Should I renovate or move

In reference to the post saying 30's to 80's homes aren't a good build - I'm in a bungalow built in 1954 and it is solid, a good build with proper floorboards and a substantial roof framework, high ceilings, thicker than most cavity walls. Built by a local builder from an owner who bought the land beforehand and who obviously had good standards.

I've done up a few properties and would steer away from 70's and 80's builds when most floors were the 'new' chipboard ones. They sag, squeak, absorb moisture and move. Cheap, chuck 'em up builds when houses went up in their hundreds.

Yes renting for a while is a good idea. We moved to a flat from a family sized house and are really happy here. It's not a small flat ( 3 bedrooms, 2 public, an office plus kitchen and two bathrooms) and we have lots of storage so don't feel constrained. Note 1960s flats are more spacious than modern ones.

Aveline

Oh yes. Move now. Let the purchasers do the renovation - that'll spare your blood pressure. Not all retirement complexes are extortionate but you don't sound like a candidate for assisted living. A studio flat might feel pretty claustrophobic after living in a large house. Compromise? A nice flat in a good area? Good luck anyway.

I wonder, it could feel claustrophobic. I think the ideal situation would be to rent for 6 months with the option to buy. There's nothing worse than moving and then realising that you've made a mistake.

I remember buying a house from a 90 year old. When I bumped into her she sounded down and said she really missed her old home and hated living in a flat. I used to see her standing across the road just staring at her old home.

Oh yes. Move now. Let the purchasers do the renovation - that'll spare your blood pressure. Not all retirement complexes are extortionate but you don't sound like a candidate for assisted living. A studio flat might feel pretty claustrophobic after living in a large house. Compromise? A nice flat in a good area? Good luck anyway.

That sounds like a nightmare. My neighbour also found completely rotten floorboards, rotten roof timber joints and asbestos in the ceilings.

I completely agree with you regarding 1930/1980.

Yep to that one - the first house good friends of mine (and she's still in it all these years later - albeit as a widow now) was a Victorian terrace.

Who knows owt when they buy their first house? - ie not a lot of us. So they didn't know to check the flood history of the area concerned. Yep...there was a well-known flood in that area of the city a few years before they bought it. Cue for they found the floorboards were riddled with dry rot when they took up the carpets - oops!

In the event he did the work himself to sort that out - because there wasn't the money to pay someone else - but that was unexpected effort. They've had to do some replastering - as some of it fell off the walls. Mind you - she's only just had the house rewired (an electrician insisted she did) - which I hadn't clicked to - even though I'd had my Victorian starter house substantially rewired when I bought it in the 1980s (ie 40 years before she had hers done).

Personally - I'm inclined to think the "least/worst" era to buy houses from is probably the 1930s to 1980s - though others may correct me on that one and, with where I've come from = expectations on how houses are means I regard all that range as needing renovating if it's not yet been done.

M0nica

Sorry to add a damper, but the housing market is not very buoyant at the moment and has not been for ssome time. Selling may be easier siad than done and that includes houses for renovation. Buy to let landlords/ladys, who used to buy at auction, renovate and then let, are pulling in their horns, faced with government over regulation.

I am not going to suggest that you renovate, I think the sell and move onnoption is the best, but be prepared for selling your house to take a while or the auction price to be quite low.

I hope you get lucky and the house sells quickly and well, but just do not build your hopes up.

I was thinking that too, but didnt like to say.

The sitaution in the housing market is still a bit different in different areas.

I thought it sounded like the op is not short of cash.

I presume at auction, reserve prices are still accepted?

Very true about renovating. When you renovate a Victorian house it's an absolute guarantee that many horrors will be unearthed and the price quoted will sky rocket.

I'm so touched and impressed by you all. It's like having estate agent, financial adviser and therapist all thrown in, and it's free.

THANK YOU

StripeyGran

Was it more than 20p?

Ha Ha! No it was £100 so I can afford that new house now.

Treated myself to a take-away and cream cake.

Also got a letter saying I was getting a winter fuel payment, which I did not expect.

aonk

I have seen for myself that renovation isn’t always a good thing. First of all you will live a very disrupted life for some time and have a lot of decisions to make regarding colours, fittings etc.
My neighbours moved out after Covid. They had only been living there for 3 years but had made a lot of changes to the house eg new bathrooms, completely new kitchen, new utility room not to mention a refurbishment of the garden. They then decided to move nearer to a family member who was ill. The people who bought the house then undertook another sizeable renovation and I watched perfectly good bathroom suites and kitchen cabinets and appliances being taken away. If you renovate it won’t necessarily be to the taste of your buyer. My advice would be to keep your house as neat and uncluttered as you can and make your move to a maintenance free new home.

