House Preference and why ...

[lioness]

We love older properties and now have a 4 bedroom house built around 1850 with a big open fireplace, beautiful ceiling with rose as you said. We lived in a 3 storey town house in a Marina and never had so many problems in what was supposed to be NHBC guarantees! Windows leaked, roof tiles blew off.

This lovely old property has no damp proof course but doesn't appear to need one. The stone walls are about a foot and a half thick. We love it.

[Andrea S]

Lioness,

Did you once live on a boat.?. My friend and her Husband have recently sold theirs which was moored in Southampton. They have bought one in France at La Roche Bernard and from next year are planning to spend as much time as possible on board.

[Dark Knight]

SS
you have just described my new house

[Solent Richard]

No disrespect Sue but that is the last thing on earth that I would want as a house - I appreciate the character but for me simple modern lines with as few "dust gatherers" as possible, low ceilings to make it easier to paint and replace light bulbs.

I'm with you David.

Modern, energy and eco efficient, with probably the best views of cruise ships sailing along the Solent and only 20 minutes to Southampton's Ocean Terminal.

Why, it just so happens a neighbours 'pad' is on the market...

http://www.eckersleywhite.co.uk/SearchP ... umOnPage=7

Of course it wasn't just for the views. We love entertaining and this place is ideal.

[Quizzical Bob]

Eek, look at the price! I know that stretch well Richard. Our first house was on Peak Lane and we often went down there for an evening stroll. My mum went to Lee on Solent before the war for a holiday. Train all the way!

[Solent Richard]

Eek, look at the price! I know that stretch well Richard. Our first house was on Peak Lane and we often went down there for an evening stroll. My mum went to Lee on Solent before the war for a holiday. Train all the way!

...and that is just for a Ground Floor apartment Bob.

I have friends in Peak Lane and know the distance to walk after a dinner party.

[royalprincess]

Try living in London. Quite close to me two 5 bedroom houses have been built. They also have a cinema and a gym - 2 million but no garage just an off street parking space for one car. They went on the market in January - still for sale. 3 bed semi's are going for £650,000+. So glad I bought when I did even though mortgage rates were at 15% at the time.

[wolfie]

Our present home, (moved in 15 years ago), was built around 1880 with all the features you expect of that era; our previous home was a little younger, but still with almost the same period features. We love old houses, despite all the work that they entail with regards to upkeep and maintenance costs.

The upkeep of such properties is not to be ignored; within the last 2 years we have had new sash windows fitted, including bay windows,(!!!) all round, and the roof redone with the original slate, as we are, or may soon be, in a conservation area. Each year I have a list of things to do and things to upgrade and keep on top of; it keeps me busy since I took early retirement and I enjoy being a project manager. 2013 list is well on the way to completion and the 2014 list is being compiled.

The only downside of our present home is the size of the garden which accompanies such a house and I am now on the case for a man who does, and takes the stuff away, rather than our man who did, and I had to take it away!!!!

Love your apartment Spud.

Well, 'the man' came today, did a splendid job and even took away a great deal of what one cut back yesterday, all at no extra charge as he did not increase the price originally quoted. Result!!

One can now return to being a lady of leisure

[GillD46]

Glad you've been able to sort out suitable help for the garden - being so big I can only imagine how much you'd accumulate.

[cornmillgirl]

I moved to a new house nearly a month, not brand new only 6 years old. This is the sixth house we have lived in in the last 15 years. Our friends say we have Romany blood! This time we really LOVE where we live. Its in a beautiful village, has three very nice pubs, a post office and a great cafe, fantastic village gardens and a really good bus service to the town only a mile away. Its easy to walk to the town and back for shopping if we fancy.

The house itself is perfect for the two of us, its stone built, large rooms (our sellers were involved in its build from the beginning and some of the rooms were going to be split and they asked for them to be left dual aspect). That is to our advantage, the rooms are lovely and light, a gorgeous kitchen, ideal sized garden and we have spent alot of time watching the swallows nesting on the side of the garage and loads and loads of butterflies.

Although it is a new house, it has deep skirting boards and a fabulous reclaimed fire surround incorporating a very realistic gas fire. It has lovely wood doors and a vaulted ceiling in the main bedroom (a real job to decorate, as we did the whole house before we moved in).

