Fancy house or house I like?!

[MissTiss]

Hi everyone, some advice would be great!
We are moving house, I'm pregnant and we need to make a decision soon! We have found 2 houses on the same street and we love the area. We just can't decide between the 2...DH works from home full time, I work from home 2 days a week, and my Dad will likely come to live with us (Mum ill)...so space is useful.

Grey house - all new, fancy interiors (underfloor heating, wooden floors, wine fridge, breakfast bar, lovely lintels etc etc etc) and DH says boiler heating system all top notch. Problem is...I hate all the fancy stuff in the kitchen and bathrooms - the style is very footballer's wives which is absolutely fine but just not me. Basically guy built his dream home for family and now getting divorced. For example, bath has steps up to it and is black glitter. But it is very well done - lighting is fab, top notch built in wardrobes. Garden is grim.
3 bedrooms and a converted attic that is fairly big.

Red house - 1930s, was done up by a builder a few years ago, but nothing super fancy - carpets might last a few more years, kitchen is not special but it's big and open plan with space for play area (kitchen in grey house is L shaped and has no room for a low table just the breakfast bar - don't know how kids ate!). Red house has 5 bedrooms with a small room for a home office for me.

DH feels strongly that grey is the better house. He's probably right, but I don't like the exterior or interior, despite knowing it's very good quality!

Same price - any thoughts appreciated!

Know this is a very good problem to have just struggling to make a decision. Thanks :-)

Red

Thank you everyone!!! Nice to have my thoughts confirmed ;-)

Yes just not sure I could face ripping out perfectly good fittings, nicer too add them instead!

I don’t mind a bit of glitz, personally, so I’m drawn to Grey House myself! (Based on description.)

But if you don’t agree, the correct answer is ‘neither, keep looking’ surely?

If you hate Grey and he isn’t into Red neither of you can force the other one to buy a house they don’t like.

Red house, I’d never pay a premium for someone else’s style choices if I didn’t like them.

Red house 100%.

Red House! We bought our 1930s very run down house in the early oo's and I still love it so much, lovely light and.lots of space somehow even though it's not a big house. You need to love your home.

We had this too, saw a lovely property but very much how you have described in term of style. Black glossy kitchen, with black tiles etc, all very good quality but definitely not what we would choose. Bathrooms on a similar theme, no expense had been spared but was to the vendors personal taste. We went with the other property and have made it how we want it. Good luck with your move.

Red house for me

It doesn’t matter what style Grey is: you don’t like it so it might as well be avocado bathroom suite, swirly shag-pile carpets, etc (which I’m assuming you’d change).
Other house is bigger, better layout.

How much immediate spend would Red need? Budget? Does DH like Red but prefer Grey, or actively dislike it?

I think we can only decide with photos...

If you disagree then why don't you both make a list. Supposing for some reason you lost out on both these houses what are your priorities? Each wrote down what you need in a house, what you would prefer but and what is something you would be hapoy to do to a house yourself. Think about who will be living there and how they will need or want to use the space. How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need, separate office space and how big, and areas to eat and play. What about potential to adapt for changing circumstances such as accessibility issues for your dad in later years. When you have your lists compare to see where you differ. Agree a needs list and a preferred list then separately score each house against the lists. Compare again. It might focus your dh on the practicalities rather than being caught up with how 'finished' the grey house is. I know it sounds contrived and a bit of a chore but it takes the emotion out of it and may help you reach agreement, which you need to do.

Red house. Sounds a good size and you can gradually update things like knackered carpets.

The horrid-sounding grey house sounds like a lot of work and money to undo mad shit like bath steps and black glitter. Plus no room for a kitchen table = dealbreaker for me.

Show us some pics so we can be rude and judgy help further.

Surely 5 beds is better than 3, so Red for that reason alone. And then there is the decor ...

Grey and modern will be dated in a few years. Have a google of 2005 interiors - yuck! RED ALL THE WAY!!

Are either or both detached?

My preference is the red, from the sound of it, but I'd probably put up with the flaws of the grey one if it was detached and the red was a semi-detached...?

Red house as it has more bedrooms

The grey house doesn't even sound like it would work for you. You need more rooms.

If it a going to be your home-go for the one which feels like home. Why does your DH say the grey is better? Is it done the way he likes? Will it fit the way you plan to live? Which one would you prefer coming home to?

#Team Red. We looked at loads of houses before we found the place we are moving too. We had a good budget and quite a few of the houses we viewed were 'footballers' wives' territory. Much as we tried to like them because of the high spec kitchens, the fancy bathrooms, the double glazing, underfloor heating etc, we just couldn't see ourselves living like that. One of the houses even had a room converted into a home cinema complete with black leather seats with spaces for drinks and popcorn 🙈. A couple had jacuzzis 🤮

In the end we went for an old listed farmhouse with a lovely feel. We can't replace the windows (listing), we won't have mains gas, everything is traditional, no fancy kitchen and instead, an oil burning stove. But we love it. And it already feels like home in a way the modern, flashy houses never could. Go with your gut feel.

Good luck!

Red

Grey house!!!!

Just kidding. Red.

Red but maybe keep looking too?

@housemadd

A house with stuff which is too new and good to rip out, but which you don't like, is a misery. It sounds like newness of the fittings in the grey house would be a burden because it makes them unchangeable.

Agree with this, you will be stuck with this decor for years as it’s “too good” to rip out, I would rather live with a house that I know needs doing up as you know you will get it how you like eventually than a pristine house where I hate the decor from day one with no hope of reprieve, Red house without a doubt.

Surely you ignore the decor and look beyond. The decor is just a grey herring.
5 bedrooms Vs three = 5 looks much better.
You won't have room for you all with 3 bedrooms and a converted attic.

With three generations under one roof (not to mention the wfh) you will need separate living spaces too.
Make a list and write down who will do what where - eat, sleep, work, relax as a family as well as when you need space from each other.

Red house