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Original poster

What’s more important - outside space or a house ready to go

80 replies

chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 14:20

Two houses. One we’re supposed to be buying but the delays have been ridiculous, also very real possibility we’ll only get a possessory title for…

I’ve seen another house. I like it, it has a smaller garden but it actually has a self contained annexe and a garage. It has two bedrooms on the first floor and a large attic room. It had a utility, which is a must for me. It’s also £385k compared to £430k we’re paying for the other one. It’s done up nicely, mix of old and new and wouldn’t require any extensive renovations

The house we’re buying while on the outside looks better, has more outside space and a huge garden, we will have to extend the kitchen and also probably (if we can) do a loft conversion due to one of the 4 bedrooms being much smaller than the others. It will need fully modernising. It has a garage too.

We have 4 kids. One is my dsd who doesn’t come over alot but will need a room when she does want too. Two toddlers and a ds starting secondary.

Both houses are detached but the second one is on a street on the outskirts of town rather than a busy road into town like the first. We don’t care about the main road as the drive is big and the house is quite set back.

What would you do?

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Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 14:22

Floor plans for second house

What’s more important - outside space or a house ready to go
What’s more important - outside space or a house ready to go
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Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 14:23

Floor plans for first house

What’s more important - outside space or a house ready to go
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heldinadream · 22/08/2025 14:26

So house 2 cheaper and better house and you wouldn't need to extend?
House 1 has bigger garden, that's its main plus? And you're down the road a bit with the sale?
Say more about garden sizes but on that info I'd be ditching house 1 as long as I had an offer accepted on house 2.

I don't know what the only having a possessory title thing means?

Editing to say I posted before you posted 2nd floor plan, so haven't compared yet.

Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 14:43

heldinadream · 22/08/2025 14:26

So house 2 cheaper and better house and you wouldn't need to extend?
House 1 has bigger garden, that's its main plus? And you're down the road a bit with the sale?
Say more about garden sizes but on that info I'd be ditching house 1 as long as I had an offer accepted on house 2.

I don't know what the only having a possessory title thing means?

Editing to say I posted before you posted 2nd floor plan, so haven't compared yet.

Edited

Have you had chance to compare floor plans ?
Yeah I think it’s main plus is it’s on a bigger plot of land. And it’s a nicer looking property, 1920’s/1930’s.
Second house is a character house too I suppose, it has ordinal tiles in the hallway etc

A possessory title is basically you only possess the house rather than absolutely own it. After 12 years of nobody popping up with the original deeds (lost by solicitors) you can then upgrade the title to an absolute

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WallaceinAnderland · 22/08/2025 15:10

Which bedrooms would the children have? The second house only has two bedrooms. Are you thinking of putting one of the children in the annexe? I wouldn't do that.

Mischance · 22/08/2025 15:12

It's a no brainer. Go for house 2.

Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:12

WallaceinAnderland · 22/08/2025 15:10

Which bedrooms would the children have? The second house only has two bedrooms. Are you thinking of putting one of the children in the annexe? I wouldn't do that.

No no ! Dsd would stay in there if she ever comes over which isn’t likely now she has a bf !

I was thinking we could split that bedroom/dressing room for the toddlers, ds have the other bedroom and myself and dh could have the attic room as our bedroom

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Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:12

Mischance · 22/08/2025 15:12

It's a no brainer. Go for house 2.

What makes you think this ? Price?

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Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:13

Dh is going to be the one to convince, he wants the outside space, don’t know why as he doesn’t even go in the garden now 🤣

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MelonElla · 22/08/2025 15:19

I wouldn't buy house 1 because of the possessory title issue

Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:19

One thing is though that house 1 is on a lovely road with all big detached houses on, and with such a massive garden we have all of scope to play with the house, making it bigger etc which will add value over the years. Second house is in an area just a short walk from town (first house is too they’re not far from each other at all but it isn’t on an estate of houses if that makes sense)

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Apricotily · 22/08/2025 15:20

It is nice having extra outside space when kids are at playing out ages but in general I would personally put a bigger better house in a nicer location ahead of a larger garden. However the linked bedrooms could be a right pain, particularly as the children get older. Combined with your own bedroom being on a different floor, which isn't great when they are little, would probably put me off house 2.

Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:20

MelonElla · 22/08/2025 15:19

I wouldn't buy house 1 because of the possessory title issue

What is it about that that puts you off? We would have indemnity insurance.

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Jumpthewaves · 22/08/2025 15:22

I'd want the one with more garden, it generally means a greater feeling of space and privacy from neighbours, which to me is invaluable.b

WallaceinAnderland · 22/08/2025 15:24

Would you do the attic conversion as soon as you move in? Where would you sleep in the meantime?

Rattyandtoad · 22/08/2025 15:28

If you can get the possessory title I would go for the one you are currently buying. (Can't work out if that's 1/2 based on all the other posts).

Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:29

WallaceinAnderland · 22/08/2025 15:24

Would you do the attic conversion as soon as you move in? Where would you sleep in the meantime?

Is this house 1? The toddlers would share one bedroom, it would mean sharing for a few years as kitchen extension would come first.

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Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:29

House 1 is second set of floor plans. Sorry did them the wrong way around !

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heldinadream · 22/08/2025 15:57

OK floor plans are hard to compare, they're so different. I'm still leaning towards house 2.
But I'm a bit confused! 😂
House 2 is the first set of plans and you wouldn't need to extend but the toddlers would have to share a bedroom for a while, is that right? Then what? Or am I in a muddle?

I did one of these threads a while ago and it was incredibly helpful by the way and pretty much stopped us jumping into buying either house, which I'm now pleased about as we've nearly completed on a house I'm really really delighted with! I shared the Rightmove links on mine. Would you be comfortable to do that? Understand if not, but if definitely helped my thread, made it much easier to refer to things.

dogcatkitten · 22/08/2025 16:04

chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 14:43

Have you had chance to compare floor plans ?
Yeah I think it’s main plus is it’s on a bigger plot of land. And it’s a nicer looking property, 1920’s/1930’s.
Second house is a character house too I suppose, it has ordinal tiles in the hallway etc

A possessory title is basically you only possess the house rather than absolutely own it. After 12 years of nobody popping up with the original deeds (lost by solicitors) you can then upgrade the title to an absolute

Show quote history

Possessory title sounds like a huge risk, can you insure against a 'real' owner showing up. I wouldn't buy it just because of that, I wouldn't sleep nights waiting for a knock at the door and, 'What are you doing in my house'. There have been cases where houses were sold and the actual owner only found out when they came home from abroad. Are you sure about the lost by the solicitor?

MelonElla · 22/08/2025 16:07

chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:20

What is it about that that puts you off? We would have indemnity insurance.

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Because of the possibility (however small) of expensive and stressful legal action. I also think it might make it harder to sell on in the future if that's a consideration.

MelonElla · 22/08/2025 16:08

Edited as repeat post

Ilovepastafortea · 22/08/2025 16:23

I'm a farmer's daughter & love my garden so I'd always go for a large garden. I love being outside & get scratchy if I'm forced (by illness or housework duties) to spend time inside. But that's me.

I'd always go for somewhere that you can make your own. It may be hard work (trust me we're doing that with our current house & it's hard finding reliable tradespeople) but at the end of the day you get a home that feels like your's. We've never had a a new build or a house in perfect condition - from day one (1988) we've always had doer-uppers. But your DH needs to be on board with this. Perhaps you could put it to him what this means. I'm talking about washing up in the bath because you don't have an operational kitchen. It means not being able to have a shower & having to do as my granny would say 'washing up as far as possible, down as far as possible & then washing 'Possible'' for a week or so😂 because the bathroom is being re-fitted.

WallaceinAnderland · 22/08/2025 16:53

chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 15:29

Is this house 1? The toddlers would share one bedroom, it would mean sharing for a few years as kitchen extension would come first.

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No, I mean house 2.

Is the attic already suitable to be used as a bedroom i.e. building regs etc? Personally I wouldn't want to be on a different floor to young children just in case of fire, etc.

Original poster
chunkymunkyy · 22/08/2025 17:41

WallaceinAnderland · 22/08/2025 16:53

No, I mean house 2.

Is the attic already suitable to be used as a bedroom i.e. building regs etc? Personally I wouldn't want to be on a different floor to young children just in case of fire, etc.

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I have no idea ! They’ve listed it as a bedroom and I think they can’t legally do that if it’s not fit for it can they ?

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