Self help thread. I am a widow coping getting on with it
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I was a bit pro-active just now and did the drive around, ending back at the village shop. House number 1, N facing garden and very much in need of modernisation, I think 1950s and a family house, just set back a little from the road through the villages. Far too big for a single widow, even one with lots of hobbies. House 2, the one that came on last night, on the edge of the village, looks back over an open paddock and field, I saw one house being built so more will follow, however it is too on the edge and I passed dozens of homes that I would much rather have. This one was .8 mile from the shop with a farm to one side. I would never feel safe on the edge like that
My niece owns an estate agency, only started it up a couple of years ago and now employs 11 people. Specialises in high end (expensive/unusual) homes. She has been invaluable in bringing up archived details, so many properties are churned any which way they can so that they show a more recent date for getting on the market. I save my important questions for her, so that she does not get fed up with me and next time I ask her will be when I have had a second viewing . I am finding details via zoopla once I find something on RM and often have to download the EA brochure to get house number/name and postcode. From this I am often able to find last sold price and always find the flood risk and that helps me eliminate some properties straight away
You are wise to think carefully about security. At one time my dream house would have been something rural and remote and a stroll along a lonely lane to the shops would not be something to worry me.
Not any more, I now think about how safe it is likely to be. Singletons do need to be safety savvy.
No one wants to live in Fort Knox but it's best to be safe than sorry. So nowadays I want neighbours, good fences, gates I can lock etc.
The viewer loved the house, called it "stunning". However he was an investor so might not want to meet my asking price.
I shall stand firm......I can bide my time.
Good Luck with the viewing this afternoon.You might even get a bidding war- fingers crossed for you.
DDs are taking me out on Saturday to go to DH's home town and let his cousins there know about the baby news so I am looking forward to that. My next project is to sort out the internal garage so I have ordered a big tool chest to put things away safely and also another set of a shelving unit so I can put the boxes of Christmas decoarations into the wardrobe in there and put existing things in the wardrobe away on the shelf unit.
Eventually I want to get a decent flooring put onto the concrete floor so the garage feels more like a room and maybe get a curtain rail put up to conceal the garage doors.
Hugs to all
In our old we turned our garage into a mini gym as well as having the second freezer and various storage units in there.
Next viewing tomorrow and one for Thursday so it's looking Positive.
Intended to do some gardening this afternoon but it's wet and miserable. It's actually turned quite cold again, so I shall have a nice cosy evening by the fire.
I think I need to make a list, again, must haves and would likes. I must admit that I would like a high epc, like here and have seen some homes with comfortable underfloor heating ie no radiators blocking wallspace. It is all about future comfort. New houses have much better security as well as being more energy efficient but I only ever see poor reviews on the big builders, I need to remember that it tends to be the disgruntled who review
There are properties all over, selling up and with a `view` then I look at the area/village development plan and there are proposals for 50+ houses in the vicinity. Personally I am not looking for a view because I won`t need to worry. One of my potential areas an hour from here, I saw a tentative proposal for 1000+ homes and a garden community, what that means to me is communal charges. It is a minefield but I am not adverse to a new build. The guarantee is also important
Obviously there will be the usual wear and tear on boilers etc but buy a new build and you should be guaranteed several years of easy maintenance.
A new house with a nice stylish bathroom and kitchen, good energy ratings etc. The one thing I will advise is to ensure that it is freehold. There are some new builds that are subject to some weird leasehold arrangements. Quite a scandal in some areas.
The other thing to remember is that new builds, by law, have to disabled user friendy, so you will get easy thresholds, staircases wide enough to take a stairlift etc.
It gives easy access to wider doors, plugs, light switches, bathroom/ensuite suitable for wheel chair/zimmer frame should this ever become necessary.
Our bungalow is on a flat piece of land and so again wheelchair/zimmer frame friendly. We also have a frontage for several cars to be parked.
I was so glad we had bought this bungalow, as when my husband became ill he was able to stay at home with me looking after him.
As for 'bungalow legs' - I think this is a load of rubbish. Just keep busy i.e. wash and clean your own car, do the garden, keep busy, walk as much as possible, use stairs in department stores or go to keep fit groups, etc.
Our bungalow is a one-off and I have a variety of properties and people living around me. I live in a village with a shop/post office that I can walk to and also there is a village hall. There is a bus, but it only runs a couple of times a day, but there is a Fact bus and you can arrange to be picked up from your home and taken to supermarkets/hospital.
I have also joined U3A and a Widows/widowers group, where I have made lots of friends. We arrange theatre visits/NT visits/coach trips and lots more. We also help each other.
I hope LL and Kittie find a property they like that makes them happy and gives them the life style they want.
Those latest over 55s on a bigger development, all expensive but the least expensive, which is what I would have bought, all have poor orientations ie N facing back gardens so any potential conservatory would never see the sun. I am glad I had a very good look at the site plan. I sometimes have to search all over to find these, after digging for the plot number. I saw online 2 other new properties on large developments nearer home, again found the plots available and the site plans and again, poor orientation. It looks very much as though I will be staying within my first location, the area I know. It isn`t a rat run either, something else I learnt after digging