Which house would you buy- newish build or doer upper?

[Purple89]

Really struggling between two houses! Such a big decision and I know ultimately it's one my DH and I have to make but very grateful for any insights or thoughts others have to help us decide.

House 1
Victorian detached.
Visually stunning - a show stopper from the outside. Period features.
750k so top of our budget but will have some savings to do urgent work when we first move in. However will take us a long time to get it how we want it, we both work 4 days a week each and have a toddler.
Needs as a minimum- chimney fixing, cellar tanking, downstairs loo reconfiguring (it's accessible only from the outside at the mo), garden clearing (it's a total mess). Kitchen isn't fitted. However, it is liveable.
Beautiful views, affluent and highly regarded area, and in the catchment for excellent state schools (have a nearly 2 year old DD).
Garden needs clearing out and doing but would be nice big garden for DD.
No garage but there is scope to add one given there is a space for it, and there is a driveway.

House 2
Newish build (maybe 5 or so years ago).
Stone built and a pretty house but not as visually beautiful as house 1.
Seller built it themselves to live in so everything very high standard. Beautiful kitchen and bathrooms.
Detached
In a lovely village which seems very friendly and family oriented, but area is not as 'prestigious' as House 1. However, on a nice cul de sac (not a new build estate). Walking distance to local pub and shop, park and village hall.
Local schools rubbish so would send her private. However, the private school is excellent and walking distance from this house.
We wouldn't need to do anything to it apart from make it our style.
Garden is smaller than house 1 but already done.
600k price tag so 150k cheaper than house 1.
There is a single garage.

Both are similar size.

Argh we are TORN. Any thoughts welcome!

If you were my daughter I'd encourage you to go for the modern one. Get on and live your life in a lovely modern house. Send her to the private school.

Is your DP good at DIY and gardening? Does he enjoy it? If not House 2 everytime. I have always lived in period properties, without kids there is time for garden clearance and decorating etc. I enjoy doing properties up but my DP is crap at DIY and gardening. He's ran out of enthusiasm for doing our current house up. It's hard doing it on your own and I get cross at all the work that still needs doing!

Thanks for your post - super helpful. To make it even more exciting, we have already put in what I thought was a cheeky offer on house 1 at 710k - house 2 only came on the market a couple of days ago. Waiting to hear back and then house 2 came up and made me question everything!

He is fairly good at it but tolerates it rather than love it! I'm crap at both so that's another concern - but definitely enjoy the fruits of others labour! 😆

I can imagine that must be super frustrating for you!

At your time in life I'd go 2 even though I much prefer the sound of 1. You want to spend time with your child who will grow up before you know it rather than spending your life 'doing up'. Also how would you cope with job loss in house 1? It's a far bigger mortgage. You may also regret what you have to give up with 1 such as holidays. If your child were older then defo 1 but she's not so 2.

Ps. House 1 have been radio silent on offer so far but I'd be shocked if they accepted as its such a desirable area.

House 2 for sure. Renovating House 1 will become your whole life. You will always be focused on it, dealing with unexpected expenses, wrangling tradespeople. House 2 sounds nice.

House 2 definitely!

I was going to suggest making a cheeky offer ..u have nothing to lose and you will have a better sense of how u feel when thye come.back to you. But location and views can't be changed .....

The newer house 100%. But that’s because we bought a do-er upper which was a complete renovation job. Took 3 years to finish in the end and we said never again!

It’s amazing how much you appreciate peace, quiet and privacy after 3 years of having various workmen in every day, constantly around. Having to make endless cups of tea! The noise and the dust. Your house is never properly clean even when you’ve just cleaned it!

And it never seems to stop. There’s still always something that needs fixing or sorting. A total money pit (we do laugh at that film now and can relate!!).

We would go to a new-build next time 🙂

If you have young kids, don't have much free time and don't have all the cash you need upfront then do not buy house 1! Speaking from experience!

I love the look and feel of older properties but like some things about more modern houses, mainly double glazing and insulation! So as I feel the cold it would be house 2 for me. Plus you know the area, kitchens and bathroom done and a smaller garden might be more manageable.
Would you spend more time seeing your house from outside (kerb appeal and wow factor of house 1) or looking out to lovely views (house 2)?

At this stage in your life, house 2 all the way. Enjoy your daughter's childhood without the nightmare of dealing with house renovations.

