Deal breaker on a house

YurOK2

Thargor wrote: »

So you're really passing on houses based on carpets?

Yep, don't worry about it, they're our dealbreakers, as I said, everybody's needs are different.

Thargor

YurOK2 wrote: »

Yep, don't worry about it, they're our dealbreakers, as I said, everybody's needs are different.

But its completely illogical, you can do a decent carpet job on most houses for a couple of grand, what does that matter when you're spending hundreds of thousands on all the other factors?

MouseTail

North facing garden would be a dealbreaker for me.

YurOK2

Thargor wrote: »

But its completely illogical, you can do a decent carpet job on most houses for a couple of grand, what does that matter when you're spending hundreds of thousands on all the other factors?

we don't want carpet downstairs.

Gumbo

YurOK2 wrote: »

we don't want carpet downstairs.

Hands + knees and lift carpet up.
I didn't buy a house I viewed last year as the current owners had a picture on the wall of their whole family. How the hell did they expect me to live in a house with their family on my wall!!!!! I walked, no wait, I fecking ran away. That was a close call for me!

YurOK2

kceire wrote: »

Hands + knees and lift carpet up.
I didn't buy a house I viewed last year as the current owners had a picture on the wall of their whole family. How the hell did they expect me to live in a house with their family on my wall!!!!! I walked, no wait, I fecking ran away. That was a close call for me!

Yeah, that's the same thing alright

I don't see what the big deal is
The thread is about your dealbreakers, very simple to understand.

Gumbo

YurOK2 wrote: »

I don't see what the big deal is
The thread is about your dealbreakers, very simple to understand.

What would you do if you found the perfect house, at the perfect price in the perfect location for you. But, it had carpet in the sitting room. Knowing you can lift the carpet in 6 mins and 23 seconds, and get new flooring to your choice the following day.

Would you still walk away in the hope that you're evil twin somewhere built a house from your dreams and now wants to sell it?

YurOK2

kceire wrote: »

What would you do if you found the perfect house, at the perfect price in the perfect location for you. But, it had carpet in the sitting room. Knowing you can lift the carpet in 6 mins and 23 seconds, and get new flooring to your choice the following day.

Would you still walk away in the hope that you're evil twin somewhere built a house from your dreams and now wants to sell it?

You'd actually be surprised at how many houses don't have carpet downstairs these days, we're seeing more houses without than with.

Anyway, you don't know my reason for this being a dealbreaker, nor do I have to give a reason.

athtrasna

Can we move on now please folks?

SpaceTime

Bathrooms without any external windows.

I've encountered that a few times in rental places and hated it. Even with fans, you're always going to end up with a dank, damp mess.

Supercell

Rented for 18 years and if there is one thing i learned is that i never ever want to live in an irish apartment/ flat again (i include "duplexes" in that).
I grew up in a detached house and i just found living with the sounds of people stomping around all day, never mind the weekend parties etc just too much to bare in apartments when renting. Luckily we bought a small detached bungalow near work in 2011 (the one time houses were affordable and i had money saved) and our next move will be to the countryside (once i convince the wife!!!) where i can hopefully get an acre or two and a large detached house for the same money.

sunnysoutheast

Scummy neighbours. You can tell a lot about an area by walking round of an evening.

Generally can't be fixed so best to walk away.

pwurple

Deal breakers for me were:

-Location, location, location. Could not have it too far from public transport/infrastructure, or in an area without amenities. Walking distance to sports facilites, schools, shops, pubs was top on our list.
-Lack of garden. The amount of enjoyment we get from the garden is unbelievable. I cannot stand maintenance-free plots. We wanted space for veggies, swings, trees, flowers, potting sheds, maybe a greenhouse in the future. A house without a decent garden was no good to us.
-House attached to another house. I know this is potentially a snobby one, but I have lived in WAY too many modern semi-d's, apartments and terraces where I could literally hear the other people's conversations about their dinner through the wall. We wanted detached only.


We got those three sorted in our current house, but of course had to compromise elsewhere. You never get EVERYTHING on your list unless you've got an unlimited budget. Decor was a bit dated... easily fixed over time. Space was fairly limited within our budget in a nice area w/garden, but we're saving up for an extension.

iguana

MouseTail wrote: »

North facing garden would be a dealbreaker for me.

That can depend on the house. Mid-terraced two storey with 10m back garden, northfacing rear would be unpleasant. Detached bungalow on 1/3 an acre, orientation is pretty much irrelevant, in fact a south facing front garden can be preferable. My back garden is north facing but my house is a bungalow and my back garden is well over 100m long. Looking out there now just over a meter of the back garden is in shade and if we actually had nice weather it's nice to have a small shadey spot near the house. At the same time it's nice that the front of the house is sunny as I have a 2yo so if he is on his bike in the driveway or playing with the other kids on our street he needs to be supervised. We have a large porch/small conservatory and a garden bench area to the front and it's great to have that sunny spot to sit in while watching him.

When I was house hunting, I was hoping for an urban suburb but was looking at more rural suburbs too. One thing that I discovered was a major dealbreaker for me was a lack of a footpath at the front of the house. I saw a couple of fabulous, decently priced houses that were on narrow roads with no footpaths. And while the roads were mostly fairly quiet some drivers go way too fast on those roads. The thought of being in a house that the only safe way to leave the house was by car was awful. Especially for my son when he gets older. There isn't much point to living second nextdoor to his friends if he can't safely walk to their house and it's not much fun mastering a balance bike if he can't ride it when we go the shops. I'd have compromised on pretty much everything else in order to have the freedom to safely walk out the front gate.

