HOUSES THAT ARE UNTOUCHED FOR DECADES

Cariadagain, I find it odd too. There are people I know who haven't changed their house for 40 years, living with dark old carpets, old furniture and aertex walls. I couldn't bear it. Now we can I afford it, I like to keep mine light and modern. One reason being that I think people judge you by your house, and I don't want to be treated as an 'old person ' just because my house looks like an old person's house!
But also that 70s to 90s look is for my parents, not for me.

I think it is dependent on age and energy, I moved into this house 40 years ago, the kitchen was tiny, we knocked through into the dining room, to make a kitchen/family room, put in french doors to the garden, and a downstairs cloakroom in the hall. We couldn't afford to do the bathroom, and just made do with installing an over bath shower. 20 years on, we divorced, so money was again tight for me left in the house. I met my second husband and we did some work on the kitchen, velux windows to make it lighter, new units , lighting. Also had a shower fitted in the bedroom, as we were sharing the house temporarily with my son and his small family. Then my husband died a few years ago, and although I have a little money put aside for emergencies and could improve the still waiting bathroom, I just haven't got the energy or inclination to start.

I must admit that I'm not keen on the furniture aspect unless it's really comfy. Nothing that a good clean and steam won't care. But the kitchen and bathroom? Some people like an older look, also, if it works and isn't broke why try and 'fix' it? I lived in my house with it's avocado green and brown kitchen for almost 25 years before I could afford to change it. As for my kitchen, it was fitted about 20 years ago. It's looking a bit worse for wear now, but I will paint the units as I can't justify spending £10k on cupboards. Each to their own.

When house hunting recently online I saw many dated homes, you could often see and understand that a lot of money had been spent in the 70’s/80’s on kitchens, fitted wardrobes etc.
I fully understand someone living with their choices, why change so if you loved it once and it still works.

Personally I never want to live in a home that looks tired/dated but that may change as I age.

One thing that struck me were some agents photographs……just move the commode, put the loo seat down and straighten the curtains!

I have completely renovated two flats that were honestly hellholes - you’d hardly leave a dog in them overnight. It was extremely satisfying to turn them both into really nice places to live. We sold the first, the 2nd has been rented out for over 10 years, still looks great.

But as I said to one of the current tenants when they were viewing (she remarked on what a lovely kitchen it was) - ‘It’s an awful lot nicer than mine!’ .

Mine is now over 35 years old and frankly looking very tired. But until I actually have to do it (because e.g. the ancient combi microwave has finally packed up - and they don’t make them the same size to fit the units any more) - I just can’t be bothered with all the faff and hassle.
And as long as it still produces meals, dh honestly couldn’t give a monkey’s.

Ha, ha. The more I think about it the funnier it gets.

Buyer: “I gave you £200,000. You’ve spent it on a new car? I wouldn’t have bought that 4 x4. I don’t approve of them. You could have managed with a smaller one like mine.
‘And a trip to Disney! What a rubbish thing to have spent my money on. What do mean it’s not my money any more. When I bought this house and gave you the money for it I thought you would spend it on a new house, just like I did……..

It's nobody"s business what people do with their money or how they decorate their house. If you are happy with it that"s all that matters. Can't believe the audacity of the original post

Cariad - have you considered taking up a hobby?

Lavk of energy one reason. We've needed new kitchen flooring for years. No energy to even buy it, never mind moving the fridge freezer, washing machine etc to put it down. It's difficult when you're older.

What Bluebell and Petra said - 100% !

I think the idea of renovation when you're older & maybe physically challenged is just not important.There are far more significant things in life to spend energy on .Each to their own.

We moved into this house,, newly built, in mid 70s. Have always maintained it well but still have original kitchen and bathroom (avocado suite). Did have shower installed over bath, and folding screen fitted, about 20 years ago. Our original lounge carpet was relaid by us in bedroom 20 years ago and is looking a bit threadbare in places but can’t be bothered to hi thru the upheaval if replacing it now we’re in our 80s. Most of our furniture was bought new gradually tho other pieces handed to us by relatives. Why change for the sake if it? Would mention our adult children and spouses live differently🤣

Nobody's business except the house owners'. Can't understand why you're so invested in other people's homes and finance. Each to their own and you have no idea of the personal circumstances or priorities of these people.

Stamp duty. Nuff said.

I’m another one who doesn’t feel attached to a house ( or anything really) that I’ve let go. I don’t understand that sense of ongoing ownership. After all, I didn’t want it any more and I don’t still own it in any way.

If I wanted to retain any sense of control then I should have kept it. Why on earth should I have any say in what someone does with the house they have bought. I don’t expect them to have any say in how I spend what was once their money😬

Soulless renovation for the sake of it is chilling.

I don’t think it’s selfish - in fact it’s more selfish to sell something, take the money then think you have a moral right to be upset if the new owner changes things. I wouldn’t want previous owners of my house being bothered about what we do with it. Planning laws are there to preserve the nature of areas where necessary.

When we moved into our Edwardian house 50+ years ago we were glad some brown furniture had been left for us. Since then we have gradually done what was was needed. But we didn't think we immediately NEEDED to rip.out the bathroom or kitchen as they were perfectly serviceable at the.time, even if quite old. Yet that is what happens round here, people move in and rip everything out as a matter of course even if the previous owner has done the same thing not long before. Such a waste.

