Trading in Edwardian house with charm for family friendly new-build

[Doubtfyre]

Hi all, so I'm really struggling with this decision and I'm hoping posting on here might help me figure this one out.

We're very lucky to be currently living in a beautiful Edwardian 3-storey detached house. It's full of character with lovely high ceilings, large rooms and looks very grand; but it's also cold, with no driveway and a small garden. As a family of four with two young kids, we worry in the long-term the kids will want a larger garden to run around in.

A house has come on the market which was built in 2017, so 7 years old. Whilst the rooms are slightly smaller, the overall square footage is more than our existing. It's detached and fronts on to a country park, so you don't feel like you're surrounded by other houses (although the garden does feel somewhat overlooked). The house has a better flow to it for families, in that we could have a playroom off the kitchen which leads into the garden; and the garden is much larger.

I'm just not used to new build houses. It's a stunning house, but it doesn't have the charm we obviously get with our Edwardian property. I feel like I'm trading in style and charm for functionality...but, maybe that isn't a bad thing?!

Anyone made a similar move before, for the purpose of their kids? The new house is walking distance to an outstanding school, but we don't really struggle with schools in our area anyway.

Edwardian house is closer to town, whereas new house would be about a 40min walk, or quick bus ride

Thanks for reading!

I live in a 1920s house. I don't go for new houses but admittedly my house is freezing and everyone is always cold and has to go around in two jumpers all the time, even when the heating is on. I think it would be lovely to be actually warm in the winter, although my childhood home was quite cold as well! But I do know people with new builds and they are far too hot and stuffy in summer whereas mine is a respite. What about a 30s semi? They often have period features and lovely big gardens.

Used to live in a beautiful Edwardian house. It was so lovely with lots of original features.

We did lots of draughtoroofing etc to try and get it warmer. They helped but it was still cold.

A couple of houses later we moved to a new build (90s) very reluctantly but it we’d relocation for work and we were coming to the end we could claim relocation costs for renting a place. It was the only vaguely suitable thing that came up in a year.

I really, really wanted to hold out for something prettier.

However, five years in I have to say I am a bit of a convert. It’s so, so much easier to keep warm.

It does help that it has views though.

It does help that it has views though.

I agree with that as we have stunning views across fields and watched the fireworks in Liverpool on NYE from 12 miles away!

Ours is also a far more interesting design than the usual new build box-type thing.

This is basically our garden, so not massive! The trampoline is then sort of on the patio round the side.

I could post a picture of the new-build we're considering but I'm not sure if that's standard practice on here?!

That is one thing I have to say works in this new house's favour, it has lovely views at the front! With the country park adjacent you just get miles and miles of green space. I did get a nice feeling when I walked out the front door. The back garden is naturally overlooked though, and I hadn't really considered the noise coming from other people's gardens!

We've not had a huge amount of noise outside. Yet!

Our biggest noise right now is the bird scarer in the field opposite which goes off regularly in waking hours!

This is the garden for the new-build...

Sorry to put a dampener but that garden isn't that inviting. It's not quite what I pictures for big garden! I'd hold out

I prefer your current garden!!

@qwertyasdfgzxcv that helps quite a lot actually, thanks! The more I hear from people the more I'm realising we're better waiting for an option C ☺️

The thing is that moving is so so expensive, obviously exact costs vary but once you've paid stamp duty, estate agents commission, mortgage fees, surveyors bills plus moving costs you'll probably have spent the thick end of £10k, never mind the extra you might pay on the mortgage and the stress of packing and moving. You can pay quite a large annual heating bill and/or treat the kids to a lot of ice-creams in the park for that money!

I do get the pressure of 'needing' to provide a nice home for your kids but tbh what's 'necessary' is so subjective, these days people seem to assume it means a big grassy garden with room for big toys and football goals, a double bedroom for each child with room for full desk/homework area, a huge open plan downstairs with playroom, home office for each parent etc, whereas when I was raising my kids 25 years ago we thought we were doing well if they didn't have to share a bedroom and we had any kind of garden and space for a dining table, and back 'in mah day' we grew up in back to back 2 up 2 down terraces with tiny paved yards, bedrooms were shared with up to 3 siblings and we thought working central heating and a fridge-freezer were pretty fancy. I'm not saying that to make you feel profligate/extravagant, times change, as kids we did all our playing in the streets which obviously would be less safe and acceptable today so I do get the desire for private gardens etc. I guess I'm just saying it sounds as though by any objective measure you already have a lovely house and your kids' needs are more than met - you live in a town so if they need extra room for the odd large-scale game or run around it should be easy to take them to the park. And others have said the playing in the garden years are short compared to how long you may live in the house overall (and confined to the summer), soon enough proximity to friends and the town will be a far more important factor than garden size anyway unless you are keen gardeners yourselves. So personally I'd save the money, stay put and either spend the money on making current house more comfortable or simply on the nicer things in life like holidays. Or if you must move make it be to somewhere you both really love and want to stay in long-long term, rather than thinking just of the short term needs of the kids who'll basically be fine wherever you live...

hello. you mentioned your Edwardian house is cold. Do you have insulation put in? If not, would you consider it? adding insulation might be way cheaper than moving to a new house that you sorta like

Speaking as someone who has lived in a new build and suffered the noise of 20 BBQs, 10 trampolines, 2 booming makito radios on scaffolding, 5 tinkly 24/7 water features, 9 wind chimes and the din from several sex ponds the number of houses backing onto the new build garden fills my heart with dread.

I hadn't really considered the noise coming from other people's gardens!

That makes me think it must be quiet where you are or it would be a consideration in the move. Don't underestimate how wonderful peace is and how awful the loss of it is if it is important to you.

Also, parking. New build estates seldom have much parking. Might be ok with lots of young families moving in but when all the kids are teenagers and have cars it becomes a nightmare. The new build estate I was on stopped its bus service because the parking was so tight the buses couldn't get through.

Might lots of people travel to the park and park on your street too?

Sorry to rattle on, but my experience of a new build estate was dreadful.

We are in a big Victorian terrace, I've always wanted this type of house with high ceilings, all the architraves and trimmings. We gave up a 1970s detached for it, which we'd renovated from scratch - it gave us the profit buy this.
I love the look of our house, but wish we'd stayed put in our old house, the energy hikes have hammered us, we spend a fortune just to be cold, the upkeep is horrendous and the height of the house makes a lot of DIY impossible.
I want out, I love it, but I can't do another winter.

We have a similar issue and with the exception of loft insulation and secondary glazing of some kind, it's not really an option unless you start batting out or lining walls, which then costs you the original features or can also create condensation. Our walls are solid so no cavity to fill either.

I understand.

you can try wood fibre boards and lime plastering. it's good for old period properties. it's quite pricey compared to gypsum though.

with a good plasterer, they could work around the original coving.

what about solar panels? that could help with bills and generally help you keep your heating on when it's colder?

I wouldn't go for the new build. Not enough pros and too many cons. The garden you have is fine. Kids don't really run laps round it that it needs to be huge.

As others have said, if your current garden is relatively peaceful, do not underestimate how annoying full on neighbour noise would be. You can have the biggest garden but if there's constant noise disturbing the peace, what's the point?

And yes, new builds hold a lot of heat. Great in winter but hideous in summer. And thin walls. Also agree on that one. I've lived in a few different houses. Currently in a victorian and its so peaceful. I miss a lot of calls because my phone will be in one room, I'm in another and I just don't hear it! Frustrating for those trying to call me, but it means all the family have privacy in their own rooms, as well as not hearing the neighbours.

@DancingLions, we have the opposite experience between Victorian and new build. We barely hear a thing in the new build.