What thing did you compromise on when buying home?

[Sweett00th]

I feel as though I may have to compromise just so to beat stamp duty. I have choice of putting up with a two bed terrace which also has study , amazing bathroom but a small horrid concrete tiered garden @£375k Or the 3 bed terrace renovated, fab garden though bathroom has no window! @415k.

Did you compromise in end for your home?

This house the compromise was that it is a semi. But we got location, a period property, and all the space we wanted and the kitchen and bathrooms are good quality and reasonably new so we don't need to replace any time soon. The alternative was a cheaper detached house with original parquet flooring (weeps) but dreadful location (nice area but on a very busy road and the south facing garden was next to the road so would never have been used) and not such a good layout.

Last house we bought was a detached 3 bed and there wasn't really any compromise. Loved that house, we just outgrew it.

We compromised on having an East-facing back garden (and I do still miss my former West-facing one) and no off-road parking. I think it was worth it. We have a 3 storey, 7 bedroom Edwardian semi which is only 10 mins walk from the town centre. We’ve really really appreciated the space this year.

I think that, unless you build and design your own home and have a massive budget, there’s pretty much always a compromise to be made.

This ^

Whatever your budget, it is just that. "if only you had £X more" applies at all stages of the property hunting ladder. So everyone needs to accept that "the perfect house" doesn't exist, as, if you were in a financial position to buy that perfect house, then you would almost certainly be looking for things that only exist in the next tier up.

I found that what I wanted actually changed as I viewed properties. My biggest compromise was not having two proper reception rooms. Instead it’s a reception room and a conservatory. To set against that I got a village location (I started off looking in a city) and I’m only using 2/3 of my budget so I have money to make any alterations I want.

Went from a detached to a larger/ wide semi...with brown uPVC windows[white inside] and a poorly designed kitchen extension.

Redesigned and replaced the kitchen, and currently having the windows painted with a reliable uPVC paint and they now look amazing.

Just fell in love with the gardens and interior of this place, it felt cosy/homely/lovely feel/plenty of light and still love it after nearly 10 years.

You have to compromise, but equally there are things that you shouldn't compromise on as it will drive you insane.
I have a list of desirable and essential, my last house had a tiny garden (compromise) but it had uninterrupted sun from 12pm until sunset (for me essential) the alternative had a fabulous garden but only morning sun. You need to think hard what really matters, I want a utility but I need a downstairs toilet, I'd like a garage but need a driveway. I like to be rural but I need a shop in walking distance. Just find what matters.

Funny we compromised on the bathrooms. No windows in any of the 3. We loved the location & the house but it is mid terrace. It was this or a smaller semi with windows in bathrooms.

Don't regret our decision.

Well I didn't want to live through building work having done so in the last 2 houses.

Reader, I lived through building work.

Semi detached. But in all honesty I don't think in our area we could have got a detached without making other compromises. Probably needs a bit more renovation than we initially wanted, though it doesn't worry us - also a slightly smaller driveway than we wanted but still better than what we have!

Edit: I forgot the good points that make the compromise worthwhile!
Village location, walking distance to primary school (not necessary now but hopefully for the future) great SW facing garden for doggo and lots of wonderful walks, plus shorter commutes. And a 4 bed rather than a 3 bed which we had mostly been looking at. Plus a utility

From talking to people, orientation of garden is a common compromise.

South facing gardens seem to be like gold dust. West is similar.

When 2nd hand properties come on the market they tend to be East or North facing gardens. Little choice as to orientation in a lot of cases.

@Sweett00th

Thanks, Which do you prefer?

I’m interested to see how I could get natural light into bathroom

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-83574541.html

This one I find study location bit odd plus garden smaller but divine bathroom
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-98369453.html

Our budget can go upto 460 so wondering if we hold out. My buyers want to move in very soon so we will move into rental or Airbnb. I guess I’m thinking we save on stamp duty but with potential prices dropping who knows!

I'd probably go for the first - more bedrooms, no work to do. Windowless bathrooms but don't out really nicely so I don't know that it would bother me as they feel like hotel bathrooms! Also a much more usable garden space.

Small house that needed renovation & extending.
But lovely area and very very cheep yet top of our budget.

Very shrewd move as we did all the work and it’s worth 3 times what we paid for it. It’s been a lovely family home.

Our comprises look like choosing which anti social behaviour we’re most comfortable with.

Ranging from posh new build estates to ex council houses - they ALL have problems next door / nearby!! Quietest being the ex council house (but needs a lot of work!)

Shocking really and it’s taught me that house value, location, house attractiveness and ownership make barely any difference. There is literally ASB everywhere!

I’m in a naice part of the SW too

Size.

We wanted to live in a nice village, and definitely not on an estate. Our budget would have bought us a five bed, three bath detached on a suburban estate anywhere in the East Midlands, but to get an individual ‘character’ property in the right village, we had to settle for 3 beds & a small garden. Definitely no regrets, though.

Leaving a house (on divorce) which, after lots of work, ended up with zero compromises and a SUPERB location, but which I didn't really enjoy given the miserable state of my marriage. Now compromising on parking and garden and layout, but getting space, aspect, location, affordability, charm and hopefully a happy space for me and my kids .

It's not the most wonderful street, but it's the village I wanted, and I got two bathrooms, a utility, two reception rooms and a kitchen I could put a table in... So I'm damned pleased, especially on a single divorced Income

But bathroom without a window... I'd put up with that for other benefits

Garden size and where the sun sets. Can't do much about either sadly !

Jesus they're pricy! We compromised on location and on how much work needed doing. But it was this or rent. So we've made the right decision and it's not forever.

Location. But it would’ve cost an extra £500,000 more to be one street over (and our house cost £335,000). So we bought the cheaper house. Which meant we could afford private schools for the DC.

@Sweett00th

Thanks, Which do you prefer?

I’m interested to see how I could get natural light into bathroom

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-83574541.html

This one I find study location bit odd plus garden smaller but divine bathroom
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-98369453.html

Our budget can go upto 460 so wondering if we hold out. My buyers want to move in very soon so we will move into rental or Airbnb. I guess I’m thinking we save on stamp duty but with potential prices dropping who knows!

The 2nd one is larger in terms of size and its end terrace which tends to be better usually (feels more like a semi detached as only 1 neighbour to share wall with). It also has the window for the bathroom which is important for ventilation. The bathroom is nice too; freestanding bath and also a shower so you have options.

It is a 2 bedroom house with a study; great if you wfh. I don't think the study/office would be a great bedroom, especially off the kitchen and with all those windows looking in; there's no privacy!

I like the second one 100x more. So much more practical.
Plus only neighbours on one side.
It is just so much nicer all round, even before I saw the price difference.
Would be no brainer in my eyes (without knowing the area, just going on the floorplan and photos).

Having only one bathroom and an extremely small garden