In love with a falling down house

AlexMac

nimbo said:

So - best case scenario. Cracked lintel with some minor cosmetic cracks under the window... so could be superficial. 

Worst case. Cracked lintel is a sign of movement - and would be covered by insurance.

Or (Alex said) even worser case, the roof is shot.  Go back, and take a closer look at that roof, (outside, from a distance, with binoculars if necessary; inside, from the loft, taking your own stepladder if they don't have one, to look for leaks or slipped tiles, or from inside the upper rooms to look - after rain - at the ceilings and chimney breasts to check for penetrating damp or recent cover-ups...). 

The next door property's roof looks to have been replaced and raised a little to give it a steeper pitch to better repel rain.  If so, as seems to be the case from Streetview, and the roof is old or original, that's £several K, so puts the cost of patching up the lintel in the shade. 

Oh and that woman walking past on Streetview looks well dodgy, if you really want a reason not to buy?  Less flippantly, I assume you will wait for the pubs to re-open next week, then park yourself outside at midnight on Saturday to reassure yesself there are no maurauding gangs of drunks...   

But as they've already rejected your best and final offer, and you haven't been back here for five hours, you don't need my advice!  

And fate will play its part, and you will find your Prince, Cinders. I walked away from my first attempt to buy- in 1975 - as I was scared off by a tiny damp patch under new plaster.  I now know that was trivial, but it meant we then looked elsewhere and bought a magic  Victorian property... and every one of my subsequent dozen purchases have simply fallen into my lap. often when we weren't even looking.  Trust to Kharma...

Weathergirl_76

A survey should raise any major issues, It will also give you something to go back at them with regarding the price. Have you asked why they are selling? If they have only been there a year, I would ask. It may well be your dream property, but you need to know what you’re taking on and how much it will potentially cost you to rectify. Good luck 

Slinky

Weathergirl_76 said:

A survey should raise any major issues, It will also give you something to go back at them with regarding the price. Have you asked why they are selling? If they have only been there a year, I would ask. It may well be your dream property, but you need to know what you’re taking on and how much it will potentially cost you to rectify. Good luck 

They haven't acceopted his offer so there's not going to a survey any time soon.  Can't imagine that you could trust their reason for selling whatever it is they say (unless they say it's a moneypit and we regret our purchase, and I doubt they'd admit it!).

Weathergirl_76

Slinky said:

Weathergirl_76 said:

A survey should raise any major issues, It will also give you something to go back at them with regarding the price. Have you asked why they are selling? If they have only been there a year, I would ask. It may well be your dream property, but you need to know what you’re taking on and how much it will potentially cost you to rectify. Good luck 

They haven't acceopted his offer so there's not going to a survey any time soon.  Can't imagine that you could trust their reason for selling whatever it is they say (unless they say it's a moneypit and we regret our purchase, and I doubt they'd admit it!).

Sorry I didn’t realise they hadn’t accepted OP offer.  Maybe they want the OP to increase the offer, because they know things will come out in the survey and will be having to lower further on, if they want to sell. 

nimbo

NinjaTune said:

Blue_bell_20 said:

A few points I noted, but not relating to the actual structure.
1- it last sold in 2020 for 108k? It’s quite soon and they are selling again. Obviously people sell for many reasons, but it’s good to get a survey incase it’s extra work you would be taking on (eg immediate new roof etc). Again it could be unrelated why they are selling. 

2. this is a personal point. The livingroom and dining room (so most of downstairs space) is directly next to a street where people walk by. We’ve just bought a house similar but a bit more rural, so mostly hikers/residents pass by. It’s still a slight loss of privacy that I’m adjusting to. It might be worth considering to make sure you are ok with this. I mean blinds could help a bit, but then losing some light. 

I saw that and thought it a bit odd.  Land Registry only has the sale in 2006 on record so I assume either the data on RM is incorrect or the 2020 sale isn't yet registered with LR.




Edited to add:

No. 2 sold for that price in 2020 - is that the same property?

It’s the co op house. Or 2a. Number 2 is somewhere else. I think. 

Theirs is the sale in 2006 they bought it from the only other person other then the co op to own it. (She’d previously rented it). 

