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Original poster

The age old question: house versus location....

22 replies

CupcakesK · 07/09/2021 08:23

We have outgrown our current house and need to move. After two years of looking (we want to live in a specific village, so limited options) finally, we have two good house options! One has excellent location the other is exactly the house we would like. WWYD?

I know most people would say location but I'll give more detail as I'm not sure. The ideal house is located on the outskirts of the village in a new build estate. Great for the park and sports facilities but 15 minute walk to get to the village amenities and we would realistically have to drive kids to primary school every day. Public transport links also 15 minutes walk away (to get to city centre).

The ideal location property is a little smaller than I would like (approx 20sqm smaller than ideal house), but will suit our needs once a bit of internal reconfiguration is done, however this is limited and no scope to extend or improve further after this. The overall house just isn't as nice as the ideal one (1970s ugliness!) This house is a good deal cheaper though so we can get this work done.

Both have good gardens and garage.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Warmduscher · 07/09/2021 08:29

Location every time.

We looked for nearly two years, always being drawn to the Victorian houses with lots of character but right in the heart of student areas or on a main road or without a proper back garden.

In the end we bought a 1930s semi in need of modernisation, in a quiet residential road opposites beautiful park a ten minute walk from a town with loads little cafes, pubs, shops and places to eat.

We haven’t regretted it for one moment.

SheilasBroomIsLonger · 07/09/2021 08:34

Think long term, how does the secondary school commute look from either house? Teenagers and where they can go, how they can meet up with friends?

I chose to drive my children to the primary school they were already in when we moved. This meant that secondary school was within walking distance, we moved closer to lots of amenities too.

Think long term about the house too, how will it work for teens? We chose a house with a playroom so they could have a tv in there for a second lounge and wouldn't need tvs in their bedrooms for gaming.

brazenandstrange · 07/09/2021 08:43

Location.

We bought on a Lane that only one side have big gardens and an incredible view.

We had the choice of two houses, one on the wrong side but all completely done and very beautiful. The other a dump on the right side with the views. They were both the same price.

Now we have got the house to the state we want it to be, we have doubled our money, whereas the house on the other side hasn't gone up by much.

brazenandstrange · 07/09/2021 08:44

Oh I wasn't very clear! We bought the dump.

Original poster
CupcakesK · 07/09/2021 08:47

Thanks for your replies.

In terms of secondary schools - there is a school bus they will have to catch from the village, picks up in various locations in the village. I assume once the new builds are there it will also pick up from those, so no difference. But I do worry that there is a very busy main road to cross to get to anything for meeting with friends (park, village centre etc.)

Both houses have two reception/lounge areas, so suitable for teen gaming and adults to watch TV! But the ideal house has a v.small study downstairs too as the house is a bit bigger.

The house in the ideal location is a lovely house, no need for major renovations just some tweaking to suit our needs. Also it is semi-detached versus ideal house is detached.

OP posts:
DadOfTheMoment · 07/09/2021 08:47

House. You can adapt more easily to the location and you spend so many hours in the house.

Bobmonkfish · 07/09/2021 08:56

We went for house for the reasons Dad says. We're all over the place doing things anyway. School is over 2 miles so we drive about 1.5 and walk the rest.

nzeire · 07/09/2021 09:05

LOCATION!!! Take the old house and make it your own! Give it your personality. Amazing opportunity!

MimiDaisy11 · 07/09/2021 09:10

I guess it depends on your needs. Personally I’d go for house as I’ll spend so much time there as I don’t go out that much. Also much preferred detached house over semi. Though if the location is so important to you and you go out a lot in that location then maybe that’d make life easier.

bigbaggyeyes · 07/09/2021 09:11

Location location location as the saying goes

I've done both and would pick location everytime. I'm currently in a horrid looking 1970s house but in a lovely, quiet location and I love where I live, plus once the door is shut I only see the inside which I've made a home

MaryGubbins · 07/09/2021 09:13

I’d normally say location but 15 mins walk in the same village is nothing.

