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Original poster

Which House Would You Buy?

198 replies

Independant · 04/11/2021 11:00

DP and I have sold our house and currently looking for our next (potentially forever) home.

We have one DS who is 2 in January and would like to star TTC this time next year.

We’ve got two houses that we are both interested in. Both houses we both really like but DP prefers one and I prefer the other (typical!)

House A - DP prefers this house:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107852696#/?channel=RES_BUY

Great semi-rural location
3 good size bedrooms
Large garden and great dog walks on the doorstep
Great schools nearby
Close enough to both sets of parents
Still within reach of friends
Will need a second car to get to work

House B (the house I prefer)

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115529915#/?channel=RES_BUY

20k cheaper
Looks more appealing / pretty
Detached
Garage
3 bedrooms (but one is a box room)
Big garden
Not as great location
Still within catchment of great schools
Parents / friends still relatively close by
Would need second car
Needs a bit of cosmetic work (old person has lived in it)

We feel we could live in either house. We just can’t choose?!

Which one would you pick and why? Maybe you think of something we haven’t considered?

OP posts:
ReviewingTheSituation · 04/11/2021 11:06

The second one for me, hands down (putting location to one side, because it depends what you mean by 'not as great location).

But that's with the caveat that instead of 'a bit of cosmetic work', I'd want to knock the kitchen and living room together to make a big family kitchen diner, and move the living room to the front. There's no potential in the first one, and the kitchen/diner looks awkward - where the table is (between the oven and sink) means you're always going to be moving around each other, and it gets in the way. No utility either (WM is in the conservatory which suggests they've run out of space). The best thing about that house is the attic bedroom.

beguilingeyes · 04/11/2021 11:09

I'm with DP, I like the first one. It just looks appealing to me. And it's huge. The price is almost making me cry. We're just about to spend £600,000 on a house with the worlds smallest kitchen.

invisiblecats · 04/11/2021 11:11

I opened the links expecting to agree with you but I'm team DP here/

The first house is lovely and the location is better. It's a no-brainer.

The second house rquires you to make some compromises in location, and I don't get why you'd do that? I just don't see it, sorry. Perhaps I'm having trouble seeing past the decor? But, the living room in house B is long and thin, I much prefer the layout on house A.

The kitchen is one you can sit in, that's nice.

I suppose you are lackign a dining room in house B, in house A it's effectively the kitchen, isn't it? Hmm, I only just noticed that.

But who gets bedrom 3 in house B? It looks tiny! House A has better sized bedrooms overall.

WhyMeLord · 04/11/2021 11:13

I think B.

It is much nicer to look at and is detached. The third bedroom is very small but the third bedroom in the first one is a loft conversion and my experience of loft rooms they are too hot in summer and too cold in winter. It has more than one toilet which is not to be underestimated when you have small children who often leave it to the last minute to tell you they need to go.

Sprig1 · 04/11/2021 11:14

The first one. Sorry! It was the box room that did it for me.

Tractordiggerdump · 04/11/2021 11:15

B is gorgeous and detached

sunshinesupermum · 04/11/2021 11:19

No 2 for sure although would like to know what you think about location not being as good? Would take the single bedroom over an attic conversion any day. The decor may be old fashioned but the £20K you gain in the price would go some way to making changes that suit you.

AutumnWreath · 04/11/2021 11:19

Are the ceilings in the bedrooms very low in the first house ? If so that would put me off.
I prefer the 2nd one. Agree it needs work which will be a pain to get done , bathrooms etc , but I think once done it could be fabulous.

Ratched · 04/11/2021 11:21

The first one I am afraid.

The second house has much more kerb appeal, but you live inside the home and very rarely stand outside looking at it.

The first house is adaptable.

Sorry🤣

Rugsofhonour · 04/11/2021 11:23

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

Original poster
Independant · 04/11/2021 11:23

@beguilingeyes wow, that is eye watering! I’d love to be able to afford a house at £600k though! £280k is top end of our budget and is making me wince lol! X

OP posts:
Waspie · 04/11/2021 11:25

I prefer B because it's detached. You could put the £20k saved towards a loft conversion if you want a larger third bedroom.

bravotango · 04/11/2021 11:26

I would definitely choose house B but would end up spending the 20k difference on it, so if they cost the same which would you pick?

