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Completely off the subject of bikes but as im sure many of your are lovely like minded peers, I'll put it out there!
The Missus and I are in the very fortunate position to get on the property ladder,
Currently going through many viewings, some much better than others but is there any tips you'd share that I've not likely heard yet?
For obvious reasons a secure sheds/garages/basements are a must!
What would you choose on your home that you missed out on first time round?
Also Back boilers? Avoid?
Be prepared to walk away. Always make a second viewing.
Don't be put off by cosmetic / decorating stuff, often building work isn't as expensive as you'd think.
I wouldn't not buy a house on the basis of the boiler. If you need a new boiler you can get a new one for £2k on the credit card if necessary.
Get as many viewings in as possible so you can get an idea of prices and also look at the Sold STC searches to get an idea of whats selling.
It may not be an issue at the moment but check out local schools - you may have to stay at this house longer than you'd expect due to the stagnant market.
The trickiest thing to judge is neighbours - you may be able to tell straight away that they're not pleasant, but you can't judge a book by its cover.
Well, following my current experience, I would say ask to see that everything is working.
That means central heating and going round every room to ensure there's heat from the radiators. If there is lots of fancy lights in the kitchen, switch them on and check that every one works.
Oh and check that the bathroom light doesn't switch off when you're having a shower!
Check garage door is secure or factor in a replacement.
Check that all windows open and close properly.
Turn a tap on to see how long it takes hot water to run through.
Feel around windows and doors for draughts.
Check for mould behind cupboards, wardrobes, etc.
Check light switches (we have one that does nothing).
Check the roof for sagging, loose tiles, broken tiles.
Go back & visit the area at different days/times quite a lot.
Easy but secure access to the rear garden.
Are the neighbours mingers. There's nothing to say you won't get a different lot after a month but poor neighbours can make life an absolute misery.
Room to extend should you want to in the future.
If you drive, then off street parking (or easy on street parking if that still exists anywhere) can be handy.
Take a look at any proposed future developments in the local area. If your looking in an urban area things like new shopping facilities, offices, redevelopment of train/tram lines, hospitals etc. all show that the area is looking forward and the value of your property is likely to fair quite well. If you're looking in a rural area then still take a look for developments but more to make sure that any proposed developments aren't going to change the character of the area too much.
Make sure all the toilets work aka alan partridge style 😮
Boundary issues
Neighbours, any disputes as potentially you may move and find you have mrs nut job living next door
Plus the above posts
Above all try and not get emotional about a house until it's yours and look for potential. You will be amazed at how people can't see past a bit of work and decoration. Thats where you can potentially add significant value and put your stamp on your new home, however don't rush to do stuff, live in the place for a good six months and then start to execute your plans as they will evolve over time and in the long run you will save a packet.
Do the lounge last or the temptation is is stay there and never finish the house. Bedrooms first, bathrooms and kitchen.
It doesn't matter if your DIY illiterate, start learning and you enjoy the journey.
location, location, location
From current experience, if you're looking in Edinburgh don't touch anywhere that the council can slap statutory notices on with a barge pole. They're a life-destroying bunch of c***s.
Knock on the doors of the next door neighbours. These are people you might have to live next to for many years.
Many thanks for the replies and advice, neighbours are the trickiest things to determine are, where previous residents might have got on with them you might not, I guess the street as a collection can tell a lot but of course it's always hard to judge and you might be the one to move next door to Frankie Wilde!
Locations fairly important but I guess better amenities over schools (both the Missus and I went to poor inner city schools and are turned out good, good parenting is more important (I hope!)).
How important do you reckon energy efficiency is?
How important do you reckon energy efficiency is?
Very.
I like the idea of knocking in the neighbours' doors to see what they're like.
Go back at different times.
Local rugby club have colts training on saturday at 10am at the end of my road. It gridlocks for about half an hour every Saturday. It's a pain and the seller never mentioned it.
Check the environment agency flood maps and the police crime maps - both have a significant impact on insurance and an even bigger impact on your life it either happens!
Consider what type of lifestyle you realistically want to have - do you want to spend your weekends doing DIY or riding your bike 🙂
Energy efficiency is increasingly important - look for very good insulation and be aware of the impact of house design - lots of external walls / roof (ie detached bungalow) will loose much more heat than a property with less (ie terrace of modern townhouse).
