Two houses! Help me choose please!

[billyidol]

Both 3 bed detached which is our requirement

House 1
23 years old Barratt home.
Preferred location
Integral garage which impacts on downstairs space quite a bit. Downstairs living smaller than we’d like and layout not ideal - have to walk through lounge to galley kitchen.
Pretty garden but overlooked
Almost brand new kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Beautifully decorated
Bedrooms really good sizes

House 2
4 years old Persimmon
Not ideal location
Detached garage
Slightly larger downstairs than house 1 as the garage is separate
Preferred layout with hall and rooms that are separate.
Nicely but blandly decorated and kitchen is cheap flat pack persimmon standard kitchen
20k under the price of house 1
South facing garden not overlooked

I actually love house 1 and have discounted and gone back to it time and time again to see if we could make the smaller space work for us. House 2 would be more a ‘ticks more boxes’ buy.
So mixed up!

Hard to say because we don’t know the difference in the locations, and to me that’s the most important. Aside from location preference house 2 sounds much better. An overlooked garden in house 1 would be a non negotiable and I’d hate a galley kitchen.

Post links!

It really depends if you can get over the difference in location but otherwise house 2 is a clear winner.

I’d go with the second one, the lower price would leave you enough to put in a new kitchen and decorate. However, I don’t know the location and how different the two areas are. If the second house is in a poor location then I’d probable not buy either of the houses and start looking at other houses.

Go for number 1 and do a garage conversion, for more space. We did that and have a shed for all the stuff that was in the garage.

You could convert the integral garage to living space. It's usually not that expensive.

You can change the house but not the location. I would choose location first.

How 'not ideal location' are you talking, for you personally or will property prices be 'affected'?
For me as a gardener a south facing not overlooked garden is a winner. :)

House 1 is on the flat and walkable to train station, shops, local pub etc. House 2 is up a hill and down again and a further 10 / 15 minutes walk to everything. Only will be DH and myself but this is meant to be a downsize / retirement move.

House 1
(I love it but need to make it work space wise. Itll probably also need a new boiler and windows soonish)
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88980069?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

In that case, house 1 for walkability etc however can you cope with the garden being overlooked ? Some people don't mind but that would not be my idea of a relaxing retirement as I like to spend a lot of time in the garden.

House 2

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88115388?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

I have no issues with the garden but it is north facing

House 1 is lovely and the garden isn’t as overlooked as I thought. When you’re sitting under the gazebo you would have privacy from the flats behind. Is it only two of you then? Looks plenty big to me.

At 23 years old (as you mention) house 1 is going to start needing things replaced or upgraded. House 2 should be good for a least 15 years so you can spend the money on decorating and a better kitchen.

House one, hands down. Plant a tree at the bottom of the garden on the day you move in. A black locust, perhaps.

It's not small, I was expecting something awful with the galley kitchen comment!

The other house looks cramped and the garden isn't an improvement imo.

@billyidol House 1 - Was this the house where the wall cupboard was too low a few weeks back ? I think it’s a lovely house

House 2 looks a bit dark and the garden much smaller. I prefer house 1 overall. Much more keen appeal.

Having seen the listings definitely house 1.

A house with detached garage will make it more difficult to install an electric vehicle charger…just a point to consider….i know from experience!

Going by the photos I’d go for house 1. To me that’s a big kitchen and not what I imagined especially when you mentioned galley kitchen. I’d go for location every time. You could always convert the garage.

the garden wouldn’t bother me.

house number 2 looks dark and looks like it’s just been squeezed onto that plot.

House 1 hands down!!!!

Yes I have posted about this house before. I keep coming back to it. We both really like it but as we are downsizing I’m struggling with the size of houses

House 1 looks much nicer and like a pp I was going to suggest you plant a tree (or two) at the end of the garden. The garden is large enough that it won't matter that it's north facing - it will still get sun.
Not sure if it's just the photos but house 1 also looks more spacious.
I don't get posters who think a 23 year old house will need things to be replaced! That sounds almost brand new to me! (Writing from my 1930s house which I don't consider to be 'old'.)

House 1 looks much nicer, if the location is better I'd go with that. The house is north facing, so you could plant trees at the end of the garden without casting shade on it.

You could eventually convert the garage if you do find that you don't have enough space, but it's really plenty for two people!