To ask you which house you would buy

[Throughtheday]

Two houses, similar listing price (although who knows what will happen with offers). One is 2 beds, main road, location we want but less community because of busy road. Has been recently renoed but not to my taste and looks a bit cheaply done.
The other one is 3 beds, perfect location, but is really run down, dated, might even need some minorish structural stuff. In the short and probably medium term I won’t have money to do anything except paint and maybe redo the bathroom OR fix the floor issues. But it would be my preferred option if money was no object.
Which would you offer on and why? In other words, how do I decide what is more important, not having the stress of it potentially being a dump for years, but perfect location (esp for my children), or being a bit small but not in a dire state even if not to my taste?

Option wreck! But I am heart over head, head over heels for grubby money pit fixer uppers that I haven’t the time, energy or money to fix up.

But say you did fix it up. It would be the dream house. Whereas the other one will always be on a main road, and small, and not where your heart is.

I wouldn’t live in a fixer upper if it couldn’t be habitable quickly, but if it could then fine.

Mine had hideous decor but structurally it’s fine so I could get it clean and do it bit by bit - roof was new, windows were good etc.

If you can’t afford the big stuff quickly it’ll be miserable with kids.

If House 2 comes back with a sensible survey and only needs cosmetics then I would go with that.

If you have more than one child, there is no way I would buy a two bed, and it's location sounds awful for kids, too.

You can never have too much room... if the place is too small you'll always regret it in my view. So I vote for fixer upper.

House 2! Having an extra bedroom and a nicer area is the answer - the rest doesn’t matter. (Disclaimer: I also love wrecks)

How many dc and what ages?

Living in a wreck will be awful. I’d keep looking if really a better compromise?

House two every time, so long as there are no structural issues. Space and location are the two most important things ever when buying I think.

Take a builder with you to option 2?
If it needs a little structural work, that could end up meaning a lot and if you can’t afford to do it….

Yes agree with jangle, neither sound great.
Buy the fixer upper if you can cope with not fixing it up for years or keep looking.

Is there something seriously wrong with house #2, like needing new roof, walls falling over, rewiring, updating plumbing? I could live with dodgy floorboards or an old kitchen for a while, but if there's something serious and expensive I'd avoid. That being said, busy road would rule out house #1 for me, but maybe it doesn't matter that much to you.

@Jangle33

Living in a wreck will be awful. I’d keep looking if really a better compromise?

I grew up in a house that was a wreck but more to do with lack of maintenance. It was so awful. I hated living there and felt so jealous when I went to my friends’ houses.

You will hate the road after a week and you cant change that.

The second one, I can't cope with road noise and the pollution.

3 bed with the perfect location.

The other one isn't to your taste and is on a busy road. It has little to recommend it.

The fixer upper - provided there isn't expensive structural work - will be much better. Youtube videos are great for showing you how to do stuff yourself.

Definitely house 2, no question.

House 2, you can change the house and the interior, you can't the change location.

100% house number 2. The worst house (within reason) in the best area. House number one has been done to the ‘acceptable selling standard’ so you won’t be able to make any improvements and increase the value.

As Long as house 2 is cosmetic rather than structural the bigger house all the way

How much of a wreck is house 2, and how much do you trust your surveyor?

I would buy a house where the survey indicated some structural work needed doing within the medium-term future, and the outcome was quite clear. I wouldn't if it was really urgent, or if looked likely you'd spend ages trying to find the source of the problem.

Isn't it obvious? It's B, surely? I can't see anything in favour of A.

Option 2. As they say, buy the worst house on the best street. It’s the one you’ll add most value to over the years.

House 2 assuming no major structural work!

House 2 assuming the survey comes back with no nasty surprises

I wouldn’t pick a wreck but in need of improvement or modernisation is fine

House 2 definitely unless there's something major structurally. Don't buy house 1 , you don't sound keen, keep looking if 2 doesn't work out.