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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask which house you would choose?

34 replies

Yummum19 · 15/10/2018 15:54

House 1 (current house) :

  • Old and dated
  • Situated on a busy road
  • No parking
  • Bathroom and kitchen need gutting and replacing

However,

  • Lots of space/large rooms
  • Has a garden

House 2 :

  • Modern
  • Situated off road
  • Garage and private parking space
  • Brand new kitchen and bathroom

However,

  • Much smaller
  • No garden
  • Less storage space

We rent so no chance of renovating the house we're in. Which house would you choose? Not sure whether to compromise on space for the added extras house number 2 would bring. We have 2 children so I'm struggling to decide!

OP posts:
Stinkbomb · 15/10/2018 15:56

How often do you use the garden? How much of a pain is it having no parking and being on a busy road?

SputnikBear · 15/10/2018 15:57

House 1. I wouldn’t move to a place with no garden. Plus you can choose your kitchen and bathroom rather than being stuck with whatever happens to already be in the other house.

SputnikBear · 15/10/2018 15:59

Oh I just saw that you rent so can’t update your current house or do any gardening. Definitely house 2 then. The garden isn’t much use to you anyway if you rent.

KitKat1985 · 15/10/2018 16:01

If you could manage in a reduced space, then house 2.

SparkleBanana · 15/10/2018 16:02

I think House 2. I would want to be away from the main road and like to have my own parking. The garden would be a shame to lose though but if there’s a park nearby you can go to I’d do that. I guess it would also depend on how much stuff you have and if you use your space or could manage with less. Hard to decide without seeing.

Laureline · 15/10/2018 16:08

Will you be renting or buying House 2 in this scenario? I’m not sure I understand.

Magik1 · 15/10/2018 16:13

If you are renting then house 2

Original poster
Yummum19 · 15/10/2018 16:16

@Stinkbomb Thinking about it, we don't use the garden that much. The parking is an issue, we don't have designated spaces and even though there are spaces close by, our neighbours can be quite selfish and will fill them up with all of their cars.

@Laureline We will be renting again. Realistically we will need another 2-3 years to save up for a deposit so need something for the meantime.

OP posts:
QuickPollPlease · 15/10/2018 16:34

Neither. No parking in one, no garden in the other and you have DC.

Is there no third alternative?

ToadOfSadness · 15/10/2018 16:38

When you say 'needs' gutting, is it falling apart/leaking or just old and not to your taste?

People often say needs updating because something is just old but still fully functional. I could say that my kitchen and bathroom need replacing but all that is really needed is a new oven, and even that is pushing it. It is an old and tired kitchen but nothing is broken, same with the bathroom.

Do you want the hassle of moving?

Can you wait a while and find a house that fits your needs?

Jeippinghmip · 15/10/2018 16:38

Number two.

Laureline · 15/10/2018 16:41

Thanks for the additional info.

How much would moving to House 2 cost? Will you be paying more rent, or less?
Will this slow down you accumulating a deposit?
Can you imagine living in House 1 for 2 more years?

Gingerrogered · 15/10/2018 16:42

I would stay in house one and wait for something more suitable to come up. Smaller rooms, less storage: it sounds like you’d have a nightmare getting everything in and keeping it tidy with a lot less space, especially with no outside space either.

Witchofwisteria · 15/10/2018 16:44

Are they the same price? Personally i would stay put if you are saving for a deposit to buy. Moving with rentals and all their charges, "admin fees", moving vans and the fact that you might loose some of or all of your deposit on the house you are moving from AND find the new deposit for the new house. You could end up spending £3000 just on all of that! Stay and save 100%.

cleopatracomingatya · 15/10/2018 16:50

2!

nikkylou · 15/10/2018 16:54

Personally house 2. I hate the stress of nowhere to park and roads are only going to get busier.

Is there a park nearby 2 for the children? Do you notice if the neighbourhood kids play on the road? Are you happy for your kids to do so?

Adult garden wise, will you miss a bbq or other similar events?

Storage space - can you make storage. Are you clearing out before you move and do you need as much as you think.

Much smaller as in a bedroom or two smaller or just more snug? Will your kids have to share or do they already? Do you work from home and need office space?

pallisers · 15/10/2018 16:56

I'd want a garden but if those were the only two available I'd pick the second one. no parking would drive me crazy.

That said, Witch and Laureline make a really good point about the cost of moving. When we moved from one rental to another years ago, i spent the almost the price of a deposit on first months/last month/deposit. We should have bought at that point and not 2 years later.

Aragog · 15/10/2018 16:58

House 2 - I wouldn't want to be on a busy road and I would need parking as we have two cars. I also wouldn't want to be having to redo bathrooms and kitchen in a rented house.

How old are the children? Are there parks and playgrounds nearby?

Is there no outside area at all in house 2?

speakout · 15/10/2018 17:06

I'd keep looking.

FlippinNora1 · 15/10/2018 17:11

At a push I’d go for house 2. Ive lived on a very busy road and it was noisy and dirty. It wasn’t a bad area but the volume of traffic that went past the house was huge. If we didn’t clean lots we ended up with black dust on everything. I didn’t realise how bad it was until we moved somewhere far less polluted.

Do you have the choice of looking for house 3?

AiryFairyUnicornRainbow · 15/10/2018 17:13

The one with the garden

notangelinajolie · 15/10/2018 17:17

For renting 2.

If you were looking to buy 1.

Loonoon · 15/10/2018 17:20

I hate trafffic noise and I’m a rubbish parker who dislikes gardening so it’s house number 2 for me. However it’s a only temporary so I’d go for the less expensive option to maximise saving potential.

LillianGish · 15/10/2018 17:24

Realistically we will need another 2-3 years to save up for a deposit so need something for the meantime. Whichever will enable you to save the most money - so if house two is considerably cheaper then move, if not stay put and save like mad.

Tiredtomybones · 15/10/2018 17:28

I'd always go for the one with off road parking.

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