Advice on Quirky Property for First-Time Buyers

bewwies

Hi MSE Forum,

We are first time buyers looking to purchase a quirky property. It is a cottage with attractive period features. But there are aspects we're a bit uncertain about. We had two main questions.

(1) There is a notoriously busy road through the village centre (Banwell) which is a bottleneck of traffic on A38. A long awaited bypass is due to be completed in spring 2027. There will be a development nearby of over 2000 houses.

Given this situation, is this a risk or benefit in buying this property? What kinds of effects on prices are foreseeable given the aforementioned development?

(2) We're new here so we can't post links. But the three bedroom property in Banwell is available on Rightmove priced at £385,000.

If you are able to find it (we can confirm!), would the more seasoned posters on MSE deem the property well-priced? We would of course look to having a structural survey done further along the process. One detail of interest is that the seller seems to be selling it at a loss from its purchase 6 years ago.

Thank you!

daveyjp

With so much clutter it is really difficult to see what you are buying. It also makes it difficult for a surveyor visits as they won't move anything.

Double yellow lines, what is parking like generally? Next door is boarded up and has a lot of staining from a drain in the front wall.

SarahB16

Out of interest would the proposed nearby development appeal if you are having doubts with this property. Do you have any idea on what is planned for those 2,000 homes, i.e. size, etc?

When more homes are built house prices fall so expect a slight fall in prices when those 2,000 homes come to the market.

TroubledTarts

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89707128#/?channel=RES_BUY

I dare say that will make a lovely home, but then we do like some quirky ourselves.

bewwies

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044162#Comment_82044162

There is a garage which is a good size! We'll bear that in mind about the surveyor visits.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044165#Comment_82044165

We're looking to move very quickly and developments are still in the early stages. We don't know what is being planned apart from a local newspaper article (sorry, can't link, but see Somerset Live "'Dying' village is finally getting a bypass after 100 year wait"). Our interest for now is specifically in this cottage!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044166#Comment_82044166

Yes this is the place! :)

SarahB16

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044166#Comment_82044166

I agree, looks like it could be a really lovely home when all the clutter has gone.

Myci85

I love it! I also am drawn to quirky places. What I will say is that older properties tend to come with bigger maintenance costs. Don't take that as a reason not to consider it, as I am far from a fan of new builds and they can come with plenty of issues, more just advice to go in eyes wide open.

Have you viewed it yet? I would view once with heart and then again with head, so you try not to just be drawn in by the lovely look of it. I would absolutely want to find out more about how come it is on market for less than last sale, make sure it is a genuine reason, and not that there is an issue that has cropped up in the meantime.

Also, as someone else mentioned, what is the deal with the house next door? Is it empty? Dilapidated? I wonder if that could cause issues, if there is no obvious person to get hold of if you have any maintenance issues being that it looks like the houses are attached.

user1977

what is the deal with the house next door? 

I don't think it's a house, it seems to be the rear part of the Bell Inn round the corner (which might be worth considering - mortgage lenders tend to have issues with a pub being next door).

bewwies

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044299#Comment_82044299

That is a good point. I'm not sure that is exactly the back of the pub (see photo). There seems to be an open area in-between the pub and the unaccounted for house (?) next door (indicated next to the cottage for sale traced in red). I'll ask the seller tomorrow if they know.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82044276#Comment_82044276

We went for a viewing today. :) We really liked it for its space and charm, though had some open questions hence soliciting advice here. My understanding is that the seller, who is passionate about the place, needs to move abroad for personal reasons quite soon.

user1977

These are the boundaries of the pub shown on the only planning application relating to it (from back in 2008) - search for planning ref 08/P/0810/F on https://planning.n-somerset.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=simple&searchType=Application :

FreeBear

There is a garage which is a good size! We'll bear that in mind about the surveyor visits.

Getting in and out of the garage may be difficult. Church Street doesn't look particularly wide at that point.

Questions to ask -

• Is the building listed, or in a conservation area ?
• Render at the front - Is it cement or lime, and what paint has been used ?
• How likely are permits to be granted when scaffolding is needed ?

Things that would put me off -

• Fronts directly on to a road - Going to be a nightmare to do any maintenance at the front.
• Surface levels look to be quite high in relation to the step for the front door - Possibly causing damp internally.
• Appears to be single glazed sash windows - Big heat loss, and prone to draughts. Can be reduced with secondary glazing if replacement is not permitted. But at least it has modern double glazing to the rear.
• Sunken bath - What is that all about ?
• Church - I hope you like bells.

Old properties require a lot of maintenance using traditional methods & materials. They can also be expensive to heat. Yes, quirky can be attractive for a while, but it can also be a money pit.