TheDoc

UPC fibre enabled area, achieving maximum speeds.

I've been very clear to my GF after we had a year in Donabate where the internet was worse then Somalia. When it comes to buying a house, if there is no UPC available it's not being considered.

Woshy

TheDoc wrote: »

UPC fibre enabled area, achieving maximum speeds.

I've been very clear to my GF after we had a year in Donabate where the internet was worse then Somalia. When it comes to buying a house, if there is no UPC available it's not being considered.

We were the same, when we were viewing houses I checked if UPC was available before making an offer.

Other than that we weren't too fussy, our list when house hunting was that it had to have a garden that wasn't paved over already, be down a cul de sac, near semi-decent public transport and have a downstairs loo. It turned the loo one wasn't a dealbreaker after all because we bought a house without one - because everything else in it was just what we wanted and for a good price. We haven't missed having one too much, even when I was heavily pregnant.

alastair

I've a bunch of 'must haves' that are 'don't haves' on the place I'm looking to buy:
UPC broadband
Gas connection (cookability! Combi-boiler! No immersion, no smelly oil tank)
Garden
Private open space of any kind
Line of sight for Sky dish
Garage space for classic car

Amazing how much you'll compromise for a completely different set of 'haves' you didn't realise you 'must have'.

vertmann

I went to look at a lovely house which had an awful lot going for it. Only problem was, if you walked out the front door and strolled the 50m or so to the end of the cul-de sac, you'd find yourself looking down at a large sewage treatment plant which was cunningly built into the hill beside it. Seeing as the house is still on the market 8-9 months later, it would appear that living a stone's throw away from human waste was a dealbreaker for more than just me :eek:

PLL

I hate to say an en-suite, as I would probably compromise If I adored the house but the idea of living without one scares me. I have a 4 year old and another one on the way and it is the only place in the house which is mine and not covered in toys.

It would have to have a garden, I grew up in a flat in inner city Birmingham, I wouldn't wish it on anybody. If it had no garden I wouldn't even look at it.

Myself and my other half are quite visual so it would be more the feel of the house that would sell it to us. We could easily see ways in which it could be changed to make it our home.

For us it would be more about location. I used to want to bring my family up in a rural big country house with lots of land. However after moving to different parts of Ireland over the years we like to be somewhere with transport and where there are things to do, places to go for us and the kids, and most importantly good food!

Icepick

electric/storage heating

gotta be gas with proper radiators

Jellybaby1

We used to rent in the city very close to takeaways and pubs. Our front door would often be swimming in drunken throw-up, so I've avoided those when house hunting.

Based on my own experiences over 40 years, the very least I would need would be:

a) a garden for a washing line
b) legal windows i.e. the ones that a person can escape out of in case of fire, there is a law about that but don't know where to link to.
c) a window in every room (never accept a windowless room!)
d) a semi-detached at least, to bring bins and bikes to the rear
e) no steep incline (towards or away from house) in the driveway - experience has taught me its treacherous in icy weather
f) must be a good distance away from playgrounds, parks and schools - parents sometimes have bad parking manners when collecting or delivering their little darlings.
g) supermarket within 30 mins walk
h) good public transport
i) good broadband (can't believe I listed that, but its true, we can't exist without it now).
j) good neighbours (there is no guarantee you will get this no matter what class of an area you choose to live in)
k) it has to be a house. I will never live in a flat/apartment again as long as I live.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Eric Cartman

couldn't live in a semi / terraced house ever again, at least 25 meters on all sides from any other house is an absolute requirement. that and enough space to park at least 6 cars off street and preferably a garage for at least 1 of them

Diane Selwyn

I'd say the deal breakers are very different for renting than for buying - if you are looking at house shares its all about getting flatmates you can live with (and in an ideal situation become friends with). If you are renting on your own you need to be able to live with the usually hideous supplied furnishings - hopefully have a good relationship with the landlord. I rented for a long time in areas I could never afford to buy so I guess location was less of a deal breaker in the end (and as it turns out I'm loving where I bought and can't understand why I didn't move sooner!). I actually did the windowless room when I first moved to Ireland and couldn't get my head around the cost of renting here - wouldn't do it again though. I also once viewed a 'flat' which was actually two separate rooms in a big house i.e. the bedroom and ensuite was down the hall from the room which was your kitchen/sitting room. Where I would usually thank the EA and mutter something like 'I'll have to have a think and do some sums' I do believe I just blurted out 'please don't ever call me again'

SpaceTime

Bad broadband.
I don't care where the place is but if it can't at least get eFibre and preferably UPC, I am not moving there.

Akrasia

For me, The deal breakers are the neighbours. I'm not snobby, but I don't want my kids playing in an estate full of 'delinquent' children because i'm paranoid that either
1. The older kids will lead my children down a bad path
or
2. My kids will be targetted by the rougher element in the estate.

My ideal scenario is a small group of houses with a few nice families with children of similar ages to my own

I'm paranoid about how much influence a kids peer group can have on their development.