Anyone moved from an old house to a new house?

[smurfgirl]

We live in a 1900 terrace that has big rooms and lots of space - high ceilings etc but also damp, awful plastering, and the space is not practical.

We are looking for a newer house but everyone seems very at this. I just want a new modern house with a garage and an en-suite!

Are we loopy? I don't think we will get any more space in terms of square footage but I think the space would be more useable and practical. And the house in general would be cheaper to run.

[missorinoco]

i have.

from a 200 year old house with loads of character, wooden beams, etc, to a new build.

it's a fairly recent move but so far it's great. we moved in part as we didn't have enough space, but as you say, i think it will be cheaper to run in terms of heating bills.

we also had damp in the old house, i don't miss that.

i think if you are realistic about what you're moving to (ie you're not expecting the high ceilings and beams etc of an old house)it's great.

hth and happy house hunting!

[ChocolateRabbit]

I'm tempted at the moment. Currently living in a beautiful listed house which needs about £15k spending per year to keep the house and garden maintained properly (on top of the mortgage). Have started to fantasise about somewhere where I won't fall over the uneven steps or have to replaster (lime naturally) every 5 years because it can't cope with baths and showers!

Have a look around modern houses though and see whether you can cope with the way the space is set out and whether it will feel too small. Also, I would not buy a brand new off the plan type thing because I think a) they are made as small as possible to cram lots of houses into a tiny space and b) you end up spending a fortune on the fittings which you will only lose money on IYSWIM...

[spiralqueen]

Might be cheaper but then again...

The storage capacity in new houses I've looked at has been dreadful (nowhere to store hoover etc) and the rooms being so much smaller it's difficult/impossible to house larger pieces of furniture so you'd need to watch whether your stuff will actually fit in. Also is there space in bedrooms for wardrobe + chest of drawers + bedside table etc?

[CMOTdibbler]

We moved from an 1880 end of terrace cottage to a 12 year old house. Fabulous - no damp, straight walls, ensuite, built to have bathrooms etc. So easy to decorate compared to old house too !

More storage in this house as built in wardrobes in all bedrooms, and good size rooms.

Very happy that we bought a newer house this time round

[faraday]

I'd say the newer house is the way to go.

Much though I like the idea of 'olde' characterful properties, I think you have to be prepared to spend a lot of cash on them, and frankly they can be a lot less comfortable to live in!

As for storage, well, obviously depends on what you buy! Our last (120 yr old) property had ton of storage but much of it was damp and fairly inaccessible! And when we moved furniture out we found 3D mould!!

[Laquitar]

Yes. Much easier to clean it, cheaper to keep it warm, no nasty surprises, more sockets in every room for modern technology.

[Laquitar]

Also it depends what furnitures you have or you like. I feel that in a 'character house' you need 'character furnitures' aswell, usually very expensive. I get bored easily so i prefer cheap furnitures that i can change later

[scaredofthegarden]

We've always had period houses and are currently looking for a new house. Have an offer in on an old manor house but the administrators are messing us about so have started looking at others. Looked at a gorgeous newbuild yestareday as a wildcard option. It has so much open space plus underfloor heating, walk in wardrobes, en suites in three rooms, fancy up to date gadgets and environmental features whic have been built in. I have surprised myself but am really tempted!

point about the furnture is right though. Our furniture would probably look odd in a newbuild

[Laquitar]

wow! en suits in 3 rooms!

[scaredofthegarden]

tis very flash . On the downside it has a typical newbuild small garden.

[Laquitar]

But judging from your name this isn't a big problem

[Swedes]

About five years ago I switched from Grade II listed stone built Georgian with walled garden, orchard and coachhouse to 1920s house with 1980s additions. I'm so over being snooty about the correct fireplace, lath and plaster walls and mullioned wondows. I think my current house is the nicest house I've ever lived in but it's far from the grandest or most desirable. It just really works as a large family house. It's graceful but frugal. My old house was a money pit and it was a constant battle to properly maintain it.

[goldenpeach]

Yes it depends on the size of the furniture, I have antiques and even the 1930s house I'm renting cannot accommodate them (staircase is very low so they won't get up). My dad restored them for me so I don't want to dispose of them.

MY DP was very pro new build but after having owned a Victorian house he is not so keen on modern houses because of height of ceilings, small rooms and tiny gardens. With a spirited child like ours, a big nice garden is a must or she will drive us mad.

With old houses, it all depends on how they have been restored, damp can be fixed. I'm also a bit suspicious of new houses as they are not necessarily problem free and many have been built with cheap and shoddy materials, so you have to choose carefully. Old houses keep their value better, too.

I am trying to keep an open mind but so far I have never seen a new build that tempts me, they always have too small bedrooms or too small gardens.

[oodlesofpoodles]

I am a new house convert. Smooth plastered walls, heating that works, no eccentric electrics, no drafts. Some new builds are massive these days but lots of 80s ones are small. They have to have wide doorways downstairs now which helps. I have some old furniture and it looks fine. It is harder to get a newbuild with a big not overlooked garden but not impossible.

[Swedes]

A lot of old houses have sold off part of the garden for more housing.

[goldenpeach]

Well, that's the thing I don't understand, we lived in Victorian house (around 1880) and it had very smooth walls, no damp and efficient central heating. The only drawback was the single glazing but replacing it meant alienating buyers or spending a fortune on replicas (which we didn't want to do as it was a temporary purchase). Despite being in London it had a 60ft garden. The developers had kept all the features and it was really lovely, so I wouldn't say all old houses are expensive wrecks that cost a earth to keep. Our semi was really economical as we had an energy efficient boiler.

[smurfgirl]

My house has no character anyway and our furniture is Ikea so tbh new suits us anyway.

I love our house but it is a money pit, and I want a garage.

We have a small garden now which suits us fine but I would struggle to go any smaller really.

New houses are cheaper aren't they?

[scaryteacher]

moved from my 1835 house in Cornwall to a 1990s rental in Brussels. Don't like the Brussels house - poky rooms, not well insulated, space wasted with large halls and landings where you could have more space in the rooms.

Costs for gas/electric same as in Cornwall, and here I have no range to stand against to get warm - can't do that with a ceramic hob!

[smurfgirl]

scaryteacher my house in Brussels had huge hallways too, must be a Belgian thing and it was chilly in winter but I think it had v.inefficient heating

[noddyholder]

I have lived in both.Currently old but all new heating electrics plaster storage etc.And a mix of habitat contemporary furniture and junk shop old stuff.I moved to a modern house in 2004 and the novelty wore off pretty quickly tbh but it was very warm!

[Fimbo]

I live in a new build (have lived previously in a Church Manse dated back to the 1800's and a 70's box).

I love my house it is 5 bed, spread over 3 floors we have 2 large storage cupboards, one houses the water tank but we have slatted it to accommodate towels and bedding, the hoover and ironing board also fit in it. The other cupboard is in the utility which my dh has fitted out with pegs and is now a coat & shoe cupboard which has been fantastic.

You do obviously have a few teething problems to begin with and the builders will be back and forward to sort things out, which got on my ncrves for a while, but now I wouldn't change it.

We also have a large back garden for a new build. We have enough space for 2 separate seating areas and the dc's 12ft trampoline and garden toys.