Move-In Ready vs Renovation Project: Our House-Buying Decision

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163430#Comment_82163430

Gas Safe records for the boiler 

It would be unusual for a residential property to have a Gas Safe certificate, unless they specifically got one before putting the house up for sale, ( and even that would not be the norm). Most buyers would be happy to just see that the boiler had been serviced relatively recently.

Flo87

We bought the cheapest liveable house( that received couple of landlord special treatments) in the desired area and start to renovate it room by room( down to bare bricks, re-wire, new heating system…) from top to bottom with kitchen and bathroom being the last on the list, it feels like is taking forever but in the same time we put our stamp on it. In terms of budget we are above but this also due to change some of the specifications - like acoustic rockwool increased and sound membrane, triple glazing instead of double, and other things that are making the house future proof( 22mm heating pipes, 4mm wires instead of 2,5mm for sockets, 22mm gas pipe, oversized radiators)

Jemma01

I find older homes colder and take longer to warm up. I went for ready to move in, and despite the smaller rooms, it fits my needs perfectly.

mlz1413

I'm quite late to this thread but as someone who has lived in 2 x Victorian house renovations and is now in a 10 yo house, I would like to share my knowledge.

1st renovation was a small 3 bed victorian terrace. Just me living in it, used a builder I knew and had a one year time line. Bought this whilst renting so stayed at rented house for 1 month whilst kitchen and downstairs bathroom was gutted and rebuilt. Plus 3rd bedroom plastered and new floor.

Moved in and lived in 3rd bedroom, everything in boxes in bedroom 2. I spent 6pm to 10pm every week night doing jobs that I could do, IE tiling, painting, cleaning. Then every weekend from 9am to 6pm labouring for the builder (who kindly worked 7 days a week with me for months). We did one room at a time so that I graduately spread out from the 3rd bedroom. It was hard work and I couldn't have done this without an amazing builder and definitely not with children. Working full time and then every spare hour on the house for 14 months was exhausting.

2nd renovation was with a partner who was also a builder/ electrician. 4 bed house that had been a business upstairs and flat downstairs. It really didn't work as partner was doing building work all day and really didn't want to start again at night. He also prioritised work at weekends to make money because everything on this 4 bed house was expensive. So the renovation dragged on for years. After 3 years we argued all the time and finally after 9 years which included the COVID years we agreed to finish the house over the next 12 months and sell it to buy our own places.

I bought a modern house that takes me 30 mins to clean top to bottom. The garden is lovely to sit in and takes approx 30 mins to mow grass and sweep up every couple of weeks. Although this year it took zero time all summer because it was so dry.

I do miss the Victorian style houses, but a modern house has so much to offer that I have a life and holidays, so I'm really happy.

Myself and fella are still together despite the rocky patch of renovation. But renovations eat into your life, become over whelming due to dust and mess, you can't cook properly or relax at the end of a day. I have no idea how children would fit into what I have experienced.

If you do take on a (smaller) renovation, get 3 different builders around to quote and talk to them about time scales. About how long each room will be out of action. Will they leave tools and materials in rooms every night, what their working hours are. Will water be turned off? How will electric supply be affected.

If you know what you are signing up to it's a while lot easier to cope than to just think it all be ok because it will be beautiful afterwards.

Rosa_Damascena

My first home was a new build, and even though it had 3 bedrooms it earned the family nickname "The Rabbit Hutch". Proportions in new build homes are rarely generous, when I moved into a 1920s home after that it finally felt like a grown up home. With a growing family, space is required.

The big advantage of the new build was that it easy to heat. Plus 25 years ago, emregy bills were so much more reasonable than they are now!

RelievedSheff

It seems to be mentioned a lot that new builds have smaller rooms but it really does depend on the developer and the house type. Our 8 year old "new build" has very generous sized rooms and a decent sized plot with a detached double garage and parking for four cars on the drive.

They do exist, you just have to shop around and find them and as with anything they come with a premium.

Qurrat786

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82163842#Comment_82163842

Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you've taken the "do it once, do it right" approach, which I really admire. I can see how costs would creep up when you're upgrading specifications as you go, but things like better insulation, larger pipework and triple glazing aren't exactly cosmetic extras and should pay dividends in the long run.

We're currently weighing up a move-in-ready house against a property that needs work, so it's helpful to hear from someone who's gone down the renovation route. The ability to put your own stamp on the house is definitely a big attraction. Has the disruption been as bad as you expected, and has the timescale been longer than originally planned?

Qurrat786

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82164188#Comment_82164188

That's exactly the appeal of a move-in-ready home. No major work, no disruption, and you can settle in straight away. For us it's really a trade-off between convenience and having a bit more space and potential. 😊

Qurrat786

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82164552#Comment_82164552

Thanks for sharing, that's really helpful. It sounds like the reality of renovations is a lot tougher and longer than people expect, especially with kids in the mix!

We're a family of five, so the disruption is definitely one of our biggest concerns. Hearing your experience makes me appreciate the appeal of a move-in-ready home a lot more. Glad you've found a house that gives you time to actually enjoy life now. 😊

Qurrat786

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82165677#Comment_82165677

I can relate to that! One of the things attracting us to older homes is the room sizes and character. Some of the newer houses we've viewed felt a bit cramped despite having the same number of bedrooms.

The energy efficiency of newer homes is definitely a big plus though. I guess we're trying to find the right balance between space, running costs and how much work we're prepared to take on. 😊