To ask your thoughts on this house?

[marniemoonie]

www.onthemarket.com/details/6810758/

Budget is 400k, it's 20k below that. Gorgeous area with brilliant primary and secondary. The next LA over has grammar schools which I really like the idea of and despite different LEA they take kids from this village. DH would be commuting into Manchester and we are moving from London. I've been look at this house and have absolutley fallen in love. I love the quirkiness and almost European look on the outside. The inside is a little dated but we will have 20k to sort that out. However DH isn't keen. He describes it as looking "odd" an since we are moving to a village he desires a more "cottagey" home away from a new build estate and adores this:

www.onthemarket.com/details/6772165/

It's a lot cheaper but also we'd be sacrificng an extra bedroom. We have 2 DD's 1 DS and baby boy on way so it's probably be 2 DC's in each room eventually. And also my choice house looks a lot more spacious. I'd just like to hear an outside perspective on it. We're still early on so haven't looked at many houses but focusing on these 2 for now as which ever we prefer will also set the stage for future ones to look at that are similar. TIA

Thanks everyone for input. Def will have to put foot down on DH's house choice. He likes the cute quaintness of it all but really not practical. DD's 10 and 8 would be sharing a room. DS1 would have smallest room and eventually DS2 would need to squeeze in there as well. And in a few years time we'd have 2 tall teenagers in the house who'd likely be having friends over in the tiny living room and then 2 boys running about on top of that. Doesn't bare thinking about.

My house I got taken in by balcony and outside appearance and loved the community feel of the estate for DC's playing out etc. Though perhaps looking for a semi detached a bit less central to an estate would be more of a compromise.

If DH is working in Manchester I'd live closer in. I lived in Manchester for 14 years and Lymm was referred to as God's Waiting Room. For a village feel closer to town try Ashton on Mersey or Urmston. Urmston is really popular now, great farmers market and the edges of it give a village vibe, plus your still in Trafford for schools. Avoid Flixton. Cadishead is WAY too far out/end of the road. If you're willing to try other directions outside Mcr try Ramsbottom or Glossop. Good luck.

Trafford is expensive because of the grammar schools.
I agree about HS2

While I like the look for cottage houses I personally think with 4 children you will outgrow it very fast. What are your long term plans?

Think ahead, from 9 onwards DD started lived only in her room, downstairs was for Lego and arts/craft.

She is now 12 and will need a decent desk and storage space for school work in her room. Can you do this twice in each of the children’s bedrooms? They get older faster than you think.

We moved when DD was 3, house was bought with two main objectives: schools and room to grow. I hate house hunting, selling,moving so I promised myself I will never do it again if I can now get something I can love for the foreseeable future.

Your husband's choice is way too small, and life with one bathroom would be a total nightmare with four children. If I were you I'd look seriously at the 5 bedroom one in Grappenhall, which has the benefit of being close to a couple of villages which may keep your DH happy.

Another vote for Urmston, I can understand why you would like Lymm as it is very villagey but for children I think it’s quite a boring place to grow up - not countryside enough but not quite near enough to a city either. Urmston would still allow for the grammar schools I think? I live in Salford, you could get a mansion around here

Th second house has a nicer outlook and pretty garden, but is far too small for 5/6 people.
The first house is much more spacious and full of light. You could also look at changing the layout if you choose. The kitchen could go downstairs and the ground floor bedroom to where the kitchen is at present, with room for an en-suite. That could then become a ‘daytime’ family room. The upstairs sitting room could become a lovely ‘adult only’ sitting room, especially while the children are small. As the children get older, you and DH would have the first floor bedroom and en-suite and all the DC’s on the top floor. The dining room part of the first floor sitting room would be a nice space for an office/study.

Second house is gorgeous. Not keen on the first, I'm afraid. Going purely on personal taste!

Re the first house - is there a toilet in the shower room? I hope so!

