It’s a house buying one (with listings)

[Housedebate2]

Posting in AIBU for traffic.

DH and I are going to view two houses on the same road but are already at odds on which we each prefer.

Please can you give your views on each - ignoring the price, as this isn’t an issue for the right house. It’s us + DS with no plans for any more kids. We both WFH, but on different days.

House 1
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89365290#/?channel=RES_BUY

House 2
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/90660585#/?channel=RES_BUY

Note with house 2, the second sitting room is on a sort of middle/split level, it’s not on the same floor as the bedrooms. We would likely use that as a main living room, and look to eventually knock through the kitchen into the lounge (thoughts welcome on that plan too!)

Thanks all

House 2 but of course it.depends on location for you too.

House 2

I think you'll need to see them in person - when you do let us know what's going on in pic 11 of house one. I prefer the garden of house 2, but the decor of house 1 is better; although that is easily fixed!

Interesting! I disagree with most here - House 1 is significantly bigger. I like the nice patio with the little garden room and love the green at the front of the house, very pretty. Good decor and kitchen. Good size living room and all three bedrooms are a good size. You can move right in! I prefer the garden of house 2, but dont like the kitchen, the slope, the bedrooms are smaller and there's no bath. For me, the space and bedroom sizes are a dealbreaker.

Neither are my particular cup of tea, but 2 wins if for no other reason you can walk around beds.

Thanks for all comments so far, lots of food for thought!

House 1 for me.

House 2 has zero curb appeal, it is a bizarre layout which imo would make it difficult to sell. The existing kitchen is tiny and to knock through would mean you lose a reception room and wipe £££ off the value.

House no 2 is better, bigger and cheaper. Better garden.
Cannot understand the extension in no 1
Good luck OP

House 2 looks way bigger: is it?

I too want to know what that weird room is in house 1

I was thinking this too and the £50k saved you could spend on any modifications you’d like to do. House 2 also has a lovely mature garden and I like that.

I used to live nearby, I like house 2 more (like everyone else!) But it depends how old DS is, the local primaries are all fine, but secondaries are tricky. Loads of people moved for Wotton Basset, Old Town or Highworth for secondary.
So if thats an issue, keep looking. Otherwise its a lovely spot, poor old Swindon is underrated.

Much prefer house one. Quite a bit bigger, doesn’t need as much work and I can’t stand windows with a view of a brick wall six inches away which is what house two has.

House 2.
House 1 just has odd shaped rooms - that dining table is rammed up against the wall - if anyone tries to sit at it the space will be gone. The lounge isn't cosy.
House 2 has room to breathe. Furniture is in the right place eg kitchen chairs and table set up so you can actually sit at them.
The hall entrance is lovely and big.

House 1 all day long.

The existing decor is miles better IMO, 200+ sq ft of extra space makes a big difference, and the layout lends itself more easily to relatively simple alterations that would make the whole space work better.

The batshit utility corridor (presumably where the prison bed is?!) makes zero sense. With minor adjustments to the interior walls you could easily create a wider dining room with a full height storage cupboard and a proper separate utility area with access to the outside.

The bedrooms are narrow, but at least there’s plenty of room for storage, and I’d always prioritise living space, where you spend most of your time, over rooms you just sleep in.

It already has a bath, which sounds like it’s a priority for you, and potentially you could upgrade the outbuilding to a proper, insulated home office, which will give you a degree of separation when you’re wfh.

The only caveat would be to check the fall of ground water from the garden - it’s difficult to tell from the photos, but looks like it might slope down towards the back of the house?

I much prefer house2. It's just a much nicer house. But maybe its a bit smaller. Not keen on house 1.

2 is 3/4 of the size of 1.

House 1 is better: The bedrooms although longer are bigger than the second house, and have built in storage

You have two separate bathrooms and as your DC get older you can each have your own bathroom space

Kitchen is better / larger more open than house 2

Resale on this house would be easier than second house with the odd layout of the second reception / bedroom

If the two I would go for number two. Mainly because it's cheaper and less open plan than the downstairs of house one. But it's not overly big, only you know though how much space you are comfortable with and I would definitely put in a bath.

House no#2

House 1 is bigger and more modernised so… that one?

House 2 just looks more of a home I could work with. House 1 is done and not particularly well, that long thin bedroom is just odd.

I thought it was a massage or beauty space with a side entrance so customers don’t have to go through the main house. But now I’m looking closer it seems to have a retractable gate and seems to say “dog” on a couple of things. Maybe the salt lamp is to give people the idea of a beauty therapy room because who has a salt lamp for dogs

House 2 hands down. More room, spacious garden, decent decor.
House 1 is smaller, what’s with the weird relaxation room or is that a box room? Awkward garden.

Also, if you have to do arty shots featuring pot plants as opposed to simply showing the space, that means the space is crap. House 1 had at least 2 of such shots. Also one featuring a radiator in the bathroom- just put a pic of the whole space ffs. Is there mould in the corners hence we’re directed to the radiator now?🙄

OK so if house 1 is 25% bigger that’s a significant difference, and apart from weird, green floor room it doesn’t have the quirks.