Taoneusa · 04/11/2021 11:26

I much prefer the second house! Has a lovely vibe, nice views, lovely garden. Box room isn’t overly small.

Don’t like what looks like a very steep staircase in house 1, also not a fan of the loft conversion, always too hot or too cold, don’t enjoy the slopey ceilings.

Original poster
Independant · 04/11/2021 11:26

@Rugsofhonour house B has already had a downstairs extension to make kitchen bigger. Could potentially extend above but not sure we could afford it.

The box room is the downfall I think. But I still love the house. Something about it I just can’t help but feel very drawn to it!

OP posts:
Callisto1 · 04/11/2021 11:29

You are planning a second child with a 4 year age gap. That means you will definitely need 3 good sized bedrooms. Their toys and sleeping will be too different for them to share well. The box room will do for a toddler if all their toys are in the living room, but once they are in school you will have a problem.
The second issue with house B is the separate dinning room. With small kids you really don't want to be ferrying food through half the house! What if you forget something and your toddler is already in the high chair!
Also you don't want a fiddly garden with lots rocks for them to fall over on. Saying that the decking in house A looks seriously dodgy.

I prefer the look of house B, but without some serious modification it's much more impractical than house A.

Oneforthemoneytwo · 04/11/2021 11:35

The both need a lot of money spending on them to bring them up to a decent standard It would come down to which is most cost effective

Original poster
Independant · 04/11/2021 11:36

@bravotango I think if house A was the £20k cheaper house we would go for that one purely because of the location

We live in a 3 storey house currently and sleep in the top floor bedroom so we are used to hot summers and colder winters :)

@Callisto1 I appreciate your points, thank you. I hadn’t thought about the issue with separate dining room etc. The box room is a big thumbs down on house B. It is very pokey. Fine for a baby / toddler room but if I was a teen I’d hate a bedroom that small.

The decking in House A is listed in the advert as needing repair, but DP is good at DIY and we’d probably rip it up straight away tbh.

OP posts:
Bamaluz · 04/11/2021 11:40

I'm with you, I hate bedrooms on separate floors with young children, especially with no bathroom on the same floor as a bedroom.
And it's detached, with a garage. The third bedroom, although small, is still fine with small bedroom furniture.

Newpuppymummy · 04/11/2021 11:45

I don’t like house a at all so I would have to choose house b. Don’t like the colour of all the wood, the conservatory or just the general feel from the photos.

AntiHop · 04/11/2021 11:46

House b. Having a detached house is priceless. House A only has 3 bedrooms due to the loft conversion.

The garden is much nicer in House B, which is so important with kids.

Buy House b, give the baby the small room, and when the second child is 4 or 5, do a loft conversion.

If you can never afford to do the loft, it can still work. Dh's younger sibling had the box room and dh had the big room. No resentment (apparently Grin!)

QforCucumber · 04/11/2021 11:46

I'd go house b but with a view to convert the loft there's into a master then 2 decent bedrooms and an office on main floor.

The hallway and detached are what do or for me, we have a little entranceway atm like house a. It is an absolute nightmare and I hate it!

Janey3090 · 04/11/2021 11:53

100% the first house! It's a wonderful size and the garden is huge, so plenty of opportunity to extend if that's something you wish to do one day. The fact it's a better location is always is so important too.

Definitely a little envious on the price. I live in West Sussex and a house like that would easily cost 450K+! Shock

Delectable · 04/11/2021 11:56

At first I thought, how on earth can you have time to ask and wait for answers to inform you decision then make your offer?! Then I clicked on the links and the prices are unbelievable! What is the average wage in the area? It's really tempting. We've been house hunting for 12months with a budget many times more than this and still can't find anything suitable. You're super blessed to be in the position you are OP. Don't let you move stress you one bit. I prefer the second house but I'll be happy to live in such an affordable yet lovely area!

ReviewingTheSituation · 04/11/2021 11:57

Does house A have building regs for that loft room? It looks like there's no door to the room - there's just an opening at the top of the stairs. Or is there a door at the bottom of that staircase? I was sure there had to be fire doors somewhere if there was an extra storey?
It just feels that one has been 'done' as much as it can be (in terms of extensions), whereas house B has potential to do a lot.