One piece of advice you wish you'd known before buying a house?
Let us know in the comments below!
Comentarios (103)
Lynne Mysliwiec
hace 8 años1. Neighbors - if the yard across from you / next to you is filled with crap and the lawns and gardens unkempt, then they will tend to stay that way for years on end. If this bothers you...do not buy there.
2. Check with the local municipality for any permits pulled for work on the home for two reasons. Reason 1 - if there was ever a fire or disaster, then you'll know. Reason 2 - if there were updates done and no permits, then chances are that the work was done by an amateur at best and a useless crook at worst. Beware of open permits as well.
3. Always have a home inspection, be there for the inspection, and watch the inspector work. Mine was useless and didn't alert me to the fact that the previous owner had installed a third layer of shingles just on the front (visible) part of the roof.
PROcarvellassociates
hace 8 añosLook at the ceiling-this gives a good impression of the floor size in cluttered rooms.
Jan Johnson
hace 8 añosI like to see which way the sun shines. When we purchased this house I asked the previous owner that very question. It was perfect. sun Come up in morning (kitchen, laundry and travel around the side livng rooms and sets where the lounge (front room) is. bathroom and main bedroom and part of front room rarely sunny. 12 hours of sunshine.
Juliet Docherty
hace 8 añosPrefer to buy from an 'older couple' who have had the resources to maintain it, even though it may be naff. Sometimes younger couples with kids have had less money and time to put into a house. Always take a compass and ask about schools. In Cambridge prices drop around 100k when you go over the boundary for a good school. It's unfair but it's the reality.
jillp49
hace 8 añosTotally agree with everything everyone has already said....visit at different times of the day... have a second visit with your head not your heart. It's so easy to get carried away with the excitement of a new home but visit again and think of the practicalities; does the layout of the house work for you; is the journey to work ok; do you mind which way the garden faces; what about parking; living in the countryside can be wonderful but how do you feel about always having to get into the car to buy even a pint of milk. Lastly, ask the vendors why they are moving and ask about the neighbours. You can get a lot from the way they answer and if you're worried at all get your legal people to ask about previous neighbour disputes.
It can be really hard to walk away but it is such an expensive purchase and regrets later can cost so much money.alant1000
hace 8 añosI've just bought a house and looked at approx 20 in a short space of time. I ruled OUT:
1) Anything near a school / church - to avoid parking issues and noise / traffic problems at certain times of the day
2) Most probate-style 'renovation' houses - I found that of the 6 I looked at that were probable that needed full renovation, they were all stupidly overpriced by greedy family members no doubt squabbling over inheritance, to the point that you'd spend way more than it would be worth at the end. The real renovation projects seem to be very thin on the ground.
3) anything with maintenance charges
4) a 'flying freehold' house which means part of my house was over the top of their garage. This can cause aces problems and some mortgage companies won't lend against it.
5) I wrote off 3 entire local towns that were flooded last year, I wouldn't even entertain looking at anything in the location.
6) anything under the new proposed Heathrow flightpaths
7) a house that backed onto a petrol station, even though I was in a stunning location
8) anything with a flat roof extension - these need replacing every 10 years (so I am told)
It's worth looking at the crime maps website to see what the crime is like in the vicinity. Some types of crimes are acceptable to me (I don't mind antisocial behaviour), but I wouldn't want car crime or burglary.crowningfashion
hace 8 añosÚltima modificación: hace 8 añosHi alant1000, a good post, just for info I've been informed that new flat roofs now have a 25 year guarantee. For me whether or not I had a flat roof would depend upon my age when purchasing as I would prefer not to be the one paying for a new roof!;p
Marina
hace 8 añosHaving lived in many properties over the last few years, orientation has been the big one for us. After a long day at work we like to have the maximum of evening sunlight.
Neighbours can be a variable, but would never buy where it was known that neighbours were bad. Poor relations with neighbours can overshadow the most perfect property :(
maggieandrichard
hace 8 añosAlant1000, flat roofs do have a bed rep but my whole property has a flat roof. We had it replaced when we moved in nearly 40 years ago as we wanted it insulated and then again about ten years ago. It didn't need replacing and was in very good condition but we had purchased the adjoining property to knock the two together and decided, as we were doing one
half, we would have increased insulation on both. I'm pretty sure it will see us out!
bookworm987
hace 8 añosI wish I had really understood that "sale agreed" doesn't mean, "your keys are on the way", it means, "now the vendors will start looking for the paperwork they need in order to complete the sale..."
