Quick decision needed: 1 bed vs 2 bed bungalow

[CurrentlyHouseHunting]

My mother (homeless for a few months) has finally reached the top of the social housing bidding. Yesterday was offered a viewing on a 2 bed bungalow and today a 1 bed bungalow (yes, complete fluke, but different HAs and we clarified that this was allowed, they said it was because she hadn’t signed any paperwork yet for the one yesterday). We need to make a very quick decision (next 24 hours).

2-bed
in a generally sought after location
rural location
no busses or public transport
25-30 min drive from me
20 min drive from other family
central-ish location for all her work locations
would have a better doctors surgery
2nd room (always a bonus, especially as she does a lot of work from home)
Lack of parking
bedroom tax

1-bed
on the same estate as a lot of her family
town location
has busses
20 min drive from me (and 5 min drive from my work)
estate she grew up on and has lived there for the last 20 odd years until becoming homeless
stays in the same rubbish doctors surgery
No bedroom tax
has nearby parking
no space/extra room which makes work from home space limited

Which would you choose - and why?

Thanks in advance :)

1 bed due to closeness to family, public transport, parking, no bedroom tax.

good grief
1 bedroom

1 bed. Absolute no brainer.

1 bed. Will be far more suitable as she gets older.

Does the one bed have garden space? Depending on what work she does, is there scope to put an insulated shed/summer house to work from and for extra storage space? The one bed definitely sounds most sensible.

1 bed. Transport, close to family, no bedroom tax and smaller property to clean.

1 bed sounds more suitable - family & public transport ✅

1 bed.
Transport is so important, especially as you age.

Is there a place to set up a desk in the living room for WFH?

Definitely the 1 bedded flat.

Defo one bed.

1 bed

Definitely 1 bedroom. Close to family, good transport and an area she knows.

1 bed

Which one does your mother prefer and why.

The 1 bed is a no-brainer. You haven't said whether your mother can drive or not and whether it's she who needs the work from home space or you when visiting? But regardless of that, it's social isolation which makes people's physical and mental wellbeing tank especially as they get older so I would see proximity and connectedness to friends and family and amenities to be absolutely priceless.

1 bed is more practical. What kind of work does she do and how much longer will she do it for? Can she sometimes work from elsewhere, such as a library?

1 bed. Closer to family. Transport links.

Leave the 2 bed for someone who needs it.

Agree with PP the 1 bed as close to public transport so mother can remain independent as she gets older (even if she drives now, she may not always want to or be able to drive), close to family & an area that she knows. There may not be much space for a work station, but when WFH I prefer to work on the kitchen table, putting my work lap top away when I finish.

How old is she? Does she drive? How important is the public transport, v the extra bedroom for working in?

One bed - I have two bedrooms but I work from the kitchen table. Usually a property will be within the catchment area for more than one GP surgery - can she look into alternative surgeries? For example, where I live I have the choice of four GP surgeries.

1 bed for all the reasons others have suggested.

The 1 bed. Depending on her age if she suddenly can't drive being stuck out somewhere rural with no buses or trains won't be much fun.

How old is she and how long is she likely to live there for? Presumably she's on a relatively low income and therefore likely to remain so in retirement so the cost of the bedroom tax should be weighed against the lifestyle benefits of the 2 bed.

Unless she has 10+ years of working from home and would really value a home office or may need a live in carer in future the 1 bed location seems far more suitable.

Thank you all. My gut feeling was the 1 bed - good to see that my gut was right. Both properties have their advantages and disadvantages and I can totally see the reasons why she can’t figure it out.

My mother does drive and she works from home so the 2 bed is feasible.

She hasn’t been able to think straight and has been very upset so couldn’t work it out. I didn’t want to just tell her to take one or the other and she felt like I was forcing her. I’ve fed her the comments on here to have a think about. I think she might have a slight preference to the 2 bed as part of her is wanting a new start away from that estate. But lots of logistics, many of which are mentioned above plus thinking long term, to consider which are making her prefer the 1 bed.

No decision yet, but she is starting to think more clearly and has decided she is going to not think about it for an hour or so and eat something which I think will do her the world of good.

Why was she made homeless op? If something to do with the estate she mentions she wants a fresh start from… might be worth taking seriously