Our budget has reduced - which house could work for family of 4?

[fancyaflatwhite]

Due to unexpected job insecurity, we're having to rethink our budget and expectations. Any advice and a little positivity boost would be amazing. thanks.

Could this space work for a family of 4 - inc. 2 tween girls and with WFH space needed?

Is this character house better? (no parking)

Or is this modern house a better bet?

I think the third one would be worse for WFH because it's very open plan downstairs. The best would be house 2 I think but the first two are both nice.

I'd say the first one, as it has a separate dining room, which could be used for both WFH and homework. The older one is nice, but I'd say the layout is less practical. Third one has a v small 3rd bedroom.

I'd say the second based on the larger sq ft floor plan

First one is best for your needs.

I far prefer the second one.

It's a nicer house overall imo. I would put my WFH space in the main bedroom on the top floor, to the right hand side of the stairs. It looks big - space dependant you could even maybe partition it off and stick another window in.

Does the first only have one toilet? If so I'd knock that out of the running immediately.

I like the look and layout of house 2. The extra segregation of the upstairs master bedroom is nice and gives you a bit of a retreat zone if the downstairs is being an office.

House 1 or 2 look perfectly large enough for a family of 4. I'd probably go for house 2, but would check the area at different times to ensure that parking on the road wasn't a problem. Is there room for a car if you removed part of the wall and got planning permission for a drop kerb? I can't tell from the pics.

The dining room in the first one would be awful for WFH! You need to go through the dining room to get to the kitchen, there'd be people in and out constantly.

The first one is lovely and looks like the best bet for what you need. The character property is nice too, but you have lost all the storage space in the attic to make the third bedroom. The modern house is (in my opinion) awful, particularly the outside space.
I would go and see if any of them give you ‘the feeling’.

It's hard to gauge the size but does the shed / summer house in house 2 have potential to be converted to a WFH space?

House 2 seems way better overall either way, seems like more space.

The first one has the smallest third bedroom of all the options.

I think it depends on your WFH needs / thinking.

In the second I'd do as PP suggested in the corner of the principle bedroom but making sure I had my back to the wall and I was looking onto the bedroom, rather than others seeing my room on video calls. Feels less intrusive. I'd also look at a screen so I could 'hide' work at evenings and weekends.

Or if you need a separate space, the dining rooms or converted garage give you more options to keep work away from life.

number 2 as it's over 30% bigger than the other ones. 1000 square foot, or just under as in house 1 is much too small for 4

house 1 is less than 800 square foot, including the conservatory, it's really much too small if you have other options

Houses 1 and 3 seem too small for what you want - no 1 esoecially is tiny.
I think no2 would feel much nicer and spacious once finished. I suspect you would feel very on top of one another in the other 2 properies.
As pp mentioned i would also try to Section off part of the biggest bedroom and put wfh things in there (probably next to the stairs)

2nd one. 3rd bedroom is tiny in the first one and it doesn't have a separate dining room - there's a breakfast bar between the kitchen and the dining area!

How hard is parking likely to be?

I looked at the room sizes and thought about it on the basis that you may have to WFH at times the DC or DH were at home and need a separate space. I think the second would suit WFH as you could use the Sitting Room for an office and the dining room as a second seating area (put the TV in it). At a pinch you might be able to use the Master Bedroom for work but I suspect its large dimensions are affected by sloping ceilings.

How about This one?

the kitchen, diner, family space would provide a good area for working from home, if you could partition the part where the sofa is in the kitchen somehow.

Agree with others and have to say that you have some lovely options here. Option 2 is the best - plus in the future should you have more spare cash, you could possibly extend out kitchen into the side return.

Definitely 2. Conservatory a great overspill room for WFH peace year round and is a good 300sq ft bigger than others which will matter as kids get older.

All lovely houses though.

If it had parking, I'd go for the character property (no.2) and swap the reception rooms around so what's now the living room becomes a dining room / study and the dining room becomes the main living room. Alternatively, there seems to be a summer house in the garden that could be used for WFH. It is also the largest house in terms of square metres.

Not the terraced. Unless you want arguments until they move out over who has the postage stamp bedroom.

They are all lovely, family sized homes, definitely don’t feel hard done by if these are your options!
I’d go for no 2, the character house personally. More likely to increase in value and no 3 is too open plan.

I adore the second house. Would choose it in a heartbeat. The third house is fine but lacks character.

Definitely house 2. Much more character. Biggers rooms. The third bedroom is too small in house 1 and only one toilet.

House 3, the newer one. It has a toilet on each floor.

The loft conversion will not be fun when you need a pee in the night.