Unsure what I want, plus couple of houses opinions requested

Doozergirl

What about making a low offer on the first house? The rest of it looks to be of a pretty good standard and once you've removed the curtains and painted the woodwork, it'll look good.

I suspect the interior style will put some people off.

danlightbulb

Doozergirl wrote: »

What about making a low offer on the first house? The rest of it looks to be of a pretty good standard and once you've removed the curtains and painted the woodwork, it'll look good.

I suspect the interior style will put some people off.

I can see past the decoration/ornaments quite easily, I just think if someone has priced at that then they won't be entertaining what I think its worth. Makes me not want to waste my time given the other compromises.


I actually favour the second house, the more traditional looking one with the very long garden. It just needs too much work and the bathroom is almost unworkable. Again though I think its a good £20-30k over priced.


The leasehold is the nicest of the three out of the box I think, and fairly priced. But I'd want the freehold.

Smodlet

Hi, OP and what an interesting situation. Could it be the area you require is "up-and-coming"? Could this be the reason some are willing to pay what you consider over the odds for properties within it?

If this is the case, buying there could be a good investment; if it is not, is it worth extending your search area? Sometimes looking just a little further afield can provide better opportunities.

If compromising on location is not an option, then the dilemma remains; buy now and compromise/stretch yourself more than you want to or wait until you have saved a bigger deposit.

Since character is so important to you, I would suggest a fixer-upper might afford more opportunity to add your own stamp. You already have so many worthwhile hobbies; could extending your DIY skills be the next one, perhaps?

I wish you luck in your search and hope you come back to update this thread with your progress.

danlightbulb

Smodlet wrote: »

Hi, OP and what an interesting situation. Could it be the area you require is "up-and-coming"? Could this be the reason some are willing to pay what you consider over the odds for properties within it?

I don't think it is no. I have lived here all my life (nearly 40 years). I would say 60% of the region is run down, council and ex council areas. I would then say 30% is less than about 30 years old and comprised of unappealing boxes, build on brownfield where factories used to be. The older, nicer and originally private estates make up possibly 10% of the area maximum.

It may be easy for an outsider to an area to think it is up and coming but to those who know the place, I would not buy in 80% of it.

Smodlet wrote: »

If this is the case, buying there could be a good investment; if it is not, is it worth extending your search area? Sometimes looking just a little further afield can provide better opportunities.

If compromising on location is not an option, then the dilemma remains; buy now and compromise/stretch yourself more than you want to or wait until you have saved a bigger deposit.

Being single, I just don't want to move far from my friends and family and the area that I know. That's partly the reason I got so stressed about the previous house I put an offer in on, it was about 5 miles away (still only 15 minutes by car) but I felt isolated.

In any case, things are no better a bit further afield. To the north is Wolverhampton, mostly a dump, and to the south is Birmingham, again mostly a dump but more expensive and a PITA to get to work from there.

If I had the ultimate choice I'd go to live in rural Wales but I don't have that option.

Smodlet wrote: »

Since character is so important to you, I would suggest a fixer-upper might afford more opportunity to add your own stamp. You already have so many worthwhile hobbies; could extending your DIY skills be the next one, perhaps?

I have already done up two houses when I was married, which included kitchens, bathrooms, electrical work, woodwork, flooring, loft boarding, decoration. It was stressful and expensive, and now, with almost all of my cash going on the deposit, I won't have much spare to pay for it nor much free time to do it.

I'm still open to a refurb but it needs to be more cosmetic rather than structural, and the house will need to be liveable in from the get go so I can do the work over a period of time.

The problem here is, it feels to me that houses are being priced regardless of their state of repair. This is unacceptable.


This was the house I had an offer accepted on at £187,500.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75440494.html

It ticked all the boxes except it was 15 minutes away from where I know. But I felt it was too much of a stretch for me financially. Mortgage would have been £50 higher than current rent plus a band higher in council tax in a more expensive council area. Then it needed work which I could have done over time but expensive things like UPVC doors, windows, a new boiler, plus I have none of my own furniture. I just felt I couldn't risk it and it made me really stressed so I had to pull out.

That house, well you can see the backdrop, it was also on a really nice road full of similar style and larger detached houses which would have dragged the area upwards over time.

NaughtiusMaximus

How tied are you to that bit of the Black Country?

If you look more towards Oldbury/Rowley Regis/Cradley Heath/Halesowen direction there tend to be more in the way of older properties which are probably more likely to tick the kerb appeal and large garden boxes.

danlightbulb

NaughtiusMaximus wrote: »

How tied are you to that bit of the Black Country?

