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major issues or 1st time buyer nerves?
peppapig14
Posts: 266 Forumite
we have had an offer accepted on a 2 bed mid terrace house at top end of our budget. It needs some work doing and we are a bit concerned about the costs involved and thinking is it best to withdraw our offer and keep looking ( maybe best to only go top of budget if nothing needs doing ), and potentially renting untill a more suitable property comes avaliable.
its in a good location and has a garage on a block, the main issues are:
-guttering and facials need replacing
- boiler is 20 years old
- electrics are old pin type ones
-has new kitchen but not a great design
- wood chip paper up stairs and in hallway
- mould in sealant of Windows
- needs a porch as no where to hang coats etc
Any help would be appreciated 👏
its in a good location and has a garage on a block, the main issues are:
-guttering and facials need replacing
- boiler is 20 years old
- electrics are old pin type ones
-has new kitchen but not a great design
- wood chip paper up stairs and in hallway
- mould in sealant of Windows
- needs a porch as no where to hang coats etc
Any help would be appreciated 👏
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Comments
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Boiler - couple of grand. But just because it's old doesn't mean it MUST be replaced imminently. If you're worried about condition, pay for a check to be done on it.peppapig14 wrote: »we have had an offer accepted on a 2 bed mid terrace house at top end of our budget. It needs some work doing and we are a bit concerned about the costs involved and thinking is it best to withdraw our offer and keep looking ( maybe best to only go top of budget if nothing needs doing ), and potentially renting untill a more suitable property comes avaliable.
its in a good location and has a garage on a block, the main issues are:
-guttering and facials need replacing
- boiler is 20 years old
- electrics are old pin type ones
-has new kitchen but not a great design
- wood chip paper up stairs and in hallway
- mould in sealant of Windows
- needs a porch as no where to hang coats etc
Any help would be appreciated 👏
What do you mean by "old pin type" electrics? You mean it's a rewireable-fuse consumer unit? Or do you mean it's the truly ancient round-pin sockets? They're basically 1950s and earlier... However... they are still used for lighting circuits - so you can have a wall switch to control table lamps, floor lamps etc which can then be moved around. Again, electrical safety check if you're concerned. Assuming they aren't actively dangerous, if you're going to upgrade the electrics, it'd be preferable to live in the place for a while, so you know what and where you want the wiring to best serve.
Kitchen and porch are just personal taste and preference - budget, especially kitchen, is utterly variable.
Window sealant, wallpaper and facia/guttering - all eminently DIYable, none involves a lot of expenditure on materials.0 -
peppapig14 wrote: »-guttering and facials need replacing
How soon? Surveys can be over-pessimistic
- boiler is 20 years old
Not a problem per se. There a lots of 20 year old boilers still going because they're reliable and parts are still available
- electrics are old pin type ones
Not sure what you mean by old pin type ones. Get an electrician to inspect if you're concerned.
-has new kitchen but not a great design
- wood chip paper up stairs and in hallway
I bit of a pain, but still a DIY job. I'd knock the walls to check if the plaster has blown
- mould in sealant of Windows.
dilute bleach solution and a cloth. Or some new sealant (DIY)
- needs a porch as no where to hang coats etc
wardrobe? coat hooks under stairs
It sounds more like you budget won't stretch to the type/condition of the property you want. Realistically you need to;
(a) save a bit more; or
(b) find a cheaper area where the money goes a bit further; or
(c) accept that you'll have to make some compromises on this one."Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance" - Confucius0 -
I guess it depends whether the price reflects it's condition, and whether you're prepared to live in it in it's current condition whilst you save up to do the work.
Presumably, another house that's in better condition but still within your budget would have other negative factors - like it would be smaller, or in a worse location etc.
FWIW, it doesn't sound as bad as my first house. When I moved in there was just an old sink in the kitchen, bare concrete floor, old round pin electrics, no central heating, horrible bathroom, gutters falling apart. It was about 2 years before everything was sorted.0 -
Guttering and facials need replacing
£500
- boiler is 20 years old
£25 - £40 a month using BOXT or £1600 upfront.
- electrics are old pin type ones
Don’t know what you mean but new consumer unit fitted is approx £200. Or full rewire anything between £2000 -£3000
-has new kitchen but not a great design
Change cabinet doors and handles at £30 per door. 3m worktops £50 each DIY fit. Fancy tap and sink £100.
- wood chip paper up stairs and in hallway
Hornets’ nest! I’d paint it all white as if you remove, likely needs a re skim. 2 bed terrace approx £1500 full house or £250 per room.
- mould in sealant of Windows
Clean it off or replace windows and doors in 2 bed terrace approx £3500.
- needs a porch as no where to hang coats etc
Build one yourself or add it to re skim job at a couple hundred.
Many on here will disagree with above but in my experience.......This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
None of the above are necessarily big or even issues
Boiler being 20 years old... ok so it may need replacing in the next few years...
Electrics - does not mean they don’t work... live there for a bit and see where you want sockets etc...
Replace guttering .. not that hugely expensive and could be possible to repair....
Other stuff is simple diy.. bleech, change kitchen handles , paint etc..0 -
The only thing that sounds remotely urgent in that list is figuring how how you're going to pay for the new boiler when it eventually gives out (which it may not do for another 10 years - we've just replaced one that was installed in 1990, it was perfectly fine until this year).0
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