Need help deciding the right thing to do

[Sohardtochooseausername]

I think I am being unreasonable because I usually know what to do - but in this case I’m a bit stuck!

I’m splitting from exP and I’m looking for a house to buy. My budget is such that I just can’t afford to buy what I really want - which is exactly where I am right now - in a large 2 bedroom flat in a very naice area. 5 mins walk from DD school and half an hour walk to work.

DD is helping me choose and she wants a place with a garden so we can get a cat and a trampoline.

On the new budget I have 3 directions to choose:

1. 2 bedroom tenements close to where we are now, but noisier road. No garden but close to lovely park. DD is ok with this because still close to school, activities etc.

1. 1930s flats in the nearest suburb - a bit boring. Flats are very small but they have gardens. 15 minute walk to school, still close to most things we do. We’ve seen 2 flats like this. One was gorgeous but upstairs neighbour made a lot of noise the whole time we viewed it. Makes me suspect the neighbours have the potential to be a pain.

1. 3 bedroom ex-council house on former council estates. 15 minute bus ride to school, 15 minute drive to most things we do. Nice big garden. Good size rooms. A bit challenging for me as I don’t know what it’s like living in these estates. Don’t want to sound snobby as I’m not, more that this is right out of my comfort zone. Other benefit is it is much cheaper so I could get new kitchen and make home exactly how I want it. Whereas the other option I’d have to put all my money in.

I just can’t decide. Option 3 seems good but it goes against location, location, location. WWYD?

Yes her friends are all over the place youarenotkiddingme

I made a move from the city centre to something like 3. I loved the house but did feel a bit cut off on occasion, though it sounds like your bus route is shorter than mine do that may make a difference. Would dd's private school uniform draw attention there, is something I would consider too. Some areas are very mixed but others are more insular, just in my own experience.

I’d go 3 as I like to have space

3

Check out area at different times, as per anywhere

merlinsscarf I worry about being further out of town but there are actually quite a few folk I know who live quite close to 3 including family and some of DDs friends.

In terms of her school uniform I guess it might be an issue although the state school has quite a fancy blazer with stripes on it which is way more ostentatious than what she wears. I can’t really tell as it seems like a really mixed part of town as there are some really dodgy bits and then some expensive new build estates all in close proximity.

I would buy a house over a flat any day of the week but it depends on the estate. Ask people you know, what they think of the estate, drive around it at different times, go look at the type of people hanging around the shops, get a feel for the place. I used to live on an estate people said was dodgy but I never had any hassle at all, I think 30 years ago it was in a bad way but people grow up and move out, houses get sold and new people move in.

Ohhhh now I’m thinking 3 is a good option. There are a couple more houses within my budget in the same area. I’m going to look at those as well, it will give me a better idea of what’s available.

Definitely go look at other houses. Also different areas of the same estate can feel very different. I lived near the green in my house and it was nice and quite but down at the shops was a bit madder.

I lived near the green in my house and it was nice and quite but down at the shops was a bit madder.

I think it is quite similar on this estate. There’s shops where the blocks of flats are - many of those are still social housing. The ex-council houses have all been owner occupied for a while and are close to the private housing and the park.

Number 3 sounds like it has the most potential to make it as you want it. I would be wary about flats because of noise and unexpected service charged.

Many years ago I bought number 3. I had DCs at private school. I have been very happy here
In location x 3 terms it was probably the worst house on the best street so it fitted their criteria that way.

There is no way of knowing what it is like to live in X Street until you move there. A few drive arounds maybe late on weekend nights might be an insight. Asking about reputations of an area cant really give a clear view of the area.
If you have funds to do improvements to your No.3 you could spend a bit on security.

I wouldn’t buy ex council and when it is the one requiring more travel. You need to buy something you can sell at good price in a few years (because who knows where you will be then).
I know garden sounds great but if your dd is the only child she will get bored in garden on her own anyway. Option 1 and 2 both sound good.
Go with your feeling not head - you need to love the location. I went with my head a few years ago even though I knew I wouldn’t like walking every day 15 minutes to shops and bus stop and really disliked living there for the whole time.

Option 3 is the long term solution. It's what I bought, never had a pick of bother with neighbours. Big garden, near all amenities, room for pets. 15 minutes on the bus from school is nothing.

So many points of view!

User02 I’m glad to hear it worked out for you. I need to hear happy stories like this!

mikulkin I think DD would take quite a long time to tire of antrampoline or a swing - she has ridiculous amounts of energy. The garden is to stop her climbing the walls, which she regularly does.

Maelstrop I know - I did 2 buses to school as a kid, it was OK. I can work from home whenever I like as well so I wouldn’t have to commute every day.

This is a very difficult decision to make but I would not go for option 2 as noisy neighbours can make your life really miserable. It may be that the sound insulation is really bad.

I would go for #1. It sounds like it would have the greatest continuity and with parks nearby, the garden is much less of an issue.

I'd go for 3. We bought an ex council because it was what we could afford, in an apparently "really rough" area. That was nonsense, it's a really lovely community to live in and we have space and a garden!

Check the area at a few diff times of day but I’d say 3 particularly if your daughter is in a private school as that’s a fixed outgoing so lower mortgage payments will give you more budgetary flex.

I get where you are coming from in terms of reservations, but I really think it depends on the estate.
my sister bought in a council estate and honestly it is fabulous. Great space, good community and super affordable. She also did it up to a great spec as it was under budget.

Brilliant tigermum and trojanpony - that’s what I like to hear!

I think I’ve now ruled option 2 out so that’s good! I feel better already!

I think I’m going to make an excel spreadsheet and figure out what the costs would be.

Ok... so a new option has come on the scene.

I was almost sold on the ex-council when a flat in my naice area came on to the market (sorry people who don’t like naice but this is red trousers and M&S meatloaf territory, I don’t know what else to call it).

It’s a top floor flat and it’s 10 mins walk from school and it’s a 25 min walk to work. I love walking everywhere. I think that’s my quality of life indicator. It’s at the top of my budget and it need a lot of work. But it’s more ‘me’ than the suburbs.

I went back to see the ex council place with my dad and on second viewing it was a bit depressing. DD keen on garden but she’s 6 now... the new other flat would be better for her when she’s 13 and wanting to go up town shopping with her friends after school. Of course I could move in 5 or 6 years time.

This is a dilemma!

Oh I should say, I wouldn’t be able to afford the work the naice area flat needs - not immediately anyway. However if I did it over time it should be recouped as flats in this area hold their value.

Life is short OP - pick the one that calls to your heart. The one you love. Everything else will fall into place.

Don’t buy anything you find depressing.

Don’t buy anything because you’ve promised a trampoline/cat/Wendy house etc. If you’re not interested in the garden for its own sake (and it doesn’t sound as if you are) then you can’t mske a massive financial decision based on a child’s preferences.

If you feel like the top floor flat would allow you to stay somewhere you love long-term, then that’s great.

Top floor flats can get hit by roof repair bills

Any flat in a block can get hit by roof repair bills. Depends on the lease and the sort of flat.

I agree that 15 minutes on a bus is nothing really, but the OP began this thread by saying:

My budget is such that I just can’t afford to buy what I really want - which is exactly where I am right now - in a large 2 bedroom flat in a very naice area

and now it sounds as if just that has come up after all. I think she probably knows what she wants in her heart of hearts.