Unsure what I want, plus couple of houses opinions requested

getmore4less

danlightbulb wrote: »

What flexibility would I get from a bungalow that I don't get from a house? What different things / fun / interesting things could I do with one?

You only want upstairs space for a bedroom and bathroom, by having all the rooms downstairs you can use each room for all activities

look for chalet or possibility to make chalet for a master that would free up downstairs space.

In a lot of areas they relativity more expensive as tend to be on larger plots.

getmore4less

danlightbulb wrote: »

I guess if I was going for a bungalow (still uncertain about that idea tbf), something like this looks decent:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57484677.html

Its a good size house, 300+ m2 of back garden. Would need to build a driveway at the front and do up the bathroom but it looks mostly cosmetic work needed otherwise. Potential to build upwards too I suppose, not that I'd need the space.

no floor plan hate that.

Good sized living room to accommodate the indoor hobbies

Flat roof rear extension.

more like this near that and this came up

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86490530.html


good garage space with that extra bit to the side
might even be possible to get a downstairs shower in so you have a "dirty" entrance through that side door when back from bike rides.

The back living/dining room and the main living room connected by double doors could go more open plan

off road parking

Flat roof on the side extension not so good.

phoebe1989seb

getmore4less wrote: »

You only want upstairs space for a bedroom and bathroom, by having all the rooms downstairs you can use each room for all activities

look for chalet or possibility to make chalet for a master that would free up downstairs space.

In a lot of areas they relativity more expensive as tend to be on larger plots.

A house we previously owned was a characterful, older chalet. There were just two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, but on the ground floor were five reception rooms, two shower rooms plus kitchen and a conservatory. Plenty of rooms for our collections (mostly books, music and large antique furniture )

The only downside was that the once large plot had been sold off to build two more properties, although it did still have a wrap-around garden.

We sold the house to a family with three kids (they've since had a further three and still live there), who planned to use some of the *reception* rooms as bedrooms.

I also used to associate bungalows/chalets with older/retired people (possibly because my only experience of them was a couple of elderly relatives owning them), but we purchased ours when aged about 40 and the couple we sold to were a bit younger. I'd definitely not rule them out......

danlightbulb

HRH_MUngo wrote: »

How about this? Or is the area too far out?

The 'garden' is a bit rough.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-66218940.html

Or this : https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75765154.html

The one you offered on is very nice. Ettingshall Park is a good area.

Appreciate you looking and posting those.

First one, I just don't like it. In my opinion, those style houses are not really fit for modern living styles. They've bodged the side garage on there, and no off road parking. Couldn't even be bothered to move van for photo, assuming its theirs, which if it isn't, makes it even worse.

Second one, I have seen it. Unfortunately its next door to a low rent car sales forecourt. That style of house is pretty well laid out if done nicely inside, its the same as the Ettingshall house. I probably won't get better than that house, perhaps I shouldn't have pulled out but I was seriously concerned that it would leave me very financially vulnerable. After saving for many years the deposit I have, I don't want to make myself financially vulnerable.

getmore4less wrote: »

no floor plan hate that.

Agreed, its very lazy for a listing not to have a floor plan these days. However Ive figured it out from looking at the photos and google maps. The two bay windows at the front are two bedrooms and the rear flat roofed extension is the living room. The kitchen is on the left side and the third bedroom and bathroom is on the right side.

getmore4less wrote: »

more like this near that and this came up

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-86490530.html

good garage space with that extra bit to the side
might even be possible to get a downstairs shower in so you have a "dirty" entrance through that side door when back from bike rides.

I have seen that one. Unfortunately it suffers from best house in the street syndome, something I understand to be a bad thing. Plus the garden is not a very good size.

Like many of the houses I am finding, it is priced way above the recent sold prices in the road or local area. I'm having a great deal of issue with this. Can we discuss this problem as it might help me better judge whether something is genuinely overpriced or not?

Take the one found earlier:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-76353799.html

I said:

danlightbulb wrote: »

Thanks for looking for me. Interesting one. Firstly, it was sold for only £100k in Oct 2018, presumably in a run down state but still, +£80k in just over a year when no structural additions have been made? Technically it is also an end terrace not a semi. The middle house of that row sold for just £87k in 2015. A 3 bed link-detached in the same road sold for £175k in March 2018. Im sorry to appear picky, but still only 1 downstairs living space because they've done it as a kitchen-diner rather than having an extra separate room downstairs. Also no garage. I feel that at the ceiling of an area, it really could be better, although its in good condition I accept and has a reasonable sized garden. It has room for extending but I can't find £20k for that for probably 10-15 years at least.

I do like it though. Just think its overpriced given no building additions have been made to it. I would say its worth £180k if ground floor extensions had been built to the side and rear.

What do you think about this? Do you agree or disagree with my logic? Why am I finding so many houses that, based on recent sold prices, appear so optimistic in their pricing?

Appreciate the help so far. I don't have many people to ask for advice, as I live alone. I don't want to make a bad decision.

getmore4less

I can't analyse a street in detail but sometimes the best house in the street may be the one for you and none of the others are, you may have to pay a bit more to get what you want.

Finding houses in streets that do meet your needs might just be streets that are too expensive even for the worst house in the street.

I suspect your wants are not compatible with your budget.

Larger than normal downstairs room to accommodate TV, computer, piano hobby
Secure attached garage for bike workshop hobby
Large garden
Off road parking for at least 2 cars.
Cheap but only cosmetic updates no building work to get the spaces right.

Remind me why YOU need the big garden?
That one I linked seems to fit more boxes than anything else so far.

You may be focusing on resale for a profit, which should not happen for a long time if it fits you needs.

