Which house - DH & I different opinions!!

[Cinnabomb]

Firstly I realise this is very privileged and a lucky position to be in. Discretion if you recognise my situation please! 🙈

DH and I like completely different houses, both in the same village which is 100% where we both want to be.

1. we offered on what we thought was our ‘dream project home over a year ago. Vendor accepted but since then very much messing us around, hasn’t seriously started looking where he wants to move to. Very demanding and rude.

House itself on edge of village down unlit country road (60mph) but no footpath. However plot set well back so no road noise. INCREDIBLE garden ‘woodlandy’ of about 1 acre but tiny 2 bed cottage which needs massive extension and loads of work. Unliveable in current condition . Can’t walk into village easily (2km+, dangerous road). Plus is no neighbours.

1. New house just come on market in “posh” quiet street in centre of village. Could walk everywhere but quiet so wouldnt get anything more than usual neighbour noise. Edwardian large house with medium size garden, not overlooked but do have immediate neighbours. I’m concerned about usual neighbour noise/ inconvenience as wanted somewhere bit more private. Needs redocorating and kitchen diner knocking thru in long term but otherwise suits us well. Very “prestigious” property. A lot less work but nearly twice the price, altho probably nearly equal once you factor int be work number 1 needs. Kids could walk everywhere

My heart is with number 1 as I love the beautiful setting and dont know how I feel living on a street. Also more me as I don’t love paying for the ‘grandness’ of property 2. However I see the benefits of being able to walk out the door and go everywhere, and the kids therefore being able to be a bit more independent. DH likes number 2 and doesn’t think a huge project with 2 small children is a good idea.

Thoughts?

I'd pick neither and keep looking. But if I had to I'd pick#1 as I hate neighbors and living on a street where everyone walks past my house. But seems like there's too much hassles with #1 so I would begrudgingly pick #2 if there was no other option.

No 1 sounds great apart from the owner. They clearly don't really want to sell it so you are on a hiding to nothing there. If you like 2 go for that, or keep looking.

Another vote for number 2 (or a number 3). Give up on 1, its never going to happen.

2

Definitely, definitely n2. N1 sounds like a nightmare. 60mph road? No footpath? No lighting? You’ll have to ferry your kid EVERYWHERE until he’s old enough to drive. Plus, neighbours are useful. You can borrow things from them, catsit for them, take in each others’ deliveries.

2, kids meds to be able to walk places.

House 2 no question

If you do go for number one, remember that woodland requires up keep.
The high winds this year demonstrated that. Know several people with houses like you describe and 10k plus bills for the damage. If the damage isn't to the house you aren't always covered but you still need to make them safe

How can you even think of number one? Quite apart from the work needed on the house, and the dreadful owner, the road sounds awful. How could your family walk or cycle in safety?

No 2 - and I say that as someone who has bought No 1!

You will be very thankful as your teenagers age that they can walk everywhere.

Possibly more importantly, the costs of renovating are going through the roof and finding good people is hard, all of which will make the renovation very stressful in my experience (and have done this around 8 times now). You could end up with a very expensive project indeed and you might not get all the investment back.

You also won't have a 1 acre plot to maintain.

Number 2 all day. Number 1 sounds like a nightmare with children all that building work just to get it habitable. You aren't planning on going on grand designs with it are you? Plus it's been a year. How much longer are you going to wait?

Sometimes you can't always have what your heart desires. Especially when it's a 2 bedroomed shack down a farm track that needs completely gutting out. If you were my sister and you were pining for house number 1, id tell you that you were mad and to buy the house that suits your whole family.

#2

It's clear the owner of number 1 doesn't want to sell so really your 2 choices are:

Property 2

or

Keep looking for a different property.

Personally I think property 2 sounds lovely. It ticks a lot of boxes, and would be a great location for your children as they grow up. Have you been to visit?

House no. 2 for sure.

Single lane, 60mph country road, no footpath, very isolated location, MASSIVE renovation project to make it big enough for a family of four...it just doesn't sound like the right property with two very young kids. Maybe if it was just the two of you you could rough it for for a while, but don't underestimate how stressful basically camping in a building site with two tiny kids would be.

Presumably there's village primary school, and them potentially being able to walk or cycle there (on their own once they get older) would be a big plus for me personally. A mate from secondary school lived down a similar road to house no. 1 and she had to organise lifts even from the closest bus stop as a teen when we went out because the road was unwalkable. It's just not the type of place I'd want to be living when I was trying to foster some independence.

2

2

TWO!

I would never trap myself in an isolated setting where every outing, demands a car. A pint of milk, an after school play date…

In the village your children can (once of age) be independent and social, walk round the corner to see friends.

Rebuilding the cottage will take longer and cost more than planned while you live in misery in a building site.

No contest.

House 2. Pull out of 1 for your own sanity, it sounds like they’ve dicked you about enough already. Over a year? ‘Fuck of matey!’

I dislike the amount of the work required for house 1, and it's not even me buying it! It sounds like the type of place you'd probably be better off knocking down and rebuilding (at least you would save on VAT).

House 2 sounds much better for your circumstances now and in the future. If it's in your budget, I'd buy that.

Well people can only speak personally. I would want house 2, hands down. Being able to walk everywhere is a huge priority especially as kids get older.
The work needed on house 1 sounds huge, and building costs are soaring. A 60mph road next to it is not ideal for kids. If you haven't got it over the line in a year, is it even going to happen?
Kids don't need to be quiet in a garden a normal amount of noise is to be expected. Sounds like you do really want complete peace and quiet though, and this is where other people's personal views cannot guide you.
I would definitely buy house 2, but I'm not you, I wouldn't have even considered house 1, and seems that most people here wouldn't either. That doesn't make us right, it's just what the majority of people would do