Maybe a bit selfish, but I really don’t care what happens to this house if and when I leave it. What I/we have done to it over the years is for my/our benefit.
In its current format, it suits me, but if a purchaser wants to pull it down and turn it into a very expensive carpark - it wouldn’t bother me, as long as I had the money in the bank.
(Half joking, as the planners would have something to say!).

I gave my fancy sports car to DD1, it was a gift, so no longer mine - I told her she could crush it and turn it into a garden sculpture if she wanted. She planned to keep it for a few years, then she became pregnant and the car was totally unsuitable and had to go. Like me, she’d had pleasure from it.

Doodledog

Genuine question - why does it bother you? You wanted to sell, and he wanted to buy, after which it became his house, not yours. I don't understand someone wanting to move but also wanting the house to stay the same - it's very like having your cake and eating it, or am I missing something?

I know someone who is always saying how cross she is that the man who bought her late mother's house is not going to live in it, but will develop the land it's on. She sold it - if she was that bothered about keeping her memories she could have lived there (it's a couple of hundred yards from her own house) but she didn't. She now has the money from the sale but still resents the fact that the house is not always going to be there. I don't get it.

The reasoning on that is that she sold it as a "house" and not as a "development site".

She expected someone to actually live in it and not a developer grabbing for it. Because of the developer - the road will be more built-up than it was and any wild life living in the garden would be scared off. I'd have been upset too. Yep...this is the voice of someone living on what a future developer might like to have - and there might just have been one or two crafty "spokes in the wheel" inserted by me in order to keep it as a home. A future "little bomb or two" ready to explode (not literally a bomb....) if anyone tries that on...

Greyduster

I just hate the disingenuous viewers who rave about some feature of a house and then having bought it, do away with it as quickly as they can. Our buyer did that with the garden. He raved about it - we couldn’t get him to come back indoors. When I saw it was for sale again, I looked on line at the sales details. Within a year of buying it, they had torn up the patio, the pergola and the water feature he was so ecstatic about, dug out every plant and flower and grassed it all over. When I saw it, it broke my heart but, each unto his own.

That would upset me too - knowing someone had lied to me like that - and so strongly so too. I gather that's a fairly common trick/lie the less moral type of buyer plays - ie they rave about the garden. It seems to be done in order to have the seller think "Ah someone like me - they'll have the same moral standards/tastes as me. So I'll sell them the house - rather than someone else". Some of us like to think we're selling our house on to someone with similar moral standards/tastes as our own - and maybe let them off a little of the price we'd really like for our house.

I get why someone would think that. In my own case (when selling my starter house to buy current one) there was a noticeable number of viewers and I knew I'd have at least two "types" viewing - ie those who would be planning to buy it and then rent it out as part of a landlord/lady portfolio (the area was changing in that direction.....) and those who actually really wanted it.

Though I've never even wanted children - I could see there were two of the best city primary schools an easy walking distance from that house and one of them pretty much literally round the corner (but far away enough parent parking wouldnt be an issue). I got fairly much the type of buyer I had chosen to have if I could manage it - a young woman with a pre-school age child (about two years from start of primary school I'd think - judging by the estate agents description). I knew a potential buyer might come along that would want my house for just long enough to use it as a springboard house to get their child into our good little primary school - and then they'd probably move.

Come the bidding war I had at the end for it - it was a couple that wanted it for their buy-to-let empire and a local woman with that child about 2 years from wanting a good primary school (and estate agent had told me what road her parents was in - and that told me all I needed to know....as I went "middle class then".....and knew what their daughters aspirations were likely to be.

Yep...they lied about your garden - because they were deliberately trying to create "fellow feeling" - ie have you think "This is somebody like myself....".

Peoples morals - or lack thereof - do tend to show when it comes to house sales. I had an incident myself where I told off someone who was, I thought, a friend of mine that it didnt seem to me she was going to sell her house after all to someone she'd agreed that with - and told her strongly that she must tell her buyers that she'd changed her mind...rather than let them drag on and on thinking she was indeed going to sell to them.

I live next door to a church owned house that houses the church leader. This particular church group move their leaders around about every 4 years. Every time there is a change , the bathroom is replaced and all the carpets . Sometimes the kitchen as well . It infuriates me that perfectly fine stuff is thrown out each time.

Genuine question - why does it bother you? You wanted to sell, and he wanted to buy, after which it became his house, not yours. I don't understand someone wanting to move but also wanting the house to stay the same - it's very like having your cake and eating it, or am I missing something?

I know someone who is always saying how cross she is that the man who bought her late mother's house is not going to live in it, but will develop the land it's on. She sold it - if she was that bothered about keeping her memories she could have lived there (it's a couple of hundred yards from her own house) but she didn't. She now has the money from the sale but still resents the fact that the house is not always going to be there. I don't get it.

I just hate the disingenuous viewers who rave about some feature of a house and then having bought it, do away with it as quickly as they can. Our buyer did that with the garden. He raved about it - we couldn’t get him to come back indoors. When I saw it was for sale again, I looked on line at the sales details. Within a year of buying it, they had torn up the patio, the pergola and the water feature he was so ecstatic about, dug out every plant and flower and grassed it all over. When I saw it, it broke my heart but, each unto his own.

Oh Oreo, I'd like lots of warning if GNetters are going to wander around my home: it's enough to clean up/ tidy away for friends and family.
I fear some GNetters may have higher standards than me, and there might have to be a lot of hiding stuff in cupboards...