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Original poster

Is a detached house worth the extra money?

69 replies

Blup · 19/08/2016 14:20

DH and I are currently house-hunting. We'd like a house with 4 bedrooms - so the DCs can have a room each, and then a spare room which can also be used as an office (I work from home). DH really wants a detached house because he says he "likes to feel he owns the whole place". Problem is, that's pushing out of our budget, unless we compromise on the fourth bedroom or go for a house where the fourth bedroom is a converted roofspace, but then we'd have no storage space for all DH's rubbish and would fill the garage with boxes instead of having it for the car.

I just don't think it's worth the extra for a detached house, but then I've always lived in semis and had no issues. DH has always lived in detached houses until our current one. I know you can get nightmare neighbours if you're in a semi, but really unless you're very unlucky, I don't think it's a big deal - and any case, you can have nightmare neighbours in a detached house too.

Any opinions? Should I be taking the "detached" thing more seriously? Or trying to talk DH round?

OP posts:

almostthirty · 19/08/2016 14:24

We went from an end of terrace to a detached. Something would have to drastically change for me to ever consider moving to an attached house again.
I love the fact that I can't hear other people moving around (especially up and down here stairs). I do think have to worry about the kids making too much noise or friends visiting late.
In our previous house we had an attic bedroom and I did like it. We had built in storage in the eaves to help with the crap and a shed in the garden

EnglishGirlApproximately · 19/08/2016 14:25

We've been in our detaches house for about 8 weeks now and honestly I love it. Like your dh, I always lived in detached houses growing up but had always lived in semis since leaving home 23 years ago.

It's amazingly peaceful and private, there's no way I'd go back to a semi now. We've never had any nightmare neighbours in our old houses but you do hear them going about their daily lives and now we don't. I'm home alone today and haven't heard a peep, it's been lovely. Also, if ds is being a pain and wakes up in the night I'm not worrying about him waking the neighbours, I can just concentrate on getting him back in bed.

blue2014 · 19/08/2016 14:27

I think you might just have to look at both until you find what fits. My DH was absolutely against anything that wasn't detached but we just couldn't get what we wanted in our price range. I would rather have detached because of the noise issue but in the end it just wasn't an option

knaffedoff · 19/08/2016 14:32

I have always lived in a semi, nothing wrong with them but living in a detached now is a luxury and money well spent imo

Costacoffeeplease · 19/08/2016 14:34

Detached all the way here

Shadowridge · 19/08/2016 14:35

No many people put the car in the garage imo so i wouldn't rule a house out for that. Nithing wrong with planning to use it for extra storage.

BigMamaFratelli · 19/08/2016 14:40

We live in a detached and are currently in a semi detached holiday cottage. Detached is definitely worth the extra money!

We've never bothered putting our car in the garage though so use it as storage space.

jerryfudd · 19/08/2016 15:06

Currently in our first detached house and won't go back. No noise from neighbours and don't have to worry so much about noise from our kids. Also have wider garden as a result. Never use the garage for a car either

Tiggeryoubastard · 19/08/2016 15:07

Yes they're worth the difference, if you have the money.

sweetheart · 19/08/2016 15:11

When we made our recent move we were after a detached house. We were end terrace before and could always hear our neighbours. We looked at tons of houses because we had to move for only the right house - we've ended up in a link detached house - so the houses are detached and we can't hear our neighbours at all but the garages are linked together.

For us the house being right was the most important thing and the garages being linked was a compromise we were willing to make to get the house we wanted.

Perhaps you should look at a variety of houses within your budget to get a feel of what you can get for your money and help you decide if the detached thing is an aspect that you could perhaps compromise on.

Ruhrpott · 19/08/2016 15:11

Detached. I much prefer it. We do use the garage for our car it the garage is quite large and has an electric door so no need to get out of car to open it.

