Its a "which house would you choose" one

[IWillAlwaysBeinaClubWithYouin1973]

Both 3 bedrooms, both shared ownership (so leasehold). Don't want to discuss pros and cons of shared ownership, this is my only option. I have to be out of my rental mid June. When reading bear in mind I have a dog too.

House A - mid-terraced town house with a sort of "suite" style bedroom/bathroom taking entire top floor. Separate lounge at front of house then kitchen diner opening onto garden. Attractive estate mostly finished, looking out over river, house is on a sort of promenade, wide streets. Parking is in a garage in the next road. Estate fees are currently £50 a month so a bit worried they are just going to keep going up, existing residents Facebook page is full of complaints about fees and parking. Nice landscaping but noticed a lot of litter. Nearest towns are not great, quite deprived areas but still have all the amenities. Available to move in to now, I've viewed it twice. It's £10k less than the next house below. Slightly closer to station too.

My main concerns about House A are that I've never lived in a terraced house so very worried about noise and I thought it was always preferable to get a detached if you have a choice, and the fees - seems like a risk taking on estate management fees as they have less scrutiny/legislation than service charges.

House B - detached. Costs £10k more. "feels" much smaller from floorplan, its all open plan downstairs - small "galley" kitchen area at front of house, into lounge/diner (including stairs) then opens onto garden at back. Parking on drive. Estate is highly regarded but has been going on for years and there's still no green spaces or walks been built. You look out onto houses back and front. I was thinking it would have great re-sale value so I was very keen to get it, but now I've seen the outside is really ugly. Service charges (no estate fees) are lower as the area is managed by the housing association (around £25). Might not be ready till June/July and we are not allowed to view inside before we purchase, so a bit hairy. Near a massive shopping centre which I love.

My concerns about House B are that it seems cramped, we can't view inside and its a bit "meh" outside, no green spaces built yet (supposed to be massive parks but in 5 years nothing has been done), and it might not be ready in time.

If you had to choose one of these, what would you do? Also does it read as if I've already made mind up?

A sounds much better.

Buyer beware with leaseholds, be careful what you sign up to and the protections around that

Try comparing them using the Area360 extension to RM on Chrome. That may throw out some factors to consider

Thank you everyone - so 7 for A and 12 for B - detached winning so far. I'm going to try to add the floor plans.

Of the two, I'd go for detached and parking. I rented a terrace with noisy neighbours some years back, and it was hell. As was the parking. Made me determined to buy detached with my own drive.

A sounds nicer until you look closely. No parking (tradesmen will struggle), the river (no flooding now but possible with climate change) and uncapped fees, all of which make it tricky to live in but could make it very difficult to sell later on.

B is the better option. You have a driveway for tradesmen and would be able to charge an EV overnight in the future rather than having to traipse around looking for a garage or supermarket. That, and being detached, will be massive resale points as well as making your life easier.

B. Detached, better parking, predictable charges, established area. Detached is much better with a dog, and town houses are just staircases with rooms attached.But I would insist on viewing at least something similar.

Definitely B.

How does the square footage compare? I can't see how B could be more cramped as surely the downstairs will be much smaller in a 3 bed townhouse versus 3 beds in a two storey house?

I think you'd be absolutely mad not to pay an extra £10k for detached, a drive etc. Normally these would come with £100k plus price tag!

When you say the outside is ugly, is that the actual house or the area? And can you not view the show home?

I have lived in a flat, a semi, a terraced and a detached. Detached every time without hesitation.

Detached......I'm in a terrace with dogs both sides🐕🐕‍🦺🙉

Trying to post floor plans and I seem to have broken something! Sorry for not replying to queries, I might have to come back to it tomorrow.

B as parking. Very important to me

is there not a Show home house to look round

or rent for 6mths and look for something else

B. In a terrace, you will definitely hear your neighbours to some degree. If they’re noisy, it can ruin your quality of life. Also the parking and fees would put me off A.

Not sure how it works with SO, but resale value of a detached is likely to be better in the future too.