Nearly eight weeks on, still waiting....
pip356
hace 8 añosIf you want to extend Don't buy a house in a conservation area, it's a nightmare . No Juliet balconies or loft extensions for me
User
hace 8 añosGalley kitchens are truly disabling and should be banished from all homes. I spent 11 years in a North facing one trying to contain screams of frustration @ the insane lack of space in a room where you need to DO more than any other. Those architects have a lot to answer for! Also beware of visual access by close neighbours, or, passers by if you have no frontage to your house. If you don't, you may well end up feeling like a prize display item in an exhibition you have no desire to be a part of!tealrobert
hace 8 añosWe moved 18 months ago and have lots of ideas but no money left...
This has been a blessing as MANY of the ideas we had would have been a waste of money - especially re garden landscaping / creating eating areas.
Seeing the orientation of the sun IN GREAT detail during two summers has revealed how poor initial ideas would have been...
cowley10
hace 8 añosJust so glad now that a house we nearly bought fell through on the day we were due to exchange - The survey we had done had quite a few 'can not access' as per gilldt above - the carpets were nailed to the floors was one of the excuses - only for the subsequent purchasers to find an ancient cystern and sewage floating beneath the floor... in the end they couldn't move in for 18 months.
sandfly71
hace 8 añosDon't believe everything the current owner tells you - no matter how convincing they seem! Our previous elderly owner (dark glasses, walking stick) told us she wanted a quick sale as she was having major eye surgery ( to prevent her going completely blind) and moving to live with family in just 2 weeks whether house sold or not. This was in May. We had everything tied up our end with our solicitors/ buyer etc in 3 weeks expecting to be in v. soon.... but owner/solicitors/agent were a nightmare.... we eventually got keys late Sept. after 3 weeks of having to bus the kids across town to the new school ...... passing the house everyday could see she was still living there..... moved in to find the loft still contained 2 skips worth of her possessions yet agreed fixtures had been removed and a connecting doorway was covered up with pollyfilla and wallpaper!
Don't waste time with an agent/seller you suspect isn't being straight with you - give them a clear ultimatum.
Talk to the neighbors before you make an offer: knew more about the local area/history of our house than the owner - have been wonderful neighbors.
Walk around the area/visit property at different times of the day. Take an honest trusted friend to get their more objective views - often they spot pros and cons you hadn't considered.
Check behind large items of furniture to see what they potentially hide!
Trust your initial instincts...
benomim
hace 8 añosSouth facing garden and living area, with big windows/doors (or the potential to have them installed) for maximum sunlight - having moved from South Africa, bright sunny rooms is priority !
- PRO
User
hace 8 añosÚltima modificación: hace 8 añosHrrumph. @benomin, having lived in the north of England for far too long, I'd like bright sunny rooms as a change from relative darkness!
bagpuss2
hace 8 añosIf you live in the Highlands a view is essential- all the houses I admire look out on stunning coastal scenery- I look out on suburbia
- PRO
User
hace 8 años@bagpuss2 sounds idyllic! I look out north-east into suburban sprawl. Dark, dank, unlovely. Time to plan a move methinks!
PROAnastasia Robson
hace 8 años1. No matter how much you love the property, research your neighbours as much as you can, particularly if you are buying a flat in a shared building. Ask your potential neighbours about the area and the people in the area if you don't already have a good idea and make several visits day and night to check things out (noise pollution etc) before you purchase.
2. See the property for what it can be rather than for what it might represent currently. Unleash its potential!
3. Don't be afraid of moving things around to make the space work for you but always ensure you have the right permissions to do so, particularly if you've purchased a leasehold property.
bombel1972
hace 8 añosalways... check the loft and have it written in the contract for owners to remove everything! ALWAYS.
alant1000
hace 8 años@fantastic furniture assembly - that really is a ridiculous plug!
For anyone who likes to keep their car in a garage, measure both the garage door width AND length of the garage! My car fits in width wise (I measured that bit) but is 8cm too long to fit in length! Oh well, am excuse for a new car!