Hugely, very expensive and disruptive to add to houses with solid walls or rooms in the roof or older loft conversions.
Make sure you have a good look at the double glazing! In the region of 5K for a 3 bedroom Semi as I found out shortly after moving in. Plus 2k fr a new boiler 😥
New boiler at 2k has been mentioned a few times, are we talking a replacment for the whole central heating? Ie from back boiler to combi?
[i]How important do you reckon energy efficiency is? [/i]
Depends - if you've plenty of cash, not such a big deal.
As others have said, location is key - most other things can be changed. Only thing I'd have wished for on my first couple of houses was a (brick built) garage.
And as others have said, be prepared to walk.
Don't buy next to a pub. May be nice today but could be a hell hole or empty tomorrow.
tacopowell - Member
New boiler at 2k has been mentioned a few times, are we talking a replacment for the whole central heating? Ie from back boiler to combi?
POSTED 32 MINUTES AGO #
Hello, bought our 1st home in may. We knew a new boiler was needed but hoped we would get a but longer out of it, its acting up & quotes came in approx the following:
Replace current boiler (with a Worchester) and fit larger hot water tank £1500
Combi in current location £2300ish (some pipes need altering)
Combi in better location £4000
My tip is be cheeky, put a low offer in. Our house was originally £220k then £200k with an invite of offers. We paid £150k. We only viewed it once, the property we had our heart set on was mixed up in a messy chain and the seller was a nightmare. So happy we bought this one though now. We put an offer in on another it was on at £200k we offered £160k the seller said he would sell for £177k. So that's my tip go low.
Don't buy next to a pub. May be nice today but could be a hell hole or empty tomorrow.
That and risk of spending to much time in there.
as jambo, hang round area at commuter and pub kicking out time, esp if on cut thru or alley etc
think of things like bins and recycling - and the likely future thereof - ie not allowed to leave bin in the street - but have to take thru house on bin day
are there any 'facilities' nearby that might mean reversing (bleeping) lorries or bottle banks being emptied at 06:00am
gusamc- good call!
Gusmac, that's a good tip. I knew out area as I was living there. However another area we looked at was very different at commuter/school run time & despite being nearer to fiancées work would have been a much longer commute.
When we bought our first we knocked on both neighbours properties and explained that we were considering buying and asked what the area was like. Get a few view points and an idea o what the neighbours are like?
First place we looked at the neighbour said 'it was a great street, every one gets on well, we've had some fun and games with so and so getting locked out by his missus pissed up at 4 in the morning and so and so crashing his car into our porch last winter and so and so accidentally setting fire to his house with a firework, all good fun round here, it's great'.
We didn't buy that one.
*bookmarks this page*
as a landlord with several properties the following are essential
whatever the ch is get it checked and a full independent report on its condition boiler/rads/ pipework.. great for negotiating and essential so you know where you stand on day 1
same for electrics you want rcbs etc
run all the taps.. 5 minutes to fill the bath from each tap
can you get to the gas meter and the water stop tap .. test it does it work.. turn to the right till tight and run the downstairs taps. to see if they stop.. not dripping or slow down stop.
go in the loft sniff ofr damp look for wet patches
south facing rear gardens are essential any thing else is a poor comprimise
feel around the window frames for draughts
walk way unless your 100 per cent happy 100 per cent.
be fussy use sites like zoopla to undersatnd what local peroperties have been bought/ sold for.. what the vendor paid..
dont fall for sob stories all vendors lie..
I'd recommend riding to the house on a bike, rather than driving...you pick up a lot more vibe from of the area. I met our neighbours to by by riding round and introducing myself. They seemed plesant....just goes to show first impressions arent always right 😉
View the property a few times. I looked around a house for the second time last week and noticed some damp in the joists and problems with the chimney I missed first time. Maybe a bit too impressed with the first viewing I wasn't looking hard enough for potential problems.
Replace current boiler (with a Worchester) and fit larger hot water tank £1500
Combi in current location £2300ish (some pipes need altering)
Combi in better location £4000
Yeah, Thinking along the lines of replacing and converting an old council Back-boiler to a combi, reckon 4k+ on a property at the top end of our budget, Don't think its a wise move, Walking from a real nice place...
south facing rear gardens are essential any thing else is a poor comprimise
Big on my gardens, its a must!
I'd recommend riding to the house on a bike
Good Call, Will give this a go!