HeronLanyon · 07/09/2021 09:13

From everything you’ve written I’d still say location. I’m also v wary if ‘edge of village’ things - many local plans have those fields earmarked for further development. Either in a village or properly out of a village would be my general feeling.

RobinPenguins · 07/09/2021 09:15

The ideal house location sounds limiting. I’d find it a huge pain to have to drive the kids to school every day or walk 15 minutes to get to public transport. It reduces their freedom as they get older too, if they’re always having to rely on you for lifts.

Some (obviously not all, just my personal experience) new build estates can feel a bit soulless, they’re just places people sleep before getting in the car and driving other places to live their lives, without much sense of community, so that would put me off too unless it’s quite well established.

EIIa · 07/09/2021 09:15

I had this dilemma and went for the seventies house. I was really pissed off and hated it at first (limited stock where we are)

Five years later it looks amazing

Those house have big rooms IME
We’ve grown plants over the front of the house so it doesn’t look like a cheap seventies box any more

Loads of hedging in the garden to stop it looking bare

Elieza · 07/09/2021 09:25

When people refer to location location location I think they are referring to a cheap house in a dodgy area or a dearer house in a naicer area.

This is not your choice. So resist that phrase! Even though it comes to mind!

Do you usually walk to the local shops? Or are you more likely to drive to a superstore with parking outside the village?

A busy road is bad for primary kids and cats. Not so much of an issue for older ones.

If there are new properties nearby perhaps they will eventually extend the school bus service?

It depends on so many things and how you do stuff. And what you aspire to do.

A 15 min walk isn’t the end of the world. Quicker if you cycle but the road may be too dangerous for that.

An ugly house can be improved. Would there be other improvements you can make that would add value?

I’m edging towards village house now. With a view to considering moving again in a few years when you need to expand.

Or buy the new estate house and accept you will be doing driving to school, shops, brownies, scouts, your friends, kids friends, pub, shops. Etc. Basically a lot of driving. Fine if that suits. It’s only a few minutes drive. And there will be other kids on the estate. Perhaps someone will offer to take turns with you at doing the school runs for both your kids?

arootintootingoodtime · 07/09/2021 09:28

I would almost always say location over house, but the being a detached house would definitely sway me the other way. As a teenager, I lived 15 mins from the bus into town and it was absolutely fine - just if we came back from the cinema late-ish, someone would pick us up from the bus stop so we didn't have to walk across a bit of a dodgy park in the dark.

Divebar2021 · 07/09/2021 09:32

15 minutes walk is not a great deal… why would you need to drive them to school?

Original poster
CupcakesK · 07/09/2021 09:33

Some really great responses from both sides of the argument, thank you.

We are the kind of family that likes to walk/cycle/take public transport to as many things as possible so the extra 15 minute walk, busy road and having to drive to primary school feels like a big deal for us. I should add that we already live in the ideal location in the village, just the house is far too small for us now, so giving up the location feels very difficult.

I just can't shake the feeling that we will outgrow the ideal location house (and really don't want to move again), or get frustrated at being cut-off in a new build estate. But in the last two years there has been virtually nothing suitable in both size and location so I feel it has to be one of them.

OP posts:
Original poster
CupcakesK · 07/09/2021 09:38

@Divebar2021 the school is the other side of the village - approx 20 mins walk for an adult, so longer with a young child. Then back again. We both work full time and often have to be at work for 8am, so a 40-50minute round trip every day isn't feasible unfortunately.

OP posts:
Bobmonkfish · 07/09/2021 09:59

Go for the 70s house then OP. It's clesr that's your gut feeling.

FurierTransform · 07/09/2021 10:15

I'd say location; nothing worse than living in a for example high crime area. but it sounds like for all intents and purposes these two houses share the same location; that being a nice village? So get the better house

Usernamenotavailabletryanother · 07/09/2021 16:12

If you buy the 70s house and dislike it, can you buy another bigger house outside (or inside once you’ve renovated) the centre?

If you buy the new build and dislike it, can you buy another house in the centre?

I’d go for the one that gives you more onward options.

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