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Original poster

Small house in nice area or bigger house in decent area?

95 replies

Marghe87 · 04/02/2023 19:24

DH and I are considering options for our first house. We work in London and need good
commute and good schools as we have a toddler DD.
Budget is limited considering the costs of SE so we ca either afford a small 2 bed in a very nice area (very small and with maximum budget) or a slighthly bigger property in a not so nice area.
We recently went to see a couple of “not so nice areas” and realised we don’t feel particularly excited about living in a place like that, even though we’d be able to get a slightly better house.
I do worry though that DD might not enjoy growing up in a small house (I did and always wanted more space) despite the more “premium” location. Equally, I think the area you live in makes a huge difference in the overall quality of life.

DH and I are late 30s and although we earn a hood wage, we are not on high paying careers so our earning potential is relatively limited (what I mean is that we wouldn’t be able to magically upgrade to a bigger house within a few years unless we manage to gain a huge amount of equity because of house prices increases).

What would you do/what did you do if you were in a similar situation? I’d like to hear what is it you compromised on if you had a relatively limited budget.

For reference, budget is £480K max and nice areas I am referring to are Weybridge, Hersham, Esher and surroundings.
Less nice areas are some parts of Redhill and Sutton.

OP posts:
Isthereanygoldenwonder · 04/02/2023 19:33

I chose the small - very small 2 bed - in the very nice area. I have looked several times to move and always come to the same conclusion that I'd rather be here and like the area than a big house with no amenities. Good luck with your decision

Killerfail · 04/02/2023 19:34

Location. Location.Location.

I’d buy in the nicest area.

LizziesTwin · 04/02/2023 19:34

No guarantee but the schools will probably be better in a nicer area.

Chasedbythechaser · 04/02/2023 19:46

Nicer area!

nca89 · 04/02/2023 20:01

We did the small house in a nice area and upgraded to a big house in an ok area within 3 years, it was an expensive mistake we made listening to too many people (MN included!) we are so happy now, we spend much more time in the house than out of it!

Location is over rated if it's "cafe culture, chocolate box houses" you're paying for. We went for somewhere functional; great schools, all the amenities we could need, well connected, but a 1960s high street and unsexy postcode. We've got our dream house, that (literally) 15 miles away in a pretty village cost £100,000 more (new build).

So remember when people say "location, location, location" that it actually means different things to different people, and whilst the programme is called that, they almost always compromise on location for the better house!!

trader21c · 04/02/2023 20:03

Always the nicer area without a doubt

Nearlyamumoftwo · 04/02/2023 20:06

I live near Sutton and surprised you’re comparing Sutton and Esher? Surely Esher is more expensive. Can’t speak for the other areas but Sutton borough is one of the best in the country for grammar schools so if you’re wanting to go down the state route over private I would choose Sutton all day long. Redhill also gives you access to a fantastic school too which people move to the area for

Nearlyamumoftwo · 04/02/2023 20:08

Sorry have got confused, so you can have a bigger house in Sutton - got it. Knowing the market around here £480k will get you not a great part of Sutton at all (how many bedrooms gets you £480k - must be a horrible part) - feel free to message me privately as know both areas quite well.

mizu · 04/02/2023 20:11

Nicer area definitely. We did this almost 5 years ago and have never regretted despite also having 2 DDs. We have a 2 bed flat, quite spacious but probably could have bought a house in another area.

We live very close to a fab school, quiet area on edge of Cotswolds Way so great for walking but walkable into town too.

Tyrannicalthreeyearold · 04/02/2023 20:12

Killerfail · 04/02/2023 19:34

Location. Location.Location.

I’d buy in the nicest area.

From someone who bought the mansion in the hell hole. location is EVERYTHING.

SnapBang · 04/02/2023 20:18

It depends on how nice the other area is really. We’ve had the smaller house in the premium location and a bigger house in a less posh, but still very family friendly, well connected and nice area to live in. We much preferred having all the space and a better house. However, I wouldn’t buy a mansion in a crap area.

plugin12 · 04/02/2023 20:31

I live in Reigate and am now keen to more to Redhill/Horley area because we can get something much bigger 10 mins up the road than we can here and I'm over living in the "nice" area-I want another bedroom , bigger garden etc- a lot of the nice areas are expensive shops and restaurants and in reality yes we can walk to a lovely park/high street sometimes but I would rather have more space in my garden for the kids and drive to the park or shops when we want to go there but then maybe that's just me - I spend more time at Tesco and soft plays than at small independent coffee shops and mint velvet/joules/fat face Grin

