How much is too much?

[JayRexy]

I'm interested to know what people's opinions are on renovating old properties. Me wife and I are currently doing some house hunting ourselves although are in the very early stages and I stumbled upon this 1860s cottage on The Green, Sarratt, Rickmansworth http://www.hetheringtons.co.uk/forsaleoffice/Chorleywood/740 as you can see inside the property has been completely modernised. So do you guys like when properties are completely modernised? Or do you think prefer if more of the original features are kept?

 

[a twig]

Direct link: http://www.hetheringtons.co.uk/buy/...,wd3-for-guide-price-gbp-625,000-ref-2043317/

PVC windows aside, the main modernisms seems to be the choices of furnishings/units - in particular the rather garish kitchen - and the overly shiny oak floor.

With some careful choices of furniture/units etc I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to make it look more appropriate. So for me - unfortunate but not horrendous

As an aside: HOW MUCH for a 3 bed!?!? I thought Bath was bad!

 

[LadyArowana]

I wouldn't take out original features that were there, but when we went house shopping it wasn't the top priority. Location and layout were more important.

As an aside: HOW MUCH for a 3 bed!?!? I thought Bath was bad!

Bath is bad, and this is particularly bad :lol: http://www.primelocation.com/for-sa...h_identifier=21d4253a866fcd90a2271e67aded9b83

 

[88v8]

Well, I like the outside, and some good hedges.

The inside has been turned into a soulless white box, although the bathroom not so bad.

Otherwise, if it's as sound as it looks, then wallpaper, colourful paint, carpets, could work wonders. I dare say someone would give you a few quid for the kitchen units.

Ivor

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Hi Jayrexy----so typical of the perceived way to sell a house as advised by the Estate Agents ----that finish is apparently what people expect to see when viewing!

HOWEVER, as a prospective buyer --it really is not too bad----clean canvas inside for you to do with what you wish---functional updated kitchen and bathroom, plain walls and some original features here and there, so.you could move in and take your time to add your own mark without massive upheavals & builders from day one.

It is attractive from the outside and is a clue as to how you could 'make it your own' inside. Try to see past the décor and decide whether the configurations fit your criteria.
Good Luck!

 

[plasticpigeon]

It looks quite nice. A little bland inside for my taste, and obviously some of the features are not original, but pleasant. I like the bathroom too. It certainly saves a lot of work. Most period properties around my area are quite horrible inside, even if they look nice from the outside, but certainly the house you are looking at doesn't come into that category.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Personally I wouldn't buy it, it's a lot of money for somewhere with very little character. For that kind of money you could get a massive rectory here in lovely Lincs, filled with original things.

 

[Zebra]

So do you guys like when properties are completely modernised?

No.

 

[Keith Bowman]

I was going to post a reply but the keyboard nearly caught fire! In my humble opinion, that much is way too much for a house without even off street parking. Maybe I'm just out of touch.

 

[Moo]

For that kind of money you could get .......

..... a two-bedroom 'garden flat' conversion in lovely SE22.

 

[billybuntus]

Depends on your requirements. If you love old property, old features and like to keep busy then an old un-modernised house is for you.

If you like the idea of an old property but don't want to spend the rest of your days maintaining the place to a high standard then an old property with internal modern modifications (plasterboard etc) is for you.

I gather you are scoping peoples views to see if your paying over the odds on a property you may wish to sell in 5 years or so and make a profit on? (perfectly natural).

Thanks

 

[jocelyn plummer]

I am afraid house prices of that kind reach out all around the approx. 30 mile perimeter of London--it's the train services.

Our neck of the woods is 40 mins main line to Kings Cross and we are now seeing 2 bed terraced properties, on street parking, in need of total renovation, with asking prices of 275k

crazy I know, but people will pay that

 

[plasticpigeon]

A lot of people have a lot of money, how are they all supported and what do they do?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Nice house outside, ruined (in myhumble opinion) with the soulless contemporary modernisation. Clearly it will sell well, even at that silly price, for the London commuter set.

I'm sure it could have been done much more sympathetically and retaining an ounce of internal character. And the layout looks odd in places - they really tried hard to squeeze in that pokey office didn't they?

But it seems, white box, halogen spotlights and shiny floors everywhere (even in the bedrooms? :roll: ) is what some folk want.

I'm with Joce - for that money you can get a lovely old farm with 20 acres in North Wales. The season ticket in to London is a bit pricey though.... 8)

 

[JoceAndChris]

Pretty pricey from Grantham too but only 1hr and 10 to KX!

 

[Penners]

Nice house outside, ruined (in myhumble opinion) with the soulless contemporary modernisation.

Seconded. It's a characterless, modern, fashion-plate of a house, wrapped in a period skin. It's clearly a victim of that awful phrase: "makeover". :evil:

I simply don't understand why anyone would want to do that

 

[Flyfisher]

I suppose we can blame TV makeover programmes for such things these days, though I don't think that's a valid excuse for whoever messed up our 1550 timber frame house by cutting through the close-studded frame to make space for huge Georgian sash windows and blocking up the original small ones, plus adding a huge external chimney to the rear which blocked up two more original windows, then installing a ridiculously out-of-keeping Adam style marble fireplace and bricking up the remaining original inglenook fireplaces. I wonder what publications were driving makeover fashions a couple of hundred years ago? Plus ça change

As for the ridiculous price, that goes with the territory. We used to live near Welwyn in Hertfordshire and it was just the same, primarily because of the easy access to London while being able to live in a village.

 

[Penners]

I guess you're right, FF. The acceptability of a makeover is considerably influenced by the length of time that has passed since it was done. I find many of the changes to your house very elegant - probably because I'm a considerable fan of Georgian architecture - but I accept nevertheless that they could be regarded as vandalism of the original structure.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I somehow doubt however that plasterboard partitions, uPVC windows and halogen spots will last another 300 years though.

I would hazard a guess that FF's Georgian remodelling was done with a quality and a permanence. Most modern building seems to me designed to give the illusion of solidity and permanence but is actually constructed with low price and convenience/speed of build as the prime considerations.

 

[DJH]

Any intervention with the fabric of a house is a form of modernisation I reckon. Good job somebody once had the idea of putting a door on their cave...

Doug