

Off street parking that involves self laid gravel, slab, some sort of tarmac patch or professionally laid stuff that's not been looked after.

Or printcrete which is lethal when wet.

The number of places where you could twist or break an ankle just getting to the front door beggars belief.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52549403.html - skimped on gravel which has worn through to the hardcore

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54261653.html - no even surface and overgrown

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52132667.html - slab not maintained, showing wear and dipping where the car's parked. Bonus points for the ratty plant life in the tired border.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48990746.html - Mossy tarmac and a broken down front wall.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43267666.html - concrete and tarmac patchwork is always popular with the dead things on the left of the picture giving the front drive that extra oomph!

Seriously, this is kerb appeal?