Big ugly house or small pretty house?

[FattyFatCakes]

AIBU to ask you to decide for me?!
I’m going round and round in circles and can’t make up my mind.
Currently live in a lovely chocolate box cottage. We have just enough room for our family of four and associated pets.
5 mins away there is a large, modern house for sale. House and garden are twice the size but it’s an ugly lump and surrounded by industrial buildings rather than green fields.
We love our house but think we might have outgrown it. When our two ds are teens they won’t be able to stand upright in their current rooms or have a double bed.
Should we sacrifice the look and feel of a house for space and practicality?

There are more than 2 houses you can live in.

I generally prefer the ugly lump in a nice area - but you said it's surrounded by horrid buildings. Keep looking!

An in between house could be an option, not double the size and not an ugly lump.
How old are your DC now?

If your son's won't be able to stand up in their rooms, then yes, you should be looking to find another home you can afford.

You can live in a cottage again when they leave home if that's what you desire.

Stay where you are and keep looking. Something better will come up.

I think area is really important. Our house is pretty mundane (70s) but we are in a beautiful area (AONB) which pretty much trumps it.

@LemonTT

There are more than 2 houses you can live in.

This. Neither seem suitable.

Space is important but surely there's a middle ground? I wouldn't like to live in a house surrounded by industrial buildings. My house is an old kinda shabby bungalow but big garden & well located. I'd prefer that than either of your options

Keep looking!

We opted for large over pretty & 16 years on I'm so glad we did. It was so torn early on as I'd grown up in a cute cottage but this house is so much more practical.

My 3 dc each have their own good sized rooms, 1 has a drum kit & 1 has an piano as well as bed, desk, wardrobe etc. 1 has a double bed, other 2 are considering an upgrade.

Space meant that we coped pretty well with lockdown, everyone had somewhere to go to work quietly/relax.

Whilst our house isn't ugly, it's a 70s build, quite square, no features etc but we've made it our own, garden is maturing nicely after planting bulbs & shrubs in the early years.

There's a lot to be said for space especially for kids as they grow into teenagers & beyond!

Ha you’re right, there are more than 2 houses although round here the property market is insanely hot so it doesn’t feel like it!
Ds1 is 8 and ds2 is 6 so our cottage is fine for now. But they’re likely to be 6ft+ so the low ceilings and beams will be an issue later!
To be fair the modern house isn’t actually ugly (if you ignore the crazy decor) but it’s not a quaint little English cottage with charm and feel good factor

I would keep looking . The idea of your DSs not being able to stand up in their rooms implies you may need a more suitable place.

Ds1 plays the drums too! And they’re both very outdoorsy so the huge garden is a major plus point.
The house and garden are well screened from surrounding industrial buildings but you would drive past them every time you left home

Teens don’t need double beds
Otherwise I’d keep looking, doesn’t sound like you need to move immediately so why the rush to buy an ugly house?

@yoyo1234 or more suitable (shorter) dc?!

There’s no huge rush other than if we are going to move I’d like the dc to have the benefit of a big garden now as I imagine that becomes less important as they get older. They currently play football on a tiny patch of lawn whereas the modern house has a huge garden

@FattyFatCakes .

Your house sounds beautiful ☺️.

I moved into a 70s ugly house but it's on 4.5 acres (half of which is wooded, other half very mature landscaping) and surrounded by countryside with view of mountains. I miss my Victorian cottage but feel much less stressed with all the space!!

@FelicityBob

Teens don’t need double beds Otherwise I’d keep looking, doesn’t sound like you need to move immediately so why the rush to buy an ugly house?

Six foot tall teens do need double beds!

They constantly fall out of bed as it is, I can’t imagine them wanting to come home to a single bed for long and I’m determined to keep them here forever

Singles and doubles are the same length aren’t they? 190cm

We chose ugly but spacious and I don't regret it. Although we're on a residential street, surrounded by other residential streets.

Smaller pretty one every time

"Six foot tall teens do need double beds!"

@HollowTalk, they really don't. My brother is 6ft 2 and my husband is 6ft 4, neither of them had double beds until they were finished at university and they coped just fine.

Large house. You don't see the outside of the house most of the time, it is the inside you spend time in.

Over time, you can make a big ugly house more beautiful with trees, flowers and garden decorations. Inside you can change too. You can’t do so much with a small house- it is what it is.

But I think it very much depends on location and your family needs. I would love to take a gorgeous pretty historic cottage in a village over a sprawling 70’s house on a dull estate in a town, but I have a large family. So I need the inside space, good local services, supermarkets and public transport links.