Would you stay in your new-build with average garden or old fashioned bungalow with huge garden?

[sarah13xx]

We’ve always been happy in our house. It’s a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, new-build, average sized garden, nice area, big driveway, garage. It’s very modern and probably more spacious and well built than a lot of new builds. We’ve not long had a baby and it’s become more evident since having him and seeing how much ‘stuff’ babies/children need that we will need to move to a bigger house at some point within a few years. We have our small third bedroom as a dressing room/ironing room/office all in one. We have no utility room but a large open plan kitchen/living room. We have a dog and I would really like a big utility room to be able to keep him out of the living room when my son is on the floor etc as he starts walking.

We had no plans to move at all but a very old fashioned reasonably sized bungalow has just came on the market. Same area as we currently live but just a nicer street. Basically everything in this house would need ripped out. There are a few walls I would knock down too without getting carried away. The major plus point of this house is the size of the garden. You could fit this bungalow in its own garden about another twice at least, it’s huge! It could be transformed into our home for life with an extension too, whereas our current house never would be. Alternatively we could build a second house in the garden and sell it or sell both. I have one of just about every trade person needed to build or renovate a house in my close family so that wouldn’t be an issue but it would obviously still cost a lot. The price difference would mean this bungalow was roughly £30,000 more expensive but we would need to move from our ‘nice’ house (with a small baby and our dog) into this old fashioned house to start this project.

Would you take the risk and potentially gain the price of a house or your house for life out of it OR stay put in your ‘nice’ house that’s fine for just now? 🤔 Part of me wants to be brave and go for it, knowing how stunning it would be when finished, you only live once etc but then I picture loading vans up with our things from our current house or driving past after we’d moved out and I feel really quite sad, like we’re maybe not ready to leave here yet! Help!

[WithLargeTableMouse]

Go for it, buy the bungalow!
But extend upstairs as soon as your dc are older. We moved to a bungalow with a big garden and I love it but now my children are almost teenagers and noisy it’s hard to find a quiet spot sometimes.

[sarah13xx]

@WithLargeTableMouse I wondered about the noise thing with a bungalow. Even just with my husband I sometimes like the fact one of us can be downstairs and the other one can be upstairs, you feel like you’re far away from each other.. might not feel like that it you’re just across a corridor 🤔 I think we might make an offer but not the full amount he wants for it then let fate decide 🙈

[VenusClapTrap]

I’d do it like a shot. I can’t see any downsides, apart from the hassle of renovating.

[CoolShoeshine]

I’d do it like a shot too, providing you feel that realistically you will be able to afford to extend in the not too distant future. No point leaving it until the kids are grown up! Bungalows on decent plots always seem to go up in value and are ever popular so a better investment than new builds.
Where I live a lot of detached bungalows are being snapped up and turned into amazing family homes valued ££££ after works.

[tcjotm]

I’d go for it. Single storey homes are very common where I am and I don’t think they are necessarily noisier. The way sound carries in my two storey place means I hear the downstairs TV quite loudly upstairs but barely at all in the other end of my open plan downstairs (which is not huge). Really depends on the layout.

[Strugglingtodomybest]

I'd do it. I love our house, but would really love a bigger garden now. Imagine, a summerhouse at the bottom of your garden... ah, peace!

[UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername]

We're in a bungalow and I don't find it noisier. But we've half an acre to chuck the kids out into, which helps I couldn't recommend it more, we're very happy with it.

[daisypond]

I would move to the bungalow.

[Minnie888]

Buy the bungalow for sure it's a no brainier! And enjoy it... please don't sell off part of the garden to build another though... it won't hold the same value and your neighbours won't thank you for it. We have a small ish house but a 300ft garden. It makes the house feel so much bigger because one person can be so far away they can't hear if you shout! We've also built an office out there which means you feel like you're not at home when working.,. Makes all the difference.

[TopCatsTopHat]

All depends if you're the type who thrives in chaos. The bungalow's advantage is mostly potential and future options while you're existing home is all current convenience and ease of living. I think this is a personality thing.
If the bungalow is 30k more is that with our without the money to renovate? I'd be very tempted in your position (currently living in my building site with 2 kids so I'm obviously glutton for punishment), nicer street, more land for enjoyment or future sale... Etc etc but only if it was affordable.
Bungalow's are usually in high demand though as need outstrips supply... If you want it you'll need to act fast I expect.

