House buying

[Akzle]

Potential holding property needs little work, no proper driveway and really wants a retaining wall on vertical side slope supporting six large trees... whats an approx. cost per metre of doing that?
....

fucken heaps cunt, but cos i'm such a nice guy i'll do it for the lowly price of "shit that's expensive"

also wrt to body corporates, (and i heard this on the wireless this morning) get the comittee meeting minutes, as the people who are part of the b.c. have a vested interest in not minuting problems at meetings, whereas the comittee is obliged to deal with shit.

[eldog]

Upto me, I would avoid alleyways and shops (previous experience)

mates of mine brought an expensive house, then found out the have to install a $140,000 retaining wall. FFS

dodgy places ..... yeah right.

See if you can get moolah to get the place you really want. It will be hard work but worth it in the end.

took me 6 months to find a good place, even then over a month to convince the real estate (slacker) and seller I wanted it.
They got top dollar then, last month I was offered over double what I paid, as is.

[R650R]

fucken heaps cunt, but cos i'm such a nice guy i'll do it for the lowly price of "shit that's expensive"

also wrt to body corporates, (and i heard this on the wireless this morning) get the comittee meeting minutes, as the people who are part of the b.c. have a vested interest in not minuting problems at meetings, whereas the comittee is obliged to deal with shit.

While the idea of apartment living appeals to me, none here in my price range have suitable garaging options.

[R650R]

Upto me, I would avoid alleyways and shops (previous experience)

mates of mine brought an expensive house, then found out the have to install a $140,000 retaining wall. FFS

dodgy places ..... yeah right.

See if you can get moolah to get the place you really want. It will be hard work but worth it in the end.

took me 6 months to find a good place, even then over a month to convince the real estate (slacker) and seller I wanted it.
They got top dollar then, last month I was offered over double what I paid, as is.

Yeah I'm already on a semi-arterial road. Used to be loud cars and burnouts an issue, that's died off a lot with boyracer act. Now drunken feral teens walking the streets all hours and loitering/stabbing/fighting each other due to the culture change of anti drink driving. I much preffered getting woken up 4 times a year to a serious crash outside than to be woken up at least four nights a week by loud mouth over entitled youths........
The place that needs retaining wall (in my opinion) it might not.... is 1387 M2 section and 1950s stucco house, with a bit of work could be big capital gain but don't have the extra cash......

I've set my finance limit, plus a slight buffer I can push up to if I have to...

[caspernz]

Upto me, I would avoid alleyways and shops (previous experience)

mates of mine brought an expensive house, then found out the have to install a $140,000 retaining wall. FFS

dodgy places ..... yeah right.

See if you can get moolah to get the place you really want. It will be hard work but worth it in the end.

took me 6 months to find a good place, even then over a month to convince the real estate (slacker) and seller I wanted it.
They got top dollar then, last month I was offered over double what I paid, as is.

Lots of good advice in there. Retaining walls are expensive!

In some ways new or near new avoids a lot of problems, if one can afford the initial price of course. In that sense an older house can be like an older car, it can have character yes, but it can also be a money pit.

If I can impart any advice at all, trust your gut, do the background work and most of all, don't rush into anything.

[russd7]

just something to think about, access for emergency services, hate to say it but ya never know when ya may need an ambo up ya drive and people would be amazed how many rural or semi rural properties can't be accessed by a big red truck, gateways to tight or trees overhanging drives etc etc

[Mike.Gayner]

Talk to the neighbours of any prospective purchase. There's a lot doesn't get on the LIM......

And, if you don't like them as neighbours, walk away.

Fuck yes to this. Especially the last point.

Better yet buy somewhere that doesnt have neighbours.

[R650R]

just something to think about, access for emergency services, hate to say it but ya never know when ya may need an ambo up ya drive and people would be amazed how many rural or semi rural properties can't be accessed by a big red truck, gateways to tight or trees overhanging drives etc etc

Last one here the paramedic walked up the driveway slower than a jehovahs witness while the other one backed the meat wagon up. Guess they dont run anymore under OSH and all......
I hear you tho....

[R650R]

In that sense an older house can be like an older car, it can have character yes, but it can also be a money pit.

