Which house would you go for?

[ForSale2024]

2 houses, both in the same area of my city. Both 4-bed detached, similar prices, and need a similar amount of work doing.

House 1 - bigger house and bigger garden with 4 good sized bedrooms. On a nice road, but it’s a bit of a through road and just off a busy main road. The garden is NW facing so a bit apprehensive about lack of sun. Even though the garden is bigger than house 2, it’s still not large. In the catchment for the school we want to send DC but it would be a short drive (probably less than 5 mins but too far to walk to school and back again to drive to work).

House 2 - on a lovely street, opposite a very quiet park, at the end of a cul-de-sac, so very little car traffic. Smaller than house 2, with a smaller garden, but the garden is south facing so will have sun all day. There is a box room so we would need to reconfigure bedroom sizes upstairs. Close to the school that we want to send our DC (we could walk in 5 mins), but far enough away to not get the school traffic and parking issues.

They're both very similar other than what I’ve listed above. Any insights to help us choose?

I would choose 2, walking to school is bliss as is a quiet road.

If house 2 is still big enough for your family then house 2.

From your descriptions, your heart is with number two, so go for that. If you hadn’t seen number one, would you be content with two?

Definitely 2.

House 2 every time. Space isn’t absolutely everything. There’s more cleaning, decorating, maintenance, heating etc.

.. walking to school is lovely. So are parks, quiet roads and south facing rear gardens.

That’s assuming house 2 still provides enough space. Do you have 3 children? (Just what you said about the box room ..)

2 definitely

It's true. I'm in a big 4 bed house and I'm sick to the back teeth of all the cleaning me

Plus the garden doesn't get much sun during the day.

House 2

Okay. Imagine I’m also interested in the same two houses and proceed on house 2.
Would it really bother you?

When mine were little we were walking distance from the school, and park, it was lovely. I'm not overly keen on houses bigger than I need, as PP said its just more work, and possibly higher council tax. I also like a manageable size garden, I find a big one will either take too much time, or don't get maintained very well. I'd go with option 2 as long as its not too much work to change the upstairs to how you want it.

House 2 as long as you can make the bedrooms work. Much nicer for everyone if the kids can walk to school and you will enjoy the south facing garden & quieter street.

House 2 generally sounds great but south facing gardens are overrated.

This is mumsnet...where's the pictures??? 🤔😀

House 2, no question.

Noise and business will never stop. You can make a room bigger/cope with it being smaller. Area is everything. Being able to walk to school is such a time saver.

I'm not really sure why you're asking - obviously house 2! the walk to school is the clincher along with no through traffic (but do remember south facing gardens come with their own problems).

House 2.

My garden is nw facing....I absolutely hate it. It's the only thing I dislike about my house actually

House 2, we moved from a south facing to a northwest and it was back on the market in 12 months!!! The lack of light was horrific!!

I would never compromise on garden direction again!

I would choose 2. Sound like a better quality of life, but you just need to expand into the loft. Totally doable... I would just check that you can first.

2 for the location and convenience.

I agree. I think it's horrendous over summer! I have a NW facing garden. We get a hit of sunlight in the late evening, and much more in summer. But, we do get sun in the garden all year round, just different amounts. Over winter it's cloudy on most days anyway, so a South or North facing garden is all the same to me.

What I love about my NW facing garden is that on a sunny day, my garden is either gets lots of sun (over summer) or some sun over winter. Either way, it doesn't pour into the back of the house. It's just pretty to look out onto. I have a nice garden, which helps. It's a bit like when you go on holiday and sit in a shady cafe along the beach, but when you look out, the beach has all the sun on it and looks great. Obvs, I don't have a beach garden haha, but it's still pretty.

South facing garden friends always have curtains and blinds pulled to block the sun, but that also blocks the view. Personally, I prefer to look out onto my garden.

My friend is also buying a NW facing garden, and her reason is that skin cancer is on the rise so she personally wants less direct sun in the garden when she wants to let her young kids play. It did make me think

House two. The quieter location would clinch it for me.

House 2 cos you said it’s on a lovely street and within walking distance of th3 school and not because of south facing garden.

Wow… almost a unanimous decision for house 2!

I was very 50:50 on the houses, DH is pro house 2. I think after reading your replies I’m now pro house 2 too!

I think I was prioritising space over all else but maybe the short distance to school and the quieter location is much better. My children aren’t quite school aged yet so haven’t had a chance to realise how great that would be.