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Original poster

Which would you go for?

37 replies

Beccarollover · 27/04/2004 20:03

We are house hunting at the moment....

Our choices in our budget so far have been between brand new house, small but perfectly formed or older house needing lots of work

We have found a couple that are in between - probably about 60's I think.

1st one - spacious and nice big garden BUT air ducted heating, would need new bathroom, kitchen, artexing removed and decorated throughout.

2nd one - not quite as spacious, conservatory and not sure on decor as not seen it yet but by details it needs nowhere near as much as the first one.

They are both on same street (which is a nice little estate) so area is not significant.

House 2 is pedestrian only access at front which attracts me due to kiddies.

OP posts:
Original poster
Beccarollover · 27/04/2004 20:05

oops

  1. is this one)

  2. is \link{http://www.rightmove.co.uk/rm/template/publicsite%2Cbuying%2CPropertyDetails.vm/svr/1029?p_id=3001174&pa_n=1&tr_t=buy\This one

Number two looks nicer in real life than the photo.

OP posts:
Original poster
Beccarollover · 27/04/2004 20:06

oops! what am i on

2 is

THIS one

OP posts:
Hulababy · 27/04/2004 20:10

Becca - 2nd link not working; the whole thing is linking as one!

Hulababy · 27/04/2004 20:11

Both seem good from details. Difficult as less info or pictures from property 2. I think you will have to go and visiit and report back!

Angeliz · 27/04/2004 20:13

I am more drawn to the second one AND it has a conservatory

Codswallop · 27/04/2004 21:01

second

Codswallop · 27/04/2004 21:01

which faces which way

IMo best direction is west for the living room

Original poster
Beccarollover · 27/04/2004 21:10

They face each other so which ever is one way the other is the opposite!

OP posts:
Codswallop · 27/04/2004 21:11

well go for the sunniest one

Original poster
Beccarollover · 27/04/2004 21:35

how will i tell on a dull day?

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toddlerbob · 27/04/2004 22:05

Decide which rooms you want the morning sun and the evening sun in. I would say you want morning sun in your bedroom and evening sun in your living room, but you may live your life differently from me. One of them will have better sun in the back garden. Basically South will get sun all day so you don't want your back garden facing completely north.

Janh · 28/04/2004 09:10

I like that front porch on number 1 - would love one like that - great for shoes and boots and other outdoory things and keeps the weather out of your hall.

Also the plot is much wider than the other so back garden will be wider - how long are the 2 gardens? (I like the gravel/paving at the front too.)

What are the room sizes/layout like on 1 compared with 2? And how busy is the road? I know what you mean about the pedestrian access at the front of 2. But presumably that means the back is on the road - how does that work? Is the kitchen back or front?

Too many questions!

SoupDragon · 28/04/2004 09:24

I prefer (1). I don't like the rear garage for property 2 as it means there will be an access road to the rear of the property. Our last house had this and it was a security issue and also attracted fly tippers. Ai heating can be replaced with radiators at a later date (I did this in my flat and gained a huge cupboard where the old heater used to be.)

I think it's preferable to have a SW facing garden BTW.

Original poster
Beccarollover · 28/04/2004 09:28

Hmmmmm I think I'll arrange a second viewing on the first one at the same time as when we view the first one.

Yes there is a road at the back of the 2nd, its a back lane type thing. That is the big down point for number 2 - the big down point for number 1 is a social club opposite.

I may sound verrrrry silly here but how do I work out which way the gardens etc lie!? Take a compass?

OP posts:
oliveoil · 28/04/2004 09:29

South or southwest facing garden if poss, ours is north and its a pain. That would be my first question for my next house.

oliveoil · 28/04/2004 09:30

The estate agent will say if it is s/sw as it is a selling point. I think.

Janh · 28/04/2004 09:32

Our house is E at the back - we only have a short backyard and the sun is always gone from it by about 5pm - a bit dreary for barbecues - and being W at the front means you can't watch TV on a sunny evening without closing the curtains. So I agree with Soupie on aspect - SW-ish definitely better at the back if poss.

As 1 is bigger than 2 (as well as having the front porch, wider plot and no rear garage), I think I would go for that too even though it will need some work.

Janh · 28/04/2004 09:34

You didn't mention the social club before! How rowdy is it likely to be? Is it bang opposite or down a bit?

Original poster
Beccarollover · 28/04/2004 09:40

Its pretty much bang opposite but there is a wall between.

1 is bigger but I couldnt help get the feeling that it was just so tatty all over - there wasnt a single room that I thought "oh this is nice" it was all about space - which I suppose is the important thing.

BUT for the next few years I wont be earning much as I only work part time and barely cover the child costs - so initially I was looking for something that wouldnt need much money spent on it after the initial spend on buying the house.

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Sonnet · 28/04/2004 09:42

I'd go for number 1 too. You can do the work as and when you can. You end up with a house that is all your choice then not stuck with a kitchen or bathroom you don't really like but is too good to justify replacing IYKWIM

OH! - just read about the social club - could be very noisy. As janh says it is slap bang opposite or down a bit. I'd visit it and see what sort of functions it puts on..
New houses are so exciting - I'll be watching this thread - hope you like it at the second viewing - also number 2!!

LIZS · 28/04/2004 09:45

probably no 2 but do go and see how busy front and back of each are at different times of day -traffic, noise, kids playing etc.

Janh · 28/04/2004 09:54

Thing is, if you get 2 just because it doesn't need work, will you be finding it too small in 2 or 3 years and have to go through the whole process again?

While you are working part-time you will have a bit more spare time (and energy!) for decorating etc. You can skim over Artex, don't have to remove it - slap some paint around - postpone the big jobs until you have a bit more cash? (Then you could put a conservatory in this house!)

Janh · 28/04/2004 09:55

And the ad says realistic price - ie it is cheaper than it should be because it needs some work - when it's nice it'll be worth more than the other!

Original poster
Beccarollover · 28/04/2004 10:22

Janh that is what DP thinks (to go for it for its potential)

Is it THAT much more space than 2 when you factor in the conservatory? Oh, I suppose I could always add on a conservatory at number 1.

Without even seeing number 2 I know the garden is smaller - the conservatory is at the side so doesnt eat into garden too much but just the distance from the house to the lane it cant be anywhere near as big as 1 which is very long and fenced/enclosed at the back.

I cant wait to see 2 - I had really good feeling about it but now Im not sure!

OP posts:
Janh · 28/04/2004 10:31

At the moment 2 is much bigger downstairs because of the conservatory.

The upstairses don't look that different though - I hadn't scrolled down on 1 and seen all the photos and sizes before. The bedrooms go

  1. 13.7 x 9.2, 9.8 x 8.8, 7.4 x 7.3 (L-shaped???)

  2. 12.1 x 9.8, 10.4 x 8.11, 8.3 x 7.7

which makes 2 sound bigger. What is its bathroom like? (The master bedroom in 1 has built-in wardrobes, is that on top of the measurements given so that the room is actually bigger than it says?)

The layout of 2 sounds nicer too - squareish lounge and longer kitchen-diner.

Shall we wait until you've seen it and felt how big it is?

(Is yours sold btw?)