Fallen in love with a house. Would we be stupid to buy it?

[AngryFeet]

DH and I have fallen head over heels with a house. It is 5 miles away from where we wanted to buy but is still a good location with good schools. But it is £5k over our budget. We could borrow off family and pay this £5k back with DHs bonus at the end of the year as long as we are careful with our spending but we have a good amount to live on to be honest we just wouldn't be able to go on holiday or do any house renovations for a year. The house is very nicely done and so I doubt we would need to spend money for a while but you never know. The mortgage payments are still less than a third of our income so we are not going crazy.

I don't know what to do! I don't want to make a hasty decision based on my heart and gut feeling and make a mistake. We have offered at £5k under the asking price but they aren't budging. We have said that it is all we can afford and to get back to us if they change their minds but I really don't want to lose this house. It is beautiful and has 50% more space than we can get around where we were first looking with our budget.

ARRGGGGHHH! Help!

[BreakOutTheKaraoke]

Number 1, definitely. It actually gave me little butterflies looking at it, and I'm not thinking of buying it! I think it's lovely.

[LIZS]

Comment was directed at pic 9 for house 1. Sorry but just don't think it is that special , garden looks small and lots of rooms but still think you could get similar style for less in that area. ds' classmates from that area didn't make to school in in recent snowfall.

[Viviennemary]

I agree that the second house has far more kerb appeal. And it certainly has more character. But the first house has the best accommodation space wise. Maybe your best bet would be to buy neither house as really another even better one could come along any day. Especially if you are not absolutely sure about either of those two houses.

[Jaynebxl]

I like the first house more as it is more interesting but I was put off by the floor plan. I just think it isn't very practical and would drive me bonkers. Also, I think you said you have two children ... The bedrooms are very unevenly split which would also out me off. Do you pick your favourite child to have the larger room with en suite?!

[MinimalistMommi]

Quickly looking through them, I liked house number one!

[AngryFeet]

We won't get anything bigger than that in our area for under the 320 mark. It just keeps getting more expensive. This one at 285000 is very very rare so there is either a problem with it or it will go for more in a bidding war.

So it is small in this very good area or large in a still good area but further away.

I don't think number 1 is overpriced going by the houses sold in that road. One sold last year with 4 beds not 3 but for £370k (same 3 floor type house).

After doing some research it seems it was not actually on the market between March and Sept last year as they moved out to rented to get their son into a primary slightly out of the way (not sure why as there is a very good one around the corner). They got a buyer in March after 4 weeks on market but it quickly fell through due to buyer not being able to sell their house. Then in Sept in went back on and fell through in Jan as again buyer can't sell (although her offer still stands when she is proceedable). There is one other offer (apparently - taking this one with a pinch of salt) on the table now which was made in Feb for full asking (as was the Sept one) but again he is struggling to sell.

Owner says he honestly can't afford to lose the £5k so I guess he is just waiting for someone to be proceedable but for the asking price. Fair enough.

Will have to see what comes of the house on Saturday.

[AngryFeet]

And we can get the money for number one it is just a little bit of a stretch but that £5k would have gone on decorating at the end of the year with any other house so it is neither here nor there really.

[MinimalistMommi]

Angry go with your heart! That seems to be house number 1!

[SquinkieBunnies]

I like number 2 better. it seems a more livable house.
2 has the kitchen on a different floor to the dining room and living room, very awkward, unless you will only eat in the kitchen. It has lots of wasted space, big wide hallways.
I thought the back was just odd. All those steps down to the garden seem very inconvenient if you have little ones.

[SquinkieBunnies]

Sorry 1 has the kitchen and living on a different floor, all I said was about 1. 2 seems more livable.