What sort of house?

Finally my husband has said that we have to move house.

Currently we have a two bedroom bungalow in a very rural area . Septic tank, no mains gas and an extension ( one room) which has a flat roof and a large garden - an acre or so, all electric which he also hates.

There is little or nothing going wrong with these things right now. We have had problems with the septic tank in the past ( well a blocked drain but that was sorted - surely you can have blocked drains on mains drainage too?)

He says another place would be cheaper and we cant afford this one. He maintains loads of things are wrong with this house but I don't see any of them when I look around. We have rising damp apparently but its condensation.

I don't know how much our house is worth but not a lot given its state of repair - old bathroom, ( avocado suite if you remember those) and old kitchen and mostly old storage heaters and rather damp right now as a result of no heating. The guttering leaks at all joints and the double glazing is so old it probably needs re doing too.

We don't have a mortgage and no real money worries to be honest.

He wants to move into town into an old peoples unit ( one bed and no garden) which would cost about £80,000. It would be leasehold and maintenance fees are about £500 at the moment.

We would also have to have a water meter and we would still have storage heaters as they have no mains gas allowed there either - I think that was for safety reasons for the elderly.

He is 59 and retired early recently.

I am 50 and still working.

I don't want to move. I would rather try and sort our house out. I don't have the skills for this though. I do know my neighbour who is on a water meter pays £254 a quarter for water and there is no reason to suppose we would use less than her. I currently pay £250 a year in rates for water ( our septic tank means we get reduced rates - we wouldn't get that with a water meter in SW water) .

Is it bad news to have a house with septic tank and storage heaters and no mains gas and a flat roof on an extension? Or is he being bloody silly?

Just want opinions really. Thanks.

Reply to
whiskeyomega
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He sees loads of problems that you are not aware of ? Maybe he feels responsible for the maintenance and feels he is letting you down by not being able to do it. Age 59 is very young to want to move into an old peoples development. Do you not enjoy your large garden? Being cooped up in town might be something you soon regret. Having said, that if a house reaches a stage of needing a total renovation, it can be expensive. Why not fix one thing at a time, starting with the leaking gutter ? Happy Christmas ! Simon.

Reply to
sm_jamieson

IMHO, the main thing would be to get some form of affordable heating. Is wood for burning readily available since you live in a rural area?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Your house has lots of *potential* - but is clearly not a very attractive propostion for any prospective buyer in its current state. You clearly don't

*want* to move, so why not spend some money on improving your current house?

OK, there's no mains gas - but oil-fired central heating is perfectly feasible, and would dramatically improve overall comfort levels. You need to make sure that loft and wall insulation are up to standard, replace the guttering, and probably replace the windows. You'll probably also want to re-do the bathroom and kitchen.

Septic tanks are not really a problem - lots of rural properties have them. Flat roofs are not wonderful - you just have to budget for re-felting them every 15 years or so.

In your position, I would look at spending 25 or 30 grand on making your current property really nice rather than thinking of moving. I certainly wouldn't consider retirement properties if I were fit and active - you would find them vert restrictive. Planning and project-managing all the improvements will keep your recently-retired husband out of mischief even if he doesn'y DIY any of it. And, at the end of it all, you'll have something which is much more saleable if you *do* ultimately decide to move.

Reply to
Roger Mills

no mains gas and an extension ( one room) which has

had problems with the septic tank in the past ( well a

mains drainage too?)

maintains loads of things are wrong with this house but I

its condensation.

repair - old bathroom, ( avocado suite if you remember

now as a result of no heating. The guttering leaks at

which would cost about £80,000. It would be

heaters as they have no mains gas allowed there either -

the skills for this though. I do know my neighbour

to suppose we would use less than her. I currently

rates - we wouldn't get that with a water meter in SW

mains gas and a flat roof on an extension? Or is he

Are you both in good health? I ask because I am 56, my wife is 49, both working and in good health, and the idea of us entering our dotage (which to me is what you are contemplating) seems a good way off yet.

Reply to
Graham.

Oh dear, I remember your previous thread and wondering whether it would be house or husband which you changed first! Unfortunately the root cause of the problems seems to be the attitude to the house of your other half. Clearly he doesn't want to do any maintenance on it so a flat must look very appealing. Personally there is no way I'd give up an acre of garden for a retirement flat. I'm sure we can give you lots of practical advice about the house but I'm not convinced how useful that would be to you.

May be a couple of things you could try are:

  1. Learn to do lots of the work yourself. You don't actually have to get out there and do (all) the work but you'll at least be able to organise and discuss work with trademan without your husband being involved.
  2. Get the house valued as it is now and as it would be if it was refurbished. If there is a big enough difference you might persuade the husband to invest the money doing it up. Then perhaps when it is done up, he'll be less keen to move.

