What Are Your Must-Haves When Buying a House?

[Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 17:50
Last edited 25/11/2019 - 17:57

Hiya :)

So…I have a mate who recently bought a house . The price was right, but when his missus and him moved into the property, they realised that it was not as livable as they hoped it would be and that not everything can be fixed. They have now moved back into his parents' "garden studio" with their tails between their legs :( Luckily, they were able to find a renter for their property. So all is not lost.

Which made me wonder, how prepared were you when you first started house-hunting? Did you make a list of must-haves? Did you end up having to compromise? Are you happy with the choice you've made? If you were to look at buying another house now , what would you do differently?

Cheers,
JJB :)

P.s: Just for the fun of it - out of these 2 properties:

Property 1
Property 2

which one would you get and why?

Let's just say, they are both at the very top of your budget and would leave no room for renovations for years to come. Ceteris Paribus.

Poll Options

  • 29
    Property 1 : smaller but has a pool
  • 88
    Property 2 : Bigger but sloping block, hence all those steps and decking.
  • 53
    Property 3: Live rent-free at the parentals but have to abide to their house rules.
Home & Garden

Comments

  • dasher86 on 25/11/2019 - 17:58
    +3

    Property 1 because I don't like the problems that comes with slopes.
    However the top floor needs a powder room. Bloody annoying to have to walk to bathroom to wash hands.
    Same could be said for number 2 but less hassle.

    • capslock janitor on 26/11/2019 - 14:44
      +1

      yeah but how sloped are we talking?

    • Munki on 27/11/2019 - 11:47
      +1

      Every house needs a cocaine "powder" room for sure.

    • The mikky on 27/11/2019 - 17:24

      Both houses have a bathroom / powder room on top level

      • dasher86 on 27/11/2019 - 20:35

        They have a toilet and a separate bathroom.

  • 87percent on 25/11/2019 - 18:04
    +39

    Pools are a pain to maintain

    • kahn on 25/11/2019 - 18:16
      +9

      ♫ An ozbargainer like me is going insane. Insane in the membrane. ♫

    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 19:21
      +1

      Yep, they sure are. So much easier to befriend one of the neigbours who have one :p

    • funnysht on 25/11/2019 - 20:42
      +1

      exactly crazy to maintain, costly, uglly looking unless if it's one of those point piper pools overlooking sydney harbour.

      just goo to your local pool like normal ppl

      • this is us on 27/11/2019 - 11:10

        Regulations in Australia make things even worse with unnecessary (ugly) fences even if I don't have children at home, and a lot of annoying rules in different states. I saw a very nice house last year but they had to put fences all around the pool, and there was no space for that as the pool was integrated. The result made me think that I'd never have a pool at home.

        • schwinn on 27/11/2019 - 14:24
          +1

          Actually fencing is required everywhere in Australia (except maybe rural NT?) by law. The cheapest options are ugly, the best looking ones (frameless glass) cost a fair bit.

          • this is us on 27/11/2019 - 14:56

            @schwinn: Yes, fencing is required everywhere… that's the first problem… Then you have other issues depending on the state where you live, as some people mentioned NSW laws. If I had a pool, I wouldn't like to fence it (one of the reasons why I would exclude the pool option).

        • Torak on 28/11/2019 - 15:15

          As someone who use to certify pools this mindset is mind boggling.

          Once had an elderly gentlemen who refused to install the required pool fence because the only way to access the above ground pool was through their home and only people they let in would have access to it.

          That Christmas, one of the grandkids was left downstairs asleep and the party moved upstairs. The parent went to check on their kid who had woken up walked through the open door and drowned in the pool.

          That kids drowning could have been prevented by that annoying ugly fence. I just don't get the mentality. Yeah you may not have children at home, but a simple lapse of judgement resulted in a kids death.

    • Geoff-bargain on 26/11/2019 - 08:17

      Depends. I put in a new fresh water pool and it was quite easy. Needed to clean once a week but that was about it

      • bargainfinder on 26/11/2019 - 22:24

        After 10th December, if you live in Sydney, You will need a permission to just fill your pool of any size.

    • TimApple on 26/11/2019 - 10:11
      +7

      I can hardly maintain my shower…

    • Brianqpr on 26/11/2019 - 16:13
      +2

      Not that hard if well set up.

