First world problems alert...

[AmbitiousHalibut]

Hi,

I posted a while ago about whether it was crazy to paint wood paneling, for a house we were hoping to buy. It seems that the vendor won't budge an inch on price so we are going to have to reluctantly walk away. We have a second choice house, which my DH is also excited about, and which my kids will no doubt love and would have preferred over the 1st choice, I'm sure. But I can't help but feel disappointed. This is meant to be the forever house and I still haven't The Feeling even though I've walked round it three times now. I think it's because it's relatively new (like, 20 years ish) and everything I've liked previously has been 1920s/30s.

BUT
House 2 is in my favourite town, a short walk from everything. I feel excited every time I think about living in that town. It's in the catchment for a great school, which is what has driven the search. It's bigger than our current house, both in terms of rooms and in terms of garden. It has a freakin' pool, which I can already see our friends and family loving. It has views of the countryside (which I really wanted despite also wanting to be able to walk into town!). It's on a quiet cul de sac whereas house 1 was on a really busy road. And it's well under budget so we will actually have money to make the kitchen exactly how we want it and redecorate as we like, whereas house 1 would have left us really tight.

Please can someone get a hold of me and tell me to stop being such a bloody idiot and to get on with embracing this house?! Are there Instas I can follow for decorating more modern houses?

Sorry. I know I sound like a spoilt baby. 😔

House 2 sounds so much better than house 1. Who needs period features? There are so many amazing things that you can do with a modern canvas (and a bit of £££) - follow a couple of insta hashtags, like #moderninterior, and you’ll start seeing accounts that chime with the house and your style.

Thank you. I know it's very needy of me! To be clear, both houses are in the great town, right catchment and are an upgrade on what we have currently.

I guess I just felt that house 1 had more stature, if that makes any sense at all? I'm ashamed to admit I felt it was a bit more handsome and impressive. But I can see us having so much fun in house 2 once I work out how the hell to style it! I just need to get on with it. Who needs wood paneling or roaring fireplaces anyway? sniff

House 2 sounds like it ticks a LOT of boxes.

I understand what you mean, about house One having more stature. Older houses can have more 'personality' than newer ones, but you can make a relative new build look individual and stylish, especially if the lower price leaves you with some decorating cash.
I like mags like House Beautiful where they show an entire house so you can get the cohesive style and usually realistic budgets. Can't remember the name but there is a similar mag aimed at a lower budget so choose what chimes with you.
Homes and Gardens magazine etc are lovely but unless you have the budget for £200 rolls of wallpaper.....

Modern houses might not be as desirable as older ones, but they are often more practical.

We live in a 1960s house that would probably be worth an extra £100k or so if it was 1930s. But our house has lovely large rooms, fairly high ceilings, large windows, really sturdily built and well insulated. Yes, it looks a bit dull and stark outside but it's a great house.

A modern house shouldn't need rewiring or a new roof for years, and the insulation will be good so your running costs will be a lot lower.

Thank you. I really do appreciate people taking the time to help a random on the Internet who's getting her knickers in a twist about a perfectly lovely house!

I'll look up those magazines. I will have a very healthy decorating budget for house 2, but I think I'd better take a little time to get a feel for the house and how we use it. I have silly questions like how to arrange a living room with no fireplace, but I'm sure I'll get there with a little inspiration.

I can see house 2 puts a lot less pressure on DH, which should also leave more room to travel or have fun generally. I think I just want it all and perhaps just need to pipe down and realise I'm really very lucky already 😊

If you don’t get the feeling you don’t get the feeling. What can you do? Can you wait for another house that you love?
I live in a period house and can’t imagine anything past 1930s. Old houses are the only ones that give me the feeling. That’s not being snobby - new builds are far warmer for example!! But it’s just how I feel

60s and 70s are vastly underrated. They often have really good size rooms and windows.

Wow, I want house 2! Location means so much more, both avoiding the busy road and being walking distance to places you love, not least the great school. And the pool... I know they're not for everyone but I'd love to have one. You'll have a wonderful life there and your family will love it way more than a different era of building on a busy road and overstretched financially. Feels like a no-brainer so let go of the doubt if you possibly can and commit to loving it... or I might snap it up!

Look at scandi styles, they work well in modern properties. Adding different textures (knitted throws, cushions, shaggy/sheepskin/rag rugs, linen curtains etc) can help make them go from boxy to homely. Pinterest has lots of great ideas.

Thanks gang!
@Oly4 There's not much I can do as we're keen to move before Oct so that we can apply for secondary schools in time. At one point (when we couldn't find anything at all that DH and I both liked), I suggested renting and buying when there's more stock available but we would need to rent for a minimum of a year for school application purposes and DH was nervous about the market and whether we might somehow find ourselves priced out. Plus, to be honest, he hates change, hates the idea of ever moving again, and I think is very much hoping to be carried out of the next house in a box. And yes, there have been points in the process when I thought that could be arranged 😉

I should say, I'm a Sahm so he's the sole earner, hence why I've mentioned the pressure on him.

That said, if I decided I hated the house, I know he'd stop everything to make it okay, but the solution would be staying where we are, losing our buyer and risking not getting the school place. It just seems like such a lot of drama for me to want some period features!

I think I just need to take the plunge (hoho) and order up an inflatable unicorn with cup holders 😁

We moved from a lovely Victorian, bay windows, open fires to a 1950s house. But we're warmer, parking is easier and easier be styled it so it's modern with some strong architectural reclaimed details. I even our put wood panelling in to give it a sense of style. Don't miss the old house, busy road and suburbia at all! Feast on Insta, Houzz app and don't let the age necessarily dictate a style you should or shouldn't have.

The house sounds great. And with money to spare, you can put in a fireplace or whatever else you like.

And all this stature etc isn't necessarily a good thing as it can give burglars ideas...

Before I rented my current house, I would have been the same as you. But dh loved our house and because we were planning on only being here until we had saved enough to buy I went with it. In the end, we have stayed longer (relaxed the saving to have some fun) because it's a lovely place to live. I just needed to sit with it a while to see what could be done.

Like you say, old houses are easy because they often have the traditional focal fireplace. But it's just about creating a new focal point (or a number of points of interest). Eg picture windows or even more temporary solutions like a feature coffee table. In some ways you get a lot more flexibility for that with a new house. It doesn't have to mean the ubiquitous cold shades of white and grey!

If you've got a healthy decorating budget you could have a fancy modern looking log burning stove installed. They can either put the flue up through an airing cupboard or similar, or have one through the outside of the wall. Then you have your fireplace.

Definitely think scandi style or mid century type furniture for the more modern house, it could look amazing.

Hello!
Just a quick update to say we had our offer accepted on house 2 today and I'm finally feeling properly excited 😁 Thank you all for taking the time to be reassuring.

I’m excited for you OP, is the house a ‘modern’ modern house or one that’s built in a traditional style? Either way it’s amazing what transformations can be achieved.

Betty boo where did you find those amazing images?

Harried I just Goggled “Exterior house transformations UK” and there are loads more images to have a look at.

Thank you. Incredible creativity out there!