Freetodowhatiwant · 04/02/2023 20:32

It depends how far the nicest area is from the not so nicest area. I did that a couple of times, bought close to the area I wanted to be in but couldn’t afford and for the first couple of years was envious of the people who could buy in the centre of the nicest area and regretful. BUT the nicer areas grew, spread out, and within a few years my not so desirable areas with the bigger houses but less on the doorstep had a lot more things on the doorstep and were much more desirable! So I ended up with bigger house than I could have had before and one that was in a desirable area. Not sure that makes sense but it was good!

superdupernova · 04/02/2023 20:40

Any chance the bigger house is in more of an up and coming area?

I'm about to move somewhere 30 minutes away that was considered very very rough when I was growing up in the 90s/early 00s. A lot of first time buyers were priced out of my hometown and started moving over there 10/15 years ago. Over the years its become nice but a lot of older people still write it off. So although the prices have increased more than any other local town, you can still get more for your money... for now. Long term I think the new house will increase more in value. There's a lot of investment going into the improving town while my hometown seems to be turning into a ghost town that nobody wants to visit.

WithCat · 04/02/2023 20:58

Totally depends how many are living in the house, as a single or a couple I would choose best area. With 3 kids I choose bigger house, less desirable area.

Disco123456 · 04/02/2023 21:50

I recently moved to one of the nice areas you mention and I totally love it. We lived in a shit area before and although we haven't downsized to move here, I would in a heartbeat. I feel like I'm living on a different planet in the best possible way.

AlongCameBetsy · 04/02/2023 22:01

We live in the biggest house in the postcode according to zoopla, but the area is shite. Looking to move next summer and can't bloody wait to get out of what literally feels like living in a bin.

Starseeking · 04/02/2023 22:06

Location is key.

If you can move to the nicer area, and buy the smaller house which has the potential to extend, I'd do that.

mobear · 04/02/2023 22:16

I’d go for the smaller house in the nicer area. I’ve done that twice now and not regretted it.

Mooloopoo · 04/02/2023 22:18

Honestly, I don’t know those areas so can’t comment on how different they are to each other. Depending on the extent of the differences I would probably choose a bigger house. We have outgrown ours and the struggle for space is horrendous. I would happily live in a not so nice area just so we could have more space. Obviously, it would depend on how ‘not so nice’ it is

goldennotyetoldie · 04/02/2023 22:19

Weybridge is lovely. Live there. Only 20mins to central london by train and a lovely community.

Jdjdntbhh · 04/02/2023 22:21

Always area! Living somewhere nice is priceless

Calmdown14 · 04/02/2023 22:35

I think it depends a lot on what is 'nice to have' and what has a detrimental affect on life.

So two bedrooms is fine if they are both big enough to have reasonable storage but if you can only fit in a bed and a small chest of drawers you are soon going to become frustrated.

A small kitchen is fine if it has a decent run of worktop but not being able to put out three plates to serve up tea will drive you to distraction.

We have a fairly compact three bed terrace. Things I'd like, perhaps a utility room and separate office but really these don't impact my life greatly. I am the only person in the house while I'm working and my desk tucks away in a corner. The bedrooms are a good size but the bathroom is tiny and only fits a shower. I'd like a bath occasionally but in reality I get bored after about two minutes and we have a fold up bath that the kids have loved so I don't think a lovely big bathroom would greatly improve my happiness.

I think you need to look at the smaller properties and really think about how you would live, understand that negatives and see which of these are worth the trade off.

I think it's about more than square footage but about how that space works for the way you live. Be really honest with yourself when viewing.

Socrateswasrightaboutvoting · 04/02/2023 22:47

Whichever is the friendliest area and has a great sense of community.

Namechanger355 · 04/02/2023 22:48

I know both of those areas well as we were also looking at both.

they are vastly different - Esher/Weybridge are literally hedge fund/footballer territory with gated mansions in places whereas Sutton has some nice places but for below £500k you will be looking at some places that are a bit grim and possibly unsafe.

Sutton does have access to some of the best grammar schools but you need to be happy in the area you want to live - and personally I don’t think Sutton is up and coming (there are places near by that are beautiful though like cheam)

in your situation I would go for the 2 bed which you can convert or extend in future - or a small 3 bed in Esher.

or look at compromise areas that are family friendly with good facilities but not as stunning as Esher - eg Woking, surbiton, new Malden