Detached new build or 1930s semi

[user1475955902]

Back story: In early May we sold our 1990s 3 bed (2 dbl and box room) det link house to a lady who had sold her house. We fell in love with and had offer accepted on 3 bed 1930s semi in our desired (better) area with lovely (better) schools (we have 3dc under 10) than where we currently are (though bedroom sizes smallish and would have meant a loft conversion for larger 3rd bedroom and small 4th bed) - so all good! Budget for works factored in price. Small chain - our buyer, us and seller.

However, chain collapsed on exchange day due to buyer's financial issues (no deposit from buyer) so seller decided to put house back on market immediately and it was resold to another family a few days later .

Our dilemma is, (new offer accepted from a ftb) now have narrowed our new choices down to 2 in new area that we (Dh) and I like but,

I want to offer on another 1930s semi with large garden (my idea of Heaven!) but it needs quite a bit of work (new kitchen, bathroom, lots of diy, new carpets and redecor etc) but has larger room sizes (3 doubles) than previous offered.

or

my DH is now more keen on a new build, 4 double bed, detached, single garage with 2 car parking, on a small development. He feels it's a better investment, no work etc, space to enjoy and no weekends/holidays decorating, diy etc, good square footage. Last plot for sale on small development by builder includes substantial discounts, flooring and other incentives and immediate moving in date. Downside for me is Plot has small garden, much smaller than other plots sold on site.

Both in same desirable area with good schools.

WWYD?

TIA

If youre the first people living in a new build you'll pay over the odds for the property.

I can see why both options are attractive though.

Who will be doing the DIY? They have more of a say in the decision as it will be their time used.

Personally, I would have made exactly the same decision as you. It sounds wonderful! Think of all the fun you're going to have putting your own stamp on it without having to spend ages (and £££) sorting out loads of problems.

As I said, I'm only talking from my own experience: my 1930s house is lovely but needs so much done as the previous owner did bugger all apart from bodge jobs for 10 years

I think this is entirely a question about how motivated and how skilled you are at getting jobs done around the house. If you're not up for the work involved in a renovation, it is a good way to make your lives miserable.

I'm in a 30s semi, doing the renovation work, and it is both expensive and hard work. It will be really worth it when we are done, but we've put up with the house being a bit of a state for a LONG time. This is easier for us as a childless couple than it would be for someone with kids, I think.

Hi OP

If I was in your shoes, I'd definitely go for the 4 bed new build!

It seems, in some ways, a total no brainer- you have 3 children so each will have a room of their own.

As it's new build, you will have minimal/no work that requires doing.
I've got friends who have never ending DIY work to do in their Victorian properties.

I can think of nothing worse than spending our weekends/free time doing DIY and spending £££ that we do not have!

Have to admit, I do envy you having the luxury of choice!

We live in a new build (rented) flat and we love it! Never cold during the winter- in fact a bit too warm in the corridors at time. But this isn't relevant to you, I digress!

I have a 14 year old house, so effectively a new build. Previously I had a 1930s semi.

More is going wrong with my new build house now that it is 14 years old than EVER went wrong with the 1930s semi. The walls are thin, the boiler is shit, the garden is smaller, the windows are beginning to show wear & tear. My 1930s semi was solidly built, the walls were thick, the windows had already been replaced, the garden was bigger.

Don't think that a new build requires no maintenance. Instead, it will suddenly require LOADS of maintenance when it reaches 10 years, as they simply aren't built to last as long.

New build. And I say that living in a victorian/edwardian semi. Which I love the character of.

But 4 bed over 3 bed
Detached over semi
No diy over diy

Our house has a massive garden and to be honest we've never used all the space. I fantasised about chickens and a veg plot. Great for a couple of years but veg plot is now weedy and neglected. I have three old chickens skulking about down the bottom of the garden and won't be replacing them.

Dd never needed all that space when she was younger. We had a trampoline which she used but that was it. Now she's a teenager I honestly don't think she's been in the back garden this year!

Dh spends all his time grass cutting and hedge cutting. The diy on the house has been time consuming and expensive. House is cold and in the winter is damp.

When dd was younger her friends who lived on an estate would spend their evenings playing out in the street together. And she used to wish she lived on the estate.

Semi. Every time.

I think you'll regret it if you go and live on a new build estate after a lovely 30s semi.

I don't get all this misplaced snobbery over new builds. I have seen it on here a bit recently but not in real life. It is true that some new builds are badly built. Some older houses are badly built too. A new build just means it is new. If you don't like Wimpey homes or another developers then there are plenty of other new houses to choose from. There are many small developers that don't churn out hundreds of houses on a conveyor belt.
We have moved from a similar semi to yours to a 4 bed new build and it is the best thing we could have done. It feels so lovely and spacious and light. We have huge windows and French doors, high ceilings and much larger rooms than our semi had. Both the front and back gardens are big and the outside space is more useful than it was in our old semi. It's great having smooth walls and good brick work etc instead of noticing on a daily basis that yet another job needs done or something else is on its last legs. Not all new builds are timber builds either. All our walls including the interior ones are solid walls. Our older semi had stud walls dividing some of the rooms. New houses can be lovely. Old houses can be lovely. But one advantage new houses have over old is that somebody else hasn't already had 70, 80 or even 90 years use out of the pipes, wiring, roof, brickwork, etc etc.
Enjoy your new house OP!

Our 1930s terrace was cheap to buy and has lots of garden but is a bloody money pit in repairs. Most involve water wanting to cause us inconvenience in some form or another.

Our next house will be a relatively low maintenance newbuild.

The problem is that it really comes down to that specific 1930s semi and that specific new build. We all have our preferences, but one 1930s semi that is a money pit isn't necessarily ALL 1930s semis, just as one new build that is a small boxy thing with paper thin walls isn't necessarily ALL new builds.

Hi, thanks again for all your responses, I am firmly convinced that we have now made the right choice. DH is the DIYer (and I'm the apprentice!) but he has a manual job and having had to pull out of 1930s semi has said he is relieved, didn't mind the work but was apprehensive that it would have been an endless round of work/money which would probably not see much return on, though that wasn't really the point of the purchase, it was more the area, particularly schools. The kids are also excited about having their own double rooms, with added floor space which the 1930s semi wouldn't have given us except having after a loft conversion (plus a few months of managing around builders!) so all in all I believe we have made the right decision for us. Really appreciate all your POVs and experiences, and am consoling myself with the smaller garden (though it's a reasonable size just not quite what I would have wanted, but maybe I was being selfish). The development is surrounded by green fields and is on the edge of the village, the site has a play area so lots of space for them to have supervised "let off steam" time (or aka quality time with Dad!). All in all, the old adage comes to mind, "everything happens for a reason". Thanks again

Best of luck to you all.

Sounds perfect!

As a bonus, you won't be short of toilets in a 4-bed new build, but you might be in a older semi.

There are lots of 1930s bungalows for sale around here but even when they have been gutted and extended, many of them still only have one bathroom, I guess extending the plumbing is an expensive job. After being in a family of 4 for so long, I couldn't bear to go back to having one bathroom!