Is this house worth it?

JohnLock

Looking for a house for my mother.
This one looks decent and a reasonable price.
Is it too good to be true?
Find fault with it?
Thanks.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65911663.html

need_an_answer

Its SSTC

...

JohnLock

It's not.

We phoned the estate agent and they said the buy folded.

It's going back on the market in few days.

LilElvis

How old is your mother and does she have any mobility issues? The kitchen and bathroom both look very narrow with little room to manoeuvre and the stairs have a turn in them - not easy for the less mobile. The downstairs toilet only appears to have outside access which means no bathroom facilities for users of the second bedroom.

JohnLock

We are going to view it. We like it because it seems to be located in quite an upmarket area. Safety and low crime is important for its price tag.

JohnLock

LilElvis wrote: »

How old is your mother and does she have any mobility issues? The kitchen and bathroom both look very narrow with little room to manoeuvre and the stairs have a turn in them - not easy for the less mobile. The downstairs toilet only appears to have outside access which means no bathroom facilities for users of the second bedroom.

Hello
She's late 60s, just lost her husband and is moving out of Birmingham to somewhere more elderly friendly and safer for her. She is still mobile, no issues here. She said she'd rather live in a decent area and have a smaller house and garden, less to manage, and be safe and happy.

pinklady21

Very small and quite poky. Is it on a main road? Double yellow lines might be an issue for parking. Needs some refurb, is this reflected in price?

Gwendo40

First question I'd be asking the EA is why did the last sale fall through?

PasturesNew

Let's roll it on a few years .... to the time when ambulances start to be called. that front door looks tricky - those steps, high threshold, narrow door.

Those stairs will become very difficult to climb, they're steep/narrow for "young/fit people". You'd never get a stairlift up that.....

Getting from the living room into the garden seems a faff, with the two doors so close together and the way they're hung.

If she's got people round, she has to send them out into the garden for the loo, or through the bedroom... and if it's a stranger then would she want strangers walking through either her bedroom or her junk/storage room? Strangers can be anybody, from the chap trying to sell her double glazing, to the man who called about the non existent roof problem.... "can I just use your loo?" .... and nobody likes to say "NO!".

Small is good.... but this house'd really need knocking about a bit to make it age-suitable so she wasn't a bed blocker in 20 years' time.

victoriavictorious

I know the area well, it's a gorgeous location in a fabulous town, and I totally get why it appeals to your Mother. The price actually doesn't seem too good to be true at all; that's about what very small, slightly cramped period cottages go for in Belle View. It's priced to reflect the very small size. I think it will look even smaller in real life when you go to view.
However, perhaps your Mother could reconfigure the downstairs layout to make a nice open plan kitchen with 'a wall of doors' opening out to the garden?
I've seen this done many times with small Victorian cottages and they can look fantastic.
If your Mother has got the budget to afford the refurbishments, I think it could make a wonderful home for her.
Yes, of course anything can happen healthwise in the future, but there again it can equally happen to anyone at any time and any age.
That doesn't necessarily mean we all need to rush out and buy something 'age appropriate' eg a bungalow when we hit a certain age. Everyone is different.
Imo if your mother likes the house, feels she will be happy and can see the potential, she should go for it.
EDITED TO ADD:
Parking is indeed very problematic in this area, as it is in most of Shrewsbury; it's the only downside, but there again, it's within walking distance of the town centre which has every facility. There are always compromises with a limited budget. Location is something I would not be prepared to compromise on!

davidmcn

Front door opening directly into living room would be irritating for me.