If I can impart any advice at all, trust your gut, do the background work and most of all, don't rush into anything.

I was wondering that about older homes... do builders pull out the asbestos card to charge you ten times more.... Saw a stucco place too and wondered what insurance companies ar elike with plaster clad/coverings....
Yeah I don't rush anything in my personal life, I invented the roundtuit.......

[R650R]

Fuck yes to this. Especially the last point.

Better yet buy somewhere that doesnt have neighbours.

I think the right neighbours are good to have in terms of security but yeah some of these boxed in places and shared driveways no thanks....
Currently I have only one real neighbour with the others being a terroist training camp (aka school) and a small business whose lazy customers parking outside my place or in driveway is occasionally a pain. People loiter and piss about in their cars before getting out to go there and in the mena time your assesing if they are going there or a potential burglar scoping you out.....

[caspernz]

I was wondering that about older homes... do builders pull out the asbestos card to charge you ten times more.... Saw a stucco place too and wondered what insurance companies ar elike with plaster clad/coverings....
Yeah I don't rush anything in my personal life, I invented the roundtuit.......

Older homes, not necessarily the asbestos trick. Think more like does the plumbing need work, electrical wiring, how close to needing replacement is the roof, wooden joinery can be fun...that type of stuff. If you don't have any experience in this, use a building inspection company. Well worth the money, like an AA check on a car you want to buy.

Stucco, aka monolithic cladding is not an issue in itself provided it was done properly. Building inspection outfit again...

Best of luck with your house hunt, it'll be nice once you find the right one

[eldog]

I invented the roundtuit.......

I haven't found one yet. still looking....

I think the right neighbours are good to have in terms of security but yeah some of these boxed in places and shared driveways no thanks....
Currently I have only one real neighbour with the others being a terroist training camp (aka school) and a small business whose lazy customers parking outside my place or in driveway is occasionally a pain. People loiter and piss about in their cars before getting out to go there and in the mena time your assesing if they are going there or a potential burglar scoping you out.....

wait till you live next to a gang HQ, even the visitors raid the place

Avoid plaster buildings, if at all possible.

[R650R]

wait till you live next to a gang HQ, even the visitors raid the place

While the not the HQ thing twice I've lived next to patched members of major well known gang, not through my own intentions but that's the rental market for you.
The first one you never knew they were there really apart from other neighbours giving us a heads up when we first moved into flat.
Second time the guy was one of the better neighbours we've had, would actually give a heads up when he was having a noisy party so you'd rent a movie and not bother going to bed to early. Occasionally you'd get few of the others hanging around outside looking menacing keeping up appearances etc but zero real trouble. Had kids of his own and a job so think that helped.
The good thing was it was a full on gang house as far as the local drunken teens were concerned, so they stopped loitering and making so much noise in our street, a vast improvement in living standard in a roundabout way lol....

[eldog]

While the not the HQ thing twice I've lived next to patched members of major well known gang, not through my own intentions but that's the rental market for you.
The first one you never knew they were there really apart from other neighbours giving us a heads up when we first moved into flat.
Second time the guy was one of the better neighbours we've had, would actually give a heads up when he was having a noisy party so you'd rent a movie and not bother going to bed to early. Occasionally you'd get few of the others hanging around outside looking menacing keeping up appearances etc but zero real trouble. Had kids of his own and a job so think that helped.
The good thing was it was a full on gang house as far as the local drunken teens were concerned, so they stopped loitering and making so much noise in our street, a vast improvement in living standard in a roundabout way lol....

It was pretty good living there. Plenty of motorbikes. Chases.
Plenty of security from both sides of fence. Including blue mob.

Only trouble was PD workers trying to break in and prospects trying their hand at stealing my car. Etc
Even though he was over 6'5 ft tall I had no problem telling him to GO back to his pad.

Fun times. Watching.

They don't tend to shit in their own backyard. Actually reasonable in small numbers when their not trying to impress someone.

[R650R]

We'll I've put an offer in a grossly inadequate hovel of a cave.... waiting now.... lessons learned so far.

1) Real estate agenst are genrally absolutely useless sources of info, they rival politicians in being able to speak yet saying nothing at the same time........
2) photos will generally look five times better than the actual property............