quick poll - would you rather live in a brand new house, or an old character-filled one?

[Thunderpants]

My vote goes for old.

[Nbg]

Old

[WendyWeber]

If I could get a new one of equivalent size and price I'd have new, even if the walls are made of cardboard (my walls fall down if you touch them!)

[mytwopenceworth]

def old. I HATE new builds.

I love nooks and crannies, odd shaped rooms, cellar, attic..and if you could get me a hidden room or corridor that doesn't lead anywhere, so much the better.

[Bluestocking]

If I could afford a brand new house built to my own specifications, then obviously that's what I would prefer. If it's a real-world, real-income choice between a vile Barratt box with miniscule rooms and a late Victorian terrace where everything slopes inexorably downhill, then I've made my choice, and it's the latter!

[MaureenMLove]

I've done both and I would definately go for old.

[wheelybug]

old.

[francagoestohollywood]

old

[WendyWeber]

Same here, bluestocking - the floors bounce, none of the walls are true, there are diagonal cracks in most of the corners and damp smells under the floor, and no garden. Nice big rooms though!

[ledodgy]

Old every time I find new houses are built very badly with thin plaster board walls, boring shapes and completley lacking in character. Dp's bro once had to visit a building site where they were building new houses which would sell for loads of money and the materials they use where total rubbish including doors that were wood on the outside but cardboard inside.

[spottyshoes]

Definately old! We bought a new build 3 years ago and have been fighting ever since to get NHBC to repair the shoddy work that was done. They have finally agreed as our floors are collapsing and we are having the top 2 storeys ripped out and re-built. Never buying another! Looking forward to a few weeks all expenses paid stay in a hotel though :O

[PeachesMcLean]

Usually old.

Brand new if it's fabulous, open plan, funky modern architectural type house, but Barratt shoe box, no thanks.

[TheBlonde]

old

[ledodgy]

Yeah I agree I was talking about new houses as in barrat/wimpy houses but if I was offered those brilliant new ones the people on Grand designs make I wouldn't say no.

[WendyWeber]

ledodgy, there are some tiny new build houses behind us (used to be allotments ) (mind you the wasps have gone ) and one night when they were half built one of the walls keeled over - they just pushed it back up again allegedly.

(All cheap new doors have a paper honeycomb middle though - it's quite strong apparently) (but don't try screwing anything into one...)

[southeatsastras]

one i'd built myself

[orangehead]

brand new,less spiders apparently and less probs. i now live in old house it has bad damp probs i really want to move

[ledodgy]

They are terrible Jan I bet they won't still be standing in a hundred years time like the good old Victorian/Georgian terrace.

[oregonianabroad]

Used to live in an old house. loved it but family grew.
bought new house. prefer character of old, but new house has benefits too (e.g utility room). plan to sell when development is finished and put profits into dreamy old house.

[startouchedtrinity]

I loved old houses but in our 18th century thatched cottage the dds kept on getting really nasty respiratory infections due to moulds and spores. Had to move and to stay the area we had to buy modern, and bought a 1960's chalet bungalow that has been extended. It's spacious, a one-off and with a lot of character, lots of light and big rooms. The plot is large and mature, it's practical to keep and when I do yoga I can actually stretch my arms up straight above my head w-out my hands hitting the ceiling! So my vote now goes for modern.

But I would not buy new build.

[Ellbell]

Old. (Current house is 1905.)

Second my2pw about nooks, crannies and odd-shaped rooms. Bought my London flat (years ago, BC) solely because it had odd-shaped rooms (the front of the building was like two half-octogons joined together, iykwim). That was a 1930 block. (It was also the flat that later featured on an episode of The Bill ... as a prostitute's flat !)

[whomovedmychocolate]

I live in a listed thatched place - it's filthy permanently and I have permanent concussion from smacking my head on low doorways and beams. I'd quite like an Edwardian house, but none of your lego box newbuilds thank you!

[WideWebWitch]

old, although the house we're renting atm is new, converted from an old building and I really like it (not enough to buy it, not big enough) so it's changed my view a bit.

[ChasingSquirrels]

new, but individual not estate built, ours is one of 2 built by a local builder, and it is really well built - all the internal walls are brick (even the walls making up our built in wardrobes) etc.