Another which house would you buy question

[BuyWhichHouse]

For a middle-aged retired couple with no children who would mostly be travelling over the winter

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/164994728

This one is so charming but old fashioned and while we could live with the kitchen and bathroom for a while they would need replacing pretty soon

or

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/166353134

Totally renovated but not cosy and mid-terraced rather than end of terrace

My heart says the first one but my head the second.

The first, so long as you have the money to redo the kitchen etc. It's super cute. The second one is just bland and soulless.

I'd choose the first but that's presuming you have the means to do it up

I think you would regret the second one. The first one is lovely but will you realistically have the money to redo kitchens and bathroom and redecorate? If so then go for it.

Second but only because the bathroom is upstairs. The first is nicer positioned and has more potential.

As someone in a similar situation I can see disadvantages with both, sorry.

The first - stairs look challenging and there is no walk in shower (essential). No upstairs loo. Both pretty important after hip replacement surgery!
The second describes itself as holiday cottages, I wouldn't want to live in a row of holiday cottages. Plus no downstairs loo.

We wouldn't have the money to do up the kitchen and bathroom in the first house right away. We'd need to try to tart them up a bit and live with them for a couple of years while saving up.

I would give my right arm for the second! Especially the views

I like the first better but possibly the 2nd is the more practical option if you are going to lock up and leave a lot of the time. I’d think carefully about the cost of renovations on the island too. Getting groceries delivered the Tesco van cometh across twice a week and you pay an extra £10 per crate and pick up.

I think unless there’s brilliant local tradespeople (who don’t take the piss out of incomers) that you’ll be paying an awful lot to get people to come out to you.

I love the first one. Number 2 leaves me cold. Kitchen and bathroom in 1 are totally livable and will buy you time to decide what you want in their place.

I prefer the first - it's far more cute and characterful than the second which is awfully bland. But...the downstairs bathroom would put me off as it's such a faff going downstairs every time you need the loo (our last-but-one house had the main bedroom on the second floor with the nearest loo one floor down via a set of very winding stairs and I soon got fed up with navigating them at night). So, maybe neither is perfect.

First one it’s so pretty the kitchen & bathroom looks perfectly serviceable & clean so no mad rush to refurbish, the second one is nice enough inside & the views are beautiful not keen on the sloped garden & the frontage doesn’t inspire a tough decision OP I’m probably not much help as I’m usually always heart over head decision maker.

really like the second. First could be a money pit

First as the second is souless and theres no privacy in the back garden at all. The first could have a beautiful courtyard in the back. Wouldnt cost much to take out the bath and put in a walk-in shower.

Are you desperate to live on the Isle of Arran? Do you already live there? Have you considered as OP explained above the added costs of living there? To my mind neither is a great option unless your heart is absolutely set on Isle of Arran.

While the first one is a gorgeous property to look at it states its B listed? So is that like being a Grade 2 listed property?

Things to consider, and I don't know if you have ever lived in a house of this era before, but I own a very similar property, end terraced, listed, old workers cottage from the same era. We have gas central heating and a wood burning stove and in the winter the house costs a fortune to heat. And even with the heating on, and the wood burner on daily, the house is still cold upstairs. Its a challenge to live in, although we cope well and we need to air and dehumidify during the winter to keep the house healthy and free from mould. Its a VERY needy house.

Saying that we do love it but the reality of an older cottage type house is that its challenging at times and not for everyone but if you can embrace its faults and quirks and keep up with the maintenance of it then it gives back. We are lucky in that we have our bathroom upstairs and with it being a listed property we can't knock walls down or put an extra W/C in anywhere. So something else to consider when looking at doing things to it in the future.

The second house will be far easier to maintain, warmer I imagine in the winter, less needy and will give you comfort and less hassle I would think. Yes its a little soulless but this can be rectified with warmer paint colours and furnishings, some paneling to walls maybe and will cost less than having to put new kitchens and bathrooms in. Plus the bathroom is on the same level as the bedrooms which is a plus for me.

Good Luck.

My 'lock up and leave' property will be an 'unneedy' one, with a balcony, not a garden.

The second one, I think you could almost spend the same amount of money again doing it up
Plus the cost of materials and labour have absolutely skyrocketed. I don’t care what anybody says. They’re not coming back down.

Neither tbh, keep looking.
I know it’s not something anyone wants to think about but at your age you should future proof, toilet on each floor is essential and a bungalow is preferable. Maybe consider property one if putting in an en suite upstairs is an option.
The second one is more practical but it’s mid terrace and if you have holiday cottages either side it could be a complete nightmare with noise. Also the steps to the garden would put me off.

I would go for the second because it sounds like you want to spend your money on travelling rather than renovations and because of the amazing view. A modern property like that with neighbours on either side will be safer to lock up and leave too. I'd be concerned that number 1 is a potential money pit because of its age and the layout isn't great if you need modifications for mobility in the future. It also looks like some of the windows are still single glazed which will make it difficult to heat and they will be very expensive to upgrade because it's a listed building (that's probably why they've only upgraded the windows in some of the rooms).

I also wonder if you are sure that you want to move to Arran? The ferry crossing is notoriously unreliable and whilst the service from Ardrossan has recently been restored (albeit with more cancellations this week due to technical issues), that port will need to undergo significant modernisation before the new ferries can be used and that's going to create disruption for years to come. If you're looking for island life with better connections I'd suggest Bute, or even Dunoon where you always have the back up of being able to get out by road!

Between these two, I’d pick house 1. It feels like a home, whereas house 2 gives off ‘chalet on a holiday park’ vibes.

The second one is too claustrophobic in relation to your neighbours IMO

If you want a lock up and leave property, I’d keep looking. The first is 15k more and the disadvantages have been spoken of. The second is very corporate and neither seem to be the type your looking for to suit the lifestyle you describe.

1st one
bathroom not that bad I’d be tempted to paint kitchen doors and give yourself a few years to use it then replace it

the second one has been totally greyed and will looked dated soon and the stairs at the back to the garden will be lethal in winter

I notice that many of your replies are focused on the character of the older property, but there's a reason that modern properties are popular on the islands - they are better insulated and more energy efficient and that's really important when you are living somewhere cold, wet and windy! I know that you're not planning on being there in the winter, but you'll still need to keep a property heated to guard against frozen pipes, damp and mould. Well insulated and neighbours on either side will help with that too.

Bearing in mind my comments about the ferry situation about these (mainland but coastal) alternatives:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/168535691#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?useLocationIdentifier=true&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E95769&radius=0.0&minBedrooms=2&_includeSSTC=on&maxPrice=230000&index=0&sortType=2&channel=BUY&transactionType=BUY&displayLocationIdentifier=Argyll-and-Bute&propertyTypes=bungalow

Neither of them, both lovely in their own ways however you need to think practically- if you needed to live on one floor can you, can you fit in a stairs lift, is there a good local transport link/ accessible medical care, are you able to get food shopping delivered? Will you be able to get a cleaner/gardener/handyperson?
I say this as someone who became disabled in my 30s and now have to live downstairs (had to adapt the house). I also had to stop driving so reliant on public transport.
Think about could you widen doors if needed? Could you adapt the house to get in/out independently? Can you get taxis?
I live in a village with an hourly bus service, 5 min drive from a market town but some days I cant get a taxi to come to me.
Think with your head not with your heart is my advice. When dc leave home I will be downsizing so I dont need to rely on them. I will be looking at a small garden, all on one level, able to put a wet room in, easy to maintain, easy access (or adaptable), near good transport links, near medical care, able to easily get deliveries all to aid me to live as independently as possible for as long as possible.