We were recently approached by budding house buyers who found a house that ticked most of the boxes for them, but unfortunately not all. They wanted us to take a look at the house before they made the biggest purchase of their lives, to see if the flaws they saw in the house could be easily fixed, and fixed within their budget.

Houses are a notoriously subjective thing, what suits one family may not suit another. The house had been a perfect family home for one family for over 20 years. Our clients asked us to see if it could be adapted and extended to suit their needs.

We met with them, took note of their wish list and then visited the house together to see its potential. We pointed out the positives, listened to the negatives, suggesting ways they could be worked around or alleviated. After the visit, we prepared a report and sketched a couple of options for reconfiguring the ground floor and potential extensions. It was readily apparent that the house needed significant re-modelling and structural work to meet their requirements, and this was outside their budget.

Despite how much they loved the location, it turned out the house was not for them. But at least they found out before they signed up for 30 years of repayments.

If you see a house that almost fits the bill, but that needs more than just redecoration, it may be worth getting a professional to take a look before making your final decision.