Ive lived in terraced houses all my life , as has dh, and never had problems with noise from neighbours houses. At present we live in a mid terrace house and no noise problem from either side.

however house 2 with the drive is more appealing to me. We have a drive and so much easier when coming home later at night. My sister is looking to move because parking in her street is a nightmare (even although her house is perfect for them)

Just a thought re house B. Can you view that style house on a other development or one that is closer to completion.
I bought off plan and we went and looked as round the same style house on another site, sales people didn't mind at all.
House A, parking would really put me off.

Does house A have an escalating lease? It sounds from your description it may do. If so I would avoid as this has significant implications- not just on your immediate budget but also resale etc.

Location, Location, Location - somewhat dependent on the square footage.

You can always make an ugly house more attractive from the outside.

The parking would be a deal breaker for me, as would uncapped charges for A.

Do you have any information about how well houses around A sell? Can you get to see a B type house elsewhere, as others have said.

What is the respective distance to the station. If A is a six minute walk and B is a 10 minute drive and parking costs will be involved, and you need the station every day, that's very important.

I'm not sure you have shared enough information for us to help you make a decision.

I’d probably choose A as the actual house sounds a bit nicer and more spacious. Charges sound high though and resident grumbles are off putting. I’m in a small Victorian terrace and hear my neighbours a lot. Can hear what’s being said on next doors tv as they have it on quite loud, and on the other side I can hear the neighbours downstairs hallway phone ringing when I am upstairs in a bedroom at the back of my house. As the houses are so close when their kids are running up and down the stairs it vibrates into our house and when they are loud in their garden it feels like they are on our patio. Luckily they are nice enough people on both sides but you can definitely hear them. Parking is also a nightmare in our road so your house B with a driveway does sound appealing!

Neither sound great though, I’m guessing there are no other options locally?

House A sounds way nicer. I'd think of it as: it's 10k less, so it would take a while for fees to reach that extra cost, even if they do go up.

House B. £10k over the life of a mortgage is nothing. Being detached and with parking is worth it.

Other than the dog who else is living with you? Town houses seem great but it can be a pain in the arse if you are on the top floor and the children are on the ground floor etc. that would put me off A too.

B
If the house is ugly outside does that matter? You won't be looking at it much. 🤷🏻‍♀️
It can be made to look more attractive but the traipse to your car or noise from your neighbours could annoy you every day.

For me, it would be house A.
I appreciate you are not me, and a very different person, but if you know your own person, (and I always trust my gut), I'd take a house with kerb appeal, and a river /dog walking spaces (so long as there's not been a history of flooding) any day over a home with no kerb appeal, unless I could add to the kerb appeal at a later date.
I love attic rooms
I dislike open plan (yes very 'in' at the moment but costs a fortune to heat and unless there's another room downstairs to cosy up in, it's not for me)
I dislike galley kitchens
I must have a 'view' that is aesthetically pleasing.
Hallways are a big thing for me. I love a big spacious hallway. Again, that's 'interior kerb appeal'.
Parking near the house is important-I've had both a driveway and on street parking over the years. I miss my drive, but only really when some selfish fucker parks in 'my' space, which doesn't happen very often.
I have to have floor bi-folds or large windows looking onto the garden.
I think the description 'detached' is subjective. I expect a decent detached to have space around it-not a hands width gap to the next house. This smacks of profit over creativity and often produces some depressing looking new builds.
My requirements over the years have changed as do everyone's, according to children,schools, etc.. and there are always some compromises, but at the end of the day, I trust my gut. I know within 5 minutes whether I'm interested in a house or not. I've not made a mistake yet!

House B for me as it’s detached. Have either got gardens? Also an issue with the dog as to how dog proof they are? But B. For detached-ness and parking and fees.

I'd go for B for the value of having a detached and something where service charge is unlikely to go up. You can be clever with choosing furniture suited for a smaller house. The stress of an uncapped service charge could eat into the 10k saving long term and the resale value

the timeline is very short. which would be the safer bet conveyancing wise?