PROLavin Landscape & Ground Maintenance
hace 8 añosFind out what the neighbors do. Knock on doors, talk to people you could potentially be living beside, try and get their names by introducing yourself first then google them. You will be surprised what turns up. I nearly bought a house only to discover that the house attached do piano lessons during the week and Irish dancing at the weekends.
kowsarc
hace 8 añosWe bought a house 8 months ago and didn't know that there was an easement agreement for egress and ingress. The seller, the real estate agents and even the title company didn't disclose or tell us about the easement on our land. We were shocked when we came to know about it. Our home is beautiful, and we love the floor plan and the location, the most important part of the house buying. But that easement agreement ruined our excitement.....
Laura
hace 8 añosSurely though your conveyancer should have discussed it with you prior to exchange of contracts? Easements are disclosed in the register.kowsarc
hace 8 añosÚltima modificación: hace 8 añosNo, I'm not in the UK. Here in the US, Montgomery County MD, has those easement agreements somewhere. In general, the seller should disclose them.
mv5869
hace 8 añosI'd add a vote for checking out the Neighbours.
I never did it and it was a mistake! We had a nightmare at the start. The other half of the semi dumped all their garden waste over the garden wall and when we went to introduce ourselves to say Hi wouldnt even shake our hand.
The other side is a council house and they deposit their KFC wrappers and Stella cans on the pavement outside our house every day without fail. And the swearing and fighting can be heard all down the street. I don't say anything as I don't want my window smashed.
Luckily the people in the semi have moved on and the new owners are lovely. But the council house people are still there and worse than ever.
Tom Flanagan
Autor originalhace 8 añosÚltima modificación: hace 8 añosSo much sensible advice here - don't think I'll ever be unsure when buying a house again!
kowsarc
hace 8 añosI prepared a list of things that I need in the house before looking into houses to buy. For example, I have to have a bedroom and full bathroom in the ground floor. This is because I had a big accident a long time ago and my knee was fractured. During that time, in our previous house, the master bedroom was located in the ground floor, and I didn't have to climb the stairs!!
When we are buying our present house, our main concerns were how to fit our beautiful furniture that we were bringing from Asia, especially our 120" wooden dining table. Luckily we found a beautiful house that fit all our furniture perfectly.
Many who didn't know that we moved our furniture from overseas, thought we bought them after buying the house as they went so well with the house. We get compliments after compliments for the house, furniture and decors. We are so happy, thanks to God to find a perfect house for us and for the furniture and stuff!!kowsarc
hace 8 añosOf course, we had a big problem about easement (which was not disclosed during buying the house), and a parking lot which was built on our land. Our seemingly nice neighbor claimed that the parking lot on the easement cannot be taken out. So I'm having my attorney to write to them that easement is not to build a parking lot for egress and ingress!!! Oh, don't want to write on this anymore, too tired and frustrated. But we love our house :-)
milliemakeover
hace 8 añosCheck out neighbours and why they're moving.
My experience: London. When we moved in neihbours had three young children. Twelve years later they had in total eight and cemented over the garden and it had become a kiddies' race track.
Bristol: Students. Location great, noise terrible. Partying, shouting, getting locked out, music through the night. I like students but not in the early hours of the morning.
If you're buying a flat, the Management Committee frequency, the accounts, reserve fund. Yes, solicitors should do it-but some don't bother too much. I should know....
apismalifica
hace 8 añosTotally agree if you are considering a flat - check out the minutes, and recent spending (or lack of) by the Freehold Management Company - some buildings are 'self-managed' by very incompetent flat owners and as a result there may be loads of problems building up that need sorting out, often requiring a big injection of cash after a lot of denial and squabbling - clever owners often sell up just before this becomes painfully obvious, investors may have discouraged spending on all but the visible areas so they can extract maximum profit when they sell, leaving the new buyer to discover a backlog of maintenance or even hidden structural problems. Observant buyers can get a big discount on the basis of having spotted just how much needs to be spent by owners who can't afford the repairs! Don't forget you will have to pay your share towards a new roof even if you live in the basement, and read the lease very carefully to check exactly what you should be liable for in terms of maintaining communal areas and the building itself. Don't sign up as a Director until you know there is buildings insurance, Directors Insurance, and the correct H&S provisions in place (solicitor should tell you all that).
Milly Moo
hace 8 añosTrying to sell a leasehold property is horrid. Paying money to get the freeholders agents to answer simple questions especially when they take their sweet time is VERY frustrating.
una54
hace 8 añosIf you think there's woodworm, there probably is woodworm.
Thank goodness for the surveyors report, it really is worth it!
alant1000
hace 8 añosI've been in my new house for about 10 weeks and here are some things I hadn't even ever considered would be a problem which I unearthed during my big renovation:
1) mice in loft. Never even occurred, I live next to a field. Caused big problems and sleepless nights, a tricky problem to resolve.
