Originally Posted by cheers

I like it! The price is a little heavy.They have an expression in the US and that is 'house poor' and if you can't do anything else because of your house cost then you have to reevaluate your priorities. (I'm reminding myself not preaching)

Originally Posted by cheers

I like it! The price is a little heavy./QUOTE]

Indeed, but that street does not come cheap. I wonder if they got that price though - they could have accepted 285,000.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

This is what I was wondering. In general, I wonder what price people are actually getting in relation to what they are asking? Some of my friends in the UK are saying as a rule of thumb, go in with an offer 10% less than asking price but be prepared to come up. Obviously, this can vary.

Originally Posted by johnh009

It should be possible to get regional (updated) stats from hometracker or the like which show what asked to agreed prices are percentage discount-wise so that when you come in low you know what sort of figure you should be horse-trading around.

Of course once you've located the street you are dealing with in nethouseprices.com or whatever you need to look at what other very recent (if possible) completed sales are and try to never go higher than them whatever the condition of the property you are looking at is. As a rule of thumb, hybrid property which are upgraded and in immaculate condition in a terrace (like this one in Brooklands Totnes) or standardised block should never command too much of a premium over others in that terrace or block.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

Have you noticed the number of mansions or near-darned palaces in this part of South Devon/South Hams up to Newton Abbot, which have been converted into retirement properties, some with tennis courts, swimming pools and acres of grounds?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-14249910.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-33145760.html

Say what?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...?premiumA=true

I like this little retirement property though:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-29682883.html

Originally Posted by johnh009

diversity is what makes the World interesting.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

Have been pondering the Totnes position overnight. It is ideally situated while the other spots that I like such as Stoke Gabriel on the Brixham side are also attractive but you would need a car every time you wanted to get something. Dartmouth has its own appeal but is much more expensive but with no close transport links.

I agree with you that you need to keep a safe distance from Brixham and Torquay.

Totnes has a very good range of restaurants, incl. some in the Good Food Guide suggesting that it is a decent enough economy to support such ventures. Something to note as one travels through towns with literally dozens of boarded up shops these days.

If I were to live in the area I just cannot see myself buying much of my weekly food expenditure in the supermarket (I'm not sure Totnes even needs one but it has a Morrisons and it has Stokes). Devon is very rich in local producers which is one of the reasons there are so many decent restaurants in the zone from just north of Torquay to Dartmouth to Chagford. As a matter of principle the fish would have to come from a Brixham dealer and the meat from a specialty meat supplier and this would be at or less than supermarket prices but vastly superior in quality and/or freshness.

Four years old admittedly but check this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...ng?INTCMP=SRCH

Effings is still going strong, as is Riverford Goes to Town. Riverford Organic is close by.

As has been mentioned on here, the fact that Totnes has stuck its neck out as a Transition Town is important:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...ng?INTCMP=SRCH

Got the bit between my teeth now!

Originally Posted by cheers

My question is on these properties, that are very attractive BTW, is what are the association(management) fees and with the leasehold can that indicate the value is only going to go down?

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

It's very hard finding decent period properties in the area around Totnes, even adjusting the range to three miles. My 249,500 example was a rare exception but, based upon my other earlier comments, I'm not sure what that street even looks like now.

This is what we are up against on the west side of the Dart. 310,000 pounds and one bathroom.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-32444195.html

Originally Posted by aries

Here is a property site for the Totnes area which you might find interesting. Higher priced brackets first. http://www.totnespropertygazette.co.uk/for-sale/house

Originally Posted by cheers

I don't remember seeing this yesterday when I checked.
I loved the street view! I could go for that. Didn't like the yard, it was messy. I also didn't like the fireplaces being boarded up. I would open them up and light a fire and set the whole place on fire!

I still liked the place overall.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

Sometimes I think in terms of what I see and like and check the price. Sometimes I think in terms of what I see and what I don't like and double-check the price after what I think it will take to correct.

Here's a similar but much nicer frontage to a house in Brooklands on the other side of the Dart which has sold but which I like very much. Will make a note of that street. Frankly though, is more than the amount of house I wanted to take on in my dotage.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-29598481.html

Originally Posted by johnh009

It should be possible to get regional (updated) stats from hometracker or the like which show what asked to agreed prices are percentage discount-wise so that when you come in low you know what sort of figure you should be horse-trading around.

Of course once you've located the street you are dealing with in nethouseprices.com or whatever you need to look at what other very recent (if possible) completed sales are and try to never go higher than them whatever the condition of the property you are looking at is. As a rule of thumb, hybrid property which are upgraded and in immaculate condition in a terrace (like this one in Brooklands Totnes) or standardised block should never command too much of a premium over others in that terrace or block.