When we bought our first we knocked on both neighbours propertiesOne mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter!
View the property a few times.
2nd viewing on one property tomorrow!
Yeah, Thinking along the lines of replacing and converting an old council Back-boiler to a combi, reckon 4k+ on a property at the top end of our budget, Don't think its a wise move, Walking from a real nice place...
I should add the £4k was not a simple 'old for new' installation. It is for moving the system, boiler location, flue etc... £2.3k for a combi to be fitted in current location.
Good luck with your 2nd viewing
Advice above about visiting at different times of day is good, also be mindfully of possible abso activity, is it on the route from a pub etc. what line of work do the neighbours do. Drive taxied etc etc
south facing rear gardens are essential any thing else is a poor comprimise
agreed, but west facing isnt too bad, if you consider thats where the sun sets. dont mind limited sun in the morning, but those sunny barbies are a MUST!! 😀
Check out how visible you'd be loading and unloading bikes etc. Can the entire street see you or are you shielded from view?
Be mindful of big trees near the house...roots travel a long way & get into all sorts of places you don't want them.
Street lights directly outside of the front of the house...even the best blackout blinds let in light
Ask a local copper what the area is like. That tactic saved us twice from buying a house in a crap area
Use your judgement, if there is Xxxxxxx on the grass or front gardens, beware
Xxxx can = cars, couches, supermarket trollies, prams, dirty looking kids, needles, nappies, bags or rubbish, dog dirt, deck chairs, hot tub, etc.
Change of use restrictions are being relaxed. What today is a building with a relatively benign use (workshop/yard/shop) might easily change to something annoying (take-away/cab-firm). So if poss be neighboured by established uses (houses, school etc.) Even worse is the threat to green spaces - don't assume they won't turn into crappy housing estates. Check Local Plans and any Council policies on flogging off parks etc.
Go and visit at different times of day and in the evenings ( parking and noise ) and at weekends - this is probably the biggest purchase you will ever make and it is amazing how little time people spend checking the property.
When we bought our first flat we didn't notice that it didn't have central lighting - used a special low voltage system which was a pain to get bulbs for.
Also when viewing make sure one of you goes up stairs while the other
stays downstairs to see how noisy it is with someone walking around.
If you have a video - make a film and watch it at home at your leasure
If you have a video - make a film and watch it at home at your leasure
Stick on a killer soundtrack, few slo-mo's with a build up including you travelling to the house.
even the best blackout blinds let in light
Really?
Visit the house at least three times, at different times of the day and the area/street as often as you can. It's amazing what you can miss.
Do not trust what the vendor says.
Do not trust the survey report and especially look for weasel phrases like 'unable to test/verify due to xyz (spoken from bitter recent experience)
As has already been said, it is worth making what might appear to be a cheeky low offer. I didn't do that on a property I really liked but couldn't quite afford, as I thought it would be too insulting. Low and behold, 3 months later, it has been reduced to £5k less than I could have happily paid (even more bitter about that one!)
The *most* important thing about a house is who you're living next to. Good neighbours are underestimated. Massively. But obviously they can change in an instant.
As many have said, visit at different times. Night time on Friday/Saturday. Sunday afternoon. See what people get up to. We have a neighbour who has regular Sunday afternoon barbeques in summer. They play music really, really loud, everyone gets drunk and shouts and swears and if I complain I get threatened by a load of meatheads.
You don't want that.
If you actually listed all this down you'd be lucky to find a house anywhere... 🙂
Consider what type of lifestyle you realistically want to have - do you want to spend your weekends doing DIY or riding your bike
I would agree with that.
I always think the only reason for DIY hell is if you really *need* a much bigger house than you can afford, so you have to buy a house shaped shell and do it up. It still costs the same or more money, but comes out of your salary after the mortgage, so the banks will let you buy a the house. Houses that are done up typically increase in value for less than the cost of doing them up.
If you actually listed all this down you'd be lucky to find a house anywhere...
Best post so far, and there have been some good posts.
Unless you're fortunate enough to be a high roller, I'm guessing as a first time buyer finances are going to be stretched (great If not) so compromises are inevitable (though in truth they are whatever your budget)
From experience, when I was younger (and wouldn't heed the advice of others) I bought a house in a less desirable area, It took me 4 years doing it up, it's now a nice little 2up/2down that I rent, but its always gonna be in a shitty area 🙁
So I'd go with the often used "worst house, best street" mantra when looking. Project houses can consume your life though, so don't under estimate how long they take/cost to do.