2) my house is large and bizarrely had 22 phone ports with 2 phone lines to the house - none worked.
3) TV reception in the area was also weak and the owners used sky, I didn't want a sky subscription so had to get engineers to sort the aerial.
4) the burglar alarm looked great - when I moved in there was no code and the alarm was redundant.
5) make sure they leave ALL the keys - including the garage door ones! I had to get a new lock fitted as they didn't leave a key.
These are all niggles and I didn't go to mad as the woman selling was divorcing (diddums). But if I had thought about some of these overlooked small points I could have saved myself about £1000
Rachel Oakes
hace 8 añosDon't pay the asking price! I was 20 when I bought our first house and didn't really understand that you negotiated so we just said 'yeah, we'll have it'. We made £96k profit on it when we sold, but still....
Clare
hace 8 añosÚltima modificación: hace 8 añosYour outlook and orientation are the only things you can't change about your house.
Pallas
hace 8 añosÚltima modificación: hace 8 añosWhile it's good to list the things you must and want to have, beware of setting them in stone. I have lived in two places, a flat and my current forever house, which did not tick several of what I thought were the most important boxes, but I never had any doubt that they were the right place. Let your heart do some of the guiding.
I would also urge that unless a place is uninhabitable, move in and live there first for a year at least. That will reveal how the light gets in, how the room flow works for you and so on -- often, what we first think needs to be changed isn't, and other, less obvious requirements only reveal themselves once you've been in and living there for a while.
apismalifica
hace 8 añosOK I'm getting on a bit, but if I had known how much prices would rise I'd have bought the most expensive house I could afford - my first purchase, a 3 bed semi in West London near the tube, cost £18,000.
Michelle S
hace 8 añosLive in the house a while before making significant changes.
Get to know how you use the house, what its problems are, and what light you get throughout the day.
We initially intended to rip out the shower in downstairs toilet but since found it useful for muddy dogsJune Hulton
hace 8 añosRemember that Rome wasn't built in a day.. Neither the house you want to make a home... If the house feels right. With your Head and your heart, location. Then if it's the house for you it will work.. Move in and adjust each day... Yes you can put your Mark on the house, yes it will be your HOME... But live with it for at least a short while.. Don't be hasty to paint.. See where the sunshine..shines...See where it makes dull on a dark day...So you Can add a mirror maybe to reflect the daylight.. Don't make the pennies stretch any further than they are.. Remember that sadly the bills have to come first..!!!....
Improvise pieces to fit and...if you have to save for the right item....Then save..!!! it will be more practical in the end , rather than buying for the sake of it and having to buy another a few months down the line... Don't fill every room with furniture.... My biggest mistake... Use a piece like a sideboard and think practically the uses.... Is it big enough.. One more draw or cupboard would have better than two smaller ones...don't be afraid to add old stuff that we all now reuse..paint it ...add your own art work... It's a long journey.. To find the destination of all your dreams... And when you feel you have achieved what you have done...then sit back and enjoy all your hard work. And live in your HOME... Enjoy. Relax.. And above all have fun...
Norma Wiles
hace 8 añosSounding Proofing !! I would strongly recommend anyone buying a semidetached property to think about this . After moving in to a bungalow that we have had renovated and replastered throughout we have discovered that we are being driven mad by the noise from an elderly neighbours television .ianthy
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosWe have always bought the scruffiest house on a great road, we like doing up the house and making it home. I would avoid shared drives, flying freeholds, houses next to similar houses converted into flats, if buying on a hill check how this affects the neighbouring houses - some have really tall party walls. More than anything I have see potential in the house - good sized rooms with great light. No expensive structural problems.
bagpuss2
hace 7 añosIf you are looking for a character property to be your forever home, head to Caithness in the Scottish Highlands. Amazing scenery- think Cornwall with surfing and artists, but at a fraction of the cost. The locals only want low maintainance new builds so prices have dropped dramatically on listed buildings and mid 20th C homes- many with walking distance to amenities, with generous front and back gardens- think £125k for a 3 bed semi with a new kitchen and bathroom.
Hilary Charleston
hace 3 añosAvoid being near a church if you work hard all week and value a lie in on a Sunday morning. Church bells ringing at 7:o'clock - 8:o'clock - 9:o'clock do not go down well.
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