Portsmouth Property Association
With the Christmas and new year celebrations behind us, many will be thinking about moving home – and few things demand more of our attention than buying a house or a car.
But while most people know exactly what they want from their car, few apply the same criteria or rigid parameters to choosing a house.
If you need an SUV or family hatchback, you would be mad to buy a sports coupe.
Yet property buyers seem all too ready to ditch ‘essential’ features when they become smitten by a property that catches their eye or is located in the right school catchment area.
Colin Shairp, a Portsmouth Property Association member and director of Fine & Country, asks the question….. is the compromise worth it?
There are times when you can see a house online or in the agent’s window and can imagine what it might become with careful improvement, upgrading or by building an extension.
However, bear in mind that often what you spend on an upgrade or extension is not reflected by a comparable uplift in market value a few years down the line when you want to sell.
It is advisable to consult with an architect or designer before making a commitment and certainly get builders’ estimates to ensure the work needed is within your budget.
If you buy a four-bed detached and add two more bedrooms, it becomes a six-bedroom detached house. But, try as you might, it’s virtually impossible to disguise its origins.
Far better to find the six-bedroom house you always wanted; be patient and wait for it to turn up. Whether you want a small house with a big garden, a big house with a small garden, or something in between, there’s no sense in making a compromise unless you are certain it suits your needs in the long term. So when you are planning your next house move, draw up a list of non-negotiable features that it must have and accept nothing less. If there are other features that are optional, still be wary of deleting too many from the list. The house you want does exist, or can be built, somewhere. You just have to persevere to find it.
Happy new year and happy house-hunting.
Portsmouth Property Association (PPA) has more than 130 members representing estate agents, surveyors, letting agents, solicitors, architects and EPC assessors. Go to www. portsmouthproperty.co.uk