fallingbuzzard Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I would have put these valuations at about right for this location. Perfect if you are desperate to get into Parkside. I wonder what the story is here: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26992672.html http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30630074.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymadman Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Has every even numbered house in Fair Street (the side of the street backing onto the hostel) been up for sale this year now? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26587225.html And one on the other side of the road too: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16551474.html I appreciate that Fair Street is not without a number of merits. But... there's a hostel full of alcoholics there and they sit drinking on people's door steps. And that's before you consider the merits of a lane leading to the back of a shopping centre and the pub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustbinlidsid Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Not unless someoneKs moved Melbourn several miles west. what do you describe as SW cambs as from this map isn't it where N herts is? You are right in the sense Melbourn is a lot more south than west. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Parliamentary_constituencies_in_Cambridgeshire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallingbuzzard Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 (edited) Don't you mean heroin addicts? The police promote the area around Burleigh Street, Fitzroy Street, Fair Street as an appropriate area for the "street life" community but the truth is that the methodone scripts are now delivered from Boots in the Grafton Centre and Superdrug on Fitzroy Street. This stops the needy from heading off down Mill Road where the local parents have complained that they don't like it that their children Tarquin and Jocasta to have to see drug addicts shooting up in the toilets opposite the butchers. They still do though, quite yucky Has every even numbered house in Fair Street (the side of the street backing onto the hostel) been up for sale this year now? http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26587225.html And one on the other side of the road too: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16551474.html I appreciate that Fair Street is not without a number of merits. But... there's a hostel full of alcoholics there and they sit drinking on people's door steps. And that's before you consider the merits of a lane leading to the back of a shopping centre and the pub! Edited July 31, 2010 by fallingbuzzard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sera Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 We've started looking for something in the South Cambs villages. Have discovered why Estate Agents have such a crap reputation. Given that we are ftb's, ready to go whenever, you'd think they'd be at least mildly interested? Wrong. All of them, with the exception of Archers in Royston were a total waste of space. Have they even heard of Rightmove? There is absolutely no value to them - they only offered printouts of what they had on Rightmove. And it's obviously escaped their notice that people who can afford to buy houses generally WORK for a living and therefore can't do viewings Mon-Fri 9-5. We asked for a 6pm viewing on one but were met with much sucking of teeth and "ooooh, it would mean working late...."6pm FFS! Dim lady in the Shelford Tucker Gardner branch (who was the most patronising witch I've had the misfortune to meet in a while) was talking the market up, saying it's very buoyant... we went to see one of the properties on their books and were met with a pretty desperate seller No matter how great the appliances in a three bedroom house in the sticks are, it's still a very small three bedroom house in the sticks and not worth nearly £300,000.... Anyway, the guy in Archers, Royston was very refreshing. Was actually interested in what we wanted, talked for ages about the properties he had available (also pointing out ones belonging to motivated sellers...). I'd want my money back if I were attempting to sell a house through any of the rest! Thank God we're in a great rented place and have no real need to move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustbinlidsid Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 We've started looking for something in the South Cambs villages. Have discovered why Estate Agents have such a crap reputation. Given that we are ftb's, ready to go whenever, you'd think they'd be at least mildly interested? Wrong. All of them, with the exception of Archers in Royston were a total waste of space. Have they even heard of Rightmove? There is absolutely no value to them - they only offered printouts of what they had on Rightmove. And it's obviously escaped their notice that people who can afford to buy houses generally WORK for a living and therefore can't do viewings Mon-Fri 9-5. We asked for a 6pm viewing on one but were met with much sucking of teeth and "ooooh, it would mean working late...."6pm FFS! Dim lady in the Shelford Tucker Gardner branch (who was the most patronising witch I've had the misfortune to meet in a while) was talking the market up, saying it's very buoyant... we went to see one of the properties on their books and were met with a pretty desperate seller No matter how great the appliances in a three bedroom house in the sticks are, it's still a very small three bedroom house in the sticks and not worth nearly £300,000.... Anyway, the guy in Archers, Royston was very refreshing. Was