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Original poster

Which house?!

58 replies

Freestylem · 10/07/2022 07:21

Both houses have the SAME footprint and are on the same estate.

House 1:
510k
South East facing open plan living room + kitchen
South East facing garden
Laminate flooring throughout (not to my taste)
Kitchen not to my taste
Layout of open plan living room + kitchen not ideal as there is a TV port in the wall next to the kitchen unit, meaning we can't have a corner sofa against the kitchen unit to maximise space
Walls need repainting as not to my taste (pink)

House 2:
500k
North facing open plan living room + kitchen
North facing garden (garden slightly less nice than House 1 but does have a raised decking at the back for seating)
Carpet in bedrooms (to my taste)
Bedrooms beautiful colour and panelling to my taste
Kitchen to my taste
Floor in open plan living room + kitchen to my taste
Can have a corner sofa as TV port on the "correct side" of the open plan living room + kitchen
Garage has been part converted to a gym (this is a plus for me but not sure if it would be to others)
Crack in en-suite sink
2 mins further from station and 2 mins closer to a proposed residential development

Thank you in advance!

OP posts:
LizziesTwin · 10/07/2022 07:25

I wouldn’t want the north facing garden. Wall colours & carpet/laminate are fixable, you can change where the tv jack is too. Look at what can’t be changed.

ChessieFL · 10/07/2022 07:27

House 1. All the stuff you don’t like is cosmetic and can be changed (although I appreciate it’s a pain doing it). You can’t move a garden and a south east facing one will be much nicer.

StuckInARug · 10/07/2022 07:29

House 1 as all the things you don’t like can be fixed.

KarrotKake · 10/07/2022 07:34

House 1.
The cosmetic stuff in house 1 can be changed. The orientation of house 2 can't be.

Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 07:36

Is it expensive to change where the TV jack is?

Also, worth bearing in mind that House 1 is £10k more. House 2 also has a garage gym conversion.

OP posts:
WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 10/07/2022 07:42

Not all North facing gardens are awful.
It depends on the width of the garden and what other houses are around.
Ours is fine.

Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 07:44

Do south east facing gardens get sun all day?

OP posts:
Overthebow · 10/07/2022 07:45

How big are the gardens in each and are they overlooked?

roastedsaltedpeanut · 10/07/2022 07:47

House 2 did a great job mask masking all the disadvantages by dressing it up given it is darker, colder and in a less desirable location.

Buying houses is about the location, light and size. Then other fixed characteristics that you cannot amend. Anything that can be changed, such as kitchens, bathrooms, garage conversions, should not influence your decision.

Having said that, there is also a market for cash rich time poor people who wants the property to be perfect and ready to move in. Will put up with or prefer a smaller garden for less maintenance. As long as location is good for commute they are willing to pay over the odds for a house that is done. If that’s you then of course it’s House 2.

Overthebow · 10/07/2022 07:47

Freestylem · 10/07/2022 07:44

Do south east facing gardens get sun all day?

No, mostly morning and afternoon, how late depends how East it is and how overlooked it is. My SouthEast garden gets sun until 5.30pm

TopCatsTopHat · 10/07/2022 07:52

Depends how long you're going to be in it.
To fix all the things you don't like in house one would take a fair bit of money and time, fine if its your forever/long term home, but doesn't sound like those changes would as much value.
House 2 sounds like you'll be happier from day 1 but gradually may come to envy the south facing aspect. But if you intend to sell again in the foreseeable would be better.
Any clue what the neighbours of either are like?

TopCatsTopHat · 10/07/2022 07:54

Gym in the garage sounds like a big plus for you. Gym membership isn't cheap.

Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 07:56

Overthebow · 10/07/2022 07:45

How big are the gardens in each and are they overlooked?

I'm not sure what size they are (no details on rightmove) but they are very different layouts. House 1 starts with a paved area where you can have seating, and the garage is to the right. Then you get to a paved/grassy area. House 2 is just grass and has decking at the back. House 2's garden is rectangular whereas House 1's garden is more interesting and has nooks and crannies for seating and ornaments etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 07:58

TopCatsTopHat · 10/07/2022 07:54

Gym in the garage sounds like a big plus for you. Gym membership isn't cheap.

I can use a room in House 1 as a gym. The spare rooms have slanted roofs (this is the same for both properties) which may make it more difficult, but hopefully still possible.

OP posts:
EspeciallyDeIighted · 10/07/2022 08:02

House 2 sounds better to me, I think south facing living areas get too hot. The back of our house is NW facing and the kitchen is still bright and airy but you don't get sun on it till late in the day, the garden gets sun most of the day, but it does depend on trees, other houses etc.

Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 08:03

TopCatsTopHat · 10/07/2022 07:52

Depends how long you're going to be in it.
To fix all the things you don't like in house one would take a fair bit of money and time, fine if its your forever/long term home, but doesn't sound like those changes would as much value.
House 2 sounds like you'll be happier from day 1 but gradually may come to envy the south facing aspect. But if you intend to sell again in the foreseeable would be better.
Any clue what the neighbours of either are like?

I think we would want to sell House 1 eventually, but can see ourselves there for the next 5-6 years or so? The improvements wouldn't add any financial value to the property, but would make it nicer for us during the time we are there.

OP posts:
EspeciallyDeIighted · 10/07/2022 08:04

x-posted, the garden of house 1 does sound better, it is nice to have your seating area outside the back door not at the end of the garden.

CrispsnDips · 10/07/2022 08:04

The decking area in the garden of House 2 will catch the sun practically all day in the Summer, I think. We had a north facing garden in the past which was fine, it just meant that the sun didn’t come into the house at the back unless it was mid-Summer, at about 8pm for half an hour or so.

In your shoes, I think I would go for House 2

Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 08:08

CrispsnDips · 10/07/2022 08:04

The decking area in the garden of House 2 will catch the sun practically all day in the Summer, I think. We had a north facing garden in the past which was fine, it just meant that the sun didn’t come into the house at the back unless it was mid-Summer, at about 8pm for half an hour or so.

In your shoes, I think I would go for House 2

That makes sense, but would mean the open plan living and kitchen area of House 2 would be cold and dark during the day for the majority of the year

OP posts:
Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 08:17

Whilst the majority of House 1's garden is south east facing, very small parts of it are south facing so might be able to get some evening sun there

OP posts:
Overthebow · 10/07/2022 08:17

It sounds like you don’t like house 2 so I would go for house 1.

Thursday37 · 10/07/2022 08:21

House 1.
I really couldn’t get excited about the position of a tv point. We’ve put new ones in every time we moved.
House 1 will be easier resell.

Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 08:28

Overthebow · 10/07/2022 08:17

It sounds like you don’t like house 2 so I would go for house 1.

I actually prefer house 2 aesthetically, but having to put my practical hat on and think which is the better long term option

OP posts:
Original poster
Freestylem · 10/07/2022 08:31

Does this look like real wood or laminate? (House 1)

Which house?!
OP posts:
Treacletoots · 10/07/2022 08:32

I wouldn't touch a north facing garden unless it was really long and no overlooked. The selling times around here for gardens with a good aspect vs north also would suggest a lot of people feel the same