Choosing between two- help!

[PetiteMum]

Right- which home would you pick?

One that has a small kitchen but rest of house is good size with huge master bedroom and garage en bloc. Garden overlooked to the left...

or

One that has huge kitchen and great downstairs space, but tiny bathroom and no garage? Garden not overlooked...

I know its hard to say when you havent seen the properties, but I am going mad thinking about this!

Huge kitchen as long as it's possible to park somewhere sensible

Can you extend the kitchen in the first?

Do you need a garage? If you do then no.2 is out.

I would go for big kitchen but unless I lived in a town centre I would go for a garage.

Keep looking?

Second one - we don't have a garage and it's fine.

And could you somehow enlarge the bathroom?

Well parking is similar for both- garage would be for storage mainly. No, we couldn't extend the bathroom- maybe the small kitchen- but the garden is already pretty small....hmmmmm

Second one without a doubt

Can you link to them?

I think you'd spend more time in the kitchen than the bathroom, so go for the second one.
Also I'd personally prefer a garden that isn't overlooked.

How small is small re kithcn and bathroom? Can you post dimensions?

You spend time downstairs than up so No 2

How small is the kitchen? I was really down on ours until I realised it was big enough for a breakfast table which will fit 4 of us at a push (and there is a dining room for when we need more room). I have two small DSs so it would really be a pain otherwise as the living room where they spend there time is not that close to the kitchen. But it now a nice space, totally workable.

Here are the links! (don't know why i didnt think of that before duh!)

Here is number 1 www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33142739.html

and 2
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-17756703.html

Its our first home and I have one DS aged 8mo :)

The lounge seems to look a lot smaller in the second one - or is that just the pic?
I personally prefer the first one, especially if you will have a garage with that one. The garden of the second one is nice, but the first garden seems a decent size and you could always do some planting of bushes etc to increase privacy.
So, sorry haven't actually been much help, but I would go with gut feeling and what the neighbours' houses seem like (well kept etc).
Let us know which one you decide!

Small bathroom wouldn't bother me.

Lack of storage would. Is the garden big? Can you put a shed there?

Kitchen - can you extend? Can you have utility room or lean to for w/m, freezer. If not it is problem.

The links don't work btw.

Had a look at your links and prefer the first one. The kitchen looks small but overall it seems a better property and there's more garden. The second one screams ex-local authority and looks as though it hasn't been well maintianed. What's the staining on the wall in the room with the cream sofas?

Hm thanks for the imput everyone
Laquitar- sorry the links don't work for you- I tried them and they seem ok?

Twosoups- I didn't notice the staining at the viewing! thanks for pointing it out. Yes- both properties need an overhaul and haven't been well looked after, but the second more so I think.

Will let you know what happens!

For some reason, no idea why, I like the look of the first one better.

You could knock the dining room and kitchen together and have a lovely kitchen diner opening out onto the garden.

Looking at the map, though, I'd guess you get a LOT of noise from the M23 (I used to live by the M11 - drove me crazy)

Nutfield Rd much nicer bit of Merstham than Radstock Way I would have said and further from motorway? South Merstham much better resale potential too?

There seem to be a lot of houses in the area in that price range - have you looked at all of them ? Im sure you have !! (granny sucking egg emoticon)

Let us know what you decide on!

Gmum- It isn't that close to the M23, so not too worried about that- I like the idea of the kitchen diner!!

Preghead- I am new to Merstham, so thats a really valuable opinion- thank you!

Alexandra- I have literally looked at all of them....in person....

On the street view the area of the first one looks much nicer than the second one, in particular if you look at the houses oposite.

Golden rule: location. Buy in the best area that you can. Also you may need to consider where the better schools are. I don't know the area so it may not be relevant. First one looks smaller - I hate that they don't put measurements on - but the exterior shot looks much nicer - more presentable outside and if the location is more desirable then go with that one. Garden looks big enough and a garage is so useful - particularly for future resale.
The downstairs space can always be re-modelled without an enormous expense. The dining room currently looks very under used. You could always add storage there. I also think there is enough room to consider adding a conservatory type extension which would increase your down stairs space. I know that all costs money but looking to see how much you can add in value over time will help to make your home a good asset also.
Ask Estate agents or look at price websites to see how much the other houses have sold for and how they differed. This will help you see the potential.
Ultimately it is your home so 'feel' is really important, but location is more important than a few extra square feet!!

Thanks innertiger! Yes, we were considering having a sideboard in the dining area maybe for storage...not sure about the conservatory- the garden is not as big as it seems in the pics. By the way the mismatched fencing seriously bothers the OCD in me, although I am sure that will be the least of our problems!

Those estate agent pictures are always so mis-leading.....thats why I hate it when they dont put the dimensions on! And I get what you mean about the fencing.... my OCD works on similar lines! Kepp us posted on how it goes.