Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

House A or House B...

64 replies

jasmineetcigarette · 17/02/2021 08:45

Opinions please MN!

House A:

  • period terrace, spacious, light, over 4 floors, 4 bed, large kitchen / diner
  • balcony with sea-views
  • will need new kitchen, carpets, floors, general decor, etc to bring up to ideal
  • small enclosed decked 'garden', not much scope for anything there
  • 5 mins walk from sea, 10 mins from town, can buy a pint of milk round the corner, road is fine but there is a medium-sized business premises selling to the building / reno trade almost opposite house
  • street parking only
  • will need a mortgage but manageable >£600 per month
  • loads and loads of potential with a bit of money spent on it

House B:

  • period terrace, 2 smallish doubles and box room, less feeling of space and light, more cottagey and cramped
  • lovely style, wouldn't need to do anything much in terms of decor etc BUT would want to do a loft conversion eventually for more space
  • larger garden, shed, rooms for veg, chickens etc Grin
  • feels like it's 'done' already, not much scope to add value
  • quiet road, pretty park at the end, 10 mins walk from sea, 20 mins from town
  • street parking only
  • would be mortgage free

Obviously the idea of being mortgage free in a pretty house is VERY tempting. I really really like the house itself. However we are currently in a much larger place and I think we would really really miss the space. There is no obvious sign of loft conversions done on other houses in the road.

Half the year it will be just DH and I (dd at uni) but we do like to entertain, have people to stay etc (when allowed!) I also work from home and have a hobby that I would really like a 'spare' room for. DH is understandably very keen on being mortgage free but does like the potential of the other house too.

WWYD?

OP posts:
SherryPalmer · 17/02/2021 09:25

Neither sound ideal. Why not keep looking for a three double bed house with off road parking? That would be worth taking a mortgage for.

NoGoodPunsLeft · 17/02/2021 09:29

Is there room to extend house B rather than to do a loft conversion?

Personally I'd never buy any house without a drive let alone in a seaside town.

TokenGinger · 17/02/2021 09:33

It would be B for me. Given DD is off to uni, I'd assume in the next few years she'll likely move out too, meaning you'd have two spare rooms at that point plus the potential of a loft conversion.

£600 for the next 15 years is over £100k, plus the cost is renovating inside and you still have no garden.

I'd rather invest that £100k into a loft conversation and have an ample amount of change back, be mortgage free and have a nice garden.

JE17 · 17/02/2021 09:43

Both sound lovely. With only one grown up DC to consider it would be B for me. I love to be in the garden. Also very nice to be mortgage free and in a better position to help DC get started/ travel/ save...

LarsErickssong · 17/02/2021 10:00

How much of an issue will no parking be? I live in a seaside town and parking is generally fine even in summer for most of the area it's only the immediate area around the town centre that gets busy so only you can gauge if no private parking is an issue.

splishsplashsploshs · 17/02/2021 10:01

b because of the garden, if it wasn't for that I'd say a.

MaryIsA · 17/02/2021 11:34

I'd go for the garden and build a garden room for the hobby. Declutter and feel lighter.

(I say that as we've just bought a house that's ridiculously too big for us with a garden that's a bit too small and a mortgage when we were mortgage free). Same stage of life.

We'll be downsizing in about 10 years I feel .... and could possibly just have skipped the 'big house'.

Proudboomer · 17/02/2021 11:45

B as the garden is important to me plus I wouldn’t want a project house and all the mess and upheaval that comes with it. I am just getting to old and stuck in my ways to want to do that again.
Parking would be an important factor but I wouldn’t rule out on street as long it wasn’t metered or permit holders.

shhhbabysleeping · 17/02/2021 11:51

I'd go with B but take out a small mortgage to pay for a loft conversion straight away

NoSquirrels · 17/02/2021 11:56

B, if a builder came round to assess the loft for possible conversion before you bought. If it's not suitable, and there's no other possibility of extending, it may just be too small.