Matt

Reply to
matthelliwell

I don't think that our heating is unaffordable really. It may not be as warm as others but it being on would help

We are currently heating the whole place on one large heater in the hall ( 3.4 kw) and one small heater in the sitting room ( 1.7kw) , There are two heaters in the sitting room but we have the smaller of the two on. To give you an idea the sitting room is 20ft x 13ft. The dining room next to it is

10ft x 12ft . Both bedrooms are 12ft x12ft and neither has a room heater on. The hall heater is supposed to heats them ( its a 3.4 kw ) but the kitchen sucks a lot of heat from the hall. The kitchen is freezing to be honest and wet - water down the windows and water down the tiles on the walls and mould growing on the ceiling across the coor and windows.

He just says we cant afford to put the heating on but I work and get £200 a week and he has £200 a week pension - ok so not as much as we got when he was working .

He just wont let anything be done.

On and there isn't a supply of wood. We would have to open up a fireplace anyway and we don't have a fire grate, and we don't have a boiler and we don't even know what the previous owners did when they blocked the fireplaces up. We could find ourselves knocking out breeze blocks and find nothing in behind at all. I doubt I could afford the money to put a new fireplace in there - and the cost of coal according to my parents is rather more than our electric right now.

Besides he us just hell bent on seeing us freeze with some Victorian idea of going in the poor house ( I am not kidding - he seems to think we are going to be poor because he is now on a pension)

Reply to
whiskeyomega

What do you class as good health? He has high blood pressure but it is controlled by medication. He claims though he has a heart condition ( which he does not!).

I was in good health until I had influenza and pneumonia last year. Now I find it hard to do many things but that I think is because I am always so cold as we don't have a warm house anymore. I am fine at work, I just get tired.

I could do many things but I am afraid ( and I am conscious this is turning into a whinge now) my husband being home stops me doing them. he complains if I get the paint out to paint a wall even. He wont allow anyone in to do repairs and he wont do them himself.

I have offered to pay out of my own earnings - doing overtime if required.

I never realised he would be like this. When he was at work I used to get things done whilst he was out and tell him afterwards.

Reply to
whiskeyomega

"whiskeyomega" wibbled on Monday 21 December 2009 09:38

I can sympathise with the all-electric. I have no CH so am watching my meter spin like the little girl's head in The Exorcist! Coal fire helps though.

Of course. I have a bungalow in a semi rural area. Have mains everything (gas came about 15 years back) but i do have a shared private sewer running down my garden - if that ever breaks I'll be crying.

Flat roofs are fundamentally less good than pitched roofs, but if they are well felted by someone competant (or if smaller, leaded) they should see good service before needing redoing.

Rising damp is one of those ill understood things used to sell random cures.

Is any wood actually going rotten? Any black staining on the walls? Is there a simpler cure, eg removing earth banked up over teh DPC in the wall outside, or just adding some ventilation?

You'd be surprised. A major fraction of the worth is in the land alone. If the building shell is solid, then the worst price knock down would be to refit internal things, eg add CH, electrics, plumbing or whatever you think might need doing. Most honest estate agents say don't bother. You'll be lucky to make a profit on such works - better to sell to someone who can do it their way to their tastes.

Sure - a nicely presented house with everything in tip top condition will sell quicker and for more, but it's still fine to sell a "fixer upper"

Given teh state of the market, presumably you can afford to wait for a sensible offer? Selling in a rush right now isn't such a good idea, but people are buying - just more slowly.

Assuming such places are generally available, or you can reserve one, take your time...

They could have central heating if they wanted?...

If your are going to sell, forget the water meter. Leave it to the next occupant to decide. If you aren't, perhaps try to estimate your usage and see if it works for you.

He has a point - but lots of people have some/all of those. When was the flat roof last re-covered? How long does the septic tank last between emptyings? Is it practical to replace it with some sort of digester?

You could look at oil or propane gas (big white cylinder in the garden, filled by truck in much the same way as oil). Don;t know what the relative economics are at the moment vs Economy 7 - liquid fuels go all over the place pricing wise.

Reply to
Tim W

You haven't mentioned transport. Could it be that he feels *trapped* in the house alone while you are out at work? Buy him a bicycle?

Lots of sensible ideas in other responses but no one has mentioned additional insulation under the various grant schemes. Bungalows often have huge lofts suited to the cheapest fibre insulation and you may have uninsulated cavity walls. Contact your electricity supplier and ask for advice.

regards

Reply to
Tim Lamb

No, thats my whole point. We would still have storage heaters as CH. I cant see a good reason for moving to that.