Honestly if was up to me I'd be looking at nice parts of Greater Manchester LA's. I have been told about pockets of Salford and Stockport that can be quite nice, (Worsley and Cheadle Hulme for example) and I could get a big gorgeous house for much less than in Lymm. Trafford borough while in G Manchester is more like Lymm price wise so while I liked the idea of DC going to it's grammar schools I doubt I can live there. DH likes the idea of working in the big city but then coming home to his idyllic Cheshire village so might not be so keen on Manchester suburbs.

DH’s is way too small.

School catchments are v important IMOz

Are the Trafford grammars actually “superselectives”: if so, wouldn’t count on those, but you say there is a good non selective option more locally.

I wouldn't go for the first as the garden is far too small and extremely boring. That was one of my priorities in buying a house so the kids could go out and get the good quality play that I had as a kid ( keeps them out of my hair too when I need to get stuff done).

Second is better but very thin garden. Slightly more play interest in the garden though.

Lymm is a beautiful village with outstanding schools, so I understand why you'd want to live there. The older kids will be moving out before you know it.
I think the second house is much nicer, but I'm not keen on new build.

Neither. As a resident of Manchester for gods sake, don't go to Irlam. Both houses are not practical with toddlers, imagine the amount of stair gates you would need. You also need to think about the amount of space the DC will need growing up. An 11 yo now is as big as the biggest adult in the house.

If you have that amount, look at Stockport, Cheadle, Didsbury, Northenden, Brooklands. All are village feel.

So many things to factor in, it gives me a headache! And also so many either/ors. Shame you can never have it all, ey?

I also suggest looking at Grappenhall, Thelwall, Stockton Heath and Appleton. Close enough to Manchester, lovely village feel, great schools

I wouldn't buy it, for a start it looks like it's on a main road, I'd constantly be worried about kids/pets being run over.
Swcondly hedge maintenance is an absolute nightmare, they need cutting at least 3 times a year to look tidy and take hours of work, it;s expensive to get people in to do it.

The cottage has the visuals ( except the ceilings, bleurgh), but it’s too small. Your choice is spacious and practical, but a wee bit characterless.
I’m not usually so pragmatic, but in your situation I’d push for your choice, or carry on looking.

I was told to avoid Urmston, funnily enough. A friend who lives locally said is a boring area that gets forgotten about and is also lumped in with the not so nice Stretford which she called the "arse end of Trafford". Not being from the area I just took it as gospel.

Having looked it up it actually seems okay. Cheaper than Altrincham and Sale but still has grammar schools. Also fab for DH job. Breaking Urmston down, which parts area the nicest? Would like to avoid Stretford end as it seems a bit grim.

^obviously the above depends on if DH changes his mind about living within Cheshire. Which he is currently adamant about.

First one just has too odd a layout and the second one is far too small for your needs I think the houses that iltavilli linked to were far better choices, even if they were a little further out than you wanted.

Where in Manchester is your DH working? because the commute from Lymm is absolutely fucking horrendous, every day.

Living in Manchester suburbs would be much better IMO.

XiCi I was unaware of the commute. Everything I read suggested Lymm was popular with commuters...then again maybe that's the very issue. He's at an office near the Printworks so very central. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

Having to scrap Lymm and move into Greater M would be fine for me as I'm sure we could afford a bigger house in parts of GM. DH I know would be gutted as he has his heart set on Lymm but if his job would be affected then I'm sure he'd have to reconsider.

There is a common theme that the only nice/safe/posh part of Manchester to live in is Cheshire. This simply isn't true, there are good and bad parts everywhere. I used to live in Stretford and the parts by the grammar school and Longford Park are lovely. Sandy Lane in Stretford is particularly nice. If I moved back to Mcr it would be Urmston all the way.

I live in this village !
It’s definitely not God’s waiting room as a pp has described it. We have 3 small children and I commute to Manchester.
Have you looked at the one on Newfield Court ? That might work better.