Street lights out side house are great for security no dark corners to hide in
It reallly doesnt bother me - my blinds and curtain combo turn day into night.
Smells ..... We viewed our house , they ha all windows open . Moved in and it was stinking of fag reek all through.
Tore out all curtains and carpets and all the wall paper - we had planned to anyway but would hve been an expensive mistake otherwise as it was unlivably smelly !
South facing garden +1 makes a big difference in the summer. Can't believe as well no one's said check out local trails & bridleways, always nice to be able to ride out from your front door, this is a cycling forum int it?
Don't believe the vendor. (worth saying again)
We looked at the past prices thing it was very useful when gauging how much movement is possible.
Remember it's only walls etc. Just because 1 room is set up for something doesn't mean it can't be changed.
Check for warranty period on new estates.
If its a new development see how far along they are and are they still building?
Take a mate they can spot things you wont and they can also occupy the vendor/agent while you have a proper look.
Check insurance in new areas (comparison site is easiest)
If you have a mate in the trade take them along.
Get a full house report and like others have said, go over it with a fine tooth comb, take a torch and have a good look in the loft, basement and any nooks and crannies.
If you're not gonna chap on the neighbour a doors, a good nosey at their gardens from the upstairs is another way to get an idea what they're like.
No matter how perfect it is, be prepared to walk away. There literally are plenty of fish in the sea!
Don't be put off by negatives. My house is in a "bad" area. But we get no trouble as the neighbors think we are good people! House stank and was a wreck, which meant we could hold off until our lower offer was accepted. Drove past every other day, rode past, asked around, went to local shops etc.
1 parking space, of your own, per bedroom (Unless it's very close to somewhere with jobs and transport to those jobs)
New builds can have tragic hot water systems - from now on anything with a tank is a no from me.
Having a shop in walking distance is a massive bonus as far as I'm concerned.
The only thing I really miss is not having a driveway.
Given some of the above posts, I'd say to not get too hung up on fixable problems. It's better to have somewhere with more space than it is to have a tiny cramped flat that's beautifully decorated.
Decor/boilers/plumbing/electrics etc. can be fixed. It's kinda hard to make more space.
I've always worked on the principle of going for the best location, usually getting the smaller, scruffier, cheaper houses for the area.
This gives you best shot at good commuter links, good schools, low crime rate (or lively cafe culture, good restaurants etc, whatever floats your boat). Also, cheaper houses in good neighbourhoods are easy to sell on and tend to benefit from market growth first.
But important to get something that you are comfortable living in, like a nicely fitting coat. And always somewhere secure for the bikes etc
Don't overstretch finacially, the maximum that can be borrowed is not necessarily the same as the maximum that you want to afford. Although, tighter lending rules mean this may be less of an issue that it was before.
surveyors aren't all they are touted to be. Our made some fairly basic mistakes. Some were not an issue, others were. I would consider asking a reputable builder to look round with me and quote for any work that we saw fit. Couldn't have done this initially as I didn't know any good builders.
Original features and character are nice ways of describing old, worn out and obsolete (says someone who spends a fortune on work on a 100 year old house).
Budget for ongoing repairs and maintenance. We probably spend c. 1k a year average. Sometimes nothing sometimes bigger things.
surveyors aren't all they are touted to be. Our made some fairly basic mistakes. Some were not an issue, others were. I would consider asking a reputable builder to look round with me and quote for any work that we saw fit. Couldn't have done this initially as I didn't know any good builders.
Original features and character are nice ways of describing old, worn out and obsolete (says someone who spends a fortune on work on a 100 year old house).
Budget for ongoing repairs and maintenance. We probably spend c. 1k a year average. Sometimes nothing sometimes bigger things.
Old dog - tightened the financial belt i do not believe ....... They were throwing mortgages at me trying to get me to max out with them at a figure at least double what i was comfortable with borrowing !
Dont be affraid of a bit of work no house is ready to move into ..... Even if its just decorating - better to start with a wrecker than a nicely decorated but bogging house . much easier to knock off money for a rundown house than an igly one . Im now at decorating stage having totally renewed the heating system and the electrics in their entirety- not as expensive as you would think but as intrusive as they come - we moved out forthe electrics . Can see why it is advisable to avoid .