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Original poster

Help me choose which house please!

97 replies

Mowgli3 · 22/04/2024 15:49

House pick

We have finally sold our house after a year and have viewed 2 properties which we are interested in. There is a fair bit of difference in price but they are very similar in size/bedrooms.

House 1 - www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141283169

  • Pros-
  • It’s in a quiet small cul de sac which we wanted
  • We love the big extension
  • It’s a 5 min walk to school
  • It’s next to a lovely park
  • Cons -
  • the garden isn’t as big as we wanted
  • The garden is east facing. We are in a south facing garden at the moment and love it.
  • It’s not the prettiest house
  • Kitchen needs changing

House 2- www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139277687

Pros -

  • The garden is huge, beautiful, mature and gets the sun all day
  • More storage in the garden
  • It’s a pretty house with a cosy cottage feel

Cons -

  • After the garden there is a farmers field and then the motorway - you can hear it quite loud when in the garden
  • There is going to be a development of around 2000 houses quite close and the road it’s on could become busy
  • Longer to walk to school (only 5 mins longer) and not as nice a walk

Please help me decide! What would you do?

OP posts:
SpringOfContentment · 22/04/2024 15:54

I've not looked at the links, but from your description, 1.

Be back in a bit to see if I've been swayed!

SpringOfContentment · 22/04/2024 16:01

Yep. Still house 1.
It doesn't "need" a new kitchen. You'd prefer one that isn't red 😏.
The only plus point to 2 is the garden - and its a beautiful garden - but the inside has a strange configuration, and the ceilings are low in the bedrooms.

Spidey66 · 22/04/2024 16:01

House 2 has bags more character and is a freehold as opposed to House 1 which is a leasehold. However the large development would put me off.

Spidey66 · 22/04/2024 16:03

Actually House 1 only has 84 years left on the lease, which would seriously put me off.

Twiglets1 · 22/04/2024 16:08

I prefer the location of house 1 as house 2 would be too close to a motorway for me. Don’t like some of the decor but these things can be changed

Bumblebeeinatree · 22/04/2024 16:08

I would usually have gone with the older one with the big garden, but the development would put me off and a bit too twee, and who did the decor....

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 22/04/2024 16:09

You could have the kitchen sprayed a less obtrusive colour.

Unless you share their taste, there’s a lot of redecorating in 2.

BentFork · 22/04/2024 16:09

House one is hideous 😬

Twiglets1 · 22/04/2024 16:10

Hadn’t noticed that house 1 is leasehold though and a fairly short lease at that. Think I would keep looking tbh

Mitsky · 22/04/2024 16:10

I was going to say 1 and use the difference in price to change the kitchen etc but if it actually is leasehold with 84 years left there’s no way I’d touch it.

Notellinganyone · 22/04/2024 16:11

I couldn’t live in House 1 - it’s really ugly! House 2 is cute.

0rangesandstrawberries · 22/04/2024 16:11

You need to keep looking!

Noisy road and development is a big put off.

ChooksnChicks · 22/04/2024 16:11

Keep looking op.

Churchview · 22/04/2024 16:12

I much prefer house two but the motorway noise and development would put me off. A town near us had a 2,000 house development and the character of the place has been transformed beyond all recognition - not enough public transport, doctors, facilities of any kind and the traffic is permanently hell.

The lease on house one, the garden orientation and the fact that it has no character would put me off.

Are either of them really for you? It's a buyers market, could you keep looking?

ThatPeachMentor · 22/04/2024 16:12

Neither. House 1 is leasehold - a short lease, would be even shorter if you ever try to sell?
House 2 - pretty etc. But no no no if it’s going to be near lots of new build works. The motorway would be unnoticeable after a while, if it’s far enough away. But still. Also, one bathroom (I know you can add another but still). Shudder!

You'll find something that’s right

Bumblebeeinatree · 22/04/2024 16:15

I would keep looking, they both have problems that I wouldn't want.

Gymnoob · 22/04/2024 16:15

They both need a lot of work imo. To how I would like them anyway.

Im going with house 2. The only thing attracting me more to house 1 is that the extension is very nicely done.

Chewbecca · 22/04/2024 16:16

Neither

1 is a no solely because of the lease

2 because of the mway noise and development

DuchessOfSausage · 22/04/2024 16:18

I don't like the kitchen in house 1. The red units are ok but the bifold doors would do my head in. Don't like the decor. Leasehold so a flat NO from me.

House 2 is too cluttered and busy and I can't be bothered to look at it but the floor plan looks better than house 1.

BoudiccaOfSuburbia · 22/04/2024 16:20

Hmmm, I voted 1, but hadn’t noticed the leasehold status.

I wouldn’t live within hearing distance of a motorway or close to a 2000 home development!

Original poster
Mowgli3 · 22/04/2024 16:29

So I’ll had a few points, sorry to drip feed.

We are on our third buyer and have been trying to sell our house for a year. The first buyer pulled out due to their workplace moving locations. The second pulled out because we have leased solar panels.

This current buyer has no chain and wants to move fast, they are not bothered about the leased solar panels.

Our house isn’t the easiest to sell as we have a shared drive and barely any parking in the cul de sac we live in. I’m worried we won’t get another buyer or have more problems selling.

We have looked in to the lease on house 1 and we can buy the freehold once we have lived there for 2 years which will cost £1500. I have a friend who is a mortgage adviser who has said we shouldn’t have a problem with the amount of years left on it.

We already live in hearing distance of the motorway but albeit it is louder in house 2

OP posts:
0rangesandstrawberries · 22/04/2024 16:32

If you like number one then go for it. It's not to some people's taste but it sounds like you prefer it and at least you know there won't be 2000 homes built around the corner

ThatPeachMentor · 22/04/2024 16:37

Mowgli3 · 22/04/2024 16:29

So I’ll had a few points, sorry to drip feed.

We are on our third buyer and have been trying to sell our house for a year. The first buyer pulled out due to their workplace moving locations. The second pulled out because we have leased solar panels.

This current buyer has no chain and wants to move fast, they are not bothered about the leased solar panels.

Our house isn’t the easiest to sell as we have a shared drive and barely any parking in the cul de sac we live in. I’m worried we won’t get another buyer or have more problems selling.

We have looked in to the lease on house 1 and we can buy the freehold once we have lived there for 2 years which will cost £1500. I have a friend who is a mortgage adviser who has said we shouldn’t have a problem with the amount of years left on it.

We already live in hearing distance of the motorway but albeit it is louder in house 2

In that case if you like it go for house 1. You can make it look nicer, plant greenery growing up the front walls etc. Flowers etc.

TheBunyip · 22/04/2024 16:43

With the “saving” you’re making on house 1 you could do a lot to make it more to your taste

location location location. Motorway and development are things that will never improve

fromaytobe · 22/04/2024 16:46

Don't look at the pros, look at the cons. A huge development of 2,000 houses nearby would be a definite 'no way' from me for house 2.