Agree with the very disrupted life whilst it's going on and that's something that can go on for years in some areas (ask me how I know...or second thoughts don't...).

One can't necessarily rely on a home that looks "good to go" standard to be that way. It depends entirely on whether it's a "real renovation" (as I call it) - ie done properly and meant to be lived in for a while by the home-owner doing it. Or, on the other hand, a deliberate "do up to flog on for a profit" one.

A house that's very close at hand to me got bought deliberately to "do up and flog on for a profit". It obviously needed a lot of work and they bought it at a correspondingly cheap price and it looked very nice and modern etc etc when they'd finished. But - being so close to hand - I could see just how much bodging was going on in order to maximise their profit for themselves. You name it and they did it themselves if they could and, whoever did it, it was a cheap take on work.

They've only been gone for a matter of months and the house was left looking like it "worked" - but one of the two bathrooms didn't work, the central heating was faulty, a garden fence was the cheapiest/most bodgy one I've ever seen and it's turning to matchwood already in the windy area I live in. There's stuff that's been done by them in the garden to hide there's work needing doing and a BIG bill due soon on that land (A 5-figure bill - and I know all that because it's part of my garden that they stole off me - so I'm very sure whose bill that now is, ie not mine). That's just what I can see - there's probably rather more.

So - if a house looks nice and modern and "finished" check whether it was a profit-making bodger or someone who genuinely meant to live there for a while and did things properly. How can ya' tell I'm making the sign of the cross against house flippers?

Whatever house you buy and there's a very good chance there might have been kitchen decisions that don't make a lot of sense. Maybe they did to the owner - but there's a good chance they won't to the next owner. I've lost count of how many people put a built-in dishwasher in a small kitchen - ie there isn't room for one imo - but they've crammed one in anyway and that means less room for what you do want in a kitchen. Also lots of kitchens are done without maximising wall cupboard space and I'm left thinking "Where on earth would I buy some more matching wall cupboards? Bet I can't...".

barmcake

Thank you so much for the great advice. It's really helped me to make a decision. Have googled assisted living and you're absolutely right about the pitfalls. Ordinary retirement flats look like a bit of a con too.

I'm physically good and have no money worries so can get rid of this house at a knock-down price. I think I'll sell the house at auction and then get a new studio in a city centre. I love London and Brighton, so will be busy looking this week.

You have really helped a lot. I also found money in an old skirt pocket this morning so things are looking brighter.

Pleased to hear that you’ve made your decision barmcake. Wishing you all the very best with the house sales and your search for a new home. 😊

A small ground floor flat maybe, although many have those monthly maintenance fees.
I bet once you have moved, You won’t give your old house a backward glance.

barmcake

Thank you so much for the great advice. It's really helped me to make a decision. Have googled assisted living and you're absolutely right about the pitfalls. Ordinary retirement flats look like a bit of a con too.

I'm physically good and have no money worries so can get rid of this house at a knock-down price. I think I'll sell the house at auction and then get a new studio in a city centre. I love London and Brighton, so will be busy looking this week.

You have really helped a lot. I also found money in an old skirt pocket this morning so things are looking brighter.

Money in your pocket is a good omen and you have such a positive attitude barmcake cut your losses and draw a line across, a new start will give you a new lease of life.

Lots of people are looking for a re-furb, something they can do in the winter months and an auction is a good idea, shut of it, once and for all

I have seen for myself that renovation isn’t always a good thing. First of all you will live a very disrupted life for some time and have a lot of decisions to make regarding colours, fittings etc.
My neighbours moved out after Covid. They had only been living there for 3 years but had made a lot of changes to the house eg new bathrooms, completely new kitchen, new utility room not to mention a refurbishment of the garden. They then decided to move nearer to a family member who was ill. The people who bought the house then undertook another sizeable renovation and I watched perfectly good bathroom suites and kitchen cabinets and appliances being taken away. If you renovate it won’t necessarily be to the taste of your buyer. My advice would be to keep your house as neat and uncluttered as you can and make your move to a maintenance free new home.

M0nica

Sorry to add a damper, but the housing market is not very buoyant at the moment and has not been for ssome time. Selling may be easier siad than done and that includes houses for renovation. Buy to let landlords/ladys, who used to buy at auction, renovate and then let, are pulling in their horns, faced with government over regulation.

