Which house would you buy?

[moosloverlover]

House 1:

• three bed (third bedroom is a box room but is currently set up as a nursery and would fit a single bed; other two bedrooms are massive)
• smallish garden
• very large living/dining room
• small kitchen
• very very close to the perfect location (two minutes to public transport, two minutes to high street, ten minute walk to beach)
• no scope to extend
• £360k

House 2:

• Four bed (two large, two small but small ones are both bigger than the box room of house 1)
• Smaller living/dining areas (still not tiny)
• bigger kitchen
• huge garden
• close to public transport
• fifteen minutes from house 1, so an extra fifteen minutes from the high street and beach (approx 25 mins walk to beach)
• scope to extend
• £400k

Can’t share rightmove links as one isn’t online yet (EA rang and offered us a viewing).

For context, we have DD9mo, DDog and planning another baby soon.

Thanks!

House 2.

We lived in a house very similar to house 1 which was great for us when we just had DD1 (and even when we had baby DD2.) As both girls got bigger and DH and I were both working from home more frequently we ran out of space quickly and moved to a version of your house 2. It is so much better. We're a 20 minute walk from the shops and it's no bother at all, we walk there and back all the time.

I'd go for house 1. The location beats the compromise on space.

I'dgo against the (probably sensible) grain here and go for 1 If you could put in a loft conversion... Location is the one thing you can't change after all.

I live in a seaside town and ime, a twenty five minute walk to the beach - and back -with young children is a faff. If you choose House 2 you will definitely end up going to the beach less often. Of course you would have the larger garden to fall back on.

I think I'd go for heart over head and choose House 1. My only equivocation would be the small kitchen.

Definitely house 2 - I don’t know where you live but those prices are fabulously affordable

I would choose House 1 as it has a better school, nearer amenities etc. House 2 sounds overpriced actually. It's always about location for me. How much space do you really need?

House two. You will outgrow house one in 7 years.

Definitely house 2

@Wilkolampshade not possible to go into the loft; I’ve had a look at the local planning portal and it’s been rejected twice (House 1 is in a conservation area).

@LauderSyme thats my exact worry!

It’s North East, hence the affordable prices!

Can you rearrange the layouts? Small kitchen and big dining room/living room don’t work with modern living. I think £150k more probably is realistic being near the coast

I’m not sure why they’re so keen to sell up already (it’s a family with one child living there I think!).
They may be trying to cash in on the work they have done to the house.

An extra bedroom for only £40k would be a bargain round here.

Normally I’d say the one with better location but given house 2 is 15 mins extra walk to the shop and high street etc. I’d say house 2 for more space and scope to extend.

If you take house 1 so near the beach you wouldn't need the larger garden at house 2. But I've always bought with my heart and it's pretty obvious that house no 1 has yours!

House 2 simply because I couldn't bear a tiny kitchen!

Before I read any replies I thought House 1. But I'm not averse to moving. Location is better, you love it!

I’m NE - whereabouts are you talking more exactly?

2

You said

so when you see something you have to snap it up!

you missed out a word.

so when you see something you WANT you have to snap it up!

important difference.

if you're selling yours, get it on the market & get it sold, keep looking until you find something better than either 1 or 2.

@Whiskeypowers Monkseaton!

I have a different view, would it be possible to equal up the sizes of the bedrooms, by taking a small amount from each if they are near each other?

this is not a word of a lie I thought that! Is it that C Area or Cullercoats or Tynemouth Village where the first house is? Although of course there are more !

I love that part of the world and Whitley Bay too.