Buying a house (and renting)

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:52 pm

1cmanny1 wrote: Wait... Is that a snide comment against NZ?!

Do you have a picture of the ad? I find it very interesting how estate agents market these kind of things!

So are you happy with it? Does it need any work?
Also, I think you said this is your first house, how does it feel? Exciting, scary etc?

No, it wasn't a dig at NZ, just our colonial past. I have family living in NZ and friends who have recently immigrated over there.

Here is a picture

and the blurb

Of course I am happy with it. I am not going to buy a property if I'm not am I? It's not like buying a new type of chocolate bar on a whim at the check out.

It needs a new heating system, which we are having done before we move in. There are various other things needing done but they will get done over time.

This isn't my first property, but my fourth. My first was a one bedroom tenement flat I bought with my ex wife when I was 24. The other two properties I didn't buy but inherited. I am in the process of selling one and the other one is just sitting on my shoulder, making me feel bad.

PostRe: Buying a house by **Donk** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 5:54 pm

Unfortunately due to the after effects orgy of cheap unaffordable debt in the last decade I haven't a chance of buying any time soon, unless I wonder into money.

PostRe: Buying a house by **Squinty** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:35 pm

I wouldn't even know where to begin with all this.

PostRe: Buying a house by **Fishfingers** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:21 pm

suzzopher wrote:
Eighthours wrote:
suzzopher wrote:Getting a mortgage now is fecking impossible for first time buyers too. My brother in law and his girlfriend earn a fair old whack between them and with no deposit they were offered £80K for a mortgage Round here £80K could buy you a bike shed.

They've had to borrow £65K to get a mortgage for £210K(so £145K the mortgage property was £210K). It's ridiculous.

To be fair, you should be saving up at least a 5% deposit before trying to buy a house in the first place. Granted, the system has become stupid with the sums that first time buyers now need to put down, but 100% mortgages were silly. Saving up a deposit shows a degree of ability to regulate your outgoings, which is important when it comes to paying a mortgage every month for the next 25/35 years.

Where are they living, anyway? Starting out at a £210k house sounds a bit crazy, unless they're in London or something. Ladders! Rungs!

Cambridge. You can't get anything bigger than 2 beds for less than £200k, it's crazy round these parts.

Why would anyone buy their first house in Cambridge when you can get a much nicer place for far less money by living in one of the surrounding villages and towns?

PostRe: Buying a house by **1cmanny1** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:45 am

OnlyShallow wrote:
1cmanny1 wrote: Wait... Is that a snide comment against NZ?!

Do you have a picture of the ad? I find it very interesting how estate agents market these kind of things!

So are you happy with it? Does it need any work?
Also, I think you said this is your first house, how does it feel? Exciting, scary etc?

No, it wasn't a dig at NZ, just our colonial past. I have family living in NZ and friends who have recently immigrated over there.

Here is a picture

and the blurb

Previously listed for sale on 18th Jan 2011
Offers over £299,950 - 5 bedroom semi detached house

Property features
•* ENTRANCE HALL
•* CLOAKROOM
•* LOUNGE/DINER
•* FAMILY ROOM/STUDY
•* KITCHEN
•* BREAKFAST/UTILITY ROOM
•* FIVE BEDROOMS
•* FAMILY BATHROOM
•* GARAGE & DRIVEWAY
•* FRONT & REAR GARDENS
.

Property description

An extended 1930's semi detached family home set in Turnfurlong school catchment. The property comprises entrance hall, lounge/diner, family room/study, kitchen, breakfast/utility room, cloakroom, five bedrooms, family bathroom, private rear garden, garage and driveway. Viewing highly recommended. Call Mark.

Entrance

UPVC frosted double glazed door and side panels opens to:

Entrance Lobby

Quarry tiled floor, frosted glazed door to:

Entrance Hall

Understairs cupboard, coving to ceiling, storage heater, telephone point, stairs rise to the first floor, doors to:

Lounge/Diner (26' 10'' x 12' 6'' (8.18m x 3.81m))
Double glazed bay window to the front, three storage heaters, double glazed window to the rear, living flame fire set in display surround with plinth, storage heater, television point, coving to ceiling, telephone point.

Cloakroom Lobby

Door to family room, door to breakfast room, wash hand basin, built in cupboard, door to cloakroom.

Cloakroom

Frosted double glazed window to the side, low level wc, complementary tiling.

Family Room/Study (11' x 9' 1'' (3.35m x 2.77m))
Double glazed windows to the front and side, storage heater, telephone point.