actually interested in what we wanted, talked for ages about the properties he had available (also pointing out ones belonging to motivated sellers...). I'd want my money back if I were attempting to sell a house through any of the rest! Thank God we're in a great rented place and have no real need to move! how much did archers pay you hope they have improved since I dealt with them a few years back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sera Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 how much did archers pay you hope they have improved since I dealt with them a few years back hehehe, we'd had dealing with them previously and not been impressed.... Also just had some music to my ears: a 3-bed semi on my street sold for £250k in april 2007, the identical next door house sold for £198k in june this year -bring it on!! Obv. no links on teh Interweb 'cos I I'm not telling you weirdos where I live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallingbuzzard Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Its not just Shelford. Look at this one, 174 Gilbert Road: My link You're short after paying £500k or maybe £550k since you need to offer over the asking price. Good news is that you can buy the poxy second hand white goods I was thinking of viewing to just offer on the fridge. Find people WOZNIAK W 176 GILBERT ROAD CAMBRIDGE CB4 3PB 01223-357405 WOZNIAK W 174 GILBERT ROAD CAMBRIDGE CB4 3PB 01223-354558 Dim lady in the Shelford Tucker Gardner branch (who was the most patronising witch I've had the misfortune to meet in a while) was talking the market up, saying it's very buoyant... we went to see one of the properties on their books and were met with a pretty desperate seller No matter how great the appliances in a three bedroom house in the sticks are, it's still a very small three bedroom house in the sticks and not worth nearly £300,000.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ermanno Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 How did you get the history? Guess not looking at the history: 26 July 2010 * Brief Description changed: CAH CASH BUYERS ONLY A spacious two bedroom first floor Maisonette, situated within the popular village location of Great shelford, features lounge, fitted kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom and generous rear garden. [Found by n/a] 22 July 2010 * Brief Description changed: IDEAL START CAH BUYERS ONLY A spacious two bedroom first floor Maisonette, situated within the popular village location of Great shelford, features lounge, fitted kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom, private bathroom and generous rear garden. [Found by n/a] 21 July 2010 * Price changed: from '£125,000' to 'Guide Price £100,000' [Found by n/a] 08 July 2010 * Status changed: from 'Sold STC' to 'Available' [Found by n/a] 11 June 2010 * Status changed: from 'Available' to 'Sold STC' [Found by n/a] 30 March 2010 * Status changed: from 'Sold STC' to 'Available' [Found by n/a] 28 March 2010 * Status changed: from 'Available' to 'Sold STC' [Found by n/a] 17 March 2010 * Price changed: from 'Guide Price £135,000' to '£125,000' [Found by n/a] 28 February 2010 * Status changed: from 'Sold STC' to 'Available' [Found by n/a] 26 February 2010 * Status changed: from 'Available' to 'Sold STC' [Found by n/a] 06 February 2010 * Initial entry found. [Found by n/a] Short remaining lease? Doesn't look like it is made out of concrete. Interior looks like it might be a probate sale? Would be nice if the agents actually bothered to include why it's cash buyers only. Might just be they want a quick sale after being messed around so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 How did you get the history? Its from property bee, a plugin for the Firefox browser. It's great! As you view houses on RightMove (and some other sites) it records the price, etc. But it also shares that info with other PB users so you build up a record of most of the houses on RightMove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ermanno Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 That's great, thanks for the information! Its from property bee, a plugin for the Firefox browser. It's great! As you view houses on RightMove (and some other sites) it records the price, etc. But it also shares that info with other PB users so you build up a record of most of the houses on RightMove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sera Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Well, we put an offer in on a house - decent family sized house in South Cambridge village. It's gone SSTC for full asking under a month, apparently to another first time buyer. So we're not as rare as we thought, which is rather sobering, and frankly depressing. The only saving grace is the agent/buyer did take seriously our offer which was a reasonable chunk lower than full asking. Fed up with this already - there's so much crap on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) Well, we put an offer in on a house - decent family sized house in South Cambridge village. It's gone SSTC for full asking under a month, apparently to another first time buyer. So we're not as rare as we thought, which is rather sobering, and frankly depressing. The only saving grace is the agent/buyer did take seriously our offer which was a reasonable chunk lower than full asking. Fed up with this already - there's so much crap on the market. At least it took a month to go SSTC! In 2007 it would barely have lasted a week and probably gone for over asking price. There are plenty of 'potential' FTBs in the area still. Anything decent is still selling quickly I would guess. Anything half-decent might sell in a few weeks/months if the