I am not going to suggest that you renovate, I think the sell and move onnoption is the best, but be prepared for selling your house to take a while or the auction price to be quite low.

I hope you get lucky and the house sells quickly and well, but just do not build your hopes up.

I’d heard that the market was very slow, too (partly down to pre Budget angst?) but an acquaintance of ours just sold her house within a couple of weeks.

IMO it was ‘keenly priced’, though, which is more than I can say for a neighbour of ours, whose house has just gone on the market for what to me and dh seems a staggering price. Of course at some point we’ll be having a good old nose on Nethouseprices, to see what it actually sold for…

barmcake I am in your situation large Victorian terraced house, 6 bedrooms, 4 reception rooms but I have my 3 adopted adult children with Down Syndrome living with me. They cannot live independently. The house is far too big. I will need a 4 bedroom house which are not cheap! Like you I don’t know what to do! House is in a reasonable condition.

Sorry to add a damper, but the housing market is not very buoyant at the moment and has not been for ssome time. Selling may be easier siad than done and that includes houses for renovation. Buy to let landlords/ladys, who used to buy at auction, renovate and then let, are pulling in their horns, faced with government over regulation.

I am not going to suggest that you renovate, I think the sell and move onnoption is the best, but be prepared for selling your house to take a while or the auction price to be quite low.

I hope you get lucky and the house sells quickly and well, but just do not build your hopes up.

A friend of mine downsized a few years ago. She was living alone in her family home which had become too much for her. She loved the house and agonised about moving but eventually bought a flat in a small complex where the flats can only be owned and occupied by the over 55's. It's not a retirement flat as such, it's still a private flat. It is about 10 minutes from where her daughter and family live and she has friendly neighbours. My friend has often said it was the best thing she ever did and she doesn't miss her previous home at all, despite all the memories she has of living there. I think you have to keep an open mind about moving in case another more suitable home is out there for you.

Future proofing - if I were you, I’d sell up and move to a Bungalow. Good luck !

Sometimes it's good to cut our losses, accept what "is" and move on.

Wishing you all the best.

Some good answers on here.

Since it needs complete renovation, I too would be tempted to sell.
In the current property climate anyway.

I wrote a thread a few months back about our house repairs.
We have decided to do some of ours.
But if the whole house had needed doing, I think it may have been a totally different story.

Was it more than 20p?

Thank you so much for the great advice. It's really helped me to make a decision. Have googled assisted living and you're absolutely right about the pitfalls. Ordinary retirement flats look like a bit of a con too.

I'm physically good and have no money worries so can get rid of this house at a knock-down price. I think I'll sell the house at auction and then get a new studio in a city centre. I love London and Brighton, so will be busy looking this week.

You have really helped a lot. I also found money in an old skirt pocket this morning so things are looking brighter.

Goodness you must be upset and I understand the urge to run away.

Why not talk to a couple of estate agents. Ask for a valuation and their opinion on how easily or otherwise your home would sell as a renovation project. People do want their homes to be as they choose. Was your desire to renovate because you love your home or more that it needed work to be comfortable?

Have a think about where you live. Is it convenient for medical support, shops and public transport? Do you have friends and family close by or would you hope to be in a new, more convenient location?

If the location is good for you are there easier to manage properties close by? New or newer properties which are easier to heat and need few repairs. It’s a big jump to go to a retirement development, I wonder if the thought is rooted in no responsibility for building maintenance. There are of course alternatives. Perhaps take a breath for a few days and let the upset settle while you consider all options. If you do opt for a retirement development it’s a good idea to try to chat to people who live there. Bear in mind unless a new building it’s likely any retirement property will need decorating and perhaps carpet or a new kitchen and bathroom.

My thought is take your time. Get valuations on your home. Be clear where you’d like to live and if you can seek personal recommendations for trustworthy builders to help decision making.

It seems to me there’s not one answer to your situation. We’re all so individual with individual approaches to life. Gather information on all the options, let the distress settle and if there’s a family member or friend you can trust why not talk it through with them. Wishing you well.

Sell but avoid assisted living due to the extortionate and increasing charges. I recommend a new-build, standards today are much higher and are generally freehold not leasehold. I am in a new build, a 4 bedroom detached pretty house with a garden and have space for all my hobbies plus a guest room

Easy to maintain and they have to have a downstairs cloakroom with a wide door. Lovely to live in a mixed community too, knowing that I could get help in if needed but the house is so easy to look after that at 77 I do everything myself.