Location or house?

[Jelly0naplate]

Currently live in an enviable location (people comment on it when they discover where we live), it's a traditional semi, quiet street, close enough to amenities to walk to the shops etc, walk the kids to schoo, lovely parkside location. But the house has issues such as no master ensuite, it doesn't have the open plan we'd like if we could choose a new place now. We could go into the loft but it would cost more than the value it would add to the house. So would you do the loft, there isn't an affordable option for open plan and small garden so can't extend, and stay here for the location orgive up the location for the house aspects that we could choose?

Not sure but following with interest because we are having the same dilemma!

We can stay where we are area wise and be okay for a few years, or move (not far) but to a much bigger property for our money

We went for location. Luckily ours is big enough for us, but it doesn't have an en-suite or open plan kitchen. We do however have enough space for 6 cars on the drive, are opposite a church so not overlooked and within a couple of minutes walk of schools, shops, takeaways, whilst feeling like it's rural with the outlook over the church.
We considered a 'more suitable/upmarket' house, but the location was more important to us.

It was in the past location,location! But things can change
It was always said if you bought in a lesser area it may go down further /be harder to sell in in a price slump but in some areas of say London this was certainly not the case.
We looked recently at a small town and the difference between the districts was a 3 bed semi and a 3 bed detached.
There will always be something that will irritate in any house.
Moving is expensive so why not go for your forever home now?

If you did the loft conversion how long would you stay in the house? If you're making it into a long term home then don't worry about the value. If you'd still sell in a few years time, then you may as well move now to a house you want.

If you love the location and doing the loft would solve the issues with the house, then yes I'd do it regardless of whether it added value or not.

If buying again, I think there will always be some element of compromise. Our house isn't in the number 1 location I'd have chosen but it is in a location that works for us, close to family and work and not too far from the beautiful countryside is have liked to be in. It is much bigger than we could have afforded in that place. Other people would have chosen the smaller house in the better area , which is afterall, why that's more expensive.

Location!

Location every time

I vehemently disagree with the obsession with location on Mumsnet. I just don't think it can ever be as black and white as "location, location, location" if a house isn't meeting your needs how can it possibly be the perfect location. Obviously I wouldn't pick the perfect house on a street of crack dens, but as with most things in life there is usually a middle option that can work well.

Open plan isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's nice to have one big room, but there are advantages to keeping some separate spaces too. Not sure if you have children or not but if you do, bear in mind that open plan is nice when they are small but most teenagers spend a lot of time hiding in their bedrooms so open plan is a bit of a waste.

I'd go into the loft. Don't worry about how much value it adds - just do it for yourself.

@Bateshotel do you mind sharing your location? We are in a dilemma, we live in a lovely part on London in a ground floor flat but it is dark in kitchen/diner as the bathroom is at back and blocks the light from the garden. Reconfiguration would cost of lot and want to trade up to a house ideally in nice location.

Thanks all.

Kids are 7 and 5 so there is a an amount of wanting the open plan so I can see them while they're doing homework at the table etc while I'm sorting tea etc.

Loft conversion £30-40kand with current stamp duty not applicable it is making us think the loft isn't worth it and to move instead but our location is amazing for a young family. But on the other hand, we if move out of this area it will price us out and I doubt we'd be able to move back in. Also we can walk into town from here so when we do have teenagers they don't rely on us for life's!

I don't think there is a right answer!

Depends.

The nicer area is half a mile away but the properties are small. The second room would take two single beds and a small chest.

So we moved further out, we are closer to shops, bus routes and the school, the house is 4 beds so a room each, plus the open plan kitchen dinner en-suite etc.

Same cost. Much better day to day living.

Location. Third to this house was a 3-bed semi with garage and off road parking and I sold up and downsized to a small 2-bed cottage with only space for one small car (lovely rural and sunset views, nicer area). I was on my own at the time so I didn't have an issue with space though.

Walking to everything trumps your other concerns for me. I’d do the loft. There might be a way to open up sight lines on the ground floor without losing walls - hatches and Internal windows for example.
In 5 years your eldest will want privacy more than “watching over” while doing homework.

