Help me choose which house please!

[Mowgli3]

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?

Are the locations similar for local amenities (other than the school)?

I don’t think the garden size is a factor in this case - what’s the point in a big garden if it’s noisy? For me anyway.

I dont like House 1 especially with the lease issue but if you can buy for £1500 (and make sure that is 100%) then probably that one if you have to choose one or the other.

House 2 is nicer and much more character but the 2000 houses is a No No.

If it was me I would spend the next 48 hours finding somehting else. Go into EA's face to face, they will have some properties that arent on the books, just been valued etc and you never know. Dont just use Right Move

I would say find House 3.

Never ever would I buy leasehold - way too much hassle to extend the lease, risk of ground rents all of that. Why would you buy a house but not the land?!

House 2 is much too close to the motorways and it will annoy you very much.

House 1. Really because of the development, although I do love the garden. It's all about compromise. What's most important to you.

House 2 is beautiful busy inside but it is very pretty. I have a north facing garden and it's so cold even on pretty warm days it's cold. My washing takes forever to dry so I think I wouldn't go for either of them and look for something else xx

I would be very very careful of the option to buy the lease. The situation now may well hugely change in a very short space of time. You may end up with very challenging negotiations and a bigger bill and still have a leasehold property with all the hassle of resale.

Don't be forced into a purchase for the sake of it. Better to rent/ live with family for 6 months and be a cash buyer.

If you can buy the freehold, then it's house 1 definitely. What's the point of having a large mature garden if it is unpleasantly noisy?

A pleasant school run will make such a difference to your daily life.

You can work to optimise the smaller garden and still have access to the adjacent lovely park!

Cover the ugly with plants!

Worst case scenario, house 1 seems less likely to lose value and easier to sell.

House one is awful. That lantern ceiling and bifold doors is horrible.

But the location is much better.

House two is so horribly cluttered it's hard to get a feel for it but seems to be a rabbit Warren of rooms with funny shapes and soling walls and would need to be completely redecorated. The garden is lovely.

I woul not move where they are going to build 2,000 houses nearby.

I would keep looking.

Neither are right for you. Can you sell yours and rent for a while whilst you keep looking?

House 1 - I think it has to be Location OP
It is a Leasehold though.

House 2 - Lovely house, but with the houses & motor way, it would have to be a no.

Although not ideal, if you're not 100% sure on either house, could you put your belongings in storage and temporarily rent/stay with family until you find your dream home?

House 2 for me, even with the development.

Id keep looking

My advice - keep looking.

Don't buy a house just because it has fewer compromises than another.

Are people not worried someone else might buy the house they want when posting links on MN? I'd be terrified someone else could put an offer 😂

Ignore the gardens, go for the house you like better.

You'll spent a small fraction of your time in the garden compared to how much you'll spend in the actual house...

On first glance number 2 hands down.

Both houses are very specific in tastes to the current owners and would require some work inside. The exterior of number two is more appealing on a wider scale I’d say and characterful properties always have a higher pool of viewers when it comes to selling in future.

The lease on number one would seriously put me off, unless you have solid proof you can buy the freehold easily. If it could be bought pre-purchase that would be best for peace of mind. Knowing freehold properties sell easier and more often for more money, I’d question why the vendors haven’t thought to purchase the freehold themselves.

The immediate building work around number two appears to be 27 houses with generous space between them (if my detective work is correct! Have attached a screenshot of the plan) Very close to the property you like, however if you can cope with the work potentially happening around you, these new houses would at least dampen the noise of the motorway for you and wouldn’t be dissimilar to living in a cul de sac like house number 1.

I’d say number 2 is overpriced considering this work is so closely located though and also compared to the sale price of a similar house last year. You could get yourself a decent amount off if you try a cheeky offer.

Makes you wonder why those houses will sell, being on a motorway!

The big deal they’re making in cities ref pollution. LTNs, cycle lanes etc. But no problem new housing next to motorways!

Are you any clearer op?

If it’s only between those two I wouldn’t buy house 1 unless there is a written guarantee that you can buy the freehold.

I love house 2 but wouldn't buy because of motorway noise (and pollution)

Thank you everyone for your input.

The leasehold is with the council rather than privately owned, would that make it more straightforward? Would it still put you off?

A lot of houses are selling on house 2’s road presumably because of the development, they have been fighting against it for years.

We are going to view house 1 again and see how we feel. If I could pick house 2 up and put it in house 1’s location it would be a no brainer.

The east facing garden is niggling me but I appreciate we may never find the perfect house and may have to compromise somewhere.

With those choices I’d keep looking both seen floored.

House 1 is closer to local amenities such as shops, train station, several parks

House 2 is 3 doors down from a pub

Could you keep looking, op? Maybe you haven’t found the right house yet?
Good luck. 🌷

Neither, I'd keep looking