As we are beginning to think of downsizing and moving closer to our children, I have inevitably been browsing Rightmove looking at areas, properties etc to try and refine exactly where we may want to go and what we want to live in.
Without going into detail, our price range, in most areas can roughly be described as 4/5 bedroomed house on new estate. Except we want old and towncentre.
Anyway browsing house details, the thing that strikes me most is how unhomely uncosy and at times, downright uncomfortable and depressing so many of them look.
It doesn't matter whether the house is brand new or three hundred years old, the interior is most likely to be painted grey, the furnitutre will be grey, the kitchen will be black and white. Older houses will be stripped of all their period features and have ceiling with inset lights. They all look as if nobody lives in them and could ever want to live in them.
In the past, say 10 years ago, houses would have different styles of furnishing from high modern to cottage cosy, but all would lookm comfortable so that you could imagine yourself living in the house. Now the interiors are so inhospitable, they put you off wanting to go any further, because the first thing you do is start calculating how much it will cost you to get the house completely redecorated, recarpetted and curtained, before you even move in.
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