Our tick list for house buying was:

Not communal (our last one was, it was a nightmare)
No trees (our last house had trees at the side which due to them having protection orders on, were hardly ever trimmed and our
garden was in the shade all the time)
Detached with a garage (no garage with the communal property)
The most important - no river or chance of flooding. We very nearly got flooded twice last year in the bad weather
Good bus services
And a good pub (think maybe this is other halfs most important point)

All our friends however, have said they think we will move again. And our solicitor, when we picked the deeds up, said she would give us
three years and we would be on the move again. We think not but!

If we do it will be a caravan! or we will rent, we are not buying another house, other half says he is fed up giving all that stamp duty to
the government (:-(

[Serendipity]

Sounds very much like Croston.

[Kendhni]

I can't believe it is 13 years since we moved to our current house. It was a new build and we got a lot of say in the internal layout ... we even managed to get a couple of extra feet added onto its dimensions. I wasn't that fussed with the standard internal layout because I felt there was quite a bit of wasted space but we now have 3 bedrooms with the 'small' one being 12ftx11ft9ins (almost square ... not one of those 'L-shaped' rooms. We also got them to add in a downstairs toilet that could be converted into a shower room if necessary.

That is the advantage of a new build ... you can get what you want rather than having to put up with someone else's design.

[Stephen]

Character and countryside for us. Hopefully down in Devon one day. Beams, and don't mind thatch if it's in good nick.

[welshynurse]

Right now my ideal home would be one that I owned myself!
I've moved 8 times in 8 years and have lived in pretty much every type of house, including a few with free wildlife included!
The only thing I do want now is a garden. I currently live in a flat and now realise how much I took having a garden for granted.

[Silver_Shiney]

You've got your window boxes, and you are always welcome to pop round and mow our lawns. What more do you want?

[suespud]

Have had daughter and her hubby and Ramsay staying with us in Windsor this week.
First time anyone stayed this long.
It has gone fine apart from last one in the shower has a cold one !!!
Don't know why, but instead of having constant hot water, its the kind where there is a tank

Ramsay has loved playing in the grounds, looking for squirrels.

[Stephen]

Have had daughter and her hubby and Ramsay staying with us in Windsor this week.
First time anyone stayed this long.
It has gone fine apart from last one in the shower has a cold one !!!
Don't know why, but instead of having constant hot water, its the kind where there is a tank

Ramsay has loved playing in the grounds, looking for squirrels.

Ooooooow, ark at err, Windsor AND grounds

[qbman1]

Ah, but they're probably not squirrels - the rats in Windsor have a dress code !

[suespud]

Lolol.Stephen..
I did post a link somewhere about the house we live in....
Obviously we only live in part of it. But its pretty special.
Cubie... Love it!!!

[Andrea S]

Suespud, I am amazed you don't

[Andrea S]

Oops, Suespud I was trying to say I am amazed that you don't have your family queuing up to visit. I realise work and distance don't help but what a wonderful place to visit.

[wolfie]

Oops, Suespud I was trying to say I am amazed that you don't have your family queuing up to visit. I realise work and distance don't help but what a wonderful place to visit.

I'm on the guest list

[suespud]

Oops, Suespud I was trying to say I am amazed that you don't have your family queuing up to visit. I realise work and distance don't help but what a wonderful place to visit.

Ohhh they are trying to work it out when they can get down...lol

It is wonderful....I must admit.
There were some people viewing one of the apartments when we were there...the one that's up for sale for £1,350,000, so might have new neighbours soon..

[suespud]

Oops, Suespud I was trying to say I am amazed that you don't have your family queuing up to visit. I realise work and distance don't help but what a wonderful place to visit.

I'm on the guest list

You and your OH most certainly are

[Meg 50]

Oops, Suespud I was trying to say I am amazed that you don't have your family queuing up to visit. I realise work and distance don't help but what a wonderful place to visit.

I'm on the guest list

so am I!

I was supposed to go last week - spent ages working out how to wangle cheap rates with my oyster card - and then suddenly the week had flown by and it was too late! (twas a busy week chez Meg last week anyway!)

Never mind I'll try again next time she's in residence!