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

[chunkymunkyy]

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?

Dsd is 16 - when she’s 18 her bf is welcome to stay too.

We was thinking of going some kind of annexe/cabin anyway so it seems like a benefit of house 2 already having one.. but I do like house 1 best for the location and plot size

Ooh. I might change my mind lol. House 2 looks gorgeous. The difference in price looks really startling in that context. Also tbh house 1 looks a bit overlooked.

Yup I’d work on Dh about house 2.

Ooh. I might change my mind lol. House 2 looks gorgeous. The difference in price looks really startling in that context. Also tbh house 1 looks a bit overlooked.

Yup I’d work on Dh about house 2.

Thank you for your views !! They really help

To answer the question about dh and gardening, he does the gardening now that’s the only time he actually spends in the garden though lol so I have no doubt he would look after a big garden, I think he would take pride actually. I’m more worried about the cost of house 1 and the renovations we’d need to do to make it our own, but then at the same time I want to have a project too! It’s all very confusing and such a massive commitment I just want to make sure we’ve made the right decision. Also house 1 is opposite where the toddlers will go to nursery. House 2 would be a 15 minute walk

The bigger house with larger garden every. single, time. Especially with 4 kids and main roads are a pain.

Sorry I haven’t made it very clear house with the big garden is house 1, that’s the one on the main road going into town.

house with annexe is house 2 - that one is on a residential street on the outskirts of town.

Three things really - 1) the potential cost of a legal battle if someone comes forward with a claim 2) the difficulty in securing a mortgage and 3) the difficulty of onward sale. These are all potential headaches which I would avoid at all cost.

You need to do more investigation. How many owners have there been? 70 odd years is a long time in one house, have they been unable to sell it?

With the second house, I would want proof of building regs for both the loft conversion and the annexe.

Thanks for this. Vendors are both 90, raised their kids there from when they bought it off some guy. Never divorced or moved, hence Never getting it registered, not sure they even knew what it was to be honest !
Their original deeds were with the solicitors who have finally admitted to losing them. They have a copy of the deeds.

I thought you have deeds redone.
We were in a chain once where there wasn’t any deeds, and it put us back 2 weeks while they re did them.

If you aren’t concerned about the deeds issue I would go with house 1 every time. On the outside it looks like a much nicer house (house 2 looks dark and cramped). Is the only parking for house 2 that space shown in the photo? That isn’t much parking at all. With children I would want more outside space, that garden in house 2 doesn’t invite any playing.

I did actually think this was what was going to happen. But when I asked my solicitor she was like no we’re not doing that and some reason why, which I can’t remember !

On house 2 there is more parking around the back, in front of the garage. Dh is concerned also about all the cars parking on the street with house 2, won’t have that issue with house 1 due to it being a main road

I did actually think this was what was going to happen. But when I asked my solicitor she was like no we’re not doing that and some reason why, which I can’t remember !

You need to find out. It's pretty important.

Also, who is telling you that they never wanted to move in 70 years? If it's the estate agent, you absolutely cannot just take their word for it.

House 2 for me. Older teens love their own space so in 5/6 years your eldest would potentially move into the annex anyway.
Everything costs a bomb to renovate now so house 1 looks like a money pit- electrics, boiler, radiator, plaster, flooring etc etc

House 2 is a no brainer.

Your reasons for wanting House 1 are superficial

No not the estate agents, the vendors. We’ve met them, went round to the house for a cup of tea etc and dh has even helped them move some stuff into their new house, we’re in touch weekly

Are house 1 vendors selling at a substantial discount for the uncertainty? Is there much interest from other prospective buyers once the situation is known? I would be looking for a significant lowering of the price to continue with the purchase.

House 1 - much better layout and bigger. House 2 looks pokey to me, especially with so many kids.

house no 1 have already found, and bought, their new home
and you have been for a cup of tea
husband has helped move some items for them

and you are now thinking of dropping out ?!!!

to start all over again with house no 2

won't that delay your buyers ?

They wanted 460k for it, we’re paying 430k so already had a discount

They brought their new home before we even offered on theirs.
We’ve got to think of our family first and foremost and not let emotions get involved in this, it’s the most important decision of our lives afterall.

We’re in a rental, sold our house to buy theirs and we still haven’t got the draft contracts. I think you’d be stressed by this point too. We love the house and are very fond of the vendors, I’m just trying to be sensible and make the right choice.

@chunkymunkyy you need to be much more pushy with the solicitor about the legal issue. Is there a property partner in the legal firm that you can speak to?

This is just my opinion, but I wouldn’t choose either house. House 1 needs a lot of work and I wouldn’t want to do that with a young family (unless you’re both builders, plumbers or electricians by trade!). House 2 has an attic room and I dont think its ideal for young kids to be on a different floor to their parents.

Actually I agree with @Nevereatcardboard

I would find house no 3 !

You can't take the vendors word for it that the only reason they haven't moved is because they didn't want to!

They are not going to tell you that they've tried to sell the house multiple times but it keeps falling through because people can't get mortgages, etc. are they.

You sound very naive OP.