First-time Buyers; your opinions please!

Bettycheese

I've previously posted for advice re the range of central heating options available for a renovation property we're purchasing, and got many helpful responses.

My Fianc! and I have narrowed it down to gas or electric (not the old fashioned storage heaters, but modern systems where you can heat specific zones etc).

May I please ask any first-time buyers to give us some very honest opinions about which option would be most / least attractive to you, and if either would stop you viewing or considering a property at all?

The house is a 3 bed 60's semi, and in our area (South-East) would probably go on the market for circa £330k, and would probably attract mostly first-time buyers.

Thank you!

matelodave

Gas is the most attractive and electric is the least.

I'm not a first time buyer but we had to sell my mum's place a couple of years ago.

It had electric panel heaters, which she was quite happy with, but the place sat on the market for over nine months whilst other similar (virtually identical) properties around us sold for more than we were asking. We had no offers and very few viewings

In the end I bit the bullet and installed gas central heating - it sold within a week for an offer over the asking price.

First time buyers can't afford to replace heating systems as they've usually stretched themselves to the limit in buying their first property.

Secondly many people (my Mum included) don't want the disruption of installing a central heating system when they move in unless they are doing a renovation.

So if it's already ther,e it's been done, the disruption is over and it's value is already reflected in the house price. Many people will want a very substantial discount on the asking price - usually a lot more than installing central heating would have cost

You can draw your own conclusions

[Deleted User]

Have been looking for a first time buy for a family member and gas central heating is the preferred option. It is astonishing how many homes with electric heating are still on the market after 3 or 4 months whilst the gas ones seem to sell much quicker.
P.s. This is in the south east of England too.