To ask for help making a house decision - House or location?

[AliciaWhiskers]

I’m completely stuck!

There’s me, a 10yo with ASD, a 7yo, my partner, and a dog. Kids are with me half of the time and with their dad the rest of the time.

My rental expires in August. I could only extend the rental for a year, which I would prefer to avoid as that would eat a massive chunk of my capital.

There are 2 houses that are possibilities - both are chain free so potentially could work without the very short timeframe that I have in which to buy.

The first is a 4 bed house, with a double garage, garden, studio that I could use as an office or the kids could use as a den, small garden, lounge plus another lounge area off the kitchen/dining area. Large bedrooms, nice light house. It’s 2 miles from the kids current school, and from the likely secondary school. So would likely be a bus or car journey to school.

Second house is a 3 bed, with garage, lounge, kitchen/dining area, small garden, 1 off street parking space. The bedrooms are smaller, house is nice and light. It’s 0.7 miles to current primary and 0.4 miles to likely secondary.

I cannot seem to make a decision.

I prefer the house in option 1. It’s bigger, there is more space, we won't outgrow it in the next 10 years (until kids leave school and I will probably move again), BUT I much prefer the location of House 2. We walk to school currently, and could do that from House 2, but it would be too far from House 1. Cycling is a possibility but we are in a big city and the roads are busy, and DS2 isn’t very road savvy currently and a bit of a liability on a bike. However, House 2 will probably need work to make it big enough for us (we would convert the garage into living space to make an office/4th bed for guests).

It really is House vs location.

Before I split from my ExH, we used to live fairly centrally in a small house (which I loved) and could walk everywhere. We then had the kids and moved further out to a bigger house with a bigger garden, but I had to be in the car all the time to School and Work and I hated it.

So I’m leaning towards the smaller house in the better location. But I don’t know if I am making a mistake not buying somewhere with a better, more spacious house.

Help?!?!

Would the kids definitely get in to likely secondary from house 1, or just house 2?
Can you ask for a shorter extension to your rental?

It’s a private school, so assuming they pass the entrance exam...

If they don’t, then it’s a car/bus from whichever house we choose

I would definitely chose location over house, especially if the only benefit of house 1 is the size. You can adapt/increase the space in house 2, but there's nothing you can do to change the location of house 1.

Yes, the only benefit of house 1 is the size. I’ve spent the whole —month— day thinking about it, and I have come to the same conclusion that it’s location over house. I’m so much happier when I can walk everywhere!

I would go for house 2.

Location. I’m moving back to London in a couple years which means I will halve the size of my house and loose a bedroom and two reception rooms and huge garden and pool....and I’ll still have to sell two properties to afford a three bed terrace in the right location! But I want to be able to walk to tube, restaurant, school etc.

Location, always.

Location every time.

Location. Your kids are approaching an age when they will be looking for more freedom - walking to school alone, going to see friends etc. Much easier if you are in town.

Location.

3 bedrooms is enough space for all of you.

Absolutely agree on location...we picked "the house" option nearly 5 years ago and sold up after 2 years because the dream house was near a shocking estate which spilled its undesirables over to us, I never felt safe in or out of the house, so we sold up and moved to "the location".

Now have much smaller house but its perfectly adequate for us and more importantly I feel safe.....def pick location

I would probably choose location over house. I find we expand to fill however much space we have and a stress free morning commute with a bit of exercise thrown is a great thing. It will make your everyday lives better.

I think you've answered your own question by saying that when you moved to the bigger / less convenient house with your ex that you hated it.

I would definitely go location as well, as when your kids are with you it will be you that does 100 percent of the ferrying around to stuff and it's a pain to have to drive everywhere in that situation.

2 miles is nothing - unless its very rural and there aren't pavements or something I would say that's still walking/cycling distance. However it sounds like you'll be happier in the other one so I'd go for that!

Location. You can change/improve your house but you can’t change your location.

Location. So long as location isn't likely to deteriorate. We bought for location, but have found that due to all the building in the area, what was once leafy and pleasant for 17 years has since become noisy, dusty, fringe of mega building sites for the past 7 years since DH changed his job and works from home a lot more, and latterly full of people, dog walkers, noisy kids on bikes etc.

Location - especially if you can afford to upgrade House 2. I made the decision to move a little further out because I got more house for my money but, years on, wish I'd stayed more central because the facilities (transport, shops, leisure facilities etc) in the area I moved from are so much better.

I’m so much happier when I can walk everywhere!

I think that's your answer, right there!

I'd go for house 1. It sounds lovely. Aren't there any school buses? Or couldn't you drive them in? 2 miles really isn't any distance at all.

Well personally I'd pick house 1 but I think 2 miles is nothing and would happily walk/bike/scooter that distance. Especially once they're at secondary school.

But you say that you've previously hated living somewhere where you had to be in the car all the time so if you think 2 miles would mean you'd be in the car all the time then buy the nearer, smaller house.

2 miles isn’t a lot to me, personally, but I have a 7yo who complains about walking the 0.7 miles that we currently walk, and gets driven to school when he is with his dad, so it’s unlikely a 2 mile walk is going to be very popular.

Similarly, I know 2 miles isn’t far to drive, but it’s inner city, so it would take approx 20 minutes in rush hour traffic. I work in the centre, so I then have to get myself to work, except there is no parking at work, and there is no parking at school (it’s in a resident permit area) so I’m stuck in my car, at school, at rush hour, a 30+ min walk into work, with nowhere to leave my car.

Buses are possible but the costs would add up over time

I think I’ve answered my own question that location is more important to me over size of house. Although I’m a total worrier, and do worry this house is too small!