This cottage for a family of 3 (contains link)? What is your opinion?

[AfterTheRainComesSun]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137657495#/media?channel=RES_BUY&id=media0

Within budget (lower end) in the desired area.

If you put your child in the bedroom that adjoins the bathroom (for night-time toilet trips) it will be fine.

Nice apart from the upstairs layout, could you create a narrow corridor in the bedroom with the bathroom so you can access the bathroom without going through a bedroom?

Only being able to access the main bathroom through bedroom 2 is going to be an issue for resale, and possible for you once your DC gets a little older.

Do you plan to have another DC?

Cold air falls.
If your upstairs is draughty in winter, cold air will funnel down those stairs and keep your living room cold.
I loath houses with stairs directly accessed from living room.

Lounge is long and narrow. You will probably find that seating is all up against one wall and TV/other furniture is pushed against opposite wall. Boring layout,
Pretty house but going thru a bedroom to get to a bathroom is a no no from me.

Is the driveway area to the right of the house all yours, or is it shared access with next door? Google streetview shows 2 cars parked one behind the other there. Great if it's all yours but impractical if shared.

There are a lot of things that would bug me about it if I lived there.
The front door opens straight into the living room. No buffer between front door and pavement.
The front door opens looking at the stairs.
Which direction does the house face - might be dark inside.
The bathroom being off a bedroom. Is there a shower downstairs?
Some idiot thinks it's ok to park on a pavement.

Positives:
Walton's a nice little town
A garage!
It's plenty big enough for a couple a young child.

I've just moved out of a house very like this where I lived with ds and dh before he died for 20 years. We were very happy there because it was the right area for us. Bloody hell it was tiny though. I would do it again.

You're going to have to be very strategic and ruthless with your belongings. Don't keep anything, take a picture and junk it. Get rid of books. Think capsule wardrobe for all of you. Get your dc into playing flute and football, not double bass and windsurfing.

I don’t like the layout full stop. I prefer a cosy sitting room not something so open plan with the front door opening into it and a main thoroughfare to the kitchen. A child only has the same room as the parents to play in/do ho work in (or up in their bedroom).

I don’t like the upstairs layout with the bathroom been through the bedroom.

are you stopping at one child as there doesn’t seem space for two kids?

do the middle neighbours have a right of access through your garden or do they have a back gate?

@PermanentTemporary thank you. Sorry about your DH💐
Our current place is actually smaller than this and without a garden so would feel like an upgrade for a while😅

My friend lived in in this road when she first got married, nice area, close to shops and River Thames.

What about this, more space?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133348439#/floorplan?activePlan=1&channel=RES_BUY

I love it and it has everything you need if compact!!

Watched the video, and there is a buffer.
The long window looks weird but probably means it's not dark.
Not sure where the garage is.
Long narrow living rooms are hard to get right, they tend to be corridor-like
Kitchen looks great
Garden is a plus

I know property is expensive round there, but the bathroom/bedroom layout will be a pain in the arse, and will only become worse as your child gets older. If this cannot be resolved, I would pass on this one personally.

There are lots of terraced houses like that where I live (northern city), where it’s quite normal to have a bathroom coming off the bedroom and a downstairs toilet, so that seems fine to me.

We live in a similar sized house (two adults and DD aged 8), and it can feel crowded, plus storage space is limited.

I don’t like the way it’s all open plan downstairs - with the front door and the stairs opening into that main room, that could be cold in the winter. I’d want to partition off the door/ stairs area, and possibly create an under-stairs cupboard too. Do either of you need to WFH? There’s no privacy downstairs so you would have to use a bedroom as an office.

From the floor plans, it looks as though it has already been extended to create a bigger kitchen, so you might not be able to extend further under permitted development rights.

Is there space for a car to access the garage - it doesn’t look like it from the photos? Is the parking on street/ residents only?

I think it’s fine but I’m in a 2 bed bungalow with 2 kids and dh. Mine are 8 and 5 months. We’re fine though. It’s bigger than my house but we have a bigger garden. I think it’s great. I’ve no clue on area though.

I live ten mins away, this is a lovely little place and the price is to be expected unfortunately!

I like it. Two decent sized bedrooms.

If your child is only three then them coming through your room isn't really an issue. Or you could switch them round as PP suggested. Perhaps doing something with a kallax unit or similar to create a more private sleeping area and then a toy end so you can walk through if needed.

The living space needs a bit of thought. I'd probably want to build in under the stairs for storage. You could have a small sofa sideways or a corner sofa to create two zones (or clever shelving)with an office or play area at one end and living at the other so it feels more cosy and not so long and thin.

Kitchen looks good size with decent storage.

Love it !
A home is what you make it

I think it would be great, easily enough space for three of you, and the garden could be really lovely with a bit of work. The kitchen is really nice imo.

Could you extend sideways over the driveway?

I'd restore at least the appearance of a fireplace in the sitting room.

@AfterTheRainComesSun A few posters have asked about another child. Do you plan on having any more? Because if so I think it could end up being a house you outgrow very quickly. I know you said your current house is smaller, but the open plan layout and storage problems in this cottage would be a pain if you had more than one.

It's a great area, and the garden is a bonus.
Check out for neighbour rights of way at the rear and side, as it might cause a problem if you want to do any extending in the future.

It would certainly fit a family of 3 but to be honest I would have liked it much more before the heart and soul were ripped out in the name of modernisation.

It could be a really lovely house. The layout isn’t ideal but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me either. It really depends on whether there are more dc planned.