Kitchen (8' 9'' x 7' 2'' (2.67m x 2.18m))
Double glazed window to the rear, range of storage units at base and eye level, rolled edge work surface areas, one and a half bowl sink unit with mixer tap, fitted double oven and ceramic hob with filter unit over, plumbing for dishwasher, space for fridge, archway to breakfast/utility room.

Breakfast/Utility Room (10' 11'' x 10' 2'' (3.33m x 3.1m))
Double glazed windows to the rear and side, range of storage units at base and eye level, plumbing for washing machine, space for freezer, double glazed door to the rear garden, door to cloakroom lobby.

Landing

Storage heater, access to loft space, doors to:

Bedroom One (15' 3'' x 9' 1'' plus wardrobe (4.65m x 2.77m))
Double glazed bay window to the front, range of built in wardrobes, picture rail, television point, telephone point.

Bedroom Two (11' 11'' x 11' (3.63m x 3.35m))
Double glazed windows to the front and side, fitted shower cubicle, fitted wash hand basin set in vanity unit, range of built in wardrobes, television point, storage heater.

Bedroom Three (11' x 10' 11'' (3.35m x 3.33m))
Double glazed window to the rear, door to airing cupboard, picture rail, fitted wash hand basin.

Bedroom Four (11' x 8' 7'' (3.35m x 2.62m))
Double glazed windows to the rear and side, range of built in wardrobes, fitted wash hand basin, storage heater.

Bedroom Five (8' 3'' x 7' 9'' (2.51m x 2.36m))
Double glazed window to the front, television point, telephone point.

Bathroom

Frosted double glazed window to the rear, panelled bath, fitted shower, pedestal wash hand basin, low level wc, heated towel rail, complementary tiling, extractor.

Outside

Garage

Gated driveway for vehicles leads to over size garage to the rear of the property.

Front Garden

Brick retaining wall, laid to lawn.

Rear Garden

Patio area, stonework raised beds, laid mainly to lawn, mature shrub borders, enclosed by timber panel fencing, outside tap, brick boundary wall to side, hardstanding area for storage with timber garden shed, gated side access, pathway leads to gated rear access to rear driveway and garage.

Of course I am happy with it. I am not going to buy a property if I'm not am I? It's not like buying a new type of chocolate bar on a whim at the check out.

It needs a new heating system, which we are having done before we move in. There are various other things needing done but they will get done over time.

This isn't my first property, but my fourth. My first was a one bedroom tenement flat I bought with my ex wife when I was 24. The other two properties I didn't buy but inherited. I am in the process of selling one and the other one is just sitting on my shoulder, making me feel bad.

Good god man, are you rich?!! It's huge! Looks lovely though.
Us poorer people sometimes have to buy crap houses and slowly do them up. Which is why I asked if it needed work, not to suggest you are stupid and would buy a crap house.

I assume its in a town as well. Also is the house "old"? For UK houses?

When I was young I never wanted to live in a old house due to there being ghosts :lol:

Funny though, just a bit from where I live there is an old insane asylum, which they are renting out the Nurses quarters and I wanted to live there. Because the houses are huge. Even though it is suppose to be the most haunted place in NZ. :lol:

Was too expensive though.

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:04 pm

Just got a text

Mrs OnlyShallow wrote:We are home owners!!!

I think we were both expecting a last minute balls up.

7256930752 · PostRe: Buying a house by **7256930752** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 1:51 pm

Nice one OS, have fun moving.

IN the process of trying to get a meeting with Halifax to get my ex taken off my mortgage at the moment and trying to load more money to buy the rest the house from Barratt Homes. So far not very fun, their estimate of the value of the 25% stake they hold in my house seems to change at will, making a settlement quite difficult. Hoping when this is all sorted to rent my house out and get a cool flat in central Cambridge.

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:01 pm

Cheers Hime.

All of our stuff is in storage just now so it should be relatively easy. We aren't going to move in until the end of the month, as we have a plumber going in to install a new heating system and bathroom, so I can start taking stuff over slowly and leave the big stuff until later.

Good luck with getting your place sorted out, banks are being a bit dickish about lending just now.

PostBuying a house by **Buffalo** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:10 pm

Canny digs, OS. When's the party? I'll not break anything this time, I promise.

PostRe: Buying a house by **Beans** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:20 pm

How did you get such a large property for the money? :shock:

Congratulations though

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:42 pm

Beans wrote:How did you get such a large property for the money?

