Vocal Voices

Julia and Sean bought their 2 bed converted top of a 3 bed semi flat 5 years ago for 210,000.

They've just sold it for 350,000

I know it's in Windsor, but even so..............

There is not a hope in wotsits of us ever going back to England to live.

Ah but Ton anything around the capital and you talk silly money...

Most other places are much more affordable!!

EG Across the road from me, is a 4 bed extended semi (from a 3 bed) with a garage and a south facing garden, for £175K and I think that's really more than it's worth!

I know what you mean Ton. We sold our tiny three bed Victorian semi in Egham (as you know, only a mile or so up the road from Windsor) for just under £250k in 2009, it would be worth well over £300k now! Prices over there have rocketed. Now the prices here in Gloucester have not moved much at all since 2009! A house like ours (worth just under £250k) would cost at least £600k over in Egham, possibly more!

Location, location, location

Yes, Windsor's far too close to the capital for house pricing to be anything like rational!

We are supposed to be living in a sought-after estate in a sought-after area with sought-after secondary schools nearby (according to the estate agents). In reality, house prices haven't changed much in the last 5 years, and when houses on our estate do come on the market, they hardly sell like hot potatoes. The last one similar to ours (4 bed detached, around 15 years old) took over 8 months to sell and eventually went for £320k which was well below the agents initial valuation.

The average UK house price, I think I read somewhere recently, is just shy of £290k. We could downsize into a 3 bed bungalow in a decent area of Taunton for £280k .......

Are you still thinking about the West Country then Ossie?

Yes, but first we have to spend at least £6k to get this house into any fit state to be marketable. The painters and plumbers and electricians move in next month .....

Then we've got to market it and sell up, which as I said previously, could well be a pretty long-winded affair in itself. So it's a medium term project. Doesn't stop us looking at Rightmove, though .....

For example: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for ... 66968.html

As for the West Country, it would probably be our first choice, yes, because we have contacts / relations down there, (although every time Mrs. O's S. winds her up, the projected relocation destination suddenly becomes Berwick-on-Tweed! )

Oh that is nice Ossie!!! I like that I sometimes just browse on RM even though we have no intention of moving again for aaaaages, probably on M's retirement!

Good luck with the redecorating etc!

Ton, I associate with that.

We bought our two houses for €32k and €43k respectively (although at wildly different exchange rates) and after a solid decade of renovation plus at least another 5 years of work on the second house yet to do, I doubt we could sell them for any more than €250k. Which would buy us a modest mid terraced house in Lincolnshire or Scotland if we were very lucky but leave us no cash from the deal.


Contrast the 6 bedroom London town house in Fulham, just off the New Kings Road, with attic and extensive cellar, which my father and Uncles sold off for £265,000 back in 1986.

I believe each of the three flats it was broken up into are now worth in the >£1 bracket. But two of the brothers could not afford to pay their share of the death duties so it had to go.

They make quite interesting houses when totally renovated..

Location, location, location

That should have been >£1M.

My Grandfather paid £4,500 for it just after the war...