Checklist when buying your next home?

LEJC

The good catchment area for schools is also an interesting one,especially if you don't need the school at the moment,but are hoping to use the education system in 4 or 5 years time.

A lot changes so whats good now may not be when the time comes for you to consider your options,boundries change and dare I say what is rated as good can easy slip to special measures.

I live in an area where our local primary school has plummeted recently simply because of a change in the management structure there....it makes no difference to me as I no longer have children of that age but I should imagine that its caught quite a few out who bought within the last few years expecting no change.

things go in cycles so hence me not completely understanding why a good first or secondary school might be so high on the wishlist when the child or children are still in the planning stage.

[Deleted User]

LEJC wrote: »

The good catchment area for schools is also an interesting one,especially if you don't need the school at the moment,but are hoping to use the education system in 4 or 5 years time.

Our situation was very annoying - we've moved into a catchment area (just) of a school that our kids now go to - but the secondary school in the area changed its feeder school criteria, so we now don't know where on earth the kids will end up in a few years time.

I now don't fancy paying > £10k in stamp duty and moving costs just to get the kids into a secondary school. The nearest secondary school has a 'catchment area' of about 800m - live outside that and you need to pass an exam or be great at music. We're 1.2km from it

So be careful on those catchment areas.

Marvel1

Must have:

* Not close to school - round the corner, opposite
* Close to shops for walking - don't fancy getting in the car just for milk.
* No off-road parking - well what is it like in day (full of commuters?) and evening (everyone is home).
* Car insurance quote for the street, how much more or less is it?
* No open living space - kitchen and living room not being separate
* Walking distance to bus stop for works bus.
* Freehold
* Not on main road
* Council band no more than B, at a push a C.

DigForVictory

Our musts were at least 3 bedroom, not too far from work, acceptable schools & a decent amount of space.

We walked into several places that ticked these but as we took everyone (two toddlers & the baby), we could tell quickly if a house had "it".

We bought a Listed building, as Himself loved the occupiable with possibilities, I loved the parquet floor, eldest twigged he'd get his own room, middleson looked deep into the fireplace happily & youngest gurgled like a chuckling stream as we slid him along the parquet floor on his nappy. We were collectively smitten.

That it's on a minor road, near a bus stop, most of the way up a hill, slap in the catchment of the grammar [to which none have yet gone], decent medical practice at the bottom of the hill, & a short length away from Mway network? Are all un-looked-for bonuses.

It's a Listed moneypit, there's still one room full of boxes over a decade later, but each son has his own room, there is space to get up to all sorts of things both indoors & out & I'll probably only get Himself out of it in a coffin. Meanwhile, having neglected the garden so the lads could play hide & seek in camo without giving anyone stress, we've begun to clear the weeds, plant cereals & historical comestibles (versus bindweed) & planted an edible hedge (gooseberries doing splendidly, hazel and other hedge plants surviving, everything downslope doing better as food & water wash downhill) & the front garden has been cleared of the skip & is a thriving herb garden.

Hope you find your place!

Bonniepurple

Ours were 3 beds and 2 reception rooms (one to act as a spare room), parking and room to extend. Schools were important, but I would say never judge on an Ofsted report- DD1’s old school was outstanding, their current school is in special measures - but I rate it higher than the old school.
TBH, our budget meant we were very limited within what we could afford.

NaughtiusMaximus

EmmyLou30 wrote: »

-No hideous conservatory tacked on the back (would you believe that was the hardest thing to find! Lots of family sized houses seem to have a poor mans extension on the back)

I know what you mean, some of the high end conservatories where there is as much brick as there is glass can be quite attractive but the bog standard UPVC and glass ones you usually see are awful, I'd rather have a decent patio.

I wouldn't necessary rule out a house with a UPVC conservatory but it certainly wouldn't add anything to the value as far as I'm concerned, maybe even detract from it for a particularly cheap and nasty one.

phoebe1989seb

For us it's always been about the character of the house We've never bought anything more recent than Victorian and have previously owned Georgian and Tudor houses, although neither were listed.

Space - internal and external - is also very important for us, which I think can be traced back to our first flat that had a huge (20' x 14') living room and very large bathroom (with delightful peach corner bath!) - both quite rare in one-bed flats. I suppose you could say this spoilt us.

More recently we've become extremely intolerant of noise - possibly due to our last house being located on a very busy, rural A road, something which the third of an acre garden failed to compensate for.

Also, we used to own a lovely large house with a nursery school next door that went on to open a second branch opposite. The noise from dozens of kids screaming whilst playing in the gardens was hideous, so that has coloured our decision-making process too.

So, our current move must haves, in no particular order -

Detached house - overall size less important now it's just us two, but room for island in kitchen We've looked at some one-bed houses.

Large garden/preferably an acre plus of land but would consider less if most other boxes were ticked.

No near neighbours.

Peaceful, rural location.

No busy roads or railway lines adjoining land.

Within 30 minutes drive of a quiet beach suitable for dog-walking.

Outbuildings for our business.

Characterful property if possible.

Fixer upper - no renovated properties.

Edited to add - preferably a lower council tax band than the crippling band G we're currently in!

ReadingTim

• Do I want it?
• Can I afford it

The rest is mere detail.

Debtslayer

Location - most important criteria
Nice neighbours
Good room sizes
Not overlooked
Garage and driveway

Murphybear

We moved recently. It took 6 months to find the right property. We were looking for long term rental but same issues apply


Our "must have" things were

Quiet location - we are retired so no commuting
2 receptions or 3 bedrooms
If a house rather than bungalow, downstairs cloakroom
Large kitchen with room for full sized fridge, full sized freezer, small freezer, dishwasher and washing machine, plus tons of cupboards (this was the most difficult thing to find)
Parking for 2 cars, not fighting with neighbours over this
How warm would the house be in the winter, cost of heating
Cat friendly i.e. No main roads
Rural area but not a massive distance from shops
Decent medical facilities not too far (I wanted to be in the catchment area of a particular hospital )
A garage (for storage, not for the car;) or a lot of storage in the house
- we have accumulated a lot of possessions in 134 years (between us)
Lowish rent

We looked at a lot of properties and never thought we'd find anything suitable but we found a house on a farm with 3 receptions, 4 bedrooms, low rent. Perfect if you don't mind a small field of sheep as closest neighbours