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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:
maddy68 · 04/11/2021 15:32

I would go with location first and which has a South facing garden

emmathedilemma · 04/11/2021 15:35

I'd go with B - nicer looking house, detached, scope for expansion, looks better maintained. That loft bedroom in A is only really suitable for adults or older children, it doesn't have a door so could be difficult to heat and low ceiling heights make it harder to add storage. The room dimensions and layout of A is a bit odd and I suspect it's not that well maintained, it looks scruffy round the edges.

Pbbananabagel · 04/11/2021 15:45

No brainier House B for me.
So much more potential, you can make changes to the layout downstairs and if you did a loft conversion it could be a four bed long term whereas A is already as good as it’ll get.

ittakes2 · 04/11/2021 15:53

B

ChicCroissant · 04/11/2021 15:55

The window in the loft conversion in A looks quite low (it might be at the top of the staircase), I'd be wanting a restrictor on it to stop it opening so far. Also seem to be a few bits of paint missing around things in A (fireplace, kitchen doorway), and the washing machine in the conservatory might be very noisy.

I would usually say detached house every time but that third bedroom is really small in B. While B is undoubtedly dated, it looks in better condition (with the possible exception of the main bedroom ceiling).

Good luck with the choice OP, I remember having two houses to choose between and really struggling at the time. Yet looking back now, we absolutely made the right decision and I can't imagine us living in the other one at all!

GrumpySausage · 04/11/2021 15:59

OP, I live very very close to house B, same village, and would say that is one the desirable streets in the area. My DH even sent me the link to this when it popped up on right move last week.
You have access to plenty of green areas across the road, down the path to colliers wood, moor green etc.

Also the catchment school (i think greasley) is excellent, I've had great experience with it.

I think B has the potential to be amazing in the future, a great plot.

I can see the pull of house A, location etc but I'd be worried choosing a semi. We bought a similar semi in gilt brook 10 years ago planning on it being our forever home and initially had great quiet neighbours but then 3 years ago got new neighbours who weren't even that noisy but made us realise how much we could hear. We moved to a detached a year ago and can't believe the difference.

All the best OP, nice to see someone local!

cittigirl · 04/11/2021 16:00

B detached

SollaSollew · 04/11/2021 16:02

I'm with you @Independant for me it would be house B. My last house was similar and it was surprising what you could fit into the box room. My dd had a tree house bed that we could store toys under and she could play under it too so it's not necessarily the case that a second child would need a bigger bedroom as soon as they're out of a cot.

We also converted the loft and 1930s houses tend to have a really good pitch so I think our ceilings in the loft conversion were 2.75 high. That also meant that we didn't need to lose the box room for the staircase as we could put the new stairs straight up over the top of the old and still have enough ceiling height to meet building regs.

Even if you don't decide to go with house B I'd be very wary of house A for the reasons pp's have said about it having a touch of the "cowboy builders" about it.

caringcarer · 04/11/2021 16:04

Don't get one with box room. As kids get older they wont want box room.

caringcarer · 04/11/2021 16:06

I can't see either house. Is there a link?

LunaLoveFood · 04/11/2021 16:10

The second one . Would always choose detached over semi. Also has room to extend if needed.

CobraChicken · 04/11/2021 16:14

House B is the better buy by miles, unless it's in a hugely inferior location. I've had bad neighbours in a semi and will never buy a non-detatched property again (assuming my financial situation doesn't leave me no choice, obviously.)
And I had the box room in a very similar house as a kid. Sure, it was small, but I was fine with one of those loft beds with storage underneath.

EdgeOfTheSky · 04/11/2021 16:27

B, you could do a loft conversion in a few years and put a little shower room snd toilet up there.

A is also really good, but who needs a bedroom as big as that main bedroom, and I am not sure how it would work with a toddler and a baby and one bedroom on another floor.

EdgeOfTheSky · 04/11/2021 16:30

Detached will always be a safe bet.

I have lived in a flat, 3 terraces and a semi. Only one problem neighbour, but it was a serious problem.

NorthumberlandVera · 04/11/2021 16:33

Team B here too, always go for detached if you can to my mind. Our current house had a tiny box room when we moved here, I was pregnant with second baby then. He was in it till he was 7 with a cabin bed latterly, and loved it. (We extended at this point).

If you look at the rear view of house B, the houses visible on the left of the photo have converted lofts, I think they may be round the corner, so I’m sure that would be doable. I’d also think of knocking through kitchen to living room.

I really dislike conservatories, as I think they aren’t very practical, and often just become dumping grounds. House B very few houses have sold in the last few years which is a nice stable area with probably families or older people too. I don’t know the area at all but the kerb appeal of B is so much better.

Original poster
Independant · 04/11/2021 16:34

@GrumpySausage hello ! So nice to hear your comment. I am so drawn to house B. We have friends live on Nottingham road just down the road from giltbrook retail park , and house B is much closer to where we are at the moment (hucknall).

I just love the look of B, hence why it’s my fave out of the two. Just need to convince the DP! He is reluctant because of the box room… but I think it has potential (and is cheaper!)

X

OP posts:
MysteriousMonkey · 04/11/2021 16:36

B. If you ever need to you could convert the loft but meanwhile it's good for storage. Our loft is converted and we seem to be constantly lacking storage - so if you don't need it as a bedroom I definitely wouldn't pay extra...

Also B is detached so less risk of annoying noise from party walls.

Claudethecat · 04/11/2021 16:37

B - it just has a nicer feel to it. A seems a bit unloved somehow.

Blueuggboots · 04/11/2021 16:39

Definitely house B.

prettybird · 04/11/2021 16:44

For me, house B, especially as you're planning for it to be a "forever" home. It has more scope for long term changes (eg loft conversion and/or knocking through into the kitchen to create a big kitchen diner and moving the sitting room to the front (quiet area away from the kids Wink).

But for the moment, cosmetic improvements (painting, new carpets) would be sufficient. The box room would be fine as a nursery/small child's room and give you plenty of time to think of/save up for a loft conversion.

LillianGish · 04/11/2021 16:52

House B every time - you are so lucky to live in a place where you can buy such a lovely house for that price.

Calmdown14 · 04/11/2021 16:54

Having looked at the floor plans again, option one seems very lacking in storage. You have big bedrooms but no hall cupboard for coats and shoes and no airing cupboard. And as they've gone into the loft, only the eaves space for Christmas trees etc. Hard to tell off the floor plan if this is decent space or very low.
I also think the garden is much nicer and more private in option two. Are they low fences with neighbours in one? With a garden that size new fencing won't be cheap

honeylou42 · 04/11/2021 17:04

A, much more house for money, and bags of potential.

popapoppadum · 04/11/2021 17:08

Tough one. A has a lovely sized garden and great sized rooms. However B is detached and with some work (potentially going open plan to open up kitchen) could be a lovely space.

It would come down to how much of a difference there is in area for me. I would always choose a slightly less desirable house in a better area than the other way around.

Bendybuses · 04/11/2021 17:28

I haven't checked anyone else's comments but I definitely prefer the second house. It is detached and has space to extend if you wanted to. The first one seems all maxed out, the reason it has 3 good bedrooms is the loft space has been converted already.

Also, and this is just me, I don't like going from the front door and trailing in through the living room (even if there is a bit of a hall). I like the living room to be able to be seperate if possible and the second is better that way.

Either will be fine but that's just my thoughts.

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