I have suggested a bungalow with gas but he doesn't want that.

Oh and he doesn't want neighbours either. Currently we have one neighbour. In town we would have loads. I dont see his reasoning. He seems brainwashed by stupid TV ads and economic issues - like redundancy and no money and such and he thinks those things affect us when they do not.

Reply to
whiskeyomega

He has a car. I have a car. He is never trapped. He chooses not to go out. I am very afraid though he would row the neighbours if we had any. I am scared he will argue with callers at home now. He has already rowed the post man when he called with a parcel I sent for. Fortunately no one comes here because we are off the beaten track.

I am sure a lot of the issues are because he has retired early. It was not a choice but at least he got his pension. Had he stayed he might not have his pension and might still have lost his job.

We have a lot of roof insulation. but this is limited by the fact the roof is used as a store. Its boarded and used as a tool room. We don't qualify for grants for anything.

Reply to
whiskeyomega

I am grateful for the replies by the way. At least I know what I might be able to do, even if getting it done might be more problematic.

Reply to
whiskeyomega

I wouldn't be so sure unless you have really dug quite hard. Admitedly 59 might be to young but after his birthday it might not be. And the power company funded things tend not to have age restrictions on them but may require the receipt of a "benefit", commonly one is Working Tax Credit and with your low combined income I suspect you may well qualify for that...

You mention a few health problems with hubby and he appears to be lethargic and lacking any motivation. Has he has his thyroid checked? Underactive thyroid has that sort of symptoms. It's not a routine test and the medical profession can be very blinkered and specialist/consultants not look at the whole body/health/system just their little specialisum.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

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Can you realistically face the prospect of living in a little box with Mr.Meldrew for the next 25 / 30 years?

If you must move, move to a better house rather than a poky little flat.

Your present house, even in its run-down state would be a very attractive property for many people especially with the amount of ground you have. It should bring a very good price.

Cic.

Reply to
Cicero

I'm watching the oil level plummet... Fortunately during this cold spell (-9C on Sunday night, a very brief max of 0.1C in the last 3 days) it has not been windy, otherwise there would be a gurgling noise coming from the tank...

Agreed, major refurbing to sell is a waste of time, money and effort. The chnaces are the people moving in will strip it all out anyway... A fresh coat of paint here and there and through clean is worth while but not replacing kitchens/bathrooms etc

Lot of capital cost to install, that would buy a lot of insulation.

Last lot of oil I bought (Oct 2009) was 40p/l or roughly 4p/unit. Our off peak is currently 4.83p/unit but that is not the cheapest tariff out there. Apr 2008 I paid 50p/l...

I think I'd go for upgrading the all electic heating and making sure the insulation levels in the walls and roof are has high as they can be. Maybe strip out any rockwool/glass fibre insulation and replace with celotex/kingspan as the space is used for storeage.

Mind you there isn't any point in upgrading if it's not going to be switched on!

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

The "Warm Front" grants kick in when anyone in the house is 60. They will pay for draughtproofing, double-glazing, cavity-wall insulation, loft insulation and central heating. You can apply online.

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Reply to
Bernard Peek

This is consistent with clinical depression, which is not unusual in people recently retired and not quite sure what they should be doing.

Reply to
Bernard Peek

Bernard Peek wibbled on Monday 21 December 2009 12:51

Is there a preserved railway nearby? Buy him a boiler suit and tell him he's joining! Preserved railway work can be very suitable for people who aren't keen on people in general. Lots of near solitary work of all types as well as group work, feeling like you are doing something and the opportunity if wished to converse with others in a guaranteed chav free zone.

Reply to
Tim W

As a 65 year old who retired 15 years ago, even now I could not contemplate a warden supervised flat. To be absolutely frank, I'd rather be dead. If you value being able to step outside into your own back yard for a breathe of fresh air, then don't contemplate a flat. Although in a town, my garden also looks out over a valley, so all I can see are the houses on the other side. Once again I wouldn't now voluntarily give up that open view, for the back of other houses. I think your real problem is a fundamental difference on what you want out of life and that needs to be resolved *before* making any major decisions on your future years. Has your husband any interests, because keeping your mind active, even if not with DIY, is essential in maintaining a healthy outlook. I'm not saying his negativity is his fault, but I am familiar with living with someone who lacks optimism and it can be very soul-destroying. It needs investigating. Hope that doesn't come across as too harsh.

Andy C

Reply to
Andy Cap

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