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[AllyAlly]

I live in a lovely town & want to stay here. We have a budget of £450k & around here that is not going to get us a charcater house in a desirable area of town with parking. Parking is a huge problema round here. We are now wondering whether to move to the other side of town where we could get a 4 bedroom house with garage, but it is further out of town & a good half an hours walk in to the shops & not in the desirable area, but is in the good schools zone.

What do you consider more important

a) living in desirable part of town in a smaller house where parking is an issue but good schools nearby?

OR

b) living in a not so desitable area, further out of town but in a bigger house where parking is not the issue & good school nearby?

Thanks

[AllyAlly]

Oops forgot to add a title!!

[lalalonglegs]

Desirable area. This isn't (purely) down to snobbery; it's just that the desirable area is desirable for a reason - good schools/transport/amenities. I live next to a shop and honestly don't think I could move more than three minutes' walk away now - life is too short to have to schlep for half an hour if you've run out of milk.

Buy an ugly house and make it your home - you can make it look a lot more attractive with clever decoration and some judicious planting.

[AllyAlly]

Yeah that is true but the houses we could afford in the desirable area are just so depressing as they look bleak & tired. Oh I am so confused & have a headache with all the stress

[lalalonglegs]

Yes, but bleak and tired houses don't have to stay looking bleak and tired. You can decorate them, you can even remodel the exterior really well (and I have seen miracles worked on 1950s council houses): the things to look for are location, size and room proportions. If it ticks those boxes then everything else is secondary and alterable.

[ickletickle]

desirable area, every time.

[AllyAlly]

I'd thought about that but if the rest of the houses in the neighbourhood look depressing then it still makes the area feel dowdy IYSWIM. There is a particular house on the market that would work for us inside but the exterior & neighbouring houses are dowdy. May book a viewing though....thanks for your help

[ickletickle]

erm if the area feels "dowdy" is it desirable? i am a bit confused tbh!