What do you think of this house?

[lia66]

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-58012468.html

Not sure it would look like that after my kids had lived there for a few weeks.

I love the second one so much more, although no garden ... so much nicer inside though, loads more character.

Some good points. Our current house if I'm honest is mostly dh's tastes although I've done all the decorating and furniture choosing. I love the light that my house has.

House 2 has a beautiful stained glass window going up the stairs. It has a lovely feel. The current owners have lived here for donkeys years and brought up a family.

Our eldest is 22 in a week or so, she has moved into a rented house with her partner and they plan to buy next year.

Ds is 19 but I can't see him moving out any time soon although he spends most of his time at his girlfriends house, she's just started a new job as cabin crew so I imagine he'll be home more often.

I want a home that we can live in and grow into the younger kids teenage years. Where they have plenty of room.

I thought we would live in this house for a long, long time but the constant driving everywhere just gets me down so much. Then when the sun shines and I stand at my bedroom window and look out, I absolutely love it here. None of the kids really want to move except the nearly 12 yr old because house 2 is 5 minutes walk from her best friend at school.

@ellypoo 2nd house has a much bigger, greener garden than the first house.

My worries about house 1 are that it's so perfect dh would be forever on the kids cases telling them take your shoes off ( we do anyway) , stop running ( they don't), stop shouting in the garden. It feels as if it could be quite stressful.

Worries about house 2 are that I love it so much I'm overlooking the small kitchen and thinking I can make it work and in reality I can't.

I'm taking dh to see both on Saturday.

I don't think either of them has balanced accommodation - neither has very much downstairs living space for a large family.

Does house2 completely lack a garden?

Why can't you extend the kitchen - there would be enough in the budget? You could go into the hall/porch and into the garden - big sunroom/kitchen dinner - take a builder

House 2 has a lovely big garden. The pictures don't do the house justice at all.

House 1 for me.
It is similar to ours, but ours has another downstairs sitting room and just two bathrooms. It's a really good family home, easy maintenance and very warm.

Also house 1 is reasonably priced too. Another £150k for that style of house round here now. Not in London/SE either.

I do like character properties (mainly old , stone cottages ) but not the style of house 2 plus it's not detached and seems a bit dingy.

But you've got an extra £50k from the prices so could you knock the walls about a bit on no 2 to give a bigger kitchen/diner?

Picture number 1 is the garden of house 2. Picture 22 is the front door. The paved area is like a little courtyard out of the back door. They have a
Title table and chairs out there. There is a shed and also a utility room out there.

@ellypoo EA has suggested vendors would take less for house 2.

With the second one it does look like you could join the kitchen/diner with the black door/hall and sitting room - could that be an option? Still have the study, front door & hallway, and a huge kitchen/dining& family room with doors to the garden?

@ellypoo the vendors are builders. Chap is still working in his 70's. They are building a detached house next door.

They are showing us around on Saturday, I might ask him if he could advise how to make the kitchen bigger.

The first house isn't next to a canal, it's built behind a large duck pond type creation.
My friend lives around the corner.

1st one is £395k, no character and not much opportunity to add much value, also doesn't sound to be in a great location unless I've misunderstood)
Second house has loads more character, bigger garden, better location (?), opportunity to add value AND at least £50k cheaper - no brainier for me. Are there any other factors?

Whoops apologies
Wrong Watermead

Adore house 1. Light airy spacious nice green outlook, could soften build with good planting. You can inject character with a little bit of thought. House 2 seems pokey and dark sorry.

@only1scoop

Holy crap you get a lot more for your money than in Edinburgh! Personally I Iike the second one. More character and for me that is the main thing. But everyone is different.

Definitely house 2 - wouldn't think it would be too hard to get the kitchen you want - just a matter of design. Maybe something like - turn the kitchen/diner into a dining room/additional reception, knock through kitchen 2/WC (and potentially the adjoining reception?) to make a decent kitchen, move downstairs loo under the stairs. You could also maybe move the cellar stair entrance to be via the kitchen to cheat extra floor space for a new loo?

The floor plan doesn't give room sizes though, so difficult to know exactly how much you have to play with.

There's a lot of floor space.

House 1 is very nice and the work is already done. Personally I think you'd enjoy that one based on what you said earlier.
House 2 is nice too, it just needs a bit of work to make it your own. It could end up being very much what you want, it will just take time and effort. Somehow it just has a lot more to it too - garden, bathrooms and separate spaces etc.
As I said earlier the location of house 2 is also fantastic on the map (but I've never been there) and with your kids growing up, and some still coming and going, that would sell it to me, but if you love house 1 and just want to move in and set up home then go for it.

I prefer the layout of the first one by a mile, apart from the landing.
DM has a new build having swore blind she never would. But it's so big and well laid out it's hard not to love it.

For me, with 5 dc, the key question would be square footage. And I would go for detached over semi every time. Especially if I had 5 dc.