Which house to buy?!

[Leahd89]

We have accepted an offer on our property and are due to complete in 2 weeks, we didn't see anywhere suitable so have moved in with my parents, currently have a 1 year old and due our second in September. We missed out on a few properties, one was a dream home that was at the top of our budget then went up out of budget. We had an offer accepted on a house last week, however we just found out my parents next door neighbours house is going up for sale and we have arranged a viewing.

In your opinion which sounds better? They're completely different so I'm torn!

House 1

Pros
1930s period semi-detached house
5 minute walk to parks/shops/cafes
Younger feeling area than house 2
Decent size house

Cons
Closer to 2nd and 3rd choice schools (5 minute walk and 20 minute walk)
Small garden
Small driveway (so lots of cars parked in the street)
Would need a small extension

House 2

Pros
Detached
Large driveway (DH has a large van)
Decent biggish garden
Next door to parents
Catchment area of 1st choice school (10-15 minute walk)
Private/not overlooked
5 minute walk to shopping centre

Cons
Not our style (70s bungalow)
In need of renovation and extension
Up a hill
A little bit further out than we had hoped for

Obviously I might know straight away once I've viewed the second house but what do you guys think?

Thanks

I wouldn't buy a house in need of renovation or extension with a baby and another on the way - speaking from experience.
I'd also hate a bungalow and living next door to parents (also from experience)...
So I'd keep looking.

raspberryk OP can add value to the bungalow by building outwards and upwards in the future as her family grows. If she and her DH are happy living next to her parents then that's all good too.

Good luck with the viewing Leah89

From the pics I'd go for the 1930s house. I don't think you'd even consider the other if your parents weren't next door. That's the only draw, which has cons as well as pros. There's a reason why your folks live in a house like that, it doesn't feel like the vibe for a young family. And I do like bungalows, but I wouldn't want to be in one from cradle to grave. As you've mentioned the draw of being more in the hustle and bustle, the house has the edge. As long as you're definitely still in a decent school catchment, then I'd strike out a bit more and stake out your own space.

Thanks for all the advice, so went to the viewing and was thinking I was going to get a good vibe and I just didn't feel it at all, felt nothing towards the house! We realised we would want to completely reconfigure the rooms, extend and change the facade to something more modern, so basically we liked it was in the catchment area and on a decent plot, but I don't think that's enough so even if the 1930s house didn't exist I still wouldn't be interested! Glad I went though, and we are going for another viewing of the 1930s house, even though it doesn't tick all the boxes I think my heart is with that one 🤞😁

Good to get that clear gut reaction. I did think that the amount of work you were talking about, extending it and so on, meant the house itself probably wasn't right for you and you were having to make it into something else, rather than finding something more right to start with. Whereas the 1930s house hopefully feels like something right for this stage of your life and you can see how it goes and move up the ladder in future... and maybe save such a bungalow for a later stage...

Having seen the pics I thought the 1930s house looked so much nicer!

A 5 min drive away from parents is fine.

How big is the front garden on 1930s house- could you borrow some garden to increase parking?

I found myself really struggling on your behalf, OP. But it sounds like you've seen the light. I too would go with 1930s, mainly because it's closer to civilisation! You don't want to feel too cut-off where it's just you and your back garden. It's really great to have access to shops and cafes. It matters more than we realise. The 1930s house is a great looking house.

Doesnt sound like you really want either. Keep looking.

That 1930s house looks really nice. Almost has some hints towards an Edwardian style. Could you increase the drive be getting rid of the hedge?

So just an update, we were meant to view the 1930s house again but the tenants were self isolating as they had coronavirus symptoms 🤦‍♀️ but they are moving out in a few weeks so possibly will get a look when the lockdown is over, I can't imagine there's any rush now as I'm sure it'll take a while with most businesses closed at the moment

Bungalow
No decision to make.
Once you have children the convenience of being next door to the person who minds your child is worth so much. Would you expect your mum to bus it to your other house when she is minding?

I have lived in a bungalow the last ten years and I will never go back to stairs. It is so convenient with kids, no worry about fire in a house preventing you get to your children.