I will soon be starting to look to buy my first place. As a first time buyer and hoping to stay in quite an expensive district I know I wont get much for my money. What I was hoping to do is to find a place that was cheap because it needed a lot of work which I would be prepared to put in myself and boost the value of the house. However, I cant seem to be able to find such places using rightmove and primelocation.

 

I reckon any place like that will immediately get bought up by a property development company hoping to make a quick buck. I'm sure they just look at the price, location and size and buy it up without even looking at it and before it has time to make it onto a listing.

 

Is there a special website that advertises these properties or a way of finding them? On these location, location programs they never seem to have any problems finding places like that. Maybe there just isn’t many old grannies popping their clogs where I live.

 

I know the answer to be move to a cheaper area or something like that but I am only happy with the best (which is why I own a big, mad unnecessary car like the zed!) and I have highlighted an area that is only about a square mile big that I want to live. And I would prefer it to be 2 bedroom, have a garden and be a period property……..oh and the moon on a stick please!

just go to your local estate agentand tell them your requirment's, im sure they will let you know if anything comes up as they will get a sale out of it

have you thought about auctions? most properties that are in need of repair etc and repos go to auction, might be an alternative

how do i find out about auctions?

google, put your town in, then the words PROPERTY and AUCTION should see you right.

 

And as already said, go to all the estate agents in the area, and phone them every day, pester the hell out of them, then when something comes in right for you they will let you know.

google, put your town in, then the words PROPERTY and AUCTION should see you right.

 

And as already said, go to all the estate agents in the area, and phone them every day, pester the hell out of them, then when something comes in right for you they will let you know.

 

 

Tried that. Just comes up with a load of sites that look like scams. You pay to subscribe and they give you a list of too good to be true property.

 

I can go the estate agent route and there are only a few different estate agents to cover.

 

I just was hoping that there was a website that had them all on. I had a thought that the estate agents might want to keep really run down places off the website because it might make them look pony but i guess a sale is a sale.

whats the town name then, lets see if we can find something

http://www.propertyauctionzone.com/fauction.php

yeah that auction list could be good. i guess you have to commit to buy on the day though without even looking at the place. Seems a bit too much risk to take on.

 

If you can find me a place with the above criteria (2 bed, garden, period) in the highlighted area in chiswick W4 london for under 250k that needs some work then you will get a finders fee of an amount i have not yet decided.

 

If that's the only place you want to live then you need an action plan. Hit all your estate agents that work that area and tell them exactly what you want. Keep on pestering them on a regular basis. Visit the offices personally and try to always talk to the same person. Walk the are street by street and pick out siutable properties. Look at the for sale boards and check those agents. I don't know about your area but where i live you can check what price houses have sold for previously in that location. It will soon be obvious to you if your ideas are bigger than your pocket. Get yourself a mortgage lined up so that you can pounce sraight away. Find yourself a decent solicitor who will move as fast as you want, not a plodder. The more preparation you do the quicker you can move and get an edge over everyone else. Also while you're walking round drop a leaflet through the doors asking peeps to contact you if they're thinking of selling, you may just spur someone into action. If you see peeps stood in their gardens or walking their dogs ask them if they know of anyone thinking of moving. Keep active and don't miss a chance. My late wife did all this years ago when she wanted to live in a particular area and it did work.

Quote from Twin-Town; "If all else fails, try Wales"!!...

 

Thought about changing your job, Head west or North, and buy there! Or buy outside of London in preparation for this and rent while you rent your house out? you could buy my 4 bedroom detached house in semi-rural location, 8 miles from Cardiff, country walks, Brecon Beacons 40minutes away, Beaches 25 minutes away for 240K....and i'll even rent it off you until next june/Sept when i head to Aus!!. or you can buy my 3 bed in the Valleys for 75K as it needs 5k worth of work if you're not doing it yourself and i'll rent that off you till i go ..food for thought!!. I quit London in 2001 to move back To Cardiff take less money and buy a house. I'm not losing out on Salary now 6 years on and my insurance would be alot more in London too!! You're Avetar says Poole as well...Have you thought about buying there? I'd be wary of buying in London in the present market.

Find a decent auction site in London and call them and ask for a week/2 weeks trial. Tell them you're a developer from Poole who's moved to London and give them a name like Giant properties at your current address....They'll give you free access if they wan't you at the Auctions! They charge for access and do this to keep what we call 'Tyre Kickers' on this site away from the Auctions. I bought my last house like this and never had to subscribe to the Auctioneers site. Now they send me the catalogue every time a month before the auction!

yeah that auction list could be good. i guess you have to commit to buy on the day though without even looking at the place. Seems a bit too much risk to take on.

 

If you get a cataloge you can view before the auction date...not all are run down at Auction. Some are Mortgage repossetions and some buyers who've tried to sell and can't shift it quick enough...like e-bay some houses will have a reserve and you won't know that until a bid does'nt meet it...Not all houses get sold at the auctions!

thanks for all the help guys.

 

I definitely think wandering around and noting down the estate agents working there and the properties that are for sale. I think the leaflet drop and chatting to people in gardens might not be that effective with the snooty nature of people in London unfortunately!

 

As much as i would love to get out of london and maybe move back to Poole where i grew up there is no work for me outside of London but strangely enough i might get offered a 12 month placement at the oil refinery in Milford Haven. If i did that i would by a run down place on the pembroke coast and do that up over 12 months and sell for a healthy project as a nice holiday home.

with the snooty nature of people in London unfortunately!

 

Leave it :smash: :D

 

To be truthful bud, I would do a lot of research into where you want to live and sit tight for a few months as the market readjusts, there is a lot of turmoil on the horizon and it could work out in your favour, don't blame me if it goes pete tong though ;)

Leave it :smash: :D

 

To be truthful bud, I would do a lot of research into where you want to live and sit tight for a few months as the market readjusts, there is a lot of turmoil on the horizon and it could work out in your favour, don't blame me if it goes pete tong though ;)

 

 

maybe snooty not the right word but round where i live you will only get a a shocked and bewildered look if you say "morning" to someone in the street. Either that you a reply of "No, Polska".

 

If i was to be buying in london it wouldnt be until march which is when the contract on the house we are renting runs out. Should the market have settled by then. I am just looking to do some early research at the moment to see what i can afford.