    • r3volt on 26/11/2019 - 20:32

      lol, not really depending on filter

    • cameldownunder on 27/11/2019 - 11:39
      +2

      True, but a bliss in summer. And major plus with kids, and for the adolescent kid to have pool parties with friends ( Cool Factor )

  • DarthAntz on 25/11/2019 - 18:08
    +15

    A job I cant be sacked from for 25+ years

  • ihbh on 25/11/2019 - 18:11
    +2

    You're title is a bit misleading, but realise length constraint.

    So your question is really, given the same location and external environment, and structure and build quality, which of these two house plans would you choose?

    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 18:50

      It's a 2-part question:)

      i) What are your must-haves when buying a house?
      ii) Which one of these 2 houses would you buy if they were both in the budget.

      Both houses were built circa 2014 and are within 2 blocks of each other. Property 1 is half brick , half weatherboard and has a more modern feel to it. Property 2 is all weatherboard and has more of a modern-Hampton vibe to it.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 18:32
    +6

    It depends on climate.

    An outdoor pool in Victoria is just silly. You get less than a dozen decent pool weather weekends.

    Sloping land that has a gradient that warrants a stepped garden will cost too much to build on and will be difficult to subdivide. It is a similar proposition to buying a sports car - it is a luxury and a cash drain.

    The criteria for me when buying a home.
    1. View
    2. Access/traffic
    3. Price

    Views are obvious. You can't change your mind and add a view later.

    Traffic was a major one. I have a friend who bought two amazing properties but the only thing that stood out to me about both the properties were his acreage estate is a deathtrap to get out of. Double blind corners. His city apartment has a car elevator. Peak hour demand for the lift meant >30 minute wait to get the car down.

    Third criteria fixes everything else - price.

    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 19:19

      An outdoor pool in Victoria is just silly.

      I hear you . We owned a house with a pool and spent more time cleaning it than using it. Never again.

  • Agarwal on 25/11/2019 - 18:40
    +10

    Doors and windows for me. Toilet and shower are also nice to have.

    • John on 25/11/2019 - 18:56
      +3

      no roof necessary?

      • Agarwal on 25/11/2019 - 19:41
        +13

        I've got an umbrella.

        • capslock janitor on 26/11/2019 - 14:57
          +3

          Damn that's a roofless comment.

        • WaterMark on 27/11/2019 - 08:13

          “Open plan living”

          • Munki on 27/11/2019 - 11:49

            @WaterMark: That's why I live on the streets. It's got that real rustic feel too.

  • oscargamer on 25/11/2019 - 18:45
    +10

    Location is everything

    • boomramada on 25/11/2019 - 19:05
      +2

      House which is 30 min away from work ( vice versa) and access to NBN.

      • rave75 on 26/11/2019 - 15:14
        +1

        NBN that stops working every now and then.

        • No ONE on 26/11/2019 - 19:54

          Then time to switch provider.

        • Euphemistic on 26/11/2019 - 20:06
          +1

          I see you have premium NBN then.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 18:52
    +3

    I wouldn't buy either.

    Location means more to me than the actual house itself. You can renovate. You can't move the house. Unless you live in a van.

    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 19:00

      They are within 2 blocks of each other and within 10-minutes walk of the beach. Both are in a surprisingly quiet area, except on those hot summer days when car-loads of beach-goers descend on us and there are cars parked everywhere.

      Nice leafy street and views but not a glimpse of the sea.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 19:01
        -1

        Which state?

        • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 19:02

          Vic

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 19:58
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Then I still wouldn't buy for personal reasons. Bayside Melbourne is so overpriced it is ridiculous.

            • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 20:07

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer:

              Then I still wouldn't buy for personal reasons.

              Your personal reasons being that you're an ozbargainer?

              What if they were bargain buys and in your budget? Pool or slope?

              • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 20:13

                @[Deactivated]: More that I think you get terrible value for money buying in that area and I think the ceiling has nearly been reached. At least for the short term.

                Anyways.

                I hate pools. So slope.

                • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 20:23
                  +1

                  @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Where would you say is a good place to buy in Melbourne atm?

                  Ps: They houses are in Kingston council zone rather Bayside.

                  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 20:31
                    +1

                    @[Deactivated]: Very subjective question. Depends on the person.