If the location suits you then wy move?

If it's good for your DC, good for when they are teens ...? Otherwise you'll spend your time ferrying them about or subbing them bus fare ( at the moment teens in our areahave free travel, then reduced Oyster Fare but who knows if that will last ?)

If you have your loft done can that be the Master Bedroom then you have an ensuite ?

And .your NDNs . Are they good ? What might you end up with if you move ?

Does depend, but, at the age your dc are, I can't understand why you would be wanting to move to open plan. It makes no sense. Before you turn round they will be teens and want to be in their own space. They are already of an age where you don't need them 'in sight' at all times, and there will be increasing number of times when one needs quiet whilst the other is watching TV or one wants to practice and instrument or be talking to friends via a game whilst the other wants to watch something.
Same with garden, they are actually coming up to an age where they are too big for much play in the garden anyway. Yes, go for a big garden when you are moving somewhere when they are babies and toddlers - it is SUCH an advantage during the Primary years, but from about 9 most gardens are too small for football or riding scooters anyway.
You are 100% right about teens (and even into young adults) wanting independence. Not something that had crossed my mind when we offered on our house (when mine were 6,4, and 1) but over the last 17 years I can't begin to tell you how good it has been to live where they can walk to school / shop / park / bus / train / dentist / Scouts etc etc etc. MASSIVE advantage. I can't begin to tell you.

As ever on these threads though, if you feel you need more room

Location, we did the opposite and I hate where we live, beautiful county house, with space and I'll sell it for a pound, to move back to where I used to live.

We just got so caught up in the wants we forgot to think about the social stuff, the community and everything else. It's the last time in my life I listen to my husbands wants for land, and my taste for a challenge and project.

I literally can't wait to move we are semi trapped now as schools for the next 3-4 years then I'm out like a flash, I'd buy a filed and live in a tent in my old village 😂😂

Location every time

You can do a lot to a house. Have you asked an architect? You can totally redesign the layout. Think of moving costs - stamp duty, estate agent fees, lawyers etc. If you can't find a house in your desired location, look to what you have and how it can be (radically) changed.

I live in a £600k flat in SE town
It was two bed. I could have moved to a less amazing location and been in a detached 5 bed place.
Instead I spent > £25k converting the main bedroom (huge) into two bedrooms so that my two children had a bedroom each and adding an en-suite.

Not. A. Single. Regret.

I adore where I live. Walking distance to wonderful variety of functional shops and also lovely quirky independents, to outstanding schools, stunning green spaces, woodlands, 5 min walk to train station (London in under an hour).

Just perfect.

@Atadaddicted do you mind sharing your SE town as we may be looking to do the same and you describe the place as very lovely and commutable to London

@Pipandmum

You can do a lot to a house. Have you asked an architect? You can totally redesign the layout. Think of moving costs - stamp duty, estate agent fees, lawyers etc. If you can't find a house in your desired location, look to what you have and how it can be (radically) changed.

That's what I was going to say. Stay and employ a good architect

Location is important. Three miles down the road from us there is a community that dump rubbish in the streets and put up roadblocks and you could buy four large houses for our modest one - no way!. I know DD can walk home safely from the station. We could move and get a far bigger house but are hoping the planning changes mean we can finally build the little loft room and move my daughter there and my mother into our dining room as her reception area and put a lift into DD’s old bedroom. We might break even in the value but it is our home and would probably do it even if it meant a loss. We want to keep the lovely neighbours (who approved the previous planning application for the Council to reject it), amenities and proximity to London suburb station, shops and community clubs.

Open plan wouldn’t have worked for us during lockdown, I had my study, DD had the dining room and DH the living room which has a desk at one end. Yes we have a lovely kitchen diner but we would have been in difficult situations for meetings and home working and schooling if our dining room and living room had all been knocked into the kitchen.

DD3 is 9 and the most adamant that she hates the open plan downstairs. Safe walks to public transport are absolutely my priority for the older ones too.