[TopCatsTopHat]

You can make sure you get the acoustics right when you renovate so it isn't noisy. My build is a bungalow and I have used acoustic insulation throughout. Some huge houses are built so sound travels a long way. I have a friend with a 7 bedroom large large house... You can't have a pee in the upstairs bathroom without everyone downstsirs even in the kitchen on the other side of the house knowing exactly what you're doing, it's awful. It's an old constructing and there's just no sound proofing between rooms, even though the external walls are a metre thick so a bomb could go off outside! 😆

[DFOD]

@UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername

We're in a bungalow and I don't find it noisier. But we've half an acre to chuck the kids out into, which helps I couldn't recommend it more, we're very happy with it.

Same. A huge garden is great for kids and our bungalow just flows out into the garden from many rooms as well as “bringing the outside in” with views of nature from the bedrooms. Also being on a big plot means you have so much privacy away from neighbours - you won’t look back.

With renovations you could do a “master plan” of all extensions / total wish list etc and then on take projects in batches over the years.

[Paddingtonthebear]

I would normally say go for it. But I know three different people who have taken on property in the last year or so that needs building work/renovations etc and they’ve all said it’s been horrendous due to the cost of materials at the moment and tradespeople being so busy no one is finishing any jobs on time.

[Rainbowqueeen]

Lots to consider.
I think that given you need to move in the long term it’s a definite consideration. My main issue would be the location. Is it a good location? Think school zones and commute to work. Is it on a busy road?
If all this is ok then yes I would buy it.

[daisypond]

@Rainbowqueeen
It’s exactly the same are where the OP lives now.

[daisypond]

*area

[WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy]

I’d buy the bungalow and renovate if the cash is available for renovations. Sounds like it has much more potential for you to grow into.
Are there any other options though for moving? Is your choice really only between these two houses?

[JoborPlay]

I'd move in a heartbeat. But I'm all for renovation projects. I much prefer space and potential over 'nice' so would never have bought the new build in the first place!

[eightlivesdown]

The bungalow based on its potential, provided you can accept the initial downgrade in living conditions until it's renovated, and the aggravation of doing so. Be prepared for the renovations to cost more and take longer than you expect. But long-term, it's a winner.

[user1471538283]

Go for it! Insulate it well, a bit of soundproofing and do up the bedrooms first. It sounds fabulous!

[sarah13xx]

@Strugglingtodomybest there already is an outbuilding at the far end of the garden that would just need some bifold doors put on and it would be the perfect garden room 😍

[sarah13xx]

@TopCatsTopHat 😂 yes that is a must!!

The 30k is purely the difference in the price I expect both to sell for, I’d then have to add on the cost of renovating it. My cousin builds houses for a living and suggested not spending a fortune on it, not putting an extension on but just make a few changes and put a new kitchen and bathroom in with the view that we won’t always live there and will build a house in the garden to sell. Due to its location and size of garden I fear if we do it up I’ll love it too much to sell and there is really nowhere better locally that I’d want to stay. We can always take it to that point though then decide to put an extension on at a later date. The annoying thing is it doesn’t need the open plan kitchen/living area extended because it’s huge! It could just do with more space at the other end of the house with bedrooms and ensuites. There really isn’t space at that side of the house though as the full garden goes the other way. There is a slabbed area at the back though where we could possibly add a bedroom on

[sarah13xx]

@user1471538283 Aw thanks, everyone is so bold and encouraging on here.. I suppose I would be too if it wasn’t my money 😂

[sarah13xx]

@eightlivesdown I think you’re right 😊

[sarah13xx]

@WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy due to the small town we live in and lack of houses becoming available/existing in the first place that I’d want to move to, right now this is the only one I’d consider moving for. I am happy in our house and wasn’t expecting to want to move anytime soon! It’s one of those houses you don’t always take much notice of because it’s very obviously an old mans bungalow with very basic landscaping going on in the garden, nothing fancy! Since I’ve been to see it I’ve started paying much more attention to everyone’s houses when I’m out a walk and there’s nothing in that area with a garden even half the size!