If you look more towards Oldbury/Rowley Regis/Cradley Heath/Halesowen direction there tend to be more in the way of older properties which are probably more likely to tick the kerb appeal and large garden boxes.

Good question. There are a couple of concerns the first and main one is about me isolating myself too much. Its a mental thing. Even though I drive most of the time anyway, I have a worry about moving further away on my own.

Secondly I work north of Walsall, so anywhere south of the main Black Country area (Wednesbury, Tipton) is a really bad commute. Cradley Heath is definitely no good, horrible commute from there. Possibly Oldbury, Rowley and Halesowen have motorway access to Walsall via M5 and M6, but I have looked and am struggling to see anything nice in those areas within my budget. Im not sure why, its not particularly special and its not like Birmingham commands high salaries like London does to justify property price increases in the commuting zone. Makes no sense.

markin

From the description you gave none of the houses you listed seemed to fit it, A bungalow?


https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76273543.html


https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-87234155.html

Bossypants

As a single woman with hobbies, I have similar requirements to yours, and I have ended up in a bungalow which suits me perfectly. Less hall space makes me feel like I'm not rattling around the way I felt in a 2.5 bed semi (also less to clean!), and the larger garden and footprint of the house means there is far more scope to extend in ways which work for me (my place has two bedrooms, one of which I have set up as a study. I'm in the process of converting the small garage to utility room, and in time plan to put a cabin in the garden for messier hobby work).

I hadn't actually wanted a bungalow to begin with, and only chose to see this one because I needed a space filler in between appointments, but so glad I did. It suits me much better than a 2/3 bed semi in a similar price range would have done, and as a bonus I'm detached, so much less neighbour noise, which IMO can be especially noticeable/bothersome when you're by yourself.

getmore4less

Can't the computer based stuff can go in an upstairs room.
We have our small bedroomed decked out as office and computer space, it keeps it away from the rest of the house.

Have you though about going top budget/affordability and making it a bit easier with lodger(s).

This could be short terms to raise some cash as needed or longer term just to use the extra space.

Maybe there is a Mon-Fri demand which can be very low impact.


upto £200k may open up some better options in your catchment area.

I fear you are going to have to play the waiting game if you wan to keep your search area very narrow.

GDB2222

danlightbulb wrote: »

I don't think it is no. I have lived here all my life (nearly 40 years). I would say 60% of the region is run down, council and ex council areas. I would then say 30% is less than about 30 years old and comprised of unappealing boxes, build on brownfield where factories used to be. The older, nicer and originally private estates make up possibly 10% of the area maximum.

It may be easy for an outsider to an area to think it is up and coming but to those who know the place, I would not buy in 80% of it.



Being single, I just don't want to move far from my friends and family and the area that I know. That's partly the reason I got so stressed about the previous house I put an offer in on, it was about 5 miles away (still only 15 minutes by car) but I felt isolated.

In any case, things are no better a bit further afield. To the north is Wolverhampton, mostly a dump, and to the south is Birmingham, again mostly a dump but more expensive and a PITA to get to work from there.

If I had the ultimate choice I'd go to live in rural Wales but I don't have that option.



I have already done up two houses when I was married, which included kitchens, bathrooms, electrical work, woodwork, flooring, loft boarding, decoration. It was stressful and expensive, and now, with almost all of my cash going on the deposit, I won't have much spare to pay for it nor much free time to do it.

I'm still open to a refurb but it needs to be more cosmetic rather than structural, and the house will need to be liveable in from the get go so I can do the work over a period of time.

The problem here is, it feels to me that houses are being priced regardless of their state of repair. This is unacceptable.


This was the house I had an offer accepted on at £187,500.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75440494.html

It ticked all the boxes except it was 15 minutes away from where I know. But I felt it was too much of a stretch for me financially. Mortgage would have been £50 higher than current rent plus a band higher in council tax in a more expensive council area. Then it needed work which I could have done over time but expensive things like UPVC doors, windows, a new boiler, plus I have none of my own furniture. I just felt I couldn't risk it and it made me really stressed so I had to pull out.

That house, well you can see the backdrop, it was also on a really nice road full of similar style and larger detached houses which would have dragged the area upwards over time.

I don’t know the area, but the one you offered on looks head and shoulders above the others. That’s mainly because of the lovely views. And it’s a spacious house. Personally, I’d buy that one, and if I could not afford to do it up, I’d live in it as it is.

That’s the compromise that suits me, and you might not be happy, but there’s a lot of house p0rn around telling us that a house is only a good home if it’s done up to look v smart. I’m not a subscriber to that notion.

Obviously, that one is now shown as under offer, but there may be more like it around.