House Buying Dilemma

[Beccarollover]

We are looking for new house at the moment.

We want to stay very close to where we are now and our requirements are 3 bedrooms, dining room or big enough kitchen for dining table.

Our budget is 135k for this we can get brand new build at the bottom of our street - things that attract me to this are

The street we live in is lovely and get to stay close by
No decorating or major refurbishment
New kitchen
Neutral Decor
No money to spend on it after initial outlay for fees etc
Neither DP or I are DIYers

Other stuff available in our budget are semi detached 3 bedroomed that need at least some work done to them but are much roomier than the very matchbox new builds.

I cant decide what to do - Im sooo tempted by brand new zero work house but frightened of running out of space very quickly.

On the other hand the house we are in at the moment is titchy tiny so any improvement in size will be huge.

Can anyone help me to come to a decision?

Becca maybe you could get something and do it gradually as finances permit?

Small world, Becca My brother used to live on Addycombe before he moved to North Shields.

CS - yes that is one of the choices its just weighing that up against the temptation of cream walls, brand spanking kitchen already done for me!

DP is SO not a handyman - my living room ceiling still needs a second coat of white paint - we have been here nearly 2 years!

we are in the same situation and have decided on older and bigger but needing work.the new ones all felt really clean etc but have no life in them.if you can face the work go for it

oxo - i was 256

Yes I can see the temptation!!

I just saw a 30s (??) semi in Wideopen on rightmove for £140K - is that too much? It's not v big but "generous front and rear gardens" and it says mostly refurbished.

Becca, having just read through this thread, you seem quite certain about what you would prefer.
I completely understand where you are coming from and can see the appeals of both.
I love old houses and if money were no object i would go for one of those evey time. My mom reckons though that they are money pits, there is always something that needs doing.
I also love new houses as they look clean and modern but yes they do look smaller.
I would have a look around s few of each and see how you feel.
Oh and if the new ones have all gone you should be able to put your name on a list and be notified if any come back onto the market.

Remember, old doesn't necessarily mean better built - we were in a 60s built Wates home last house and the walls were PAPER thin, much thinner than our 90s built Bovis flat. Much better to evaluate each home on it's individual merits.

It sounds to me Becca, that you won't really know until you start looking at individual houses and comparing. If the new build you are looking at haven't been completed yet, ask if you can see a showhome on another plot, even if not identical, just so you can get a feel for build quality.

If you know you're going to move again in the next 5 years or so, then you can afford to compromise a bit more now and then get a dream "fixer-upper" for the next home when the kids are a bit bigger and you've got more cash flow.