Integral garage or separate "dining" room? What's more important? Which house is better?

[FunRequirement]

Out of these two properties:

Bramhall
www.morrishomes.co.uk/developments/bartle-meadows/bramhall-detached-edwardian-code-4

Staunton
www.morrishomes.co.uk/developments/bartle-meadows/staunton-detached-edwardian-code-4

Which would you choose?

The Bramhall has the benefit of an attached garage and a larger 4th bedroom. The Staunton has the benefit of a separated dining room which is more versatile/functional.

The Staunton is way better (unless you need all 4 bedrooms all the time?)

Can't believe how cheap they are! Would buy you a shit one bed flat here if you're lucky!

I think Staunton too, is there decent parking if you don’t have a garage?

I'd say Staunton because the dining room could give you a great space for older children later when you want them to have their friends around but want them and you to have privacy.

You'd hardly buy a garage here for that price!

You certainly get more bang for your buck wherever that is...

Imo a garage is useful to have. It's used for storage, not for a car. Where else would you put lawn mower, ladders, tools, Xmas lights, sacks of compost and gardening gear, and all the other stuff that normally goes in the garage? Where would you do DIY projects?

Bramhall the other has an odd layout , the utility room separates the kitchen from the dining room and it looks like it has a corridor at the back of the house. A garage is pretty handy.

I’d go bramhall as you’ve got the option of converting the garage into a room at a later date.

Staunton, much more options. The dining room could be used as a playroom for both younger and older children and is already a room.

We converted a double garage into a playroom/storage room for the children, best thing we ever did but as it was a garage it costs a lot to sort out single skin brickwork, plastering, heating, flooring, electrics, lighting and insulation etc.

The en-suite seems less of a squish in the Staunton one too. Bramhall one the garage is accessed from the outside and there is no possible way to put in a door to access it from the inside unless you lose part of the utility. My FIL's 70s house is like that.

Meaning converting it later isn't really an option.

But Bramhall does have its good points. I always feel that walking from one end of the house to the other with food is a nightmare which you would have to do in the Staunton one. Bramhall's dining room is in the right place.

Can't believe how cheap they are! shock Would buy you a shit one bed flat here if you're lucky!

Welcome to the North

The Bramhall kitchen looks a bit squished in the corner, the dining area looks as though it will just be a thoroughfare.
Some of the Staughtons have separate garages. I have one, it’s fine.

I prefer the stauton but both are lovely the decider for me is actually the plots I would go for the stauton because the shared driveway access might end up being a nightmare with the other one

My husband would want the garage, I'd want the Staunton. Does the Staunton not have an external garage? Seems crazy a house of that size not coming with a garage. If it does then def that one.

And WOW for the house prices!!!!!!!

I would go Bramhall. I have 3 boys under 10 so for me the layout works better and the garage for bike storage is a must. I can see every room being used in this house, in the other one i cant see the dining room being used that often, even if you turned it into a playroom, its too out of the way for me.

Looks to me like the Staunton has a drive so more parking, that would win it for me!

The Staunton looks more spacious and better laid out. Though I don't think the dining room would work as a dining room where it is but would make an ideal playroom/study. Does it have a garage away from the house? I think a garage is important, we have one and couldn't be without it now

I'd go for the Staunton, use the breakfast area as the sole dining space and the 'dining room' as a separate kids playroom/lounge or an office

The breakfast area in the Bramhall has four doors in it. It’s effectivey circulation space. That’s a very poor use of internal space and the kitchen is weeny for a 4 bed house. Obviously this should have been a huge kitchen! It’s cheap to fit out like this.

Are you allowed a decent garden shed for all your storage? I think not having a garage is also cutting corners to save money.

It is a shame the other thread on Morris Homes has been deleted due to legal action against them. Beware of their contract terms and don’t use their preferred solicitor.

The Staunton is is a much nicer looking house, in my opinion, and a much better plot, with a bigger west facing garden rather than a tiny north facing one.

I also prefer the design, with the separate dining room. Much more flexible.

I don't think you'd ever use the dining room in the Staunton to eat in as too far from kitchen - agree with PP that the utility room cuts it off.

I'd remove the wall in the Bramhall between breakfast area and the dining room. If it's not yet built, could you request they keep this open?

The second one's very like how the first would be with a garage conversion. When we were househunting the estate agent told us garage conversions don't tend to add or take away value, they just sell for the same amount to different people.

I prefer the staunton because I'm in the camp that prefers the garage converted, and the offsetness of the kitchen in the first one is a compromise you don't need to make. Houses are all about kitchens at the moment. If you're buying a 4 bed new build, a proper eat in kitchen is expected.

I would go for the first one, my grandparents lived in a house with the same layout and it was lovely plus if you wanted a cinema/playroom you could always convert the garage.