What's your must have/nice to have/won't touch list

todayisagreatday

Our list was:

Priority:

- Something we could do up
- Semi-rural, walking distance to shop/bus but drive to train station
- Location, low crime rates, good neighbours
- Private drive/parking/non-estate or new build
- Detached

Would like:

- Close to water/outdoor space
- Not overlooked

What we compromised on:

Nothing really, well our neighbours are opposite but across the canal so with water between us it's fine and I guess we are overlooked to some extent as we have barges go past our window daily (but I love it)! We aren't on the towpath side so anyone walking past is on t'other side of the canal.

Edited, not compromises at the time but things I've found since. Discovered since, mobile phone signal is terrible. Been with every main provider since moving at Easter. Apparently the other side of the canal makes all the difference as the neighbours have no issues! Another point, how much we miss mains gas and the complexity of oil and the daily price changes. Hopefully with the renovation we will be updating to ground source heat pump.

Oh the wife had to get rid of her Audi TT as it wasn't practical driving over the canal bridge to access the house!

Flugelhorn

Looking at present for somewhere to retire to.
Must Have:
* newer than 1970's (fed up of cold Edwardian with impossible roof)
* more sensible roof!
* don't mind oil FCH
* 4 beds, downstairs loo
* parking, garage,
* sensible supermarket within 2-3 miles

Avoid:
* semis / terraced
* 4 storey houses
* plots with uncontrollable boundaries ie wild hedges (or neighbours)

maisie_cat

For me it is all about location, not next to a very busy road, enough space between us and the neighbours in case they decide to build a housing development next door. A large size plot over a nice house with parking and some sort of outbuildings for stuff that would otherwise take up space in the house. Internal layout can be reconfigured, but you can't lift the house. I would not buy a "recently refurbished" property. I do not want to pay a premium for somebody else's cheap but flashy kitchen installation, although I know that people are swayed by the shiny new stuff.

julicorn

When we were looking for our first property, the following were important to us:

Need to have:
- Excellent public transport links. Need to get to work (slightly out of town) within an hour, with max 1 change of buses.
- Close to shops, cafes, etc (basically 'somewhere central')
- 1 bedroom

Also need to have:
Either a garden or a second bedroom. We knew we likely wouldn't get both, but wanted one of those.

Need to haves (which we only realised after viewing a fair few flats):
- Needs to feel light and have reasonably high ceilings
- Needs to have a decent size living room

Nice to have:
- Close to the sea
- Period features


Happy to say we got all of the above, aside from the 2nd bedroom.

bouicca21

Given that I'm in London so choice is limited by price, I had a simple must have list: toilet and bathroom on same floor as bedroom; structurally sound; walking distance to a station; some outside space.

quantumlobster

Must have:

• On the coast - this means a sub-5 minute walk to the sea.
• Off-street parking for two cars, side by side.
• An enclosed garden for an idiot lurcher to run around in, also for me and quantumspouse to sit about in and drink beer, of a summer afternoon/evening
• Separate kitchen - I can live with a through lounge/dining room, but must be able to shut the dirty pots and the smell of cooking in the kitchen
• Double-glazing and modern heating
• A decent corner shop within walking distance - this means open 7-11, 7 days a week
• Lots of light. Quaint little windows ain't gonna do it for me.
• Good connectivity - I work from home a lot, so decent broadband and mobile signal are essential.

Nice to have:

• Sub-30 minute commute to work
• Supermarket within walking distance
• Fancy bathroom - as long as it's clean and functional, I'm not bothered about mood lighting and piped music and full-body power showers etc. But a rainfall shower is lush.
• Detached - we're in a semi on a corner plot so the neighbours (nice as they are) aren't too close (except for the ones we're attached to, but they're quiet as mice)

Won't touch:

• Terraced. Did that for a long time, never going back. I like the fact that it's a good 20 metres from my living room window to the end of the front garden and 10 metres to the front gate - after having my front door open directly onto the street (albeit with a small front lobby), it's a revelation
• Anything that's not freehold.
• New builds. It's not so much the interiors - lots of sockets and lights is good, after all - but it's the cheek-by-jowl nature of the estates (there are some new detached houses here that have literally less than two metres separation on each side) and the crap nature of the gardens. They also rarely have decent parking without sacrificing the front garden to the god of the motor car. Also, my house has 2.7M ceilings, which I'd struggle to give up.
• On a related note, anything with daft covenants/management fees/other restrictions
• Any weirdness like flying freeholds, crazy access arrangements - shared access can get in the sea

mollie78

Basic criteria :
4+ bed, detached, off road parking for 2+ cars, 2+ bathrooms, decent sized hallway, no major work needed, garden / gch / double glazing

Wish list :
all bedrooms good size with good storage or space for it, separate reception room for piano / kids toys, utility room, storage for hoover / mop / ironing board (little thing but don't have at the moment and drives me mad!), freehold, kitchen / diner on the back facing south, minimally overlooked front and back

moneyistooshorttomention

If I were able to move again then:

MUST HAVE
- Genuine detached (ie more than a couple of feet of space between myself and neighbours) (got that now)
- Normal road (not unadopted).
- Not leasehold or any service charges (got that now)
- At least two bedrooms (got that now)
- No worries about whether lots of new building may happen nearby (got that now)
- Not busy with traffic (either on road or air)(got that now)
- Reasonable neighbourhood (got that now)
- Nothing powered by oil/calor gas or anything else that isnt "mains" fuel (got that now - but had to rip out "other" stuff).
- No broadband problems (still working on that one....).
- No troublesome neighbours (ie would-be land nickers etc).

WANT TO HAVE;
- A decent area in my home city
- Either a very large bathroom or two bathrooms
- Private back garden
- Bigger garden
- An extra bedroom or two
- Garage or other suitable storage space
- Conservatory
- No major work needed and, hopefully, it would already be neutral decor/modern/etc. Perfection would be no work needed at all.
- Utility room

WibblyGirly

Must have: 3 bedrooms, driveway, garden.

Nice to have: 3 double bedrooms. 2 toilets, garage.

Won't touch: leasehold, new build, shared ownership, flat, main bathroom downstairs (been there, done that)

datlex

For me my requirements were:
-reasonable location
-close to shops (within 15 minutes walk)- (place I bought is within 5)
-close to bus route.
-Freehold
-Garden
-Quiet neighbours
-2 bedrooms (in case I need to rent one out)
-Doesn't need work doing, but has potential to improve.

Deal breakers

-Leasehold
- Noisy neighbours