Another “which house should I buy?” thread!!

[conundrummer]

Canvassing opinions on my extremely first world problem. Houses are in the same area - though one more suburban. Also within same school catchment area.

House A

Detached
Bigger
Nicely done up - plug and play!
20 mins from main shops and school
15% more expensive! Ouch… The mortgage would stretch us

House B

Semi
Smaller
More quirky/dated - totally fine but over time would want to redecorate and do bathrooms and possibly extend if staying long-term
5 mins from shops and school
Less expensive - some money left over in savings or to use to update the house, smaller mortgage. Is this a false economy if house needs more work?!? I don’t know!

Cast your votes please!

I'd personally choose location (house B) if the house is OK to live in, and you won't be stretching too much. Always thought it seems pointless to live just to pay your mortgage!

What are the gardens like? I think i'd be leaning towards B because of how close to school and you're not so financially stretched.

A, you will end up spending more on b. And still be in a semi.

I would buy the semi tbh the main reason being I don't think it's wise to stretch yourself

I live in an end terrace and I can occasionally hear my neighbours going up/down the stairs but that's it

Both lovely. House B’s is nicest.

A. Detached everytime

B because you always want to make a house your own anyway over time and I would hate to be stretched

If you choose the smaller one would you ultimately need to move again? Depending on house prices where you are you should consider the SDLT impact of another move in a few years.

I don't agree. We moved 2 years ago and initially wanted a detached. Saw loads of detached houses but none of them quite right.
We ended up buying a semi that was actually bigger than 90% of the detached houses we saw. Lots of bedrooms and ample living space. Big gardens. We don't hear a peep from the neighbours. Location is perfect and peaceful.
I'm so glad we chose our semi over the detached houses we saw!

You'll probably end up spending more on House B than you save as renovating is expensive, not to mention the time and stress. Interest rates may have peaked and could start to fall before too long, which would reduce mortgage payments. Plus, if house prices increase, you will benefit more with House A.

Do you definitely need to move/buy now?

House A.
The cost of renovating & extending House B needs be taken into account & for all that extra money you may as well buy the detached house.

Fully agree with this. Our semi is bigger than most of the detached houses in our area. Where we are, a lot of the higher end larger period properties are semi detached and the detached tend to be smaller new builds. Our walls are thick, gardens are a decent size and we never hear our neighbours!

You say B is lovelier so that’s where your heart is and it’s cheaper.

Do you see it as a long term house or would you have to move again? Would A mean you would have to curtail your lifestyle to pay? Would you resent this? Could you find higher interest rates , although they may also come down.

House B IF its big enough for you obviously.

Detached is nice but an unnecessary luxury. When buying we needed Location, Size & Price as the 3 big things.

I would not value a 'move in ready' house more because obviously I want to make any house my own regardless. All the 'move in ready' house round here are those awful grey 'hun' houses and usually its just cosmetics holding together cracks. Pretty does not mean solid.

20 minutes too school sounds like a NIGHTMARE... thats a 40 minute round trip, twice a day plus any time you need the shops.

So does the extra petrol money/time of having to to do 40 minute round trips everywhere in A.

Inevitably you are going to do renovations in ANY house you buy.

I’d go for B, location is much easier and I like the sound of quirky, plus I’d rather spend as I go and do it how we want it (unless you are v time poor or hate decorating decisions). I’m in a terrace so semi sounds fine - but I’d maybe ask neighbours about noise, and I might worry a bit as it’s an unknown. Better garden would also sway me.

That’s not correct that renovations are inevitable in any house you buy. We haven’t done renovations in any house because we don’t buy properties that need them. Everyone’s different.

Thanks so much everyone. The mixed responses are quite reassuring as it’s obviously not an obvious decision!

I should add that the 5 and 20 mins are walking distances! Driving is 5 mins top from both.

Think we are swaying towards extra space and not needing to move again in 5ish years. Both are in a lovely location, but I think A is probably the only long-term option. Also, when I add up the cost of changing bathrooms, kitchen, moving a few walls, I think A could eat all of our money and it’s probably better to spend up front and know the cost. I like the way B is done, fortunately hasn’t been attacked by a greywash hun though that made me laugh - it’s an epidemic out there!!

No house you have ever bought has required anything doing to it... ever?

Wow thats either pretty magic or I don't believe you.

All houses need work and upkeep, a renovation usually just means you sort it all at once to your knowledge and liking when you move in rather than getting unexpected bills sporadically possibly 3 weeks in or possibly 5 years in when that item inevitably fucks up because nothing last forever. All updating is a renovation though.

Also do you not have any personal taste of your own? I like many can't feel at home in someone else's home that they made for their tastes and needs (which inevitably aren't mine).

I didn’t say no house has never needed anything doing to it I said no house has ever needed renovating as you said inevitably you are going to do renovations in any house you buy.
Naturally we’ve done things like painting and decorating, even a new kitchen once. All updating is not a “renovation “

Can you afford A even if interest rates go up / the boiler packs in?

A for me assuming the 20 minutes is a walk not a drive. For me detached and no work would be the deal breaker, I'm just not up for any kind of work, and I think it's worth pushing yourself for a more future proof house as we are quite career orientated and as such have managed to outpace our mortgage with promotions, even with the interest rates.

If you don't think there is much progression in your wages then you might need to be more risk averse, but I regretted going for a sensible house underestimating our income, we ended up pushing ourselves the next time upsizing and have continued to get good pay rises, I'm glad we don't need to move for the foreseeable.

The done up detached house that is a stretch, now, might be better long term but could also turn out to be all fur coat and no knickers with the finish being superficial and done to a shoddy standard. If it turns out that the roof leaks or the kitchen falls apart within 5 years, you would have nothing left to do anything about it.

A for me. After 40 years house buying/moving our only regrets are being too cautious and not pushing ourselves further. Twice we went ‘safe’ so as not to extend ourselves and within 5 years needed to move and those houses had moved too far away from us.

Our friends who have the best houses now were much less risk adverse.

Plus detatched rather than semi every day of the week.