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!

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

This ^ wot @Blueuggboots said

House 1 hands down. More space, better suited to family life and scope to improve

The first.

Id be tempted to split the garage in half and build a small study into that if all the bedrooms are in use.

The second house is lovely and quirky. The type of place I'd love to rent for a weeks holiday but not to live in. The river, pub, prospective building, high ceilings cold or costing a fortune to heat). I feel the reality would not be anywhere near as good as the expectation!

No.2 has so many red flags: flooding (and don’t forget that water will run through the garden on its way to the river); the pub may be quiet now but what happens under future management is entirely out of your control; the new houses, where is the access?; is the barn within your budget? If not what happens to it?; it’s right on the main road through the village.

House 1. I bought head over heart and was best decision ever. Now when I look back on "heart " I wonder what the hell I was thinking.

First one is absolutely lovely. Not keen on second. It seems very small compared with the other.

House 2 is interesting to look at, but I’d pick house 1 to live in. Looks large, I could go crazy doing the garden and could make it into exactly what I need and decorate to my taste.

House no 2 just doesn’t give me the same feeling, and personally I hate the downstairs layout of rooms leading to another room without a hallway!

Location location location.
House 1.

Second one!! No brainer!

DH is pleased, House 1 is his favourite. Think we might be putting in in offer in the morning :) Will be exciting to plan the improvements. I can't get over how dated the decor is for such a modern house

House 1 , for location and potential . House 2 would drive me mad with the sloping ceilings .

House 1 definitely, no 2 is interesting but too many red flags!

I prefer the second one but the pub and close to the river and the new builds going up would make me more inclined to choose the first one.

I'd prefer House 1

@Floralnomad

House 1 , for location and potential . House 2 would drive me mad with the sloping ceilings .

I'd twat my head in the bathroom all the time!

The first one x

I think 1st house is a much nicer layout, lovely aesthetically as the second is. Kitchen doesn't look that dark to me, and the bedrooms are really good sizes. It's a bit characterless as is, as you've noted, but could be really nice with right decor. As people have said, too many bathrooms, I wonder if maybe the bathroom and store could be knocked together and made into a study? Especially seeing as the house has plenty of storage. It'd still have a window and I don't think the house would lose any value, possibly the opposite.

It seems a way better option to me.

Another vote for house 1.

I live in an area with lots of old people/dated decor my DH struggled to see past it until we saw 2 identical houses on the same road one was modern, one was not.
We bought the cheaper (nicer but old decored) one. Absolutely no regrets.

House 1 for sure. More space and more scope, cheaper, not got a pub next door and a housing estate behind. Couldn't you reinstate the wall between the bedrooms?

Also house 2 is three beds upstairs. they look small and those sloping ceilings are a mare, rooms like that are really hard to furnish. I agree that house 2 is pretty but doesn't seem a practical option.

Sounds like you already made up your mind and want the 2nd one

I would go for first due to practical reasons - no chain, cheaper so more scope to do work, bigger. I would not want to live next to a pub, even a family friendly one will have a noisy beer garden. The situation with the vendors in the second house would put me right off to be honest.

@tinkywinkyshandbag

Sounds like you already made up your mind and want the 2nd one

I did want the second one but the points raised on this thread and in discussions with IRL friends and family mean that I now want to go for the first one.

House 1, house 2s bathroom looks like you would keep bumping your head. Plus rusk of flood and a pub would put me off.

I think house number 1 has a lot more potential-it’s an attractive house and you could reconfigure to your fast quite easily. Number 2 would be great for a holiday, very pretty but not great for a family house.

Lovely area. Have family very close. More on the moor. It's head or heart. Number one is head and number two is heart. Not helpful at all sorry!