PLEEEASE HELP CHOOSE HOUSE! Links included!

[heldinadream]

Dear House-discerning mumsnetters, I need your help!
Choosing (we think and hope) between two houses, in Bristol.
HOUSE ONE. Beautiful and up together with a couple of minor things that would need doing/tweaking. Really special house in lots of ways. Brilliant garden, not massive but lovely.
HOUSE TWO. Bigger. More rooms. Some aesthetically fine, some not but totally liveable with. Smaller garden all paved so we’d be taking up paving and trying to create a garden.
REQUIREMENTS. I’m going to be 70 next year, DH is 77, but we are both fit, well, and energetic (well him more than me in some ways 😂). So this is our last house.
I NEED a garden. Where we live now it’s minute and I need more.
I NEED an art room or space and a writing room or space, can both be in the same room but I need SPACE.

We’ve sold our house and complete in 2 weeks and are moving into a rental. LOOOONG story but we’ve been looking since last December, mucked around by buyers, couldn’t bear the thought of losing this buyer so we’re moving out so she can move in, so we really, really can’t keep on and on looking. In this time we’ve lost 3 houses that I LOVED. I want to love my next house, I really do. Or make it into my lovable house fairly quickly.
Both houses same price and similar location.
So it comes down to this – house one I would love straight away and have an amazing art room, truly special. But it is on the main road so there could be noise issues, especially in the summer, and the rest of the space is more limited, even though lovely. Smaller kitchen but great utility room. Much, much better garden. House two I could have 2 art rooms (one to work in one to store art materials) and a writing room AND a guest room and still space to do everything else. Much bigger kitchen, no utility but not really needed because kitchen big enough. Both have a garage (for storage, we are leaving one behind so need this).

We absolutely cannot spend big bucks after the move. Some but not big.
So I guess the question is – could I love house 2 and make the garden something good, and so gain all the rooms and space? I crave enough space. I’ve never, ever had enough space.
Or should we go for gorgeous, less space, but already gorgeous garden, but on main road? ARGH! There’s no complicated chains so the consideration is choosing the right house, nothing else.
We wanted to decide today. We’ve only just seen these two today (I knew they were both good).We only lost house 3 that I loved about 3 weeks ago.
HELP!

HOUSE ONE - GORGEOUS HOUSE.
3 bedroom house for sale in Wells Close, Whitchurch, Bristol, BS14 (rightmove.co.uk)

HOUSE TWO - LOTS OF ROOMS.
4 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Petherton Road, Hengrove, Bristol, BS14 (rightmove.co.uk)

We're going to go and see house two again - Petherton Road - with DD1 on Friday. Can't go sooner because EA booked up and DD working.
She's very sharp and will say exactly what she thinks and I very much value her opinions.

TBH I don't care for either of them, BUT ... you have answered your own question by describing house 1 as "gorgeous". If that's what you think, then that's the one for you!

I think you would be mad to buy either. House 1 - far too many steps front and back. It's a lovely house internally and so is the garden but it won't be practical in a very short space of time and both you and your husband will be at risk of being housebound if mobility becomes an issue.

House 2 has more options - a downstairs loo and a sitting room which could become a bedroom in extremis. But too many rooms to take care of and a NE facing garden which is less than ideal if you are keen. It can be made to look a lot nicer but won't be a sun trap to while away an evening in.

My father at 75 tripped 6 months ago and broke some ribs. It's caused a series of other issues and he has gone from being reasonably hale and hearty to requiring near full time care. Thankfully there is a downstairs loo and a bedroom but he can't even manage the step out of the house.

I'll caveat this by saying I don't know Bristol at all but I did wonder about this place. It's shady near the house in this pic [might be decking so slippery as hell but that can be fixed. A shady area is handy when it is randomly stupidly hot] but the garden is long and level. It has a nice sunny spot at the end so you could terrace one side, and put a little art room in beside it. It's seriously under budget [I'm assuming £400k] so there should be funds to put a lovely home office/yoga/art room in at the bottom, upgrade the insulation [energy rating is crap] and widen the pathway and put some decent planting in for an instant garden. It has three beds, so one spare room and a little study? And a big shed for storage.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/153589589#/media?id=media2&ref=photoCollage&channel=RES_BUY

Otherwise, I think you've had a couple of really good suggestions - the Queensdale Road one, again loads of space for an outside art room. A huge shed already but no garage.
The Battson Road one from Crikeyalmighty. Over my notional budget but suspect that all you will have to do is re-wallpaper rooms you don't care for.

