Small character property that I love or slightly larger property I don't love? WWYD? Need quick answers!

[poppyboo]

Family of four, two school age children, should I buy a small two bed one reception room character property which is lovely is very nice,ideal area which could be a forever home or a slightly larger, either three bed property or a two bed/two reception room house? WWYD?

Should have said, I have two girls.

Never buy a house you don't love, but the same with a too small house - any possibilities of extending the one you love?

Go for the one you love, life is too short.

If kitchen and living room are big enough (for your needs) then go for it.

If the small one can grow with you then go for it!

digerd , we wouldn't have the money to extend it unfortunately.
Franca the house we buy will probably be one we stay in for a long time, I love, love, love character cottages and the other, different style houses just leave me cold and won't be exactly the location I love either. The character cottages tend to be small though.
Viewing the character property this afternoon, apparently there is a lot of interest in it and its only just come on to the market.

I bought a 500 year old house I fell in love with.

It was an unmitigated disaster.

Buy the bigger house and make it yours.

How many bedrooms do you have currently? Is the girls room at cottage a big room that you could divide in some way later on? Would all your current belongings fit in? There is a quirky, beautiful cottage here for sale, however our stuff just wouldn't fit! I hate clutter more than I love the house...

We currently have three in our rental, can't afford a 'nice' three bed IYKWIM.
We would give the girls the biggest bedroom of the two in the property I'm viewing. There's plenty of deep, built in storage cupboards and a loft to store stuff we don't use all the time. The downstairs is small though :/ It's a mystery to me until I see it where a dining table would go :D
We have specifically been looking in this area though....and it's sooooooo pretty! LOL
I wouldn't want to split one of the rooms, they're not big enough for that option to work.

Sorry Spons about your beautiful cottage :/

Ah, that's ok, I'm stopped 'seeing' myself living there now so think I'm over it! One thing though, the agents told us there was a lot of interest and we should get in quick and it's still for sale 9 months later, so maybe no need to panic too much! Is there much space in the loft? I know money is tight at the mo, but could it be an option to convert it in the distant future?

I'd go for space. We just moved from a lovely period cottage that was two bed 1 reception. It got soo stressful living in a house that was just too small. We've just moved into a bigger house and it is like a huge weight has been lifted. We actually have space to move around and a place for everything. We'll move back to a small cottage when the kids leave (they are 1 and 3, so not for some time!).

I've just gone for a smaller house that I love instead of a bigger one I don't.

We're lucky enough to be able to add another room in a few years time, but if your girls are similar ages you can partition the room off if it's big enough so each has their more private space? I've seen that done on DIY SOS or summat like that....

I'm living in a too small house and regret it most days. The plan is to move on and rent it out (nice area so should rent), but we need to do loads of work to it first, which we don't have the money for, so we're stuck.

I love character/period houses/cottages, and if your decision was character 3 bed vs new build/late 20th century 4 bed then I'd go with the character.

For a family of four (inc. 2 soon to be teenage girls?) though, 2 beds and 1 reception sounds very small (unless the rooms are massive?). I'd go for the more spacious house and put up with the exterior style.

Go for the bigger property,if it is a forever home you will need the space. How old are your DD's? If you have a bigger home now maybe when they move out you could move into a beautiful house? We are in a small one bed cottage which is beautiful but we are moving into a larger property soon so we can extend our family, other bonuses to the space will be the ventilation and room for more pets!!

Bigger house every time, don't be stuck in a 2 bed cottage with 2 growing DDs! Doesn't have to be a forever home - maybe you can improve the bigger house and make a long term profit and buy a chocolate box cottage when you retire, not when you're all going to be crammed in there when your girls are teens and have days/ weeks/ months when they hate each other/ you/ everyone! :)

I'd be worried about the lack of dining table. That's would be a huge issue for me.

However, I am a firm believer (unlike the programme) in location, location, location. Your location will make a huge difference to your life: things like are shops/ schools/ bus stops within walking distance.

have you lived in a 'character' cottage before ?

or has any friends who will give you an honest take on it ?

If you cant extend either upwards or outwards I would honestly leave it until the girls have left home and it will be your retirement pad.

Character cottages are lovely and I can understand why you have fallen in love with it ( i have lived in a black and white timbered house with crooked roof etc and roses around the door - but in reality it was not cracked up to what I wanted it to be) but if i were in your shoes I would go with the space at this time in your life.

Thank you everyone for your input, I viewed it, I looked at it with my 'head' and not my 'heart' and I came away knowing it was too small & we could not live without a dining table it looks like it will be a bigger, not so pretty house for us and the little cottage dream will have to wait.

OP, you can make any house your own. We're currently trying to move our of our characterful cottage to a slightly bigger, more modern (as in recently built, not modern inside) house which has massive windows (unlike our cutsie ones)- always thought I hated big windows but I actually love them in this house. :)

We rent an old house. I would never buy one ever. Give me a nice, modern, insulated, economic, easy-to-clean house any day.