Best house in the street syndrome is only a problem if it's the wrong house.
You can always offer.

danlightbulb

getmore4less wrote: »

I can't analyse a street in detail but sometimes the best house in the street may be the one for you and none of the others are, you may have to pay a bit more to get what you want.

Finding houses in streets that do meet your needs might just be streets that are too expensive even for the worst house in the street.

I suspect your wants are not compatible with your budget.

There are alot of bad areas around here, which if you weren't from here you wouldn't know. That house you linked to, best in street, but the street is in a pretty bad area as well. My parents well through hell for years living in a bad area so I'm very sensitive to it.

The other thing I would say is that round here (as anywhere I guess), prices are constrained by salaries. If there was a fantastic street with fantastic mansions in it, no-one would be able to afford it here, and if you could, you wouldn't choose to live here. I am very conscious therefore of what the natural ceiling of an area would be.

So when I see a pretty crap house for £180k, well £30k more would get something twice as good. That doesn't stack up to me and I'm not willing to pay £180k for the crap one even though I can't afford the extra £30k.

getmore4less wrote: »

Larger than normal downstairs room to accommodate TV, computer, piano hobby
Secure attached garage for bike workshop hobby
Large garden
Off road parking for at least 2 cars.
Cheap but only cosmetic updates no building work to get the spaces right.

Remind me why YOU need the big garden?
That one I linked seems to fit more boxes than anything else so far.

You may be focusing on resale for a profit, which should not happen for a long time if it fits you needs.

Best house in the street syndrome is only a problem if it's the wrong house.
You can always offer.

I would like a reasonable garden so that I have something to do when Im at home.

I don't think I am focussing on resale for profit, but I do want whatever I buy to have some appeal so that it will sell in the future. There are lots of houses for sale here, I would suggest most of them will never sell, and aren't priced to reflect their undesirability in the first place either.

This is the crux of the problem here. Because of the price ceilings, good houses aren't that much more expensive than the bad ones. Those who own the bad ones are somehow expecting people to be willing to pay top dollar for them, well I'm not.

If a nice looking house is priced correctly at £180k, then at least half the houses currently up for sale at say £150-£170k should be £100k or even less.



edit: sorry Im ranting aren't I. Its just frustrating. Even houses at £300k round here (there aren't that many up that high) are still not that good. Just paying for more bedrooms not more actual space or land. There's a £370k house in a park for sale in the middle of Tipton (LINK). I know that park well, and its a real problem with trouble makers from a very run down ethnic minority area not more than a few hundred yards away. I wouldn't buy that house if was half the money.

There would be lots of nice houses that would fit my criteria, but they dont come up for sale. If there was more for sale at any point in time my problem would be easier solved I think. Too many people just sit in a house for their whole life that they got lucky due to when they were born and managed to get on a single salary for £8k or something daft 30 years ago.

seradane

danlightbulb wrote: »

So when I see a pretty crap house for £180k, well £30k more would get something twice as good. That doesn't stack up to me and I'm not willing to pay £180k for the crap one even though I can't afford the extra £30k.

I would like a reasonable garden so that I have something to do when Im at home.

I don't think I am focussing on resale for profit, but I do want whatever I buy to have some appeal so that it will sell in the future. There are lots of houses for sale here, I would suggest most of them will never sell, and aren't priced to reflect their undesirability in the first place either.

This is the crux of the problem here. Because of the price ceilings, good houses aren't that much more expensive than the bad ones. Those who own the bad ones are somehow expecting people to be willing to pay top dollar for them, well I'm not.

If a nice looking house is priced correctly at £180k, then at least half the houses currently up for sale at say £150-£170k should be £100k or even less.

I think you're getting too caught up in your own perception of what's "overpriced". Of course you don't want to be paying far too much for something but ultimately you aren't buying this house purely for investment purposes, so maybe try and step away from what it "should" be worth and think about what it's worth to you.

There's a really well-written guide I think makes for some useful reading. I can't post links but if you search for a website called The Advisory and "How Much is My Home Worth" you'll find it. Although it's written for sellers, I think you can still take away a similar message as a buyer.

Effectively, a house is worth what someone will pay for it.

If the houses you're considering overpriced are selling to other people, then they're not overpriced.
If they aren't selling, well, perhaps they are overpriced - but then you don't have to buy them, either.

You have a fairly prescriptive list of requirements, and you're not finding all that much that you like in your budget - that's fine. But what that means is when a property does come along that meets your requirements, and you do like it, and your only concern is that maybe another property is better value? Well that doesn't do you any good if
a) you can't afford better value;
b) it didn't meet your requirements; or
c) you just didn't like the other property

If that still isn't working for you, then you really only have a couple more options:

1) Save up some more until you can afford the "better value" properties
2) Make low-ball offers on properties you think are good but too expensive - be prepared to get quite a few "No"s, but maybe someone will be desperate and keen to sell at any price and you might get a good deal eventually.

seradane

danlightbulb wrote: »

There would be lots of nice houses that would fit my criteria, but they dont come up for sale. If there was more for sale at any point in time my problem would be easier solved I think. Too many people just sit in a house for their whole life that they got lucky due to when they were born and managed to get on a single salary for £8k or something daft 30 years ago.

And sometimes you just gotta be patient! And keep an eye on the market so when something good does come along, you're ready to snap it up before anyone else does...

getmore4less

There are not a lot of houses for sale in your area.

People are buying the good ones when they come on sale.

Finding the right house and living there for years is what people do it costs a lot of money to move.

Paying a little more for the right house is forgotten after 20years.

bouicca21

getmore4less wrote: »

There are not a lot of houses for sale in your area.

People are buying the good ones when they come on sale.

Finding the right house and living there for years is what people do it costs a lot of money to move.

Paying a little more for the right house is forgotten after 20years.

I don’t think it even takes that long. A stretch for a few years is well worth it to get the right place.