To ask if it’s better to buy the worst house in the best street or the best house in the worst street?

[BluntLilacGuide]

I’m currently house hunting and I’ve come across two very different options. One is a not-so-great house in a highly desirable area, and the other is a beautiful, well-maintained home but in a not-so-great area. I’ve heard the phrase ‘buy the worst house in the best street’ so many times, but does that always make sense?

AIBU to wonder whether it’s better to invest in the location even if the house needs a lot of work, or to go for the nicer house in a less desirable area? Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences on this kind of decision.

Always the best street. Always.

Agreed.

It's hard to choose which to vote for in your AIBU

But ALWAYS location 100%

Best location. Every time.

Buy the not-so-great house in a highly desirable area, you have years to bring it up to scratch. You can’t move the nice house into a decent area though!

Location 100%

Kirstles was right

Worst house in the best street!
As long as its livable and safe, you can do it up slowly.

The worst house in the best street is an amazing coup if you can do it!!

All you can do is bring it up to standard

location location location

Location always. You can fix the house but if the worst location has noisy close neighbours or a loud dual carriageway, you can't fix that.

You can improve the house but not where it's located.

Always the best street, I live in one of the few modest houses on a very lovely road where some have indoor swimming pools and cinema rooms. There has never been any incidences or noise issues on the road.

Location

Always location!

@BluntLilacGuide always the worst house on the best street, never ever the other way around

How bad is the worst house on the best street? Are you able to repair it yourself? If not, can you afford to pay someone for the renovations?

If it liveable, safe and you can feasibly do the renovations over a long time, then the worst house on the best street. Otherwise, give it a pass. But I wouldn’t necessarily buy the best house on the worst street, I’d keep looking.

Location always, Kirsty and Phil were right

It totally depends on whether you can afford to improve the worst house.
We ended up with a lemon. Great location, crappy house, the cracks were papered over etc... we can't afford the £55k+ to make it better.

Would go for more of a compromise both ways with hindsight. An OK house in an OK area.

Always Location, Location, Location !! Phil and Kirstie have been saying that for 20 years !!

Location typically holds value better than the actual house.

There's a site value in good high demand areas even if the house falls down around it.

We are about to move to one of the best houses in a less attractive area but that is in the sense of it being the best house space and garden and location wise but it needs loads of work. I would always want a renovation project though to make somewhere how I like it rather than someone else's taste so I would go for the house that needs work unless we are talking major stuff that is questionable if it can be resolved (looked at one place with unexplained blocked drainage and wasn't risking that). I would go with what location is best for you not necessarily what is most desirable but I wouldn't overspend on doing up something in a less desirable area which is something we will take into account - no point in us spending so much that we would never make it back if we sell

always the best street! We will spend years getting our house how we want it, but the location is perfect and house prices will always be at a premium here. Every day I’m grateful I live here!

Always, always location, for all the reasons mentioned. And it'll always be a better financial decision because it'll always be more desirable.

Having said that, it depends whether it's a solid house beneath the work that needs doing. You don't want a money pit either.

Worst house best street.

You can improve the house, not the location.

My Uncle lives in one of the most deprived areas of Brum. Nothing he can do to his home will change the level of crime, antisocial behaviour, graffiti, smashed up/boarded up shops and homes he has to walk past when leaving the house.

Always buy the worst house on the best street.