Seacliff Cottage, Marine Parade

I got to the property at about half nine on Saturday morning. The estate agent, perfectly friendly, was already there and gave me the run of the place, which I appreciated. I was there for just over an hour in total.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

From the outside it looks decent enough, though I'd say the photos on Rightmove are doing it some favours. The render has a couple of hairline cracks running down from the top left window, nothing dramatic, but worth getting a surveyor to look at. The window frames have been painted fairly recently but one of the sashes on the ground floor is stiff and doesn't sit quite flush when closed. Not a deal-breaker, just flagging it.

The street itself is nice. Quiet on a Saturday morning, good neighbours by the look of it.

SITTING ROOM

This is genuinely the best room in the house. Good size, runs front to back so it gets light most of the day. There's an original fireplace which the agent said works, I tested it and it does draw, though I'd get a chimney sweep in before you used it properly. The pine floors are in good nick. I did notice a slightly musty smell in the back corner, just near the chimney breast, it cleared when I opened the window, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Could be nothing, could be a sign that the chimney stack needs pointing. I'd ask the question.

KITCHEN

Fairly recently done and it's been done properly, not a cheap flat-pack job. Solid worktops, decent appliances. The dishwasher made a slightly odd noise when the agent demonstrated it but she said it had always done that. I'd want to run a full cycle before exchange. One thing the photos don't show: it's quite small. Two people cooking together would be a squeeze. Fine for one person or a couple who don't live in the kitchen.

BEDROOM ONE

Good-sized double at the front. There is a partial sea view, I want to be honest, it's a glimpse between the houses opposite rather than an actual sea view, but it's a nice touch. The room itself is fine, nothing to report.

BEDROOM TWO

Small. The listing calls it a second bedroom and technically it is, but you'd want a cabin bed and not much else. It's being used as a home office at the moment, which is probably what most people would do with it. Just don't go in expecting a guest room where an adult can stay comfortably.

BATHROOM

Recently redone and it's clean and functional. The silicone around the base of the shower screen has some early discolouration, not mould yet, but it'll need redoing within a year or two. The extractor fan is quite weak. Given the shower is over the bath with a screen rather than a full enclosure, I'd want better ventilation than that, worth budgeting for an upgrade.

GARDEN

South-facing and it's a nice size for a town cottage. Mostly paved so low maintenance, which is either a plus or a minus depending on what you want. The shed is fine but the felt on the roof is getting to end-of-life, it hasn't leaked yet but it will do in the next year or two.

LOCAL AREA

I know Ventnor well and it's a lovely town, genuinely one of my favourite places on the island. Good cafés, a decent pub, independent shops, and the beach is a 10-minute walk. However, and this is important if you haven't visited, it is very hilly. The cottage is partway up a steep street. If you're carrying shopping, have mobility issues, or are thinking of young children with buggies, that's worth experiencing in person before you commit.

Parking is on-street and in summer it gets busy. It's not impossible, just occasionally annoying.

SPECIFIC CHECKS

Mobile signal: Fine on EE, slightly patchy on Vodafone in the back bedroom, not a problem unless that's your main network. Water pressure: Good throughout. Broadband: Up to 67Mbps available according to the Openreach checker, solid for this kind of location. Loft: I had a look, insulated, no obvious water ingress, though there's a small area near the eaves where the insulation has slipped and isn't covering the edge properly. Easy fix but worth doing before winter. Boiler: Worcester Bosch combi, looks relatively recent, had a service sticker from last year. No concerns there.

OVERALL TAKE

It's a good property in a great location and it's been reasonably well looked after, but it's not the pristine turnkey cottage the listing makes it look. There are a handful of things that need attention (the render cracking, the chimney breast corner, the bathroom ventilation, the shed roof) and bedroom two is noticeably smaller than the listing photographs suggest. None of those things would put me off personally, but you should factor in a few thousand pounds of minor work and go in with your eyes open rather than expecting something straight off a lifestyle blog. Worth getting a full structural survey.