Tips, Tricks and Things to avoid while purchasing a Victorian property

magn8p

Surrey_EA wrote: »

The property shown in the link above was first listed on Rightmove over a year ago, and completed on 25.02.16, so it's possible prices have increased in the area over this time period.

From your Dname, it's obvious that you are a EA :-) What's your take on Wimpey-no-fines. I get a mixed opinion from EAs here - some say not to go for it, some say Wimpy-no-fines unlike other concrete builds are mostly mortgageable.

lincroft1710

I personally would avoid Wimpey No Fines, I think the Victorian house would be easier to sell, should you want to move in the future.

Surrey_EA

magn8p wrote: »

From your Dname, it's obvious that you are a EA :-) What's your take on Wimpey-no-fines. I get a mixed opinion from EAs here - some say not to go for it, some say Wimpy-no-fines unlike other concrete builds are mostly mortgageable.

Not really something I have a great deal of experience with, so I'm not the best person to ask. I understand that most of the major mortgage providers will lend, but they're not the most attractive of buildings are they?

borkid

Many years ago now so might not be applicable but we went for an edwardian house. They'd done up the kitchen and the house looked refurbished but had only changed the sockets and not rewired. When we came to have some work done we discovered the unseen wiring was very old and we were lucky it hadn't caused a fire. Check the house has been properly rewired I think if done recently they need certificates from a qualified electrician.

lincroft1710

Surrey_EA wrote: »

The property shown in the link above was first listed on Rightmove over a year ago, and completed on 25.02.16, so it's possible prices have increased in the area over this time period.

Good point didn't realise the listing was that old.

DigForVictory

If you want a house with character, rather than some new build, then a Full Structural Survey is a good idea.

It may break your heart, but it will warn you of just what you are getting into & give you solid grounds to negotiate over the price a bit.

Chanes

I've had one, sold it and would never repeat it. We had problems with damp, so much so the timber to the ground floor had rotted in the wall and the entire floor had to lifted and refitted. The kitchen had a solid floor which had been laid over some kind of ash and needed replacing along with the kitchen wall plaster up to a metre from the ground. Whilst the kitchen was removed and the floor smashed and taken out it was discovered that a supporting wall had been built on top of a plank of wood and it had to be built up with bricks because the rot would have wrecked the plank and the wall would have collapsed. The lovely covings had to be modified and the price of matching them was unreal.The party wall in the loft...eek! The solid wall to the rear elevation to be pinned. Cavity ties replaced to the front elevation. It just went on and on. And the pinned rear wall was a joke as if those rods could have stopped the wall from moving it would have ripped the floors out! But we had to have it done for the mortgage. Retentions and such. Then there was the electrics needing to be replaced...on and on it went. But the survey wasn't too bad...until we moved in and found what was not revealed or tested. Good luck anyways. Oh, and the heating costs were horrifying, such lovely high ceilings in rooms need lots of heat to keep them toasty...oh..a new boiler...

And that's just what I remember in a few moments!