sellers are open to negotiations. Anything with an issue that would put a buyer off tends to stick around. C'est la vie. Edit: Keep track of it though, the purchase might yet fall through. I've seen that happen more often now. Edited August 11, 2010 by efdemin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sera Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 At least it took a month to go SSTC! In 2007 it would barely have lasted a week and probably gone for over asking price. There are plenty of 'potential' FTBs in the area still. Anything decent is still selling quickly I would guess. Anything half-decent might sell in a few weeks/months if the sellers are open to negotiations. Anything with an issue that would put a buyer off tends to stick around. C'est la vie. Edit: Keep track of it though, the purchase might yet fall through. I've seen that happen more often now. Yep, we've also gotten the vendor's mobile number so we'll be watching with interest. Fingers crossed, eh? Vendors want to move and be settled for Christmas so if this one does fall through then I guess we're top of their list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymadman Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Your very own prison cell! http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26357017.html Can anyone remember the price this had when it went up for sale with the first agent (when it still had furniture in it). Was it £115 or £105? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallingbuzzard Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 One day we will believe that someone really did offer on this and withdraw it the day after. Probably HM Prisons fleeing from Oakington 15 August 2010 13:18:04 * Status changed: from 'Sold STC' to 'Available' [Found by n/a] 14 August 2010 08:55:09 * Status changed: from 'Available' to 'Sold STC' [Found by n/a] 10 August 2010 07:14:15 * Price changed: from 'Guide Price £84,995' to 'Offers in Excess of £79,950' Your very own prison cell! http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26357017.html Can anyone remember the price this had when it went up for sale with the first agent (when it still had furniture in it). Was it £115 or £105? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimj Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I would appreciate some guidance on buying a property in Cambridge. My wife and I are hoping to move to the area now that we have retired and generally, the prices seem lower than the Guildford area where we currently own a house. We hope to sell the house in Guildford and buy a retirement home in Cambridge but we know little about the area. We visited the Cambridge area recently and quite liked the houses in Milton. inMost of the houses seemed modern, perhaps about 10-20 years old and there were plenty of four-bedroom houses also. I had a good look round Rightmove for all of the houses in Milton and it looks like the kind of area that we would like to move to: any comments on Milton would be helpful. Also, what other areas of Cambridge are generally quite nice and would be at about the same price range as Milton? We don't want to be too far away from the city since we will rely on our free bus passes to get in and out! For instance, we made a journey over to Swavesey to view some houses that I noticed were for sale but it's a bit far out. Please give me some area names that I can tap into RightMove and search for. but Your kind thoughts would be most appreciated Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munro Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I would appreciate some guidance on buying a property in Cambridge. My wife and I are hoping to move to the area now that we have retired and generally, the prices seem lower than the Guildford area where we currently own a house. We hope to sell the house in Guildford and buy a retirement home in Cambridge but we know little about the area. We visited the Cambridge area recently and quite liked the houses in Milton. inMost of the houses seemed modern, perhaps about 10-20 years old and there were plenty of four-bedroom houses also. I had a good look round Rightmove for all of the houses in Milton and it looks like the kind of area that we would like to move to: any comments on Milton would be helpful. Also, what other areas of Cambridge are generally quite nice and would be at about the same price range as Milton? We don't want to be too far away from the city since we will rely on our free bus passes to get in and out! For instance, we made a journey over to Swavesey to view some houses that I noticed were for sale but it's a bit far out. Please give me some area names that I can tap into RightMove and search for. but Your kind thoughts would be most appreciated Jim Jim, why do you want to move to Cambridge? I'm intrigued by your wording - you say that you "currently own a house" in Guildford but you want to "buy a retirement home" in Cambridge. It sounds as if you've almost randomly decided "Cambridge is a nice city, let's move there and make a proper home for ourselves". Why? Beyond that it is hard to know what to say as Cambridge is as diverse as any other area and just looking at houses per se won't tell you much. Is this the sort of thing you are looking at: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30780008.html If so, fine - but it's on a main road and personally I don't think that's a great area to be in. But of course it's a short ride into town where you too can be shoved off the pavements by thousands of tourists walking aimlessly around or squads of teenage foreign students at that awkward phase when their mind goes one way but their bodies don't quite respond, as