Cherylene · 19/08/2016 15:14

Best is a detached house you can walk all the way around. Previous next door neighbour vowed never to buy a detached house she could not walk all the way around ever again, after a final confrontation with the dipstick on the other side, just before she put the house on the market.

Spickle · 19/08/2016 16:43

I do think it depends on the build of the house. I grew up in a semi-detached bungalow and my mum still lives in the same property. We never heard our next door neighbours at all and they never heard us, but the bungalow did have very thick walls and was built in the 50s. I am detached now and would not want to go back to a semi, but that's not because I think I will hear them, it's because I like being slightly further away from people generally!

SanityClause · 19/08/2016 16:51

I live in a detached house, but have also lived in semi detached, end of terrace, and mid terrace.

I always quite liked the cosiness of terraces. I never really worried about the privacy aspect, much.

I know "an Englishman's home is his castle" so maybe it's because I'm not British that I don't really see the added value.

CoffeeCoffeeAndLotsOfIt · 19/08/2016 16:57

When I was single and lived alone I preferred my mid terrace. Felt v safe and closer to my neighbours iyswim.

However, one of my neighbours was extremely loud and inconsiderate. When buying my next house with dh I wanted a detached and wouldn't like to go back to being adjoining.

Much quieter, and you don't have to feel guilty about screaming babies / kids.

Dearer to heat though.

Cel982 · 19/08/2016 18:11

In the OP's case, though, it's a choice between a detached house and an extra bedroom. There's no contest in my mind, I'd go for the extra square footage every time.

Original poster

Blup · 19/08/2016 18:36

Thanks everyone! Cel is right, though, the choice seems to be extra bedroom, or detached. Is it worth losing a bedroom for?

OP posts:

ElsieMc · 19/08/2016 18:37

Have lived in all sorts. Detached are best for all the reasons given but do bear in mind that you will still have garden noise as we do as we adjoin a courtyard. Very, very inconsiderate people in there and it just makes us realise how lucky we are not to be attached to them.

Lived in a cottage for around ten years that was attached and also a back to back. The most attached property possible in fact. Strangely I never heard the neighbours because the walls were incredibly thick.

Semi living a nightmare. Elderly couple next door who thought nothing of playing show songs on their piano at 3 am and singing ying tong yiddle I po. When confronted, they said I must have heightened hearing until I told her exactly what her answerphone message said which she replayed at 1 am! This was after she was drunk in the front garden singing opera. They also ran a business from home teaching piano and violin and their pupils would block my drive so I couldn't even escape elsewhere. Never again, no matter how nice the property.

WowOoo · 19/08/2016 18:42

I'd rather have the extra bedroom. We have a lovely, quiet and considerate neighbour. Most people are not nightmare neighbours even though you read a lot about it on here.
I like the fact that each of us has our own room.

I would love 4 bedrooms and detached...with a large, empty garage and a utility room.

Daytona79 · 19/08/2016 18:45

I would only buy a detached house and would make a sacrifice to ensure that's what I got

No way I'd buy a semi

readingrainbow · 19/08/2016 18:50

We have a Victorian end terrace and don't hear a peep from the neighbours unless it's through open windows. I don't think a detached house would stop that. :)

We might be lucky with the neighbours though; I honestly think we are the noisy ones.

Nuttypops · 19/08/2016 18:50

We are house hunting and in a similar position, we are after a 4 bedroomed with a garage. DH would very much rather a detached and thinks it is worse losing internal space for, I really don't. We are hoping to find one that is attached by the garage or the kitchen/spare room for example rather than lounge and main bedrooms. Detached does make a big difference to your peace and quiet but I don't think it is worth losing a bedroom for personally.

orangepudding · 19/08/2016 18:51

We moved from mid- terrace to detached. We hadn't even considered we would be afford a detached, now we are in it I wouldn't want to go back!

Badders123 · 19/08/2016 18:53

YES

SweetChickadee · 19/08/2016 18:54

Detached is great if you can afford it, but i'd not lose a needed bedroom for it.

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