Have had an offer accepted on House A, survey results show penetrating damp, asbestos in outbuildings and woodworm. It's in need of complete redecoration, but I viewed it with a builder who didn't think there was anything major (patches of damp are small).
It's walkable to DD's primary school where she starts in September, it's a roomy 1930s semi with a long back garden. Also walkable to 2 good mates with kids the same age as DD.
House B is 10 years old, on an estate of very nicely designed houses (not your typical new build box). It has the same amount of space, but a smaller garden. It's not decorated to my taste at all, but nothing needs doing, from what I can see. Not made offer or done survey, this is a last minute consideration.
It's 1.7 miles from the school, so would need to drive DD to school. Same distance to friends, although the estate is very child-friendly, lots of bikes left outside front doors etc. so I'm sure we'd meet more people, as would DD.
DP is worried that with House A it will take us years to get it finished, as we'll be paying a higher mortgage than we are now and money will be tight. I'm by nature more optimistic, and love doing up houses, so that doesn't bother me as much. We'd also of course be adding more value to House A, but can see that House B would be much more of a known quantity and therefore less stressful.
Which would you pick?