Which house....

[Padellainmyhand]

We are about to offer on a desirable location in one of the most expensive places in the country. .(we are lucky and I do count and thank my stars)
Two options, 1) 1.2 mil detached but kind of 20 years old decor a bit dark, weird room configuration 2) semi detached 1.1mil, great spec, wow factor double height extension... Which one? We won't do up (1) if we bought it as we won't have anything left. Everything else equal size of garden, garage, location.

If you have extra funds to do up house 1 then go for the detached.

What is weird about the room configuration? I could live with dated decor but not with, for example, bedrooms that lead to other bedrooms, main bathroom is downstairs, badly done garage conversion so you have to go outside to get to your snug etc.

Depends how much ££ would be needed (maybe a couple of hundred k?) To reconfigure/refurbish house #1 and how long it would take to do so. Would you need an extension to make it work? Can you post floor plans?

Are the gardens facing the same way? Id take a SW semi over NE detachdd anyday!

Normally I would say to go for the detached without question, but it depends on the layout and whether you can live with dodgy decor for an extended period. Personally I would want to have some money left over to put my stamp on the place in some way. Are your finances likely to improve in a few years' time so that you could make changes to House 1? In the absence of further information, I'm voting for House 2 as it sounds great. (The only thing that can go wrong is if you have bad / noisy neighbours.)

Which way do they face? As above, the one with a south or sw facing back garden; and the quietest road.

Offer on bother and see if either would take a cheeky offer.

From your descriptions, it sounds like you want House 2.

Neither - you sound like you don’t like either of them

House 2. It’s cheaper, doesn’t need
more spent on it and you sound more excited about it. Doing work is expensive and a faff. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re passionate about doing a project or it’s the only way to get what you want. We happily live in a semi with no issues. I never hear next door.

House two may lol amazing hit what about the roof? Electrics? Plumbing?

So many go for nice touches and not the bones of the property.

Good point about the garden. House2 is facing south and the other one is on the opposite side of the road facing north! Though both large gardens. House 1 is not too dated, but relatively dated I guess compared to house 2. Magnolia everywhere, ok kitchen but old cupboards, old laminate worktops, built in old wardrobes everywhere, and just isn't as light and airy as the house 2 which has dreamy shaker cupboards, lanterns and roof lights underfloor heating. You're right I'm swayed by house 2, but want to make sure I'm not just being blinded by the decor. House 1's layout is weird upstairs. It has 4 bedrooms but all on a long dark corridor, one of the bedrooms is on top of the garage so need to go through another corridor to get to it. No we won't have anything left over to do anything to it except a coat of paint. Ideally I'd have liked to have an open plan kitchen diner which house 2 offers, but in h1 that'd mean knocking down a wall.

House two may lol amazing hit what about the roof? Electrics? Plumbing?

I think all ok there. Thank you so much for all your replies. Is a semi over a detached a terrible idea?

Depends how you feel about renovating. Can you share the floor plans?

I wouldn't be put off my north facing as you get the sun rise and set either side - but would be if east/north east.

The choice comes down to spec vs. detached. You just have to decide which is more important to you.

The survey will tell you whether the individual house you go for is worth what you offer or has anything disastrous hiding under the wallpaper.

Doesn't matter what the house is worth or how desirable the area, ultimately you have a budget and you have to work out what matters most to you.

Always go for detached if you can.

Go for the semi. It doesn't sound as if you like the detached house and as you don't have the funds to do it up or change it, the weird layout and dated interior will always bother you.

Out of interest, why?
For example, I can see detached could be better for privacy, depending on garden size, but might cost more to heat.

Semi for starter home, detached for your life home.

Quieter, more privacy, more scope for extensions/improvements, less impact if you have noisy neighbours, less impact from neighbour extensions.

Far fewer of them so easier to resell.

With detached to have your own separate building, not one that you are sort of sharing with others. You aren't reliant on them when you want work done, or when they do work. Your home life is less likely to be negatively impacted if bad neighbours move in, which is something you are stuck with unless you move. Less noise from others, more privacy.

We went for the equivalent of option 2. Wish we’d waited for a detached option.
Look at the room config in option 2 - how many of the rooms you’d use most often side onto the neighbours, eg how much potential noise. Despite being in an old house we hear a lot due to room configuration, I find it hard work.

I think maybe you need to wait and look for another detached property. If I was spending over a £1 million I would waNt a detached for my money.

Detached every time, you can fix it up in the future.

Coming off a really nice semi with a crap attached neighbour. Detached is great even if our's needed a lot of work.

Detached and a south garden every time

Just to clarify the semi has south garden not the detached.