Grand design or not?

[ScottishDream]

I’ve found the most amazing house.

4 bedrooms, big gardens, rural. Hugely under budget (we’d be mortgage free!) but requires a full refurbishment - bathrooms, kitchens, redecorating, flat roofed extension that needs sorting, heating system replacement. DC would need to move school but are Year 1/3 so would cope. A big change of area too, which means I’d need to change jobs. DH is home based so it wouldn’t affect him.

DH wants a much more sensible estate house in town. Nothing much needed except minor redecoration. We’d be doubling our mortgage. Children could stay in the same school. I could stay in my job where TBF I’m perfectly happy.

How to we decide? We both seem to want such different things.

Renovating a house like that is very expensive and hugely stressful. I think he would have to be fully onboard in order to contemplate it or he'd blame you. Those kind of houses are marriage enders if you're not careful. Whatever you think you need for a budget double it!

I can see the attraction of both houses

Would the rural house make you cash once done up? Do you see it as a long term house? What are the transport links like for the kids as they will need to get about independently at secondary age. Will DH be dragged into coordinating DIY when he doesn’t want to? Can you afford to put your own stamp on the house and make it something special. How will you cope with practicalities and driving more.

Do you like the town and estate your DH has in mind? Will you miss putting your own stamp on the house? Is it suitable for long term?

Is there a compromise to be found? Both these houses are polar opposite and neither would appeal to me

Rural house = no mortgage, cul-de-sac house is DOUBLE your mortgage?!!

That’s a huge difference. I’m guessing rural house isn’t in a great location / catchment then? There’s something other than the-decoration and a flat roof to explain the price difference...

With the rural house, have you got a lot of spare cash to do it up? How’s access to amenities for children and yourselves? Have you thought the lifestyle through?

With the rural house you would need to keep hold of cash in order to pay for the renovations so a mortgage would make sense even if it's way below budget.

Your DH works from home but what's the internet like at the rural house? (Presume he relies on internet for his work). We have looked at a few houses that are only a couple of miles outside a large town and already the phone signal and internet speed was appalling when you are used to super fast broadband.