thinking of buying this wreck??

[crosser]

ive fallen for this little cottage thats in a bad way... can anyone advise on where to start.. im aware it needs major work but do you think its worth saving ?

Check out this 1 bedroom cottage for sale on Rightmove

1 bedroom cottage for sale in Mill Road, Thurleigh, MK44 for £100,000. Marketed by Bletsoes, Thrapston

www.rightmove.co.uk

 

[Stevers]

Even if you couldn't rescue the cottage, the plot might be worth that sort of money.

 

[Lacan07]

Even if you couldn't rescue the cottage, the plot might be worth that sort of money.

I agree but Grade II listed, would you be able to demolish? I'm not an expert.

 

[Lacan07]

ive fallen for this little cottage thats in a bad way... can anyone advise on where to start.. im aware it needs major work but do you think its worth saving ?

Check out this 1 bedroom cottage for sale on Rightmove

1 bedroom cottage for sale in Mill Road, Thurleigh, MK44 for £100,000. Marketed by Bletsoes, Thrapston

www.rightmove.co.uk

Major work Thats one way of putting it.

 

[noj]

Given the condition, listed status and splendid views I'd describe it as a fire risk...

But if you've got deep pockets and plenty of practical skills it's certainly got potential.

 

[Kearn]

Whether it’s worth saving is a personal mission really… without knowing the area, location and how you’d use it, hard to say.

But I wouldn’t be put off by it, albeit the photos aren’t too insightful. A floorplan always tells a lot. I’d guess it’s not as old as a first glance might imply.

Whether you go for it will depend on a few factors - end goal, motivation, how much time / energy / skills you have, how much cash you have presuming mortgage / loans wouldn’t be financially viable, what the CO / dept is like in that region…

What I always search for is a house that hasn’t been modernised, I prefer to deal with neglect and overdue repairs/maintenance far more than reversing the damaging interventions of modern crap….

 

[LadyArowana]

I have major concerns given the way one side has required very serious support with props, ‘money pit‘ springs to mind, because something has necessitated the buttressing and fixing it will be complicated by the Listed status. The relevant CO might be pragmatic and reasonable in terms of what was allowed, but that is not always the case. A wreck like this sold with LBC already granted for the work deemed necessary according to a proper survey would be one thing, this has so many unknowns you’ll need deep pockets or a lot of time and skills.

 

[Flyfisher]

can anyone advise on where to start.. im aware it needs major work but do you think its worth saving ?

Is it worth saving? Only you can really answer that because 'worth' can be measured in so many different ways and your own reasons are really the only ones that count.

At least you're under no illusions about it needing major work, so that's a good start, but I suspect it would be easier, quicker and cheaper to rebuild it from scratch than to repair it to an inhabitable standard - but of course, being listed could mean that is not an option. I was once told that the worst case scenario for a listed property is for it to half burn down, because that would mean it becomes a restoration project rather than starting again from scratch and such things are very expensive compared to a complete rebuild . . . which is one reason why period property insurance can be so much higher than for standard properties.

Where to start? I wouldn't even think of touching it before having a serious discussion with the responsible CO about what would and would not be acceptable in terms of Listed Building Consent. If I didn't believe the CO would be helpful, enthusiastic and readily available then I'd walk away.

After that, you'll need deep pockets and loads of time, money and patience if you plan to DIY or loads of money and patience if you plan to hire specialist builders. And when it's all finished you can expect to pay a small fortune for annual insurance because of the thatched roof, which itself will need significant refurbishment every 20 years or so.

 

[paulc]

That one popped up on my radar last week. Had a look at the listing, and it is described as having a lean-to to the West which is confirmed by older Streetviews. No sign of the lean-to in the listing, and there doesn't appear to be any application on the local planning portal for its removal. I'm wondering if the next owner is going to be served with a notice to reinstate the missing structure.
Could be a very expensive little project.

 

[Zebra]

It's gorgeous.... If you like it, I do hope you save it,. I can't believe people are talking about it not being worth it.

 

[crosser]

thankyou for all your replys and advice... an update on the situation.... im disabled so wont be able todo much of the work on the cottage but have renovated property before i came disabled... our idea was to have a single storey extension to house a bathroom on the side of the property where the wall is coming away, we have had a exprt opinion on rough cost to renovate the property to a livable standard and ouch !! we only have a limited amount of money to spend on renovation which would be 100k but it doesnt look like that is possible... the value of the property when restored would only be 200k as its such a small cottage... its such a shame and explains why its been on the market for so long... if it was cheaper to buy then it could be possible... im not sure if thre is any grants that could help but i very much doubt it.... were gutted as it has so much character and lovely size plot... the problem is it would be our home and if we ran out of money before coming habitable we would be stuffed... any advice would b welcome or should we just walk away?

 

[Stevers]

One way forward would be to ask the CO what they regard as special about this tiny cott, and if it's the interior then it may be possible to clad the original listed building in a new supporting and insulating shell, with the bathroom and kitchen in a new single storey extension. That way the interior could be left almost unmolested apart from some very traditional repairs and redecoration. It needs a new roof anyway, and you might be allowed to make the roof line a little more practical in the process. I suspect the £200,000 finished value in that location and plot size is conservative. If you're a cash buyer then they may be open to offers as the market softens. To avoid cost overuns you need a simple easy to implement plan and wrapping that house to preserve it might be that plan!

 

[LadyArowana]

thankyou for all your replys and advice... an update on the situation.... im disabled so wont be able todo much of the work on the cottage but have renovated property before i came disabled... our idea was to have a single storey extension to house a bathroom on the side of the property where the wall is coming away, we have had a exprt opinion on rough cost to renovate the property to a livable standard and ouch !! we only have a limited amount of money to spend on renovation which would be 100k but it doesnt look like that is possible... the value of the property when restored would only be 200k as its such a small cottage... its such a shame and explains why its been on the market for so long... if it was cheaper to buy then it could be possible... im not sure if thre is any grants that could help but i very much doubt it.... were gutted as it has so much character and lovely size plot... the problem is it would be our home and if we ran out of money before coming habitable we would be stuffed... any advice would b welcome or should we just walk away?

Given your specific situation my head advises you to walk away. I think in your heart of hearts you know this already. There will be another better opportunity.

 

[Lacan07]

thankyou for all your replys and advice... an update on the situation.... im disabled so wont be able todo much of the work on the cottage but have renovated property before i came disabled... our idea was to have a single storey extension to house a bathroom on the side of the property where the wall is coming away, we have had a exprt opinion on rough cost to renovate the property to a livable standard and ouch !! we only have a limited amount of money to spend on renovation which would be 100k but it doesnt look like that is possible... the value of the property when restored would only be 200k as its such a small cottage... its such a shame and explains why its been on the market for so long... if it was cheaper to buy then it could be possible... im not sure if thre is any grants that could help but i very much doubt it.... were gutted as it has so much character and lovely size plot... the problem is it would be our home and if we ran out of money before coming habitable we would be stuffed... any advice would b welcome or should we just walk away?

This aligns with my initial thoughts, 100k wouldn't be enough, a fair chunk of that would be on the roof. I think this would only work if someone had the skills to take on a sizeable amount of the work, but even then I anticipate trades will be a necessity.

 

[johncraig8229]

that's an interesting buy, it looks like it would need completely rebuilding. However, if you do buy Id be interested to see the progress!