they lurch into you. I'd think seriously about renting here for a few months and get a feel for the place, assuming you don't know it that well. Cambridge is very much a city for young people and retired people seem to move away from here rather than the other way round. Compared to St Albans where my mother lives, which I'd think is more comparable to Guildford, I'd say the average age here is getting on for 20 years younger - I wouldn't describe this a a tranquil and serene place for one's golden years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 @jimj I shouldn't rely on bus passes continuing. They'll be means testing them at least. On my favourite topic I note from my weekly Rightmove trawl that the total for sale in Cambridge has hit the 500 mark. Bearing in mind that 400 wasn't reacherd till early July and that it was 250 in Feb, we do seem to be on a steady upwardsd trajewctory for inventory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimj Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 (edited) Jim, why do you want to move to Cambridge? I'm intrigued by your wording - you say that you "currently own a house" in Guildford but you want to "buy a retirement home" in Cambridge. It sounds as if you've almost randomly decided "Cambridge is a nice city, let's move there and make a proper home for ourselves". Why? Thank you for the kind reply! Well we may be retired but we do feel rather young and as former teachers, we are quite used to having young people around! We've spent so much time abroad in our careers that we do need to settle in one city and yes, Cambridge is lovely. The house in Guildford is to be sold so that we can buy in Cambridge and we plan on visiting the city next month. I was just hoping to get an idea ahead of which are the nice & not so nice areas. We shall, of course, be talking to local estate agents and having a good look around and indeed, we probably will end up renting for a while but I just wanted to get some thoughts ahead of time. I think the upper limit budget is 380,000. We like houses such as the following http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26907757.html http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16717686.html Oh yes, and bus passes may indeed be going away! Edited August 19, 2010 by jimj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efdemin Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I think those house you've chosen are both ok. The Shirley Close one will be quieter because Fen Road is a dead end so there is little through traffic. One thing to bear in mind though, is that there are plans to build a rowing lake in that bit of land between Fen Road and the river Cam. I'm not sure what's happened to it of late though, it all went a bit quiet after the credit crunch. I think this is it: Cambridge Sports Lakes The one on David Bull way should also be fairly quiet, but bear in mind 1) There is a lot of traffic on the A10 in the morning & evening as people commute into Cambridge from Ely & around. So you might get noise from that. 2) There is a primary school at the end of Humphries Way so it might be busy with people coming and going during term time? Personally, I would look for a house on Butt Lane. It is basically a long cul de sac and is very quiet - no through traffic. Places to avoid for a quiet life are Arbury, Arbury/Orchard Park and Kings Hedges. Girton might be worth a look - it has a more of a village feel than Milton but should still have a decent bus link. Prices might be a bit higher though. Also Histon/Impington (they are next to each other). In general the nicer areas of Cambridge are to the West/South but they are expensive! You might have to compromise on garden/parking space to get one for a similar price to your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallingbuzzard Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I'd say that house is in Cambridge, nolt Milton. Milton I'm sure is fine but one resident told me it stinks near the dump, so it depends on the wind direction. The Milton County Park is nice, if you have a dog. I disagree with munro, Cambridge is a very good place for the older generation, its a difficult place for the younger generations. The problem I find is that even when money is not a barrier, there's hardly anything that is actually worth buying. If there'ss something worth the asking price below £1m, please post because as far as I can tell its full of overpriced property and dross! Jim, why do you want to move to Cambridge? I'm intrigued by your wording - you say that you "currently own a house" in Guildford but you want to "buy a retirement home" in Cambridge. It sounds as if you've almost randomly decided "Cambridge is a nice city, let's move there and make a proper home for ourselves". Why? Beyond that it is hard to know what to say as Cambridge is as diverse as any other area and just looking at houses per se won't tell you much. Is this the sort of thing you are looking at: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-30780008.html If so, fine - but it's on a main road and personally I don't think that's a great area to be in. But of course it's a short ride into town where you too can be shoved off the pavements by thousands of tourists walking aimlessly around or squads of teenage foreign students at that awkward phase when their mind goes one way but their bodies don't quite respond, as they lurch into you. I'd think seriously about renting here for a few months and get a feel for the place, assuming you don't know it that well. Cambridge is very much a city for young people and retired people seem to move away from here rather than the other way round. Compared to St Albans where