To ask which of these would you choose (housing related)?

[Chasingaftermidnight]

1. Very attractive house with lovely garden in convenient location - quick walk to shops, amenities and transport links. Good schools, overall nice area.

However - parking is on-street with a residents’ permit system.

1. Less attractive house in less nice area on outskirts of town. A drive from transport links, shops and amenities. Local school not as good.

But it has a large drive with space for at least two cars.

What do you think?

Oh I should have said - they’re broadly the same cost.

1
Convenient location is far more important to me. Do you have kids it was a major thought when we bought that as they age I want them to be able to walk / cycle to friends and activities.

Definitely the first one with on-street parking; I wouldn’t want to live in a less-nice house in a less-nice area for the sake of a driveway.

Yes we have children so as you say the ability to walk/cycle to things is important. Schools are important too.

I’m with you both. It seems nuts to me to compromise on everything else just for the sake of a drive. We don’t even drive to commute - although ironically we’d have to if we bought the second house! We can’t afford a house with parking in the nicer area.

But a couple of my DH’s friends have told him they wouldn’t buy a house with no offstreet parking if it was the last house on earth, which has got to him.

A, but I've only ever lived somewhere with on street parking (including a permit street which was good).

We have permit parking. Apart from B&B nd most people park considerately..

1 definitely location sounds brilliant and house lovely

1. The idea of anyone putting so much emphasis on parking is mind bogglingly depressing.

Soon won't be able to afford to run a car so definitely number 1!!!

Number 2 sounds miserable

I live on a v nice Edwardian street without a drive! It's slightly annoying occasionally but mostly we can park within twenty yards of our house. The extra ten seconds of walking to the car is probably not worth the other compromises.

I have had a few people say to me that their husbands (seriously) wouldn't buy a house without a drive. I am not at all interested in cars though and could quite happily do without one so maybe I don't get the protectiveness over them!

1 obviously. Surely it's a no brainer. Important to have stuff nearby as DC get older, otherwise you will be ferrying them around constantly. That said on street parking can be a PITA although residents parking should avoid some of the problems.

1, no hesitation. I live on a street of Victorian houses with on-street parking, which doesn't bother me at all.

1!

We were in the same position this time last year and went with number 1. We are soo happy in this house and the permit parking really isn't that bad.

Somewhere else
Decent parking is high up on my list of needs. Not no way of sacrifice the rest for it.

Probably neither, but if it’s got to be a choice between the two then undoubtedly the first one. It would be madness to choose a less attractive house, less nice area and less good schools than you could get just for the sake of a driveway.

But no way I'd sacrifice the rest...

Number one

So you just have one car which you don't use for commuting? Then one.

It would be worth visiting at a couple of times to see how easy parking is.

What about visitors? Is there non permit parking within a reasonable area? Do you have elderly parents or anyone needing to park nearby? For some this is a none issue if all friends fairly local, for others could be a real headache so depends where you fall

@RandomMess

Soon won't be able to afford to run a car so definitely number 1!!!

Number 2 sounds miserable

Ok so interestingly something that one of DH’s friends has said to him that has really swayed him is that as we all switch over to electric vehicles, houses without private parking will plummet in value because there’s nowhere to install a charging point.

I’m just not sure I think that’s true. Millions of people in this country live in houses without parking and there will have to be massive investment in infrastructure in order for everyone to switch to electric. In any case I think we have to prioritise what matters now - education, quality of life, etc.

@zigzag56445

Somewhere else Decent parking is high up on my list of needs. Not no way of sacrifice the rest for it.

The problem is, there isn’t really somewhere else in the town we live in.

You either live in the centre of the town which is lovely terraced/semi-detached Victorian/Edwardian housing with on-street, permit-controlled parking. Or you live outside the ring road with more space for your money but less convenience, poorer public services and less nice houses. So short of moving towns (which we don’t want to do because of work, schools, friends etc) we can’t really escape this choice.

@thedarkling

I have had a few people say to me that their husbands (seriously) wouldn't buy a house without a drive. I am not at all interested in cars though and could quite happily do without one so maybe I don't get the protectiveness over them!

I’m the same as you, but I think DH’s friends are of that sort of mindset - their cars are really important to them.

definitely no1

if you are near the town centre with good transport, you won't need the car so much. and plenty of people manage just fine with street parking. There are car chargers in every lamp-post where I live and I'm sure that will become more common as electric cars become more common.

There are massive issues with electric cars - the batteries die and cost ££££ to replace.

The precious metals need for them are mined in dangerous conditions and we send them abroad to be disposed of.

Electric is not the easy way forward. There will be more street chargers installed it's the only way.