Which House Would You Buy?

[Independant]

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?

House B will cost a bit to do the renovation needed (more than the £20k price difference), but despite that I'd 100% choose House B. It has so much more scope to be a lovely long term home that you could personalise to suit you. I would take the kitchen wall out and create a big living/dining space.

House A looks a bit unloved - is it currently rented out? They don't even appear to have made the beds before taking the photos. Unloved houses aren't usually kept in the best repair.

House B. If you are coming into some money then you can do a serious extension where the garage/utility is and create two extra bedrooms without needing to go into the loft.

With small kids I’d take detached. It’s a pain with noise through the wall, either from us or next door. I’d go detached save up and extend upstairs.

@alwayswrighty

A. You would have to move within 5 years with B and that will cost £££

Why?

100% house B for me. Before I looked at the links I assumed I'd prefer A as I'm a sucker for ugly houses with space... but I'm not keen on loft rooms. B has so much more potential, a loft and garage. The box room wouldn't put me off at all, so many ideas for maximising space in them these days.

I like house number one

However, if you do choose it I would get a good surveyor, before putting an offer.

If you look closely at brick work under front window you will see what I mean.

House B I think. Even though it needs work it looks as if it's been looked after a little better.

The loft conversion doesn't fill me with confidence in House A. I have a feeling it shouldn't be classed as a 3 bed but a 2 bed with a mezzanine. Maybe not a huge difference once you're living in it but your mortgage lender may see it differently (if you need one)

Mill Road is the best for sure. The hussle to sell to Hubby is that it is closer to walk to the pub and more than one pub at that. Plus more takeaways nearby.

Distance to (or more so from) the pub is always a good hook ;)

The big downside for the semi is the field opposite and next to it, you just know one of those if going to get built on sooner or later.

House B here no question. It’s detached, looks better built and well established and has a nice garden.

House B for me. It has so much more potential.

Also for house B, no chain is a massive bonus.

Also, is there somebody still in bed in bedroom 2 of house A 😨

House B.
As pp says trailing through the living room in house A is a pain if you're taking laundry upstairs or bringing shopping in. The box room in B is small but it looks like you could extend into the loft when you need to. Opening up the kitchen to make a family room at the back with the double doors onto the garden would be lovely and I like the idea of a toy-free living room at the front. All together B has a more solid, well-cared for feel. AND it has an avocado bathroom suite!
The only thing that puzzles me is the garage - it looks like a very narrow approach in the photos. But even so I'd still go for B. Walkable from the pub is a definite plus.

@urbanbuddha thank you - yes the more I look at both of them (and read everyone’s thoughts here) the more I am leaning to house B, and house A is filling me with dread. Also, Purplebricks are just horrific to deal with?!

I think what I’d do with house B, is turn the garage into a workshop for DP (it has power and a side door) so could take off big garage door and brick it up. Then, potentially extend up the side where the utility room is and hopefully do 2x storey to give more room in bedroom 3, and potentially add a 4th bedroom / office space for me at the back near the bathroom. I haven’t explained that very well!

B

House A locks like an absolute money pit.

House A

House B isn't a option really with 2 kids unless you are planning to move again

Yes house B is a nicer looking house but it's the inside and size that counts

A box room isn't suitable long term really for a child and will definitely cause you issues in the future

Oh just seen comments about loft conversation

Absolutely no way I'd buy it , they are correct it's a lot get priced 2 bed

I change my mind I would go for house B definitely

Purely on the house, I would say house 2 for your situation. It's a nightmare having young children sleeping on a different floor to you.
But I don't know anything about location and, most importantly for you, school catchments

If you are planning a 2nd child and you want them to have their own rooms then 3 good sized bedrooms is very important.
House 1 is better overall.
Fwiw my kids are 8 and 6 and still share. It’s been fine but we are looking at moving to a bigger house now. They are both boys and only 20 months apart though.

House B - its much much nicer and garden is fab.

My head says A, heart says B

I think what I’d do with house B, is turn the garage into a workshop for DP (it has power and a side door) so could take off big garage door and brick it up. Then, potentially extend up the side where the utility room is and hopefully do 2x storey to give more room in bedroom 3, and potentially add a 4th bedroom / office space for me at the back near the bathroom. I haven’t explained that very well!
Nope, explained it perfectly.
With the staircase against an outside-wall of the house, it's an easy extension to design. Here's a (mirror image) example of the sort of thing you are talking about. 5 beds

@senua yes this is the sort of thing I am talking about - maybe not as big (I’d still want access to the back of the house down the side maybe with a locked gate etc so we can take bins out etc!)

Yes, side access is very useful. Also, I suppose that you have to consider the risk of taking it over the ceiling price for the road (although if this is a 'long-term stay' then that point is not so important - you do what you want, not what the market wants).

I don't think the loft conversion in house A is dodgy. Look on the floor plan and it appears they've retained the door from the landing to what was the box room, therefore separating the room off from the rest of the house. That surely complies with building regs?

Having said that, there's no substitute for a detached house.

House A looks a bit unloved - is it currently rented out? They don't even appear to have made the beds before taking the photos. Unloved houses aren't usually kept in the best repair.

This.

House B has much more potential.