Oh OP, house #2 everytime. You have more say over your daughter's education, if she's unhappy you can move her way more easily (hopefully not but it happens) and really your time and energy is much more precious when you have young DC. You won't get that time with her back that you'd have spent doing DIY and while I would also absolutely love the first house by the sounds of things, it could equal money pit as mentioned above. The work that already needs doing is significant let alone the stuff you don't yet know about. Good luck!

I would chose house 1 if I had the money straight away to do it all up at once. Having renovations drag on for years and worrying about the costs sounds like hell. Do you have any idea how many years it would take you? I'd go for house 2, as pp said - live your life.

Another vote for house 2

With your circumstances I'd go for house 1 so long as there were sufficient amenities nearby. It sounds like whichever you choose you're planning to stay there for a long time and if so you could do the work as and when time and funds permit. If it takes 10 years, so what? You'd have a stupendous place at the end of it. If DD is 2 that also suggests you're young enough to take on a project like this. Financially it might be more of a squeeze at first, but the cost will repay itself in saved school fees. That said, house 2 sounds really nice too, so you can't lose really!

I flipping love my Edwardian semi with period features and overgrown garden. I love the quirkiness of it, the history, the views from the stained glass windows. I've only lived here since June but every day at least once I think to myself how much I love it. And that is with plenty of maintenance and upkeep jobs on our list.

Have you viewed house 2 yet? Do you feel excited about the thought of living there? Would you be disappointed if you missed out on it? What about house 1? Examine your feelings carefully, that will help you decide. Older homes sure are a commitment.

It sounds like you love house 1 but it’s a question of whether you can actually afford it AND all the work that needs done in terms of money, time, stress, mental load and emotional investment. From your statement that the house price alone is the top of your budget, it doesn’t seem feasible.

House 2 costs 600k and nothing else. It seems like a more sensible option, as long as you don’t spend the rest of your days mourning house 1 and what could have been!

If it helps at all I firmly believe what’s meant to be always finds its way, so try not to be discouraged if an offer on either house is rejected/things don’t work out. You will end up where you’re supposed to be!

Hmmm. My instinct was to say house 2. We bought a liveable doer-upper a couple of years ago and it was/is our dream to have a detached house in this road.

However - the cost of doing anything has gone through the roof in the last two years. We bought at the top of our budget so can only do things very slowly. We are time poor and can’t save by doing work ourselves. Even a new kitchen is 2-3 times more than we expected when we bought.

We had a new build and I always turned my nose up a bit at it. I now understand the profound benefits of everything being new, functional and in need of cosmetic updates. Yes it lacked the character but my god we hardly needed to spend anything on maintenance. An old house and a big garden needs a lot of money, and there’s always something to do.

House 2

Our house is 6 years old and I was very cynical about newer houses having previously lived in period properties but life is so easy in this house.

No regular maintenance, no panicking a new damp patch will appear when it rains, lovely fixtures and fittings, really fast electrics, everything is uniform (eg. Same doors for all rooms, skirting boards consistent throughout) just a bit of paint to make it ours. I never thought I’d buy this house but it’s a million times better than our last victorian terrace.

House 2 ( We did the equivalent of House 1 including the gorgeous views and upmarket area and life is so much easier now living in something closer to House 2 in pleasant but not as exclusive area) . Amongst the headaches from House 1 were damp (despite paying for fullest survey which didn't highlight any concerns), cellar was always damp despite being tanked, scaffolding needed to sort chimney out but then couldn't be erected due to uneven stone steps at side of house, so chimney impossible to fix, leaking boiler, advised to have expensive new boiler but didn't keep all rooms warm, getting tradesman was an absolute nightmare and so many didn't turn up to quote, didn't come back with a quote etc. It was a 'Wow' house as was Tardis like and in gorgeous village but it was so stressful and we decided to move after a few years. Never regretted it and 'House 1' has been resold several times in the ten years since we left it - the chimney leaning as much as ever!

You have to be a certain type of person, (and be a certain type of couple) to cope with house 1. You need to have motivation and drive and a certain emotional resilience to cope when you're living in a mess and builders are telling you they've found more issues and their quote has doubled and you don't know whether to trust them or not. You need to have a high degree of agreement with your partner about your approach and decision-making.

If you've got the appetite and stamina for it, and you're not going to fall apart or turn on each other when things don't always go according to plan (they won't), then go for it.

If you've got any doubts, well, I'd be thinking house 2!

Definitely house 1, I feel you will just love living in it so much more as you gradually make it your own.