Storage heaters and artexing :lol:

Seriously, the house is a 70's time capsule. Needs a bit of modernising, so that and a depressed market equals lots of bang for your buck. If you look at the blurb you will notice that nearly every room has a basin..... One bedroom even has a shower stuck in the middle of it. :lol:

PostRe: Buying a house by **abcd** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 2:46 pm

Well done OS....it's a great feeling knowing that within limits you can do whatever you like with your house.

PostRe: Buying a house by **Holpil** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:25 pm

I'm also in the process of buying my first house, currently living with my girlfriend in a damp, poorly heated and overpriced one bedroom flat.

Has anyone ever had any experiences of what the yanks call low-ball offers? My Dad's helping out with it and he reckons I should be offering a good 30k+ less than the asking price. After speaking briefly with the sellers and what they paid for it, plus their poor financial situation, I don't think they'll be too pleased. :lol:

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:43 pm

Holpil wrote:I'm also in the process of buying my first house, currently living with my girlfriend in a damp, poorly heated and overpriced one bedroom flat.

Has anyone ever had any experiences of what the yanks call low-ball offers? My Dad's helping out with it and he reckons I should be offering a good 30k+ less than the asking price. After speaking briefly with the sellers and what they paid for it, plus their poor financial situation, I don't think they'll be too pleased.

We tried that, no ball.

PostRe: Buying a house by **Holpil** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:51 pm

OnlyShallow wrote:
Holpil wrote:I'm also in the process of buying my first house, currently living with my girlfriend in a damp, poorly heated and overpriced one bedroom flat.

Has anyone ever had any experiences of what the yanks call low-ball offers? My Dad's helping out with it and he reckons I should be offering a good 30k+ less than the asking price. After speaking briefly with the sellers and what they paid for it, plus their poor financial situation, I don't think they'll be too pleased.

We tried that, no ball.

Did they counter-offer or just straight up refuse? They're obviously in a hurry to get out and it's on with a couple of estate agents seeing as it's been sat there for a month or two with no offers that I know of. I'm tempted to call the first agent as they'll be in more of a hurry to get them off their books (viewed it with the second).

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:55 pm

Holpil wrote:
OnlyShallow wrote:
Holpil wrote:I'm also in the process of buying my first house, currently living with my girlfriend in a damp, poorly heated and overpriced one bedroom flat.

Has anyone ever had any experiences of what the yanks call low-ball offers? My Dad's helping out with it and he reckons I should be offering a good 30k+ less than the asking price. After speaking briefly with the sellers and what they paid for it, plus their poor financial situation, I don't think they'll be too pleased.

We tried that, no ball.

Did they counter-offer or just straight up refuse? They're obviously in a hurry to get out and it's on with a couple of estate agents seeing as it's been sat there for a month or two with no offers that I know of. I'm tempted to call the first agent as they'll be in more of a hurry to get them off their books (viewed it with the second).

Straight up refused. They had been trying to sell for a while and had already dropped the price a fair bit. Although the market is depressed people aren't inclined to lose too much money. It all depends on the vendor though, not the estate agent.

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:34 am

Got the keys for the house yesterday. Went around to have a look at it after work. Was transported back in time to a 1970's B&B. I think I'll have to start a DIY thread.

strawberry float me I feel middle aged.

PostRe: Buying a house by **aayl1** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:13 am

I'm moving into my new house today, too. Just renting, and only for a year as is par for the course with students, but I've never seen it before, so should be good. Yeah.

PostRe: Buying a house by **1cmanny1** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:40 am

OnlyShallow wrote:Got the keys for the house yesterday. Went around to have a look at it after work. Was transported back in time to a 1970's B&B. I think I'll have to start a DIY thread.

strawberry float me I feel middle aged.

Wait.. Didn't I ask if it needed work done, and you said "No"?

PostRe: Buying a house by **OnlyShallow** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:56 pm

1cmanny1 wrote:
OnlyShallow wrote:Got the keys for the house yesterday. Went around to have a look at it after work. Was transported back in time to a 1970's B&B. I think I'll have to start a DIY thread.

strawberry float me I feel middle aged.

Wait.. Didn't I ask if it needed work done, and you said "No"?

Errrr... I think what I actually said was

OnlyShallow wrote:It needs a new heating system, which we are having done before we move in. There are various other things needing done but they will get done over time.

Its at the top of the page. Not exactly hard to find.

Buying a house (and renting)

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