Can a house be too big?

[wombleflump]

I am single parent . I’m planing to relocate Edinburgh outskirts or east Lothian. I am debating between a couple of new builds. One in Edinburgh outskirts is pretty big. Will stretch my budget to a mortgage. The other is smaller could buy in cash. Can a house be too big. They are new builds so low maintenance and garden just smaller.
Is five bedrooms and office too big for one adult with two kids? Is it better to buy a smaller place?

I definitely think houses can be too big! There are a few things I'd hanker after if I had loads of money but a big house is definitely last on the list.

Any house that has more than one spare room is too big imo.

Bigger one is Overall Size - 2,684 sq.ft. smaller one 163m2 I don’t really know what that means though

I think it's worth saying 'location, location, location' - you said the smaller one is in a worse location, so that would make me lean towards the bigger one.

Yes, a house can be too big, but you'll appreciate those en-suites and extra rooms when they're teens...

What other rooms do they both have?

I think you end up needing More rooms if the rooms themselves are smaller - you can't fit storage etc in.

Do you regularly work from home now? I wouldn't want to share my study with the spare room ideally (though I do!). I think it also depends what hobbies people have or end up having. Everyone in my family is arty or crafty - sewing, small scale metalwork, painting various other things. You need to do them inside and you don't want to have to pack up every day to clear a desk for work or homework or the table for dinner, so if that's your bag as well it's worth allowing space for it.

I reckon I could fill a four bedroom house living alone: a craft room, a study, a bedroom and a spare bed.

Well the smaller one is in a popular location but East Lothian the bigger one is Edinburgh suburb so more expensive area marginally.

Bigger one has study . Downside to the bigger one is it has open plan lounge dining room ( or you could change to massive living room I guess. ) study downstairs big enough to be a spare room. Plus 5 quite large bedrooms.

Smaller one has 4 smaller nearly doubled rooms. One single/study room upstairs. Two communal rooms 2 en-suite one downstairs toilet. Garage.

Just pick the one you like best. It’s quite a non-problem, if your potential mortgage is only going to take a few years to pay off.

Utilities and cleaning needn’t be a big concern. Insulation should be good, and you can just turn off radiators and close off rooms that aren’t being used. No need to be cleaning bathrooms if they’re not being used.

I'd go for the bigger house in the better area as it sounds like you can easily afford it. It could be an investment and when the kids are teenagers you'll be glad of them extra space.

Yes wfh. But do it in living room so can keep eye on kids when in and work when they asleep. When they are older maybe would move to office are

The big one is a lot of square feet IMO. If they are new builds is there nothing available in between sizes? Children leave (believe me it comes around very quickly) and you will rattle round. Maybe you plan on moving again however.

We live in a big house (it’s big in dimensions 4 bed plus annex, but all the rooms are big).

Every single person who comes to the house to do a job immediately starts mentally recalculating their costs when they see it as they think ‘ding, ding, ding’.

Factor that in too. Along with rates, utilities etc etc.

I don’t want to move I want to keep
It as a house kids can come back to. My mum still has our child hood home and I’ve found it comforting to know it’s always there if I needed to go home.

@wombleflump

Bigger one is Overall Size - 2,684 sq.ft. smaller one 163m2 I don’t really know what that means though

That’s not that big. Good size, but wouldn’t describe it as “too big”.

There is so little available. I wanted a in between size but there is nothing available right at the minute and I really need to move ASAP

Smaller one is 1754sqfeet

I have 2 spares rooms, one is a dumping ground. 4 toilets between 3 of us, drives me insane. I'm opting for a smaller house with larger rooms and decent garden at some point.

So a extra 1000square feet but smaller one has integral garage and bigger one free standing garage

Where do you live just now as in is the East Lothian one a big distance from your current place. What about your support system what house is nearer friends/family?

Utilities is definitely something to consider, as is the upkeep you'll eventually face as well as the time you'll spend cleaning and tidying.

I would definitely work on the assumption you'll want an office in a few years, and that if you can afford it the kids will appreciate if they have their own space either as a play room when they're a middling size or for TV to have friends over etc when they're big.

So if you have:

1. Kitchen + open plan living diner + study (which becomes a play room/snug)
2. You, the kids, office and a spare room

That doesn't sound crazy big or oversized to me?

Bigger one is 249 sqm so half as big again. For a short time I had self, wife, two pre-teens and a baby in 134 sqm/2 bedrooms but it was a bit of a squeeze. I wasn't WFH.

Are you sure that new build is the best idea?

Yes I like new build. Personal choice I know it’s not trendy but I like the low maintenance

Do you know who the developers are? This could mean they are built differently and may influence your decision.

Personally I would choose the bigger one. Space for potential live in grand kids or another partner one day. You never know what the future holds.

However, make sure you factor in flooring for a larger surface area (many new builds come with no floors inc no bathroom tiles) and a larger house will need more furniture too. Also consider how you will finish a larger garden as turf usually isn’t included either!

There are 2 of us in a 5 bedroom house - my DS wanted a floor to himself, so I bought a 3-storey house - we border a nature reserve and country park. He has amazing views across it. It's great having the space - esp the extra 2 bathrooms, but I find there are rooms that we just don't use, and keeping it clean is like painting the Fourth Bridge!

3 bed houses increase in value more quickly than 4 or 5 bed houses, but often don't have all double rooms and it's important tgey are all double so the kids have tge space tgey need as they get older.

Also, as I mentioned, bathrooms are important. We all had a bathroom each, which stopped any arguments about someone taking too long or having too many cosmetics/ bathroom products, etc, all over the place!

Also it’s just me so that is different from two adults .

Do you have links for both?