my mother lives, which I'd think is more comparable to Guildford, I'd say the average age here is getting on for 20 years younger - I wouldn't describe this a a tranquil and serene place for one's golden years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munro Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 I'd say that house is in Cambridge, nolt Milton. Milton I'm sure is fine but one resident told me it stinks near the dump, so it depends on the wind direction. The Milton County Park is nice, if you have a dog. I disagree with munro, Cambridge is a very good place for the older generation, its a difficult place for the younger generations. The problem I find is that even when money is not a barrier, there's hardly anything that is actually worth buying. If there'ss something worth the asking price below £1m, please post because as far as I can tell its full of overpriced property and dross! Sure, I'm just thinking of someone I was talking to recently who is planning on selling up in Cambridge and retiring further east, where they already have a base, and a friend of mine who lives centrally and retired a couple of years ago saying she's finding the city centre crush a bit much. The place is much busier than it was when I moved here nearly seven years ago, and far, far busier than I remember from twenty years ago. I moved here for work and it's paid off for me, as I'm in researching/publishing, but I'm less sure about the attractions otherwise. I'd agree on the property front, there's very little I'd want to own in Cambridge below the £1/2m mark. There are some nice houses round De Freville. Mill Road area strikes me as a bit over-rated (after living in Devonshire Road, Mawson Road, and Kingston St for nearly five out of the last seven years). It's helps if you are tolerant of noise, dirt, traffic, etc. The muesli belt Victorian terraces are nice in a compact and bijou sort of way but you have to pray for good neighbours. I wouldn't touch Cherry Hinton and anywhere north of Victoria Rd with a barge pole, but then I have an ingrained detestation of suburbia. If you want the suburban idyll of detached house and garden, with the world kept at bay, why buy somewhere expensive unless you have a job/family connections? Suburbia always strikes me as a bizarre kind of self-contained castle pull up the drawbridge and keep everyone out while somehow wanting some urban chic but without the drunks compromise. Why not go the whole hog and buy somewhere with some land in the middle of nowhere? Perhaps that's an argument for the surrounding villages but I've heard they are pretty variable. For the younger generation the proliferation of slumlords and high rents is a nightmare, but it's hard to see that changing in the foreseeable future. There's any number of economic migrants either from all places east of Berlin or from the rest of the UK, and the latter category could well increase as other parts of the UK fall behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munro Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Thank you for the kind reply! Well we may be retired but we do feel rather young and as former teachers, we are quite used to having young people around! We've spent so much time abroad in our careers that we do need to settle in one city and yes, Cambridge is lovely. The house in Guildford is to be sold so that we can buy in Cambridge and we plan on visiting the city next month. I was just hoping to get an idea ahead of which are the nice & not so nice areas. We shall, of course, be talking to local estate agents and having a good look around and indeed, we probably will end up renting for a while but I just wanted to get some thoughts ahead of time. I think the upper limit budget is 380,000. We like houses such as the following http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26907757.html http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-16717686.html Oh yes, and bus passes may indeed be going away! Seriously, I'm intrigued by this idea of moving somewhere else to retire. In general terms, that is, not you in particular. And the semantic difference between "house" and "home" is striking - it suggests you're projecting a load of emotional issues into this planned move. There's this idyllic Cambridge image of Pimms by the Cam while genteel punters amble by with lots of cosy pubs and inspiring strolls round the Backs, and of course there's some truth in that. There's also the issue of sharing it with millions of tourists every year, and general over-crowding. The queues in Cambridge city-centre Sainsburys are a shock after a few months away in the West Midlands where the only hazard in Waitrose was avoiding treading on the grannies while heading for the queue-free tills. And I've just spent the afternoon sitting in a cafe talking to a friend who is in the process of selling up in Cambridge and moving away, as she's retired - she described the lifestyle here as "frenetic". I'm vegetating in front of "A Place in The Sun Home and Away" with a couple taking early retirement - Lake District or the Algarve? It all looks lovely in the sun and great when you're on holiday. I can't work out why people think their lives will suddenly improve just with a change of location. What does Cambridge have that Guildford doesn't, apart from a load of handsome old buildings? Many of which are closed a lot of the time, unless you are a member of the university. So, why Cambridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymadman Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 Cambridge is nice! Not perfect, but then where is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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