Which house?

[MixingPopAndPolitics]

DH and I accepted an offer on our house on Wednesday so are now in a position to proceed. The two houses below are in our budget and we're disagreeing on which one is best.

I'm set on separate adult living room and an open plan kitchen/diner with seating area.

I think this one www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/84880518 offers the best solution. I think we can knock the wall between the kitchen and the room which is currently a gym to the halfway point, and have a sofa against the partial wall. DH says no/thinks we won't be able to because gas pipes.

He prefers this one because it's cheaper - www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122318192 and thinks we can add a 'sunroom' jutting into the garden from where the dining area is. I think building rather than knocking down a partial wall is likely to be way more expensive.

WOWYC?

(Which one would you choose??)

Do you mind doing some work or would you prefer already done?

For looks alone , your husband gets my vote.

I think the second house has a much nicer layout and looks well cared for throughout. I don’t like the concrete back garden in the first one. I live on the other side of the country so can’t comment on the area, though.

Prefer the one with the nice garden. The garden in the other one is awful, so bleak. You could extend sideways on the 2nd one and get a downstairs toilet and utility room.

House 2 has a nicer feel/look to it. Just going on the pics as I don't know the area. I would worry about maintaining the massive trees at the end of the garden though....

For looks alone , your husband gets my vote.

Anyone else wondering if there was a picture of the OPs husband in the post somewhere?

No?...just me then...

I am not averse to knocking down a wall and generally sprucing it up, but I'd like it to be liveable, which is why the one @Chewbecca posted is just a stretch too far.

Oh he'll be delighted, thank you 😂😂

@Chewbecca that one in Colesborne Rd could be great once done up, plenty of space for an extension on the back. And it’s a nice Road.

I think the second one is nicer and maybe build a small extension . It's also cheaper

I'd go for 1 on looks of frontage and basic construction, and 2 on everything else. An extension on 2 would at least be done to your own specs, but I suspect would cost more than the difference. I like things my own way, so I'd go for 2, I don't like the layout and room proportions in 1 or the lack of windows in the extension, because I'm a lover of light in a house. And I prefer a larger garden.

I think having two reception room spaces is really desirable (we have a guest room with a sofa in it too), which means children can be separated and don’t fight as much. But the first one is just soul-less. It wouldn’t be a house I could warm to at all.

No 2 for the reasons pp have posted.

Omg I viewed no.2!! In your shoes OP, I know the interior looks nice but I couldn't be without a proper garden & no.1 doesn't appear to have one.

Number 2 is miles better! Garden, better living space.

Ahhhhh did you???? What made you not offer?? I've been put off #1 by some comments made on here re: the quality of the workmanship. It does look like a developer has done a quick flip.

I know Caernarvon Road and houses pop up on there all the time so I think we're going to view this but not rush into making an offer if it doesn't feel right.

'just knocking down a wall' on property one is taking out the original back corner of the house.

It's possible but it's major two directional steel and a messy, disruptive job so would normally be done before refitting kitchen etc. Can also crack tiles or wall coverings in rooms above. Will depend on your ceiling as to whether you'll get a flush look or see the beams.

If you throw moving gas pipes in there two, you'd have a nicer home but not one that would necessarily recoup the cost of the work. At least an extension in house two would add value

The first one looks a bit cold to me, I'm not sure why. The second is better and I think would make a better home, it also has a good size garden, though the astro turf needs ripping out.

Thank you - just the answer I was looking for!

number 2 has a much nicer appeal about it , on looks alone it looks a happier warmer home. better curb appeal . don't like number 1 sorry

I prefer 2. It's well laid-out, bright and has a much better garden. My only hesitation in picking it is the double yellows outside.

Second house. Everything about it is nicer, but especially the outside space.

No idea about the locations but I'd go for #1 because it's bigger with one extra bedroom and bathroom. Property#2 probably has less longevity for a growing family.

Don’t know the area.

Hate the layout of house 1, and for me the hassle & cost of knocking down an external corner wall to gain a little extra space which would also end up with a bedroom leading directly off the kitchen/diner is crackers! Moving gas pipes (electrics? Fuse box?) add further disruption.

Hate the gardens of both - AstroTurf maybe isn’t quite as ugly as all concreted over, but both massively depressing.