                    I'm happy where I am but if I was on the hunt, wanted a bargain, owner occupy, won't be a money drain if I have to go interstate for work, and something that will appreciate well I'd be looking at:

                    Southbank - huge occupancy, large amount of listings, lots of developments settling. Prices have plummeted.
                    Frankston (and surrounds) - Lots of money being invested by the local gov. Avoid the Pines. Plenty of bargain house and blocks.

                    • forrester on 26/11/2019 - 13:38

                      @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: You're the only person that I've come across for ages who is bullish regarding Southbank, so I had to bite :)

                      Which part of Southbank are you eyeing? Is there any apartment stock that is properly built that is worth purchasing with a long term view? Also, these buildings have costly facilities like pools/gyms etc, with large strata costs; not to mention there are still even more apartments due for completion in the next few years…

                  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 20:34
                    +1

                    @[Deactivated]:

                    Ps: They houses are in Kingston council zone rather Bayside.

                    Good area! Solid choice. I'd go 10 more minutes along the coast to save a lot of $ personally but anything SE of there has bargains and good value properties to be found.

                    Just steer clear of Dingley.

                    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 21:13
                      +1

                      @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: We lived in Aspendale for 4 years, moved from Hampton because we got tired of living in a small victorian terrace, that was bursting at the seams once our twins came along.

                      Aspendale is such a hidden gem, stuck between Mordy and Edithvale. Quiet, peaceful, safe… and yet so close to everything. The only downside is some of the unsavory characters you meet on the train if you are traveling during the day.

                      On the rare occasions I drove through Dingley it looked like a ghost town.

                      • jimdotpud on 27/11/2019 - 14:51

                        @[Deactivated]: I'm in bayside. we just put in an outdoor pool, they aren't that hard to maintain. can't keep the kids out of it, even though the weather is only just getting to a point now for the solar to kick in.

                        I'd go for house number 1. i think it has a better floor plan + pool and also has a better orientation for day time sun (IMO)

                    • AFOS on 26/11/2019 - 11:36

                      @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Could you please tell why Dingley is bad? I was looking at it and some areas were quite nice. DFO, Costco are just minutes away, new WW. Crime statistics may not be too good though. Could not find any:(

                      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/11/2019 - 13:32
                        +1

                        @AFOS: IMHO it's a hole. Price is cheaper for a reason.

                        Honestly, I wouldn't recommend anybody buy in an area they haven't lived in. Rent there a year. Form your own opinion.

                      • LX on 27/11/2019 - 20:05

                        @AFOS: No public transport and so a traffic nightmare. If you are seriously considering buying in the area I'd strongly recommend a trial morning / evening commute to work so that you know what you're signing up for.

            • crentist on 25/11/2019 - 20:08
              +1

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: You're pretty good at answering hypothetical questions

    • DonWilson on 26/11/2019 - 21:56

      Unless you live in a van.

      Now you're talking.

  • elgrande on 25/11/2019 - 18:56
    +4

    Another day another floor plan from JJB..

    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 19:02

      Not quite..I've posted both of these before when we were house-hunting and we almost bought one of them but was too far from the kids' school. They are not on the market anymore.

  • p1 ama on 25/11/2019 - 19:19
    +4

    Good location - you can always knock down a sh!tty house in a good location, but you can't move a good house in a sh!tty location to a better place.

    • Geoff-bargain on 26/11/2019 - 08:19
      +1

      Building a new house is expensive though

  • ego22 on 25/11/2019 - 19:45
    +4

    "not as livable as they hoped?"

    how so? so unlivable that they had to move back out, keep the house and find renters. yet the renters found it livable??

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 25/11/2019 - 20:18
      +2

      Probably did what some close friends of mine did last year. Watched season upon season of The Block. Many trips to Bunnings. Helped a family member do a deck or something once. Thought they were ready to Reno Rescue, enjoy for a few years of happy ownership then flip the property for a huge profit.

      They bought a very cheap but very poor condition fixer upper in a good area, found themselves absolutely completely out of their depth. Got a few quotes from tradies that ended up being far more than what they predicted or budgeted for and resigned to the fact they had made a big mistake.

      • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 21:49
        +5

        All of the above + adopted a dog, when their house only has a patch of grass.

        • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/11/2019 - 08:24

          Poor pupper :(

        • rave75 on 26/11/2019 - 15:18

          I had to relay turf on only 150 sqm land and it was hard nevertheless.

        • Hirolol on 27/11/2019 - 08:47

          Love nick Cody!

