Opinions invited on house in North Rocks, NSW

Hello everyone,

We are looking to upsize and move into a house. We have been on few inspections and have found this property, which we have liked-

https://www.realestate.com.au/property/42-larra-cres-north-rocks-nsw-2151

We are relatively new to the country, let alone the area. We are unable to afford a house in the area we currently live in and so we thought of North Rocks.

This house would be put to auction and the price guide is 1.3 million.

The concerns we have for this property are-

1-The property was built in mid-1970s, but has been renovated 7 years ago, it is a brick veneer construction. The build and pest report is awaited but is there an issue buying a property of that age in the long term?
2- The house faces bushland and is classified medium bushfire prone, how is the general experience there? bushfire/temperature around such an area, does it get too cold?
3- the house is closer to M2, is that an issue at nights traffic noise-wise?
4- We also came to know from our solicitor that there is a sewage line under the property. In the event of any issues, the council can access the manhole on the property anytime. Would that be of any issue?

Also, any advice around the suburb in general like the schools, demographics etc would be appreciated!

Thank you!

 

Only if the building inspection picks something major otherwise a house will perform for a very long time with some maintenance.

What is the BAL? Has the house been built to meet the BAL (though there is no compulsion to upgrade to meet the code)

Cars sleep at night? Will the new airport affect the property? Do Koels live in the trees and squawk at 3.58am on the second day of spring? Who knows? You need to view the property or surrounds to hear whether the slightest bit of noise is tolerable.

Is it the board sewer or just the house sewer? Is there an easement? Do you look like you will be redeveloping? Is it at the front of the block or the rear? *&%$ flows down hill, will it affect the house? The pool? The reserve at the rear? Each has a different answer.

 

That guide sounds low. Gut feel says 1.5.

 

Thank you for your comments, much appreciated!

Where can we get the BAL? Would it be in the contract?

It is the board sewer and located at the rear of the property. The pool is also located at the rear and I think runs under the swimming pool as well. There is a bit of slope towards the rear end of the property.
Am attaching a photo for reference.

 

There are photos from jan 2019 and november 2020. Any idea why it didnt sell then?

 

I'm sorry, but I did not see any of those photos. :-(

I can surely ask the real estate agent though.

 

View the listing (via your link).

Scroll left through the photos. Theres a date on them. And you get to see what it looked like in 2013.

 

Possibly the end of the last boom when things were stepping back and they weren't pushed to sell.

Should be able to lift it from the council, planning or RFS websites, it may be in the S149 Certificate

I would be seeking a copy of a Water Board certificate/approval or exemption for building over sewer. The location of the manhole (back left corner) shouldn't be an issue even if it overflows due to a blockage.

 

One of my clients lives in that street and purchased a few years ago - from what she's said she loves the bushland nearby, no noise issues from M2, loves the easy access to M2 vs rest of North Rocks & on the weekends there are often people parking to go rockclimbing overnight.

$1.3m does seem low.

 

Thanks for the response Mel

 

We found the BAL rating to be 19.

BAL – 19 Moderate risk, particularly from embers and burning debris.

Is that something ok for property and should we reconsider the purchase?

 

One of the joys of living near the bush. There will be some things that you can do to reduce your risk of ember attack eg steel mesh flyscreens inlieu of nylon, sisalation in roof etc.

 

For most people looking for quality, anything built before the late 90's is considered a huge positive, NOT a negative.

 

I'm looking in the same area I think this house will sell around $1.6ish mark.

 

Good luck with your search

 

I love the bush, but the biggest plus for this property is the very easy access to the M2 buses. Huge plus, pretty rare. You really aren't that close to the M2 though for noise.

Ps. Too cold... no way! This is Sydney. You will get better climate near the harbour... Cooler in Summer, warmer in Winter. It's going to cost you though if you are going to live there. Trees will make things a tad cooler, which is a good thing for this climate.

My home is also classifed as bushfire prone, but I do love the bush. If you are going to change anything externally it would cost more to renovate because you'll have to use particular materials.

As to being a 1970's house, i'd call it a plus.
Solid.

 

Since you live near the bush, do you have the issue of bugs, spiders and snakes coming into the backyard?

The bushland which backs this property also has a creek, so I am thinking will there be the nuisance of mosquitoes?

 

It'll go for significantly more than that.

It's a nice pocket of North Rocks, but not all that accessible, so it depends on what you want. You can walk to North Rocks shops, but it's not that nice a walk and not very close. Muirfield HS is close, but it's not exactly the best school in the world (we're in the same school zone, so we're considering our options).

So I'm not saying it's a good idea or a bad idea, it really depends on what you want and how deep your pockets are.

 

Never snakes but there are some around. Brush turkeys in the garden all the time, plenty of spiders, possums, lizards. Saw an echinda just near home once. I love the king parrots, they visit every now and then. I love that I can just go out into the bush really easily, go for a unicycle, bike ride, walk or run in the bush.

Re: mosquitoes, you may or may not have a problem. We have a mosquito repellant light though, that (hopefully) minimises mosquitoes as a problem.