Please help. Which property would you choose?

[PrettyLittleLiar20]

Single mum to 2 kids here and finally moving into my own home since my split from ex. I’ve got the chance of living in a large house with a good size garden or a smallish flat and I really can’t decide what’s best! The house is an absolute state. We’re talking wallpaper coming off the walls, ruined, filthy disgusting carpet from the 80s everywhere. Bathroom is the worst it’s a absolutely disgusting and I’d be embarrassed to have DDs friends over to use it. Everywhere will also need to be re-wallpapered and painted. The carpet will all have to be pulled up and id have to just paint the floorboards to make them look fresh and live with that as the problem is im broke! The flat on the other hand is small but very nicely decorated and feels clean and fresh inside with nice walls and laminate floor. If I chose the house I’d only be able to decorate say one room every 2 months as I’d have to save up for the supplies and even then I’m not good at DIY so it would be a bodge job! I just don’t want to make the wrong decision!

With your update- go for the flat, put aside the extra you would have spent on rent and doing up the house, and plan to move on to a bigger house when you can afford it. Don't spend money doing up a rented house - make it too nice and the landlord will evict you so they can put the rent up.

The flat, definitely. You shouldn't be paying to renovate someone else's property.

Make sure you consider properties that don't belong to your friend. And don't hold on too much to the idea that this move is for the very, very long term.

In the shorter long term, the flat is the best place for you to go. It's cheaper and it's in a good state,

The flat, spend that £200 a month on something else.

If you really wanted the house could you negotiate a reduced rent in return for doing up, to reflect the value you would be adding?

Like “yes, I will do it up for you, it costs £x per day/room/ hour” ?

I was going to say the house til you said it was rented. The LL is taking the piss. I wouldnt even consider it if it's being rented in that state. Imagine you spend all that time & money and once its renovated the landlord kicks you out?

If you were buying I'd go for the house no question but youd be mad to invest in someone else's property

The landlord is completely taking advantage of you by offering you a flat that by the sounds of it is well short of the minimum standards required to rent on the open market and expecting you to pay rent whilst you fix it up for them! Definitely do not do this. Just don’t. Take the flat, save the money and plan to use it to move to a house in a few years time. And be wary of this landlord, they don’t sound like a nice person.

Flat. No point ploughing dead money into the house. The LL is taking the piss.

Flat. Without a doubt. Move in, get in with your life vs spend every weekend and your disposable income doing up someone else’s house

Do you think that the landlord might consider reducing the house rent slightly if you are going to be spending a lot of your own money doing the place up?

Unless you are getting much cheaper rent than the going rate locally I personally would avoid renting from a friend particularly since in your case they seem to be a bit shifty already! Check out local agents and see what they have and how much they're charging!

If you take the house and do it up really nicely over time, the LL might put the rent up to reflect it's new value, or decide to sell it in it's newly presentable condition.

The flat. And save the £200 to get your own place.

If you spend £200 a month decorating someone else's house you are literally throwing your money and helping someone else pay off their mortgage.

Thanks everyone!

If it’s a rented house the landlord should be replacing carpeting and decor and a bathroom, sounds like he’s not above board as a landlord.

If you really want the house you maybe able to get the landlord to buy materials and you do the work for a reduced rent. The only thing is once done rental value maybe more so depends how trustworthy they are. There's lots of guides on Homebase etc on doing work.

If rented, as you say, the flat.

If owned, then I’d say the house. No point investing in the tatty house if you aren’t going to own it.

Good luck!

if you were buying i would say house.

But no, absolutely flat. The LL is mugging you off! There are standards to rent houses out