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Original poster

Which is more important; house or garden?

36 replies

TheYellow · 07/03/2019 13:44

Currently on the look out for our first home! There are two properties we're currently looking at, both need cosmetic work doing to them, and I would say have roughly the same floor space to them.

House one is a lovely looking victorian house, hard wood floors, beautiful staircase, I really fell in love with how it looks. It has a decent sized garden but a neighbour access running behind it so no scope for extension. No parking.

House two is more modern, would need more cosmetic work doing to it to suit our style but it has a hugeeeeee garden, could easily be extended, has off road parking and a workshop which would allow my partner to continue his business from home.

I'm really torn between them, I love the look and feel of house one but house two ticks more practical boxes for us and it really is our dream garden!

What's more important for you? The style of the house or outside space?

OP posts:
MissConductUS · 07/03/2019 13:50

Given the number of parking threads on MN, I'd go with house two. I can't imagine buying a house that didn't have a two car garage, but I'm in the US where that's more common.

steppemum · 07/03/2019 14:00

your question isn't really about house and garden. It is about

  1. potential to extend
  2. work space for dh
  3. amount of work needed on the property.
  4. parking

So, while property 1 may be nice, if it doesn't fit the 4 point sabove, how will you solve those 4 things?

The extension one- do you need to do this now? if not then when? next year, 5 years or at some point in the future if you have several kids. That should help you decide if it is really necessary to have a hose with potential to extend.

Same with others - if parking is fine, easy, no problem, lots of space for visitors etc, then it isn;t an issue.
(MissConduct - only mullianaires have 2 car garages round here. And most people with one gararge don;t use it for their car!)

and so on.

PlayingForKittens · 07/03/2019 14:03

Normally I would say house so long as there is some outside space but really with these house 2 wins on both house and garden for long term, partners business etc.

Bluntness100 · 07/03/2019 14:03

House two and not because of the garden, but the parking, no neighbour access, potential to extend and the workshop.

MissConductUS · 07/03/2019 14:10

MissConduct - only mullianaires have 2 car garages round here

Land is much cheaper here, and I live in an area that gets on average about 6 feet of snow per winter, so it's quite a desirable selling point even on fairly modest houses.

HollowTalk · 07/03/2019 14:11

I would definitely go for 2 simply because it would allow your partner to work from home.

PazRaz10 · 07/03/2019 14:11

Definietly house two - it sounds like your love of house 1 is just cosmetic. You can turn house tow into one that you cosmetically love.
Having moved from a beautiful Victorian flat with all the original features, but no outside space, no parking and no potential to a 1950's box shape house, with no character, but parking for 3 cars, a huge garden and extension potential I can confidently say I have no regrets.
We are right in the middle of the extension now, and still no regrets!!

dreichuplands · 07/03/2019 14:14

Number 2 sounds a lot better for you and I say this as someone who likes period properties. We once had an older access property and it worked okay but neighbor with access felt entitled to comment a lot on garden stuff. I wouldn't do it again.

ideasofmarch · 07/03/2019 14:15

Go for the land. You can change a house as much as you like (even knock it down and start all over again) but you can't increase the size of an enclosed garden.

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 07/03/2019 14:15

Go with house 2.

Original poster
TheYellow · 07/03/2019 14:25

Thank you for all the replies! Lots of really good points, logically I know house 2 really does tick more boxes for us (all of them really), I guess it's because I grew up in a lot of victorian houses that it instantly had that 'home' feel from a sense of nostalgia really.
Extension wouldn't be on the cards for a long time, but having the option is definitely a plus and could allow us to stay there for longer.

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 07/03/2019 15:17

Lots of terraced Victorian houses have back access across other people’s gardens. Very common in Sheffield for example. House 2 would be my choice too.

Linguaphile · 07/03/2019 15:24

House 2, no question. You can change a house but you cannot change the amount of land it comes on. As you expand as a family you will be really grateful for the space and will save money if your DH can help his overheads down by working at home.

longearedbat · 07/03/2019 18:59

I would never buy a property with a right of way through it, so property number 2. Do you really want random people walking through your garden? You have no control over who lives next door. They might be lovely, on the other hand, they might not!

WishIwas19again · 07/03/2019 21:20

Depends on whether you have children/pets or are planning in near future, and whether you are thinking long or short term? For a longer term or family home I would go for the second. When looking for our current property my DH fell in love with a similar sounding 3 storey terrace which had lots of character and big, airy rooms. But ultimately we bought a practical 1960's house with a big driveway and garden with smaller but more rooms set over 2 floors as we knew it was better for our kids and a longer term prospect to extend. I don't think either of us will ever 'love' it but it made more sense for everyday living.

BangingOn · 07/03/2019 21:28

House two definitely sounds like the sensible choice but I know my heart would be with house one like yours is.

ChesterGreySideboard · 07/03/2019 21:50

You can make the style work for you.
You can change the decor.

You can’t change the size of the garden or, by the sounds of it, create off road parking.

bridgetosomewhere · 07/03/2019 21:51

House 2! Always go for more space and scope and off road parking
You can make the house lovely

senua · 07/03/2019 22:31

This is your first home so I'm guessing it won't be your forever home which means that, at some stage, you will sell it on. If this is the case then you have to consider sale-ability. You have to think about what your buyer will want.
If this thread is anything to go by, your buyer will prefer House Two!

FemalePersonator · 08/03/2019 13:33

House Number 2. It's not a garden question; it's more an issue of overall amenities.

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 08/03/2019 13:52

House 2 - not because of the garden, that wouldn't be particularly important, but because of the space to extend and the parking!

Crankybitch · 08/03/2019 14:52

House 2

You will become very annoyed with the access / parking in house 1 and want to move sooner rather than later

Penguinpandarabbit · 10/03/2019 14:58

I would go with house one but we always go with period property. Think you should go with house you love too.

BlueMerchant · 10/03/2019 15:04

House 1 for me too. Love period property. I'd go with what feels right. I'm not one for a huge garden.

Penguinpandarabbit · 10/03/2019 15:06

Large gardens can be a lot of work - if you've got the time and inclination to make them look lovely or can pay someone to do it they are great. If not I would go for a smaller garden and nicer house.

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