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.

It would be my personal nightmare.

Way too open spaced for family/multi-person living.

It’s a nice area but you’re paying for the character and chi chi ness! I would definitely need to do something about the bathroom going off the bedroom, it’s really inconvenient and a bit grim. I wouldn’t want to live with that and it will limit your resale. Looking on Rightmove a few have changed the stair position which is much better (image below, I don’t love it downstairs but it’s much better for the bedrooms). I’d also find it difficult not to have anywhere to store shoes and coats, and I’d be worried that the lounge would be really cold unless the door was really well insulated. I’d rather need to change the layout or I’d look for something a bit more practical.

Lots of people round here live in similar houses with two or even more children. But the Price! They’re about 2/5 of that. I cannot imagine paying that for one of these houses.
I love the light & warmth in the house though, nice kitchen, feels like a home.

The stripped floors are lovely, as are the kitchen and (showerless?) bathroom, but the rest of it is pretty unappealing and the layout would be horrible to live with. The house at the other end of the terrace has a porch which suggests you'd get permission to add one; that would make some difference to heat and privacy (and balance the terrace from the outside). You could potentially make a small hall from the porch and box off the ugly stairs which might help a bit.

Another vote for the fantastic 3 bed that another poster linked though, it's so much better. And even has a garage ripe for conversion - you could make that a 4 bed for very little money and add value.

Oh and I also see that a house 3 doors down has built a porch on the front which would definitely be a good idea- to stop drafts and give storage for costs and shoes. And a few seem to have rooms in the roof so you could potentially investigate a loft conversion or at least a good loft storage area in time.

That 3 bed is ugly though and needs a lot of work, mind you I suppose if OP needed to change all the layout of the terrace that will also be a lot of work

So is the 2 bed though.

It looks like a starter home for a childless twenty-something person or couple, but my opinion is skewed because you could buy something similar for 125k near where I live (wholly unhelpful, I know!) I thank my lucky stars I'm not tied to London for work.

Access to the bathroom through one of the bedrooms would put me off. Perhaps it's doable with a three-year-old, it just depends on how long you intend to stay there and whether you plan on having more DC - there's not much privacy for whoever has that bedroom. It would work as a guest bedroom or a home office but not a bedroom that's permanently slept in, in the long run.

I wouldn’t say the three bed needs a lot of work. It has dated decor but it’s perfectly habitable. Decorating and a possible new kitchen can be done as and when. Yes it isn’t as visually appealing from the outside but the “cuteness” of the two bed from the outside is overshadowed imho by the inside layout and the fact it’s nearly half the size of the other.

im more of a buy with my head than my heart type person I guess and I think the three bed is more sensible but I appreciate others may well disagree. There’s no right or wrong answer it’s very individual.

I do agree with Kirsty Allsop though who said she doesn’t think an ugly exterior house is an issue because when you’re sat inside you don’t see it! 😁. Anyway I don’t think the three bed is ugly. It’s just not painted a nice shade of lilac!

Hersham seems better value for money.

Have you actually viewed it, OP?

It's a pretty house with potential but i think it's just too small. I don't like the way downstairs is completely open & can't see the 2nd bedroom

I'd chose a cheaper part of Surrey tbh.

Isn't it quite a far walk from the station? That would put me off particularly when you add in school run.

OP, what’s your actual top budget?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138752891#/?channel=RES_BUY

The 2nd house linked whilst not as pretty is more practical

I love it and would buy it. Only issues for me would be are you planning more children soon and distance from station.

I'd seriously consider going more practical over kerb-appeal.

The upstairs bathroom being accessible only through Bedroom 1 might not seem like a problem now but you're not that far down the line from you or your child wanting more privacy.

My DD is 6 and I wouldn't buy a property with this setup. If she goes to the bathroom in the night, I am vaguely aware of it but I just go back to sleep. If she was having to walk through my bedroom (probably putting the light on), go to the toilet, walk back through, maybe wanting a chat on the way, I'd be at risk of being fully awake.

I went for a spacious ex-local house on a not particularly pretty estate over a much nicer looking small 2-bed cottage and I don't have any regrets.

Unless you can live with an ugly, dated, worn-out interior, that house is a money pit IMO.

Depends how much you can do yourself, it needs new carpets and decorating. Probably new interior doors would look nice The decorating most people could do themselves. I actually think the kitchen is ok. I’d probably replace the bathroom though I hear retro bathrooms are getting a bit trendy now?

I bought my current house in a similar/worse condition and we did the majority of it ourselves and it took five years due to budget. But the value we added to the house was quite large.

Plus I imagine with that last one someone has died or gone into a home and not to be too heartless but there’s more chance of a deal to be done especially if OP is a first time buyer.

The house is 78 square metres, with the correct storage and careful choice of furniture you could quite easily live here . I would research the area, the neighbours and the community. The house and garden itself can be transformed into a home with minimal expenditure . The stairs need updating and you would need a shower unless I missed one.

The second 3 bed property is more practical but it is soulless and ugly and I would need to completely refurbish all decor, carpets and curtains in addition to the kitchen and bathroom.

I really really don't like toilets opening off of the kitchen. Especially a kitchen diner! But that could be solved by moving/adding a door.

It's nice and bright in the pictures, I'd want to check it's really like that.

I wouldn't put DC in the bathroom bedroom, too much chance of them getting up to mischief when you think they're 'playing in their room'!

I would consider putting a wall in across the entrance room right at the foot of the stairs (orange line) or even a glazed partition to keep the light, to give you a porch/hall area, and stop drafts from the door/stairs. You could then put in some understairs storage for the living room. At the moment it's a nice open space, but there's nowhere to put anything!

Would you need to use the garage for parking or could you put some doors in the back/side and use it as a play room / garden room or something?

Unfortunately, DH and I are the least practical people on the planet. Hanging doors and laying new carpets is well beyond us. We've given painting and decorating a shot before but now we have a bit more money we'd much rather pay someone to do a professional job. Given this house is over budget, would the OP have that option if they lacked the skills?

I couldn't live with the current kitchen or bathroom, so that's at least another 20k on an already over-budget house.

Then again, as someone who spends a lot of time cooking while keeping an eye on a child a similar age to the OP, a galley kitchen is a no-go for me regardless of its condition.

this.

Could add value even with just outline planning permission.
Looks like a lovely house.