Right house wring end of the road

[Changingwiththetimes]

Anyone who saw my post on middle room issues - I returned to the house and have decided against it.
So we missed out on a house last week to cash buyers (I'm about to exchange but crucially, haven't yet, when I do I will be in a better position and I'm not getting a mortgage). House was only on the market for two days.
Anyway, saw similar house on a parallel street. I think overpriced slighty as whereas the other house had a newish and lovely kitchen, this one is dated. Anyway it had the same 'feel'. Only real issue is it's on the far end of the street. The house values are consistent no matter which end, but the other end is closer to the park, shops and tube station we need to get to every day (this end closer to a train station, but not one that goes in to central London). We are talking about a quarter mile difference. One of my things is I want to be walking distance to shops and tube, and I know its just maybe ten minutes, but that extra ten minutes might make me take the car rather than walk. My daughter will have to leave bang on 7.30 to get the tube to school on time if walking, but in reality I can see I'll be giving her a lift to the station as neither of us are great at mornings!
Would a quarter mile extra distance make any difference to you or am I just being lazy? I'm in a bit of a time crunch as about to be homeless and we are currently living 70 miles away - now that would be too long a commute to school! Otherwise I might have waited for another house to come on.

It would. That extra time in winter feels like forever!

A quarter of a mile is about a 3 minute walk, not 10 minutes.

If the house is perfect, don't disregard it for the sake of 3 minutes.

Or is it more than a quarter of a mile?

a quarter of a mile is a ridiculously short distance. No way would I give us the chance to buy the ideal house for a quarter of a mile.

Why don't you go to the house and walk the distance and see how long it actually takes you? It does seem a rather minor thing to worry about - why not think about it as getting an extra half a mile of exercise in each day without even noticing?

@Schoolchoicesucks Three minutes? That's a more than 5 miles an hour running pace!
It's not the ideal house at all, but a good house. And it's added to a distance, not the only distance - it makes it almost a mile to the station and shops, that's my point. But seems like the majority think I am lazy - I suppose I'm still smarting from missing out on a better house, same price, in better location!

So how far is the new house from the station/park etc?

I agree that if you have to walk past the house you lost at the end of walking home each day, with heavy shopping, in the rain etc, it could feel irritating.

And maybe 1/4 a mile is a 5 minute walk rather than 3 minutes (-unless you are about to miss the tube in which case you walk fast!-). If the original walk was 5 minutes, adding another 5 is nothing. If the original walk was 20 mins, adding another 5 is too much.

I wouldn't discount for 1/4 mile (4 mph is my general walking pace though). But even 5 minutes rather than just-under 4 minutes isn't much, IMO. But then my walk to the station was longer and I did it for many years, plus I'm a walk everywhere within a few miles kind of person. So my take on it will never be the same as yours!

Go and try the walk. It's easy to say a quarter of a mole is nothing... But if it's a steep hill and major road to cross that's different to a pleasant walk across a well lit park.

Unless you have mobility issues a quarter of a mile should be less than 5 minutes. Seems drastic to give up a house for that.

A quarter of a mile is five minutes, even for me and my lazy legs!

OK so a quarter mile is five minutes. Making it a 20 minute walk to shops. I have to admit I don't do that now - hence my desire to live nearer (10min or less) to civilisation.
My daughter did say let's walk it see how it feels. She'll be walking it every day, twice, but we live 70 miles away and when we viewed it it was pouring with rain.
I guess it's not enough of a reason in itself. Maybe I'm making it one - I do kinda feel like I'm compromising the area in the first place as my first house wanted the buyer is still looking and even her agent is sending me new listings, the second house we lost to cash buyer and now I'm making another concession just to buy a place. Any place.
But thanks for your thoughts and if I buy it maybe the extra walking will help shift the covid stone I've put on!

I've put an offer in - fingers crossed!

Good luck with your offer. Most people have to compromise on something and this isn't a big deal. The market is hot in London for houses at the moment so I wouldn't want to miss out for something petty.

The 1/4 mile does add to the overall time. Where we live we have a tube station that's 0.3 miles and another at 0.5, guess which one we use
But I don't think it's a deal breaker in house buying. Don't underestimate or trivialise the extra time, accept it and you'll have no annoying surprises.

personally, for me, 20mins to the station would be too far. 15mins is my cut-off point. I also need civilization and for me it's as much about feeling part of the hustle and bustle and in the middle of nowhere. but i know that i am quite peculiar that way and most people dont care.

Ha I agree @mooming! I'd live in the centre of the hustle and bustle if I could! Ideally I want a great coffee/breakfast cafe right next door and everything right on my doorstep!