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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:
Crapuscular · 22/04/2024 16:48

The freehold one.

Lived in a leasehold one many years ago.
Horrendous negotiations regarding so many issues.

Janedoe82 · 22/04/2024 16:50

i would keep looking.

Drumsticklollypop · 22/04/2024 16:51

House 1 if you can buy the freehold. Location location location. East facing garden looks big enough for evening sun. I have a very long NE facing garden and come the evening its half sun and half shade so best of both worlds. However you will notice the lack of sun in the winter months. I grew up with a south facing garden and it made the winters seem less grim.

Baileyqueen · 22/04/2024 16:55

House 1 if you can buy the freehold. I agree about changing the kitchen too, the red is hideous. I like house 2 better from the outside but the development plans and noisy motorway would rule it out.

cathibiscus · 22/04/2024 16:56

I wanted to say house 2 but the motorway is a definite no from me, so house 1 it is. We lived close to a busy A road and it was a nightmare. Not the noise, you get used to that, but the pollution. Our garden furniture was always covered in a layer of black dust, as were the windows. On hot days, you could really smell the fumes. The smog made me feel uneasy having the children in the garden. It was a nightmare trying to sell it as well because everyone was put off by the road. At the end of the day, yes house 1 is a bit ugly but that can be changed. Location you can't do anything about.

JLT24 · 22/04/2024 16:59

House 1

I could live with a small garden and you’ll still get Sun in part of it (I personally find I’m sat in the shade on a hot UK day anyway). I couldn’t live with motorway noise. Red kitchen doors can be sprayed until you can afford to replace. Outside can be rendered/painted and made alot prettier too.

BellaBaxter · 22/04/2024 17:00

Prefer house 1.

I can't put my finger on it but it just feels more homely (not just to do with the decor).
The layout is better too.

I also think the motorway and 2000 house development would be off putting with the second house.

Shudacudawuda · 22/04/2024 17:09

Definitely house 1. A smaller quite garden is preferable to one with motorway noise, no matter how big it is.
Spray the kitchen units. Buy the freehold.
No brainer.

unsync · 22/04/2024 17:15

Neither. 1 is leasehold on a short term. 2 road noise and large construction site will make your life miserable.

PoochiesPinkEars · 22/04/2024 17:16

1 if you can buy the freehold.

Massive development nearby, lots more money and motorway noise are enough to sway it away from house 2 for me.

Or keep looking.

BinkyBeaufort · 22/04/2024 17:53

If the leasehold issue is not a major problem, that's fine. It's not got the kerb appeal of number 2, but cladding/render can work wonders.
2000 new houses and motorway noise would be a big no-no for me. What's the point of a beautiful garden if intrusive traffic noise sets your teeth on edge.
The decor in both is definitely dodgy, but all rectifiable, and the layout of number 1 seems preferable. That's the one I'd probably choose.
Don't give up looking though.

Seaside3 · 22/04/2024 18:17

If you can buy the lease, then 1. Once you're in the house you won't be looking at it. And you can make an ugly house pretty, but you can't remove the motorway sound.

Floralnomad · 22/04/2024 18:25

I’d keep looking , move in with family / rent / air bnb if necessary . I wouldn’t buy a leasehold and house 2 is just awful particularly the bedrooms with the sloping ceilings .

Trinity65 · 22/04/2024 18:36

House 2 imo OP

I am curious as to what the current owners are like .
Their decor and stuff is rather cool as we would have said when I was younger

Librarybooker · 22/04/2024 18:45

House 1 - could be made nicer. I could live with the kitchen but not the bathrooms or the lease problem.

House 2 - I could live with one bathroom but not with the motorway noise.

So I’m saying neither, hope you find something

raspberryberet7 · 22/04/2024 18:55

House one is so much nicer imo

spottydinosaur · 22/04/2024 19:11

No wonder house 2 is selling with 2000 new homes being built!

It would be house 1 for me if you're comfortable with the leasehold

LadyEloise1 · 22/04/2024 19:24

Janedoe82 · 22/04/2024 16:50

i would keep looking.

Me too.

House 2 looked and sounded great until you mentioned 2000 houses going in nearby. That is some development !!!!

House 1 doesn't look nice and an east facing garden is a no for me having had one in our last house.

longtompot · 22/04/2024 19:31

If the motorway is noisier at house two, then you would be potentially buying another difficult to sell house. That and the new estate.
House two could be made to look more up to date. This is a house in my local area which I saw the new dormer whilst walking the dog. It just gives an idea how much you can change the look of a house

Help me choose which house please!
Help me choose which house please!
FindingMeno · 22/04/2024 19:35

House 2.
No hesitation.

ThatPeachMentor · 22/04/2024 20:07

FindingMeno · 22/04/2024 19:35

House 2.
No hesitation.

Buyers regret soon as the housing estate next door building starts (hence they are selling probs), the motorway gets too loud, and you need to spend more for another bathroom.

TheNoonBell · 23/04/2024 08:49

House 1, house 2 has problems you can't fix.

CatherinedeBourgh · 23/04/2024 08:56

Be careful with the leasehold, get the seller to get you insurance in case it turns out that you can't in fact buy it for 1.5k in two years. Or get the seller to buy it now and you can pay the 1.5k.

There are stories of people being told that and it being far, far from the truth.

Pinkdelight3 · 23/04/2024 10:00

House 1 as long as you can buy the freehold, which it sounds simple to do.

House 2 is so cluttered and chaotic. Obviously their stuff will be gone but it still shows how little space there is to move around for all that money it costs. The cons are hugely off-putting and would rule it out for me. You obviously are more of a garden person, but House 1 garden is not small plus you've got the park. If you have to move fast, I'd go House 1 and just change the kitchen cupboard doors if you can't live with the red.

Koptforitagain · 23/04/2024 10:06

Both aren’t really what you want. Rent and keep looking.