House buying - location or house?

[Maz2444466]

I've been going round in circles and driving DH nuts by putting off buying a house for two years now even though we are in a flat and really need the extra space, largely because I still can't figure out what I want so here are the options:

The first option is to get a house in the town we live in which we absolutely love, it is within walking distance of childrens' classes, great parks, shops and my parents house but the house will be nothing like the house in the alternative option.

The alternative option is to get a beautiful house in a quiet (isolated) village near the town we currently live in. It's a 10 minute drive from the town but problem is I don't drive so it would mean a 20 minute bus ride, the bus comes every 20 minutes or so, sometimes it stops halfway and you have to get another one so a 20 minute journey can turn into a 30 or 40 minute one.

In the village we could get a substantial detached house with a 100ft garden but in the town we are in we could get a semi with a garden half the size, probably on an overcrowded road since the whole town is overcrowded.

Schools seem more or less as good as each other in both options.

What would you do?

[passingcloud]

Location location location. Speaking as someone who bought the bigger house further out, regretted it, sold it quickly and at a loss and now lives in a smaller house in a location I love... It was an expensive mistake which taught me a massive lesson - my quality of life is SO much better now I'm in town and in an area I really LIVE in.

[BaldricksTrousers]

They always say buy the worst house in the best location. ...that's what they say, isn't it? :)

[crje]

Definitely location

A house is no company for ye

[harderandharder2breathe]

The village is so close I would say pick that. A bus every 20 minutes is a good level of service (hardly rural once a week bus service!)

[WonkoTheSane42]

I would buy the bigger house in the nice quiet village and learn to drive.

[WonkoTheSane42]

Also, 10 minutes from town isn't remotely isolated.

[TENDTOprocrastinate]

Learn to drive first. Then buy the bigger house.

[sailawaywithme]

I chose option 2 and went for house over location. Hated it. Sold and downsized by 50% and moved to the better neighborhood. It's always the neighborhood!

[SassyPants19]

Buy the house in the country and learn to drive! We did the move out of town and have never regretted it.

[camelfinger]

I'd pick location. I dream of getting a bigger house further out but I'd probably get bored of it after the initial excitement.

[ElleMcElle]

Agree with passingcloud - location all the way. Particularly if you don't drive - you could end up feeling very stranded. Proximity to family and the things you like to do with your kids is worth so much. And if you are going from a flat to a house either way, you'll still appreciate the step up in space even with the smaller townhouse.

[frikadela01]

A 20 minute bus ride on a bus that comes every 20 minutes is not isolated. Even 30 minutes isn't that bad.

[YelloDraw]

Buy house. Learn to drive. Sorted :-)

[greathat]

Get better house and learn to drive if you medically can!

[Joinourclub]

Location. Always.

[passingcloud]

A 20 min bus ride might not be that bad per se but if you're used to having everything in walking distance it can feel like another planet...

[TheNumberfaker]

Location x3
You can usually improve a house in some way but you can't change its location.

[Archedbrowse]

Another one for location.
We first bought a lovely big very nicely done house in an ok location. It served us well before we were married and only had to worry about work and social life.
However 4years later we had to sell as hadn't taken in to consideration the location in terms of schools, local amenities, transport, safety, parks/green space, niceness of street which this area had basically no decent provision of anything mentioned above.
I wouldn't necessarily say it was a mistake per se, we were happy there for 3+ years, but if we'd considered area over niceness of house we'd have saved having to move house at 8.5mths pregnant and all the attendant faff & expense.

We're now in a much smaller house that needs work, but it's in a lovely safe,friendly cul-de-sac a short stroll in to a pleasant town with useful shops, playgroups, library, coffee shops a plenty, nice school, a couple of parks to visit.

[Munstermonchgirl]

location location location

Thing is, from the sound of it both locations are great. 10 minutes from
Town is nothing, particularly if you learn to drive. Go for the bigger better house in the lovely village location

[Maz2444466]

Thanks for all the responses so far. Learning to drive is a must - i know I need to sort it. I guess I am a complete townie, having grown up in a town in the outskirts of London all my life, so for me the village is isolated because I can't walk everywhere or get the tube/buses that come every couple of minutes but in context I know it's not isolated at all, I mean it's nowhere near as isolated as my SIL's house which is in in a country lane surrounded by fields but then that terrifies me!

[redcaryellowcar]

Location would be my preference.

[greenfolder]

Is there a reason you don't drive?
Bus might well go every 20 mins currently. What if it is cut? What about after school activities? Parties?
I'd buy on town. You can retire to the country later

[cheekyfunkymonkey]

Location. We made the mistake of doing it the other way around and regretted it

[CanandWill]

If you cannot drive it has to be location.

[Maz2444466]

No reason I don't drive apart from being rubbish and never having had enough of a reason to need to, and now I'm scared to, I get panicky behind the wheel, wish I'd learnt when I was 16!