Buying house: What would you do?

ChewyyBacca

AdrianC said:

The description says central heating. The photos do not show one single radiator.

 @AdrianC & @JGB1955
I noticed the only radiator in 2nd big bedroom. Given its non-normal position in the room, away from the window, I assumed there should be other radiators in the house, just not seen in the pictures at the far end of the room, as far away from the windows (really counterproductive)
But this also adds to the To-do list work: New radiators and re-positioning them close to windows, so additional pipework to be done (if that's the correct term) 

carefullycautious

I may be wrong but the probate one looks like a Wimpey no fines .It has been patched up on the corner wall from the photo you gave. If it is it will need a lot of airing to prevent damp from condensation. I would choose the brick build one over a Wimpey no fines with hesitation.

ChewyyBacca

DayDreamerandGeneralWaster said:

In London in a property like that l would expect an upstairs bathroom. It would definitely be worth losing a bedroom. No family home is good enough in this day and age without an upstairs bathroom. Way too much hassle with little tots needing the loo in the night.

True. You need an upstairs bathroom - for kiddos and self. I mean, middle of the night wees are becoming a new normal now, guess that's the sign of ageing!  
For us, upstairs full bathroom is must. Getting out of the shower in a towel on ground floor and going up and down the stairs in the state everyday is not a prospect I look forward to.
A house with downstairs WC is also worth another £5-7K as opposed to a comparable.

carefullycautious

carefullycautious said:

I may be wrong but the probate one looks like a Wimpey no fines .It has been patched up on the corner wall from the photo you gave. If it is it will need a lot of airing to prevent damp from condensation. I would choose the brick build one over a Wimpey no fines with hesitation.

The one FTB_ linked to

ChewyyBacca

carefullycautious said:

I may be wrong but the probate one looks like a Wimpey no fines .It has been patched up on the corner wall from the photo you gave. If it is it will need a lot of airing to prevent damp from condensation. I would choose the brick build one over a Wimpey no fines with hesitation.

carefullycautious said:
The one FTB_ linked to

@carefullycautious
The probate one is this: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87096524#/
and FTB_linked to this: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73607826#/
Going through MSEforum threads on Wimpey no fines, and finding out they are not the first choice for buyers and lenders.

carefullycautious

Sorry I am confusing you. I would buy the one that FTB_ linked to over the one which You are thinking of buying

hazyjo

cattie said:

ChewyyBacca said:
hazyjo said:(

Would you consider these?

Much better long term value.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/96845882#/

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/98187770#/

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/100155434#/ (lost out on a house in that street myself once).

Thanks for the links @hazyjo
How do you arrive at long term value? (genuinely asking)
No intention to offend anyone, I am not looking at Eltham though. Eltham has a very high concentration of council and social housing. There are a lot of great houses there, but I fear resale value will not be high. You can change everything in a house you own, except for the location. I genuinely liked this house https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80380126#/
though worried what value will it fetch when we are ready to sell it off in 7-10 years.

  
However, the Progress Estate cottages, which are in a conservation area (some of which hazyjo gave links to) is more like living in the country than on the outskirts of London. It really is lovely around there & the cottages tend to be pretty spacious. I once owned a house there & had a bedroom of approx 18' long & the other 2 bedrooms were doubles. This part of Eltham & the area it connects to, known as Eltham Park really is a great place to live (yes owned a house there too). 

I've also lived on the Progress Estate and Eltham Park. Small world. Agree with what you said. Doesn't feel like London at all round the Progress Estate. And Eltham Park is desirable.

AdrianC

Ah, memories of student years living in Avery Hill, then Fiveways and Plumstead...

<shudder, twitch>

MFWannabe

A quick google of the postcode of the original house and there’s much nicer properties available that don’t need so much work? 
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/99941720#/
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73199427#/
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/74855103#/
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73506609#/
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73947990#/

ChewyyBacca

davidmcn said:

ChewyyBacca said:
Pobate sale would mean there is an executor of the will, however multiple parties with interest in the sale proceeds. Making all these minds arrive at a decision, or resolve the discord between them, should one arise, would be a difficult and time-consuming process. So yes, as you said, more time will be an obvious given in such sales.

No, you seem misguided about this. The vast majority of executries are amazingly dull and straightforward - executors tend to be the beneficiaries (or beneficiary - there's not necessarily more than one residuary beneficiary with an interest in the property price), not people arbitrating among a crowd of bickering second cousins.

I am yet to personally experience timelines of a probate sale. However, I have read stories of time-consuming probate sales here on MSE. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/deaths-funerals-probate
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4534013/made-an-offer-probate-sale and many more threads
I think you are oversimplifying when you say more often than not there is one residuary beneficiary of a probate sale, I agree that one shouldn't expect a hoard of bickering cousins, but I do expect, for a general probate sale, siblings with their other halves and grandchildren around as beneficiaries.