The ultimate Compromise: which house would you choose?

[Greenlife1]

We live in a village which is quite pricey and very few properties come on the market (in our price range!!)

I really want to stay detached and I really want a good size garden. I also want 4 bedrooms, a pretty street near the school and fairly up to date fittings! Having realised I need to compromise I am willing to sacrifice some of those things and go for a 3 bed (if I have to!), not be on the prettiest street in the village and be open to the place needing work.....it is the garden that I don’t really want to compromise on and also being detached.

But I keep thinking maybe I’m being unrealistic, maybe I need to compromise more?! We are running out of time afterall!

So with this in mind would you go for a good size semi with a large garden that needs updating/ layout rejig or a smaller property with a smaller garden but detached and potential to extend into the garage?!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122247017#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/123954737#/?channel=RES_BUY

We compromised and bought another semi detached house. Worst decision we made. We're already having trouble with the neighbour and as it's an old house the boundaries aren't clear either.
Really wish we'd gone for the detached house in the worse area that needed more work. Ours has turned out to need a complete renovation anyway so we'd have actually been better off buying the bigger detached house.

Also, I think house 2 is a lot nicer from the links you've given.

The second.

As long as it isn't too far to walk to whatever school your children attend.

I'd go for the bungalow, more scope definitely

I'd pick the detached bungalow, easily the best option long term. It's layout is decent, big garden, nothing urgent needs doing. Plus you'll never have to move again.

Can't beat being detached.

The detached bungalow isn't much smaller than the semi and it looks as though it would need much less work to make it a lovely home. House 1 would probably eat your money trying to fix the layout /decor, plus it doesn't have the same kerb appeal and you're taking a chance on the type of neighbours you'll have.

2 is a much nicer house looks wise,lovely garden.Don’t like the kitchen and it looks new.I would have to change that.Just my choice don’t know the area though.

house two is nicer, private road so you will probably be able to make use of that front garden, private area to sit in the back garden. Plus you wouldn’t have to move again to downsize or for retirement if that would be a consideration to you

I grew up in a house with a bedroom built over the drive to create a carport. So did one of my friends with an older style house but the same type of extension.
In both houses the bedroom extension was really cold.

I’d go for the bungalow.

There is no room to extend or improve on the first and it also doesn’t have much kerb appeal.

Whereas the second one could be amazing.

I like the bungalow like most so far. The garden is a good size in my view. House it detached and has good size rooms, with space to extend out or up. Just got a better feel for it too

The bungalow, it could be a fab home once the granny elements have been removed! The garden is lovely

Bungalow looks lovely!

I'd go for the detached bungalow too. I like the layout better.

Bungalow, unless it's in an absolutely awful part of town

You’d have to pay me to move from detached to semi detached, I think I’d rather live in a mobile home than have a party (in both senses of the word) wall again

ive had three bungalows of the sort of no two, besides the one I was brought up in; we’ve come to rest in one. They are excellent.

Definitely the bungalow. It has huge potential in the long term. Detached would be a huge plus for me too.

I’d go for the semi. The layout looks fine to me and the space in the garden of the bungalow looks much less useable because it’s a wraparound. It’s also annoying when people convert bungalows into houses.

@BemusedBrenda i think you are right,it’s just it only has the 3 beds and a smaller garden but the first house garden is huge with lots of outbuildings. @Ragruggers i agree I don’t either :)@PissedOffNeighbour22 oh dear,I feel your pain. We have issues with ours even though we are detached but at least I don’t see them everyday

Detached every time.

I was coming in to say 'don't go for the small garden, I compromised on the garden and really regret it' then realised your version of small garden is wildly different to my urban postage stamp - I'd kill for the garden in the second house!

The garden really doesn't look all that much smaller from the pics, just different layout, and it's a more attractive garden overall and a better house I think.

Very small world, I live in one of the villages nearby!

bungalow looks lovely though

These are the points which stood out to me -- the bungalow has a garage (double in fact) while the semi has a car port.
The fourth bedroom in the semi looks much smaller than the other three.
The three bedrooms in the bungalow look a good size.
The bungalow has a nicer kitchen. It also looks a bit larger than the other one.
The semi has a bit more actual square footage.
The semi is cheaper. (But will you spend the price difference between the two properties on renovations?)
My two pennorth -- it boils down to the one with the better location for you.
We moved last year after viewing over 40 houses, at least a dozen of which we missed out on for various reasons, -- price, flexibility, competition etc.

The house we finally bought might not have been our favourite in terms of the actual property but turns out was in absolutely the perfect location for us and we are very pleased we made the choice we did.

Definitely number two. The first house has zero Kerb appeal and looks like it would take a lot of work to get it how you wanted it.

I'd definitely go with the bungalow but that's not considering your various points, it's just because it looks more appealing to me and it's detached which is priceless! Square footage isn't actually that different to the 4 bed and the layout of the reception rooms will give a feeling of space. All the family can be milling around in the communal areas kind of together but with their own space.

Hallway is really spacious too.