Which house should we choose?

[Llandrillohouses]

NC for this but a regular.

We viewed two houses today in the same village and struggling to decide between. Important background is that we are almost ready with our sale as we pulled out of a purchase due to the survey so don't know how long our buyers will happily wait.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109363166

Built in 2016 and very practical. Lots of storage, sockets, excellent heating system etc. Current occupants' decor is not to our taste (textured ceilings) and we would want to redecorate every room really.

The kitchen is very dark as in the middle of the house with very little natural light. One way to deal with this would be to knock down wall between kitchen and sitting room (just a stud wall). Split sitting room in half with stud wall to make a smaller, cosier sitting room and then have a big kitchen diner. Could put window in to bring in more light as well. Have attached crude drawing to explain plan.

Garden needs work to make child friendly. Would want to rip up the fake grass and the paved sections between the house and summer house and return to turf. Behind the summer house can remain as is.

Struggle a little to think about where DH will work (he works permanently from home).

Is in an area of the village where flooding is not an issue. Is comfortably affordable (we hope we may be able to knock some off as well). Has no chain and sellers say they are happy to move quickly.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106995371

Absolutely stunning house and needs no work (long term would put in a new kitchen but far from urgent). Pictures don't do justice to garden which is huge and lovely. Sound of the river is amazing.

Has a dedicated study which is a massive bonus for DH. The windows and light in the house is incredible.

House is by the river and no flood information available on Natural Resources Wales. The house is raised up from the river and looking at what is online from when the village flooded in 2000 it appears it was the lower side of the river which was the issue.

House is next to a pub, is a family friendly, restaurant style pub but could still be noisy.

Land behind the house has been bought by a developer and has permission for 9 houses. Separated from us by a barn which is available to buy.

Is absolute top end of budget. Crucially sellers want to downsize in the same village and don't appear to be in a rush.

The first house is probably the head choice but the second feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity house. Thoughts very welcome!

The second is just gorgeous, it's has that lovely feel to it.

Definitely 2nd one

The second one hands down for me. It is beautiful.

I would pick the 1st one simply because of the pub being next to the 2nd one and decor aside I love the garden in the 1st

Was going to say house 2 as house 1 appears quite hemmed in/overlooked but then I saw you’d mentioned planning permission at house 2 for new builds - so for me it’d be how near, what size houses etc. Maybe then house 1 becomes more viable

I wouldn’t buy a house that close to a river. They changed the insurance regulations a few years ago and it’s not to do with how close you are rather than the risk of flooding (at least, this is what happened to a friend of mine). It’s not worth the risk and extra cost in my opinion.

The second is lovely but does it have much storage? It doesn't look like there is an attic? Also if you didn't buy the barn what would happen to it? Would it be sold to be developed into another house?

*now to do with not not!

First house. Living next to a pub is not the kind of once in a lifetime opportunity I would want!

Both look like lovely houses.

The first one looks quite a bit bigger upstairs, the eaves ceilings in bedrooms, per the second one, can be annoying.

The decor is terrible in the first house for a house built just 5 years ago - 90s style!! It would bother me a lot to rip out a kitchen that was only 5 years old. I agree the layout in the first one downstairs is not great either.

The flooding risk may increase as more land is developed, so I believe anyway although am no expert.

On balance, think I’d choose the first one. Could the study not be either the fourth bedroom or built in downstairs if you split the
Reception areas differently?

Much prefer the first one.

Both look like good choices but I'd be nervous about buying next to a pub and next to the new housing.

I actually prefer house 1, though I agree the decor needs sorting. Lots of red carpets and pine and darker wood. But it seems to have more usable space? Great view out the front as well.

I couldn’t live next to a pub.

House 1 has a bonkers number of toilets though for a 4 bed house….6 toilets? To make the kitchen bigger and lighter I’d be tempted to rip the loo out the utility room and knock through to there….so have a bigger L shape kitchen and leave the living room as it is.

There’s a good size shed in the garden, remove that and replace with an insulated cabin, put electrics to it and dh has a garden office. Better than a home office. As it’s cheaper you have the money for that and to put towards carpets, decorating.

First house. You can change things inside the house, you can't change the river and pub!

I'm not all that keen on the second, it looks very cramped upstairs with all the sloping ceilings and beams, no room for wardrobes, the dining room would be tight for space if you pulled the table out too, the kitchen is very dated and I don't like the main bathroom at all. Also the pub and the river would put me off. The first, well it does need a complete interior revamp, kitchen knock through as you;ve suggested and garden remodel but then it would be a very decent family home, albeit lacking in character a bit.

And house 2 doesn’t really have a study, it has a downstairs bedroom which can be used as a study. And only 3 upstairs bedrooms, which look small.

House 1 has 4 upstairs bedrooms so can’t you just use one as a study if really needed?

Other option is a garage conversion?

The second one does make the first one look boring, but I think you could live a happy life in the first one.

The second one is pretty and interesting but I wouldn't want to live in it even without the pub and housing development.

Quite interesting looking at those. £360k here would get something almost exactly half the size with a cupboard-sized kitchen. Bit depressing.

Prefer the first one for a family home. The second one looks small. The first one seems to have more room.

2nd one - gorgeous!

From the outside 100% house number 2 but inside space 100% house number 1.
I think the pub and development would massively put me off as well.
If you took away the outside views then house 1 has so much more usable space and seems much practical.

I think redecorating would transform house 1 - even the kitchen would be hugely different decluttered and with pale units (even painting/spraying the existing ones as an interim measure)

House 2 is lovely, but the building work and pub would be offputting.

Really appreciate all the feedback! There is definitely more scope to improve the first one. It is really only a 3 bed as the 4th bedroom had been turned into a dressing/sitting area with sliding glass doors separating it from the master bedroom. DH could work in there but might find it hard to separate work and home is all.

The summer house in the garden is already insulated and connected to the mains so definitely an option although not sure how good the insulation would be in the depths of winter.

The river is a big concern for me with the second, a beautiful feature but flooding scares me.

House 1 but I would take out the conservatory and knock through into the utility and take the kitchen out to where the conservatory was to make a big square room. There are plenty of toilets so the loss of a downstairs loo would not bother me. Garden is massive so you could make a garden office or just use a bedroom for your DH’s workspace.

I this house 2 is pretty but not that practical. Very limited storage. I do love the hallway though. I don’t think you could really add value to it, and you might lose depending upon the impact of the new build etc. Also the pub might be nice now but who knows what it will be like in the future.

I’d ring an insurance broker or two for clarity on the insurance/flood situation first.
I live in Australia where some houses can’t get insurance or the cost is just extortionate. I couldn’t cope with that level of risk in my main asset

I wouldn't want to rip out the kitchen in House 1. It is ideal in terms of the cupboards, lovely pull out pantry ones and big drawers etc which is exactly what I would choose. Would definitely want to repaint them a pale colour though.