It’s about 5 -10mins away from the other houses but the same side of the city
it’s more green / countryside but you would use the same big Tescos / Asda’s retails parks 😂

it’s also under budget for the OP and it’s got plenty of space and 2 rooms with a bathroom in between on the ground floor that could be used as a crafting room & downstairs bedroom later on if necessary
one of them has doors into the garden

garden looks huge and flat and a big driveway as well

It’s flexible house if your getting older and want to future proof things

@TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams

that’s very cheap for a 3 bed bungalow in any part of bristol

although looking at the square footage /floor plans it looks tiny

Wells Close looks decorate 'nicer' but Petherton Road just looks so much more practical to me so I would go for that and I could decorate it to my own tastes over time.

I thought that too.

Personally I wouldn't live in Bristol so neither house.

Do you think that's helpful?

I lived in Bristol for nearly 25 years, moved outside with current DH, now want to move back in to be close again to DD1 and her DH and her 2 DSs, so Bristol is right for us. And I rather like it. It's buzzy but not too big and easy for London, Wales and further South West.

Have you ever lived on a main road? My first house was on Whitehall Rd in Easton/St George (BS5). Never again for me - main road is always going to be a deal breaker - so I would reject house 1 straight away. But many people are not as sensitive/fussy. If you know you the noise would not be a big deal for you house 1 has its attractions. otoh, I too like a garden, and would pay a premium for a S or W facing garden - which makes 1 far superior to 2.

Good luck!

Can you afford a cleaner? I know in the US they can't stop you from buying at your ages but all it takes is one fall and your done.

i am so very confused by this post! 😆

I would seriously think about the steps up to the front door of house one. I know you are both fit and healthy but accidents happen and having had to get up just small steps to get in and out of my house with a newly broken ankle, I'd probably have lived I the garage of house 1 instead of trying to get up those steps.

But house two, although great floor space, is very overlooked and feels quite squeezed in. House 1, although next to a main road over looks fields. Though, what is just behind the garden?

I take it there nothing else in your budget?

Wondered if you had considered this OP - it's slightly over budget but hey these days people make offers

It's in keynsham but is a recently built chalet bungalow with a big upstairs room too plus 2 bedrooms downstairs and would be good for future proofing and using forcibly - I'm not sure how wedded you are to area you are looking but personally prefer Keynsham - although I realise that's just individual taste- good for Bristol and Bath and on train and closeish to area you are looking

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144774875

Neither. Slightly more than what you are looking at, but a council tax band less than one of your options and maybe put an offer in. You never know.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146561135?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

House one - those garden steps might be a problem in the fututre. At this age, future-proofing is important. You don't want to be moving again.
House two seems very cramped in with the neighbours.

I would not want to move into a house near the road by choice.

I thought that age-related illnesses would not happen to us very soon - how wrong I was!

Go for number 1 - the gorgeous house - if it makes your heart sing . Why waste precious healthy years sorting out the other one when you could just move in and live

House 2 gives you much more future proofing, downstairs bathroom, space for a bedroom. House one is fantastically presented but practically I don’t think it’s great. I think you need house 3

@RickyGervaislovesdogs I like that too !!

I’d keep looking while you rent , house 2 looks dark and there’s a couple of big projects that personally I’d need to do , changing kitchen fronts at least , bathroom and the garden which will never be the haven you are looking for

I don't know Bristol very well so I don't know if this in a good area or not, or too far from where you'd like to be @heldinadream but it seems to be quite a bit of house with a garden, though a bit over your budget.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152247677#/?channel=RES_BUY

@longtompot We looked at a house round there today (not suitable).
Omg this one looks amazing, thank you, sending it to DH ASAP! Will see if we can get to see it soon. Great find! Bit out of budget but looks so good, definitely worth looking and then maybe if we like it making an offer. 😀

@heldinadream Ah lovely! I nearly didn't post the link as wasn't sure but glad I did now. Hope your dh likes it and that it looks as good in person if you view it🤞