They’re selling because they need to pay off the endowment. 

nimbo

Lover_of_Lycra said:

lookstraightahead said:

Lover_of_Lycra said:

nimbo said:

NatNat77 said:

So why on earth aren't you buying on one of those?! 

Because they all look like a houses made of Lego and this one is pretty. Made of stone and has history. 🤷‍♀️

Are you going to sit outside and stare at your house every evening? 

I think a lot of people buy their houses for the outside appeal, rather than the inside. I bought mine for the view from the garden. 

Perhaps they do but I’m not sure I’d be compelled to spend more on a smaller house in a less nice area just because of outside appeal.  Not that to me it seems that appealing from the outside anyway but to each his own. 

I do think it’s pretty from the outside. But the inside is stunning. I love the windows and light and the little bits of detail like the original fires and the parquet floor. And the cooker thingy in the kitchen. (Not an aga but look is like one to me - who knows nothing). 

getmore4less

nimbo said:

NinjaTune said:

Blue_bell_20 said:

A few points I noted, but not relating to the actual structure.
1- it last sold in 2020 for 108k? It’s quite soon and they are selling again. Obviously people sell for many reasons, but it’s good to get a survey incase it’s extra work you would be taking on (eg immediate new roof etc). Again it could be unrelated why they are selling. 

2. this is a personal point. The livingroom and dining room (so most of downstairs space) is directly next to a street where people walk by. We’ve just bought a house similar but a bit more rural, so mostly hikers/residents pass by. It’s still a slight loss of privacy that I’m adjusting to. It might be worth considering to make sure you are ok with this. I mean blinds could help a bit, but then losing some light. 

I saw that and thought it a bit odd.  Land Registry only has the sale in 2006 on record so I assume either the data on RM is incorrect or the 2020 sale isn't yet registered with LR.




Edited to add:

No. 2 sold for that price in 2020 - is that the same property?

It’s the co op house. Or 2a. Number 2 is somewhere else. I think. 

Theirs is the sale in 2006 they bought it from the only other person other then the co op to own it. (She’d previously rented it). 

They’re selling because they need to pay off the endowment. 

Rightmove gets the history wrong quite a lot wit the link in the listings
(the link to nearby sold data does tend to be right if the postcode is correct)

The 2020 £108k is the one across the alleyway No.2.

At some point I think 2a(co-op house )was part of what is now the booze shop.

Look at the planning map.

nimbo

The house and the shop were owned by co op. In the 70’s apparently the co op sold the residential things but not the commercial. So the booze shop is still owned by the co op. 

They told me they bought it in 2006 from a woman who now lives down the street... And the render stuff was done in 2013 or maybe 15. 

getmore4less

this is the No. 2 next door across the alleyway
£105k Asking  listed 20 Feb 2020
£108k Sold  completed 10 July 2020

Then No. 16 a few doors down
£110 Asking listed 27 Nov 2020
£110k Sold completed 12 Feb 2021

[Deleted User]

nimbo said:

Lover_of_Lycra said:

lookstraightahead said:

Lover_of_Lycra said:

nimbo said:

NatNat77 said:

So why on earth aren't you buying on one of those?! 

Because they all look like a houses made of Lego and this one is pretty. Made of stone and has history. 🤷‍♀️

Are you going to sit outside and stare at your house every evening? 

I think a lot of people buy their houses for the outside appeal, rather than the inside. I bought mine for the view from the garden. 

Perhaps they do but I’m not sure I’d be compelled to spend more on a smaller house in a less nice area just because of outside appeal.  Not that to me it seems that appealing from the outside anyway but to each his own. 

I do think it’s pretty from the outside. But the inside is stunning. I love the windows and light and the little bits of detail like the original fires and the parquet floor. And the cooker thingy in the kitchen. (Not an aga but look is like one to me - who knows nothing). 

You know you can decorate however you like when you buy somewhere. 

Maybe you’re a bath person rather than a shower person and, as much as I enjoy a bath myself, if the only way to shower in this property is to stand up in that bath tub, with no shower curtain, surrounded by wooden floor and that telephone mixer tap thing I’d be looking to change it ASAP. 

This whole thread seems academic anyway since the vendors want more than you’re prepared to offer.