Not sure I'd buy A. Trade businesses opposite, no parking so close to seafront location, teeny garden and needing a mortgage...

sunshinesupermum · 17/02/2021 12:01

You're comparing apples and oranges. This. Neither seems quite right. Carry on looking!

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 17/02/2021 13:07

Of the two it would be house B for me - mainly because the location sounds much nicer. Also that bit further away from town and sea should hopefully mean less struggle for on street parking - a big bonus for many people. Even if you aren't a big gardener, a larger garden could be pleasant in the spring/summer and make the house easier to resell in future as it could appeal to family's too (and obviously being mortgage free would be lovely).

You can use tricks with light reflecting paint, mirrors, clever storage and zoning to make a house feel more spacious and lighter. My only query would be to check with a builder/ the council to see whether you are able to extend if you need to, as it sounds like there's no precedent? There's no point buying a house that's too small for your needs if there's no way to extend. For me "adding value" doesn't matter as much, but being able to comfortably live in a place does.

Hallyup5 · 17/02/2021 13:21

Neither. House A sounds amazing but small garden, no parking and 4 floors would be an issue for me.
House B has the same parking issue and is too small by the sounds of it.

Wait for house C.

Original poster
jasmineetcigarette · 17/02/2021 13:44

There's no point buying a house that's too small for your needs if there's no way to extend. For me "adding value" doesn't matter as much, but being able to comfortably live in a place does

I agree! If a loft conversion was a possibility then I think it would be a bit of a no-brainer but otherwise... We'll need to do some further digging I think.

Parking is not a deal-breaker for us but I do take the point about proximity to the beach and that's worth bearing in mind for both of them.

OP posts:
SummerBlondey · 17/02/2021 13:52

I was going to say A, until I read about a business being opposite. What is it?

The difference is cost sounds huge though, so I feel neither is right and you need something in between.

SummerBlondey · 17/02/2021 13:53

I have a sea view myself, and it's a big thing for me.

Taoneusa · 17/02/2021 14:10

Think you want the middle way ...
How about a possible property C...

10-15 minutes from the sea
Spacious, space enough for everyone
decent size garden, for chickens
Walkable shop for pint of milk
£3-400 a month mortgage

Gobbeldegook · 17/02/2021 14:20

A, but only cause I love to watch the sea. That would swing it for me.

Original poster
jasmineetcigarette · 17/02/2021 14:41

We probably do want a middle way. Trouble is that most of the housing stock around here is either big, old, slightly neglected houses or smaller terraces, with not much in between! Fairly typical of coastal towns I guess. We do want a period property and to be as close to the sea as possible so that does restrict us a bit.

OP posts:
RedLlama · 17/02/2021 15:11

B

Andthenanothercupoftea · 17/02/2021 16:31

B but maybe release some equity or get a loan (if needed) to invest in building a really nice summer house/annex/outbuilding in the large garden. It could be a hobby space or entertaining space and with the right planning etc possibly a place visitors could stay or dd could use when home from university to have their own space.

Also if it's a relatively long term home think about maintenance/upkeep etc. might be easier on a smaller house.

Newgirls · 17/02/2021 16:36

Can you shorten the mortgage and pay a bit more? If you are (I guess early 50s) then getting rid of that would be good? Might encourage husband.

cruisecrazy · 17/02/2021 17:05

Agree with Splann as I also live in seaside town. Apart from parking shopping is also a nightmare, why on earth Mum, Dad and all the kids have to go to the supermarket is beyond me.

MrsLorensen · 17/02/2021 22:44

Think you might regret B. Moving to something that has the potential to feel cramped, after the proportions you are used to, wouldn't be fun. And whilst the garden sounds lovely, it wouldn't help much during winter months.

StanfordPines · 17/02/2021 22:48

@Splann

I live in a popular UK seaside town 5 mins from the beach etc. Honestly I wouldn’t buy without your own parking. March to October it’s impossible to park. Not tricky, impossible! It would soon become a big headache for you.
Yes. Been there, done that, in two different seaside towns. Complete arse ache. I used to just not use the car in the summer.
Swipe left for the next trending thread