Rejigging layout of bedroom and WC

chappers

Doozergirl wrote: »

The roof looks a bit dodgy in the photos. Is the guttering missing?And the front looks like it needs a lick of paint as there's clear evidence of rainwater pouring down the front sides at some point. Next door looks like the one that has been refurbished in that photo.

I'm pretty sure it's the one on the right despite the position of the sign.

Doozergirl

chappers wrote: »

I'm pretty sure it's the one on the right despite the position of the sign.

No. It's not. It's the house that looks like it needs painting and it has no guttering at the front. The purchase history is on rightmove and the window in the first interior pic matches the downstairs window on the exterior shot.

I am amazed that a 'property developer' would leave a house without guttering months after putting it on the market. The front bedroom is sure to be suffering.

If I hadn't noticed it from the photographs and came for a viewing, I would not be making an offer based on the fact that if such a basic and important element is missing, what else is hiding behind the new fittings?

OP if you want to spend some money, fork out a couple of hundred on new gutter, fascia and making the front attractive. If it were me, I'd have stretched as far as a new roof and some attention to the render.

The house next door is the one that has been renovated properly. It's larger as well, looking at floorplans.

drummer_666

Doozergirl wrote: »

I am amazed that a 'property developer' would leave a house without guttering months after putting it on the market. The front bedroom is sure to be suffering.

'Property developer', yes. The house has been massively transformed, walls knocked down to creating a much larger kitchen, new kitchen, new bathroom, certain walls and ceilings re-skimmed, new fuse board, new carpets and flooring and decor, such as chasing in water and gas pipes etc.

It would have been nice to turn the stairs, but I wouldn't recoup the cost.
I didn't take out the chimney in the second bedroom because of the period fireplace, but I've learnt my lesson on this and if I were to start over on this house I'd remove the chimney.

I hadn't noticed the guttering, as there is no damp in the property. There wasn't when I bought it and there isn't now. I am pretty new to this game, this is my third property, so I guess that (along with no evidence from damp) is why I didn't notice. Tho I noticed I needed a new downpipe out the back and fitted this.

I've just posted on freeindex for quotes. Unless there's anyone you would recommend?

Doozergirl wrote: »

I'd have stretched as far as a new roof and some attention to the render.

A new roof?? I'd make no profit on the place if I was to pay for a new roof or new rendering. I've already spent 10k with me doing 85% of the work.

Doozergirl wrote: »

The house next door is the one that has been renovated properly. It's larger as well, looking at floorplans.

It's pretty much identical in size to next door. Both houses share the space above the entrance alley. I have the back half, they have the front half.

StumpyPumpy

According to your listing:

• Off road parking

<snip>
Approach
The property is approached via pebbled driveway leading to side entrance door.

When I look at the 2014 streetview it shows a grass verge and no dropped kerb in front of your house, have you had these changed? Because if not then I could see why people might agree to view and then not be interested.

The council would not take kindly to people driving over the verge all the time and, I for one, would not be happy bumping my car over a kerb to park in my "driveway". Plus, with all the double yellows there seems to be nowhere else nearby to park.

SP

drummer_666

StumpyPumpy wrote: »

According to your listing:When I look at the 2014 streetview it shows a grass verge and no dropped kerb in front of your house, have you had these changed? Because if not then I could see why people might agree to view and then not be interested.

The council would not take kindly to people driving over the verge all the time and, I for one, would not be happy bumping my car over a kerb to park in my "driveway". Plus, with all the double yellows there seems to be nowhere else nearby to park.

SP

There is a dropped kerb just along, so you don't have to bump the car. The grass verge is still there, me and next door have to drive over it. I know she contacted the council about it but I haven't heard anything back.

There are double yellows down the road until a few houses past mine, then limited parking there and also limited parking the other side of the road.

drummer_666

Just had a viewing and non investor for a change, most positive viewing in a while. They actually said 'decent size bedrooms'. Tho said 'she only bought it 9 months ago for 82k and there's not been 20k spent on it'...

Before the viewing I set up the cupboard over the stairs properly as a wardrobe in bedroom 2. I put a makeshift rail in and a few clothes on hangers (to show it's intended use, meaning no freestanding wardrobe needs to go in the room to save space)

Guttering man is about to come to quote too.

drummer_666

Turns out there is guttering! it's just done a bit strangely.

He can take the guttering off, put lead flashing behind and put new guttering for £220
I have no drain, so it would have to feed into next door on the lefts (it can't go to the right as they have a different roof), or could come in a downpipe and into my garden

StumpyPumpy

There is a dropped kerb just along, so you don't have to bump the car. The grass verge is still there, me and next door have to drive over it. I know she contacted the council about it but I haven't heard anything back.

There are double yellows down the road until a few houses past mine, then limited parking there and also limited parking the other side of the road.

That would totally put me off, I'm afraid. I don't consider it a drive where you can park a car if you have to weave along the pavement and across a grass verge to get there. I know that some people don't care, but for me that would be an instant "no" decision.

I suspect the council would have something to say about it as well as your house is very near a junction. They might well refuse permission for a footway crossing and I'm sure they'd take a dim view of cars driving down a pavement, if only for pedestrian safety reasons. I certainly wouldn't take the chance buying it in the hope that the council would let me put one in.

SP

Doozergirl

When you buy a property to renovate, your primary concern is what concerns a mortgage surveyor, as this protects your investment and sets what you pay.

That means structure first. The walls, the roof & rainwater system, the windows. Looking for signs of rot, damp, movement, missing or defective items. Then inside, looking at the electrical and plumbing systems, the condition of the plastered walls.

You establish what *might* need doing, as it inevitably will, and you work out a budget for it.

Kitchens, bathrooms and carpet are the icing on the cake, not the cake. They also need budgeting for.

If the roof needs replacing, you can't complain that you won't make money. If a surveyor comes and highlights the point that this one is at or very near to the end of its life, then you are heading for £5k being knocked off your price.

If you leave gaping holes in the integrity of the building, you stand to lose what you don't budget for. At the moment, there are clear areas at the front of the building where money needs to be spent.

Moving around the internals has to come second to the integrity of the building. Calling yourself a true property developer means having integrity and being able to hold your head up and know that you've set a building up for the next 100 years. Buy houses at the right price that allow you to do things properly and stand the best chance of a profit. Doing things half-cocked is a risk.

Doozergirl

drummer_666 wrote: »

Turns out there is guttering! it's just done a bit strangely.

He can take the guttering off, put lead flashing behind and put new guttering for £220
I have no drain, so it would have to feed into next door on the lefts (it can't go to the right as they have a different roof), or could come in a downpipe and into my garden

The deeds will allow the sharing of the guttering but you stand to overload the guttering on both yours and the house on the left if you join onto one. The terrace was designed to share across the three including the house with the new roof.

Where is he proposing the new downpipe goes to on your land?