House A or House B...

[jasmineetcigarette]

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
• 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?

I would go for B on the basis that the renovation required for A might end up being far more costly than you imagine. An older property in need of a new kitchen and floors is bound to have electrical, damp, plumbing, chimney, roof, and other issues. The more work you do on it the more you will find.

..................
why on earth Mum, Dad and all the kids have to go to the supermarket is beyond me
Because you can't leave them alone in a strange town, and you haven't brought your mum along to look after them...

House A although maybe neither is quite right?

House B, with a view to a garden room and assessing the reality of being able to convert the loft.

I wouldn’t buy anywhere without dedicated parking

I live very close to the beach in a touristy area and if you aren't bothered about parking now, you will be if you move to one of these houses with no other parking options!

If there are no restrictions, say goodbye to parking outside your house (or anywhere close to it) during all school holidays, sunny weekends, bank holidays. It's a nightmare and I have a drive - only one of us can get parked on it.

Not to mention the dicks who park across your driveway and block you in - this happens more than you would imagine.

It's a nightmare - think carefully.

mathanxiety Is Dad incapable of looking after the kids ?

I would choose A but increase the payments as much as you can afford so it's paid off ASAP.

B - But, I would need to be sure a loft conversion was really feasible, I would talk to planning dept, find out building control requirements, and get a builder’s estimate. I‘d also look at possibility of a hobby building in garden.

A - I’d be put off by business opposite, amount of work needed and cost escalation, lack of garden, and 4 floors would be annoying for me even if the property is bigger.

Lack of parking in a seaside town is a big issue with both properties, property A is near the sea and town, and with the business opposite likely to be a worse issue.

True dat, @cruisecrazy, but having seen the limitations of exH when it came to child watching while on beaches, near lakes, on mountain side trails, and in rented accommodation with limited childproofing measures, I am not surprised that there are mothers who opt for a trip to the supermarket en famille. ExH also had form for ignoring lists and returning with what he imagined to be perfectly reasonable alternatives and substitutes.

Plus, a rainy day has to be filled one way or another.

Because you can't leave them alone in a strange town, and you haven't brought your mum along to look after them...

All in all, maybe "them" in that sentence should include some dads.

I like the sound of House A, but if you're planning to live there long term, how would you cope with the four floors if one you developed a dodgy knee, for example?

why on earth Mum, Dad and all the kids have to go to the supermarket is beyond me
Because you can't leave them alone in a strange town, and you haven't brought your mum along to look after them...

Dad or Mum can't be left alone with their kids in a strange town?

A

Wouldn't buy either, not without at least on street residents/permit parking. You might not be bothered at the moment but if this is a retirement property you've got to think about things that will make your life easier when you're not as nimble as you are now. It's a different matter if you intend on ditching the car enitirely but if not, I'd keep looking.

Thanks all! House B has now gone under offer (not to us!) so that's out anyway. We are still considering House A but that is a bit of a heart over head choice at the moment. There is something about it that we really love, all the light and space, sea views, it just has a good feeling and we could really make it our own. But I do take on board the issues everyone has raised and it's certainly not perfect so I expect we will keep looking.

It's not quite a retirement home yet, we are only mid-40s so hopefully I have a few years of stair-climbing ahead of me

mid-40s (and sociable!) go for light & space.