  • Cheapskate Paul on 25/11/2019 - 20:05
    +9

    I would avoid any house on a steep block or one with a swimming pool, so both properties are fails for me.

    • funnysht on 25/11/2019 - 20:44

      completely agree mate

    • crentist on 25/11/2019 - 20:59
      +3

      Why? I get pools (maintenance), but what's wrong with steep?
      I grew up on a block that was steep and had a pool and it was pretty awesome. Front and back yards on different levels meant that both floors extended into gardens, with enough separation that their utilisation was quite different.

      eg Most places seem to be rear facing into nice gardens, which makes the front garden pretty underused as anything but a pretty entrance. But with a very split level property you could have distinct living spaces facing both sides of the house with their own gardens.

      I guess you lose some light on the lower floor, but whatever I thought it worked pretty nicely.
      My parents might have a different opinion on it though.

      • Cheapskate Paul on 25/11/2019 - 21:14
        +3

        Maintenance, including gardening & retaining walls. Also safety for young children and difficulty for people like me with mobility issues.

  • crentist on 25/11/2019 - 20:09
    +3

    walls, roof, soundproof basement

    • Euphemistic on 25/11/2019 - 22:10
      +2

      Basement with a well?

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/11/2019 - 09:42

        I understood that reference.gif

      • s1Lence on 26/11/2019 - 15:15

        actually, now that i think of it, why the heck did that basement have a well to begin with? what good is a well going to be in a basement? wtf

        • LlamaOfDoom on 26/11/2019 - 22:00

          Well you already dug the hole, so you're like 3m down already. Thats 3m closer to the water!

  • mreddie on 25/11/2019 - 20:32
    +1

    location, location, location

  • funnysht on 25/11/2019 - 20:43
    +10

    Must haves-

    Away from highway
    Away from bogans
    Away from people in general
    Ability to get away from wife

    Maybes-
    Near Bunnings

    In a perfect world-
    Overlooking Bunnings parking lot, preferably west facing to see the sun set over the warehouse whilst sitting in my marquee fold chair sipping on a cold one

    • ssquid on 26/11/2019 - 00:53
      +25

      Away from bogans
      Near Bunnings

      Make up your mind.

      • funnysht on 26/11/2019 - 11:11

        Ok away from bogans
        Near bunnings in spirit

    • Zachary on 26/11/2019 - 10:31

      That's basically a mansion….

    • rave75 on 26/11/2019 - 15:19
      -3

      you forgot "away from teenagers from a specific continent" in VIC.

      • freakatronic on 27/11/2019 - 10:29

        Away from teenagers from any continent

        • Munki on 27/11/2019 - 11:51

          Maybe he likes teenagers. Specifically 13 year olds.

    • Andard on 27/11/2019 - 15:56
      +1

      damn if you lived that close you could smell the snags cooking every day mmmmmmmm

  • thebadmachine on 25/11/2019 - 22:12

    I waited awhile to go off-topic so here goes (will report myself).
    Just got done watching “Realive” an on-budget thinking Sci-Fi by Mateo Gil.
    I had difficulty finding it for stream, but as always trusty red play button website had it.
    Just search “Realive movie” on your streaming box app & watch the 1:47:00 one near the top.
    Warning: it deals with the concept / themes of suicide.
    I will be giving Ex Machina a re-visit in the coming months (I am interested in watching it from a “God-complex” perspective rather than a Turing-test one).

    thebadmachine on 25/11/2019 - 22:12 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 22:48

      I have seen Realive when it came out. Did you like it?

      • thebadmachine on 25/11/2019 - 22:53

        Yes I think it held some very realistic perspectives on being human / what we desire from death.
        I have been satisfied with his other writing endeavours also (most commonly known for Open your eyes which was remade as Vanilla sky).

        • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 22:55

          What do we desire from death?

          • thebadmachine on 25/11/2019 - 22:58

            @[Deactivated]: Just got done watching today, so it still needs some marinating.
            One memorable part was the monologue where the protagonist talks about the expectations we have of death. How what humans desire most to have in death mirrors what we have in life (our loved ones / work & reward / sense of control / mimicking experiences in life).
            It kind of then went on a tangent of Nihilism (I liked this part) where after some introspection he realises he would rather be nothing, and that was his logical conclusion, that we should return to nothing (or at least embrace its possibility).
            And of course from that first moment he had chosen to be something (re-animated) so then at the end it shows it is out of his control.
            Script was well written, I think that theme of “little has changed in the future in terms of humanity” and part of reanimation process being letting go of your previous life was as accurate as it could be.

            • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 23:15

              @thebadmachine: I didn't like the movie - or rather, I was left unmoved by it. It had all the elements that should have made it a good sci-fi (morally questionable corporation, scientists with a God complex, Frankenstein, pretty nurse offering to take care of the main character' s needs, romance .. Etc) and yet I couldn't connect to the main character and become invested in his fate.

              Realive felt so much like a remake of a really good movie that fell short of the original one to me. I couldn't shake that feeling while watching it. I had to Google it and was surprised to find that it was indeed an original movie - that feeling of deja-vue tainted with disappointment must come from the way all the themes explored here were done more subtly and poignantly in other movies or novels.
              Overall, I thought it was an over-ambitious project, which was cold and sterile.

              Edit : you edited your comment while I was writing mine.

              • thebadmachine on 25/11/2019 - 23:23

                @[Deactivated]:

                I couldn't connect to the main character and become invested in his fate.

                I think this was partly intentional, from his self description of his love with the girl (describes both himself and the girl as “the most attractive on campus”) and is an narcissistic artist by trade.
                Also you could say with the whole taking of ones life & the condemning ending part of the message had to convey he was less-than desireable.

                And yes I made a lot of edits, had a bit of difficulty recalling things etc.
                I thought it was good in a way (maybe less of a Sci-Fi way) but it made gentle prods to possibilities and what was going on behind the scenes, while other films may / would have shouted it from the roof-tops or made it overly dramatic (with emotional context etc).
                I liked the restrained aspect of Realive. Mateo was just frank about everything.
                One thing that could have gone different is the confrontation between protagonist and antagonist (head doctor).
                It fell a bit flat there, could have been more.

                • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2019 - 23:42

                  @thebadmachine: I was suffering from insomnia at the time and was devouring books and movies voraciously. I watched Realive shortly after re-reading Hamlet and then went on to read Shelley's Frankenstein. I probably did Gil a disservice by expecting his work to match those 2. I should re-watch the movie .

                  "To be, or not to be: that is the question:
                  Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
                  The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
                  Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
                  And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
                  No more; and by a sleep to say we end
                  The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
                  That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
                  Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
                  To sleep: perchance to dream"

                  Goodnight :)

                • [Deactivated] on 26/11/2019 - 19:03

                  @thebadmachine: Have you seen District 9?

                  • thebadmachine on 28/11/2019 - 22:04

                    @[Deactivated]: Yes a good while ago.
                    Regarding “Realive” my thoughts have marinated and I have changed my stance on the ending. It is an optimistic / neutral one instead of being condemning.
                    Brain has had a bad day, so it I will keep this brief.

                    Protagonist in the end got what he wanted, since he always strived for the continuation of “order / structure & purpose” in death (what he would be missing most from life). So in a way he got what he wanted, even it was by being a beta-testing guinea-pig for science & re-animation (or the twisted grandeur of humanity otherwise known as “chasing immortality”).

                    • [Deactivated] on 28/11/2019 - 22:39

                      @thebadmachine: I need to re-watch it and I will this weekend. The one line that stood out to me was :

                      Why do we never feel anything that intense again?

                      • thebadmachine on 29/11/2019 - 15:20

                        @[Deactivated]: I was aware of the “Realive” for almost more than a year, but simply had difficulty finding it.
                        This may have worked in my favour since the initial inflated expectations (re-animation / Sci-Fi / advanced future) had died down, and came the time to watch it I was pleasantly impressed it was filled with more thoughtful realism.

                        It kind of reminded me of ”Marjorie Prime” in a way as an overall film, and you seemed to be able to watch that film, so I thought to recommend “Realive” to you.
                        I would probably say “Realive” is the more well paced and dynamic of the two (better film).

                        • [Deactivated] on 29/11/2019 - 22:02

                          @thebadmachine: Thanks Mj :)

                          Just finished my 2nd viewing of this movie.My opinion hasn't changed, unfortunately: good concept, meh script which is wordy, rather than poetic. The standout performance was Naomi. Overall an average movie.

                          I'm surprised you like it so much. Could it have more to do with your current circumstance rather than the movie?

                          I'm off to see The eternal sunshine of the spotless mind for the 3rd time. Have you seen it?

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