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Another "which house would you choose?" thread.

36 replies

cavell · 03/11/2013 19:35

I absolutely love one of these houses, quite like another and hate the other. Dh loves one (obviously not the same one that I do, or there wouldn't be this "dilemma") and quite likes the other two. I won't say which is which for now - I just want to try to get things straight in my head about it.

House A: absolutely stunning 3acre garden. Layout not ideal for us but would be okay until we are able to fund building an extension in 1-2 years time. 1.5 mile walk to the train station for dd1 to go to school. Nearest neighbour approsimately 300m. Near busy road and with a quiet train line running along the edge of the garden. Can't see the road from the house, traffic noise acceptable. Very well "finished" inside.

House B: large garden with established trees but more "normal" sized. Not overlooked. Light and spacious inside but with a few cosmetic jobs to do and the windows all need replacing. On quiet residential road. Approximately 1 mile from train station. Not much potential to add value.

House C; (very badly) converted barn. Amazing views. Huge garden plus 3 acres of paddock. (No, we don't have a horse, nor do we ever plan to). Needs gutting on the inside. Quite dark. Possibly damp. Set on its own, near some playing fields. Nearest neighbour approx 300m. Could possibly be done up and sold on at a large profit, but we would, basically, be living in a dump until we could afford to do so. Perhaps 2 years down the line. Approximately 1 mile from train station.

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bimbabirba · 03/11/2013 19:51

I'm guessing you want house1 and DH house 2?
There are so many things to consider that you're not saying so it's difficult to give opinions. Price? Are they all within budget or does price jot matter that much? What's important to you? Amenities? Proximity to neighbours or to the station? Size of garden? Addicting value?
For example, do you think it is desirable to have a 3 acres garden? I like a large garden but 3 acres would definitely put me off

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bimbabirba · 03/11/2013 19:51

*adding value, even

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lalalonglegs · 03/11/2013 19:54

House C for me but I only buy if there's a margin in it for me. If you're not like that, and assuming you think all the houses are priced fairly, I would say B as I would prefer to be nearer to the station, not have the traffic/train noise and would not want to maintain a 3-acre garden.

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Leopoldina · 03/11/2013 19:55

I think 1.5 miles is a very long walk for a child to walk home in the dark after a long day at school. Is that 1.5 miles lit? what kind of road to walk along?

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WhispersOfWickedness · 03/11/2013 20:01

Well, first you need to discount the one you hate. Hopefully this is not the one that DH loves Grin Then see how you can compromise on the other two.

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cavell · 03/11/2013 20:07

OK, to clarify:

All three houses are similarly priced.

I'd rather not say who prefers which house, so I'lll say that one of us loves the idea of a huge garden, the other is not particularly keen on the idea. We'd both like to be able to add value, dh probably more so. We are planning on downsizing to help fund retirement. It is important from the children's point of view to be near the station as dd1 gets the train to school and dd2 will do so when she's older. being nearer the train station also means being nearer amenities such as shops, bank etc.

House A is well finished but with an unusual layout which we would definitely want to chnage when we could afford it. It is also a very ugly house from the outside at the moment, so we'd also be hoping to improve its external appearance. Probably needs around £100k to do the work we would want (extension and so on).

House B wouldn't need much spending on it.

If we lived in house C, we'd be living in a dump until we could renovate. I would estimate around £80k to sort it out.

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capercaillie · 03/11/2013 20:08

3 acres is a massive garden. I have between 0.3-0.5 acre and it costs money!!

The possibility of damp in Option 3 would put me off. It would be worth checking option 3 survey wise (and with a very cynical eye) to work out how much work and finance would be needed. Living in a dump is hard work - particularly with children.

I have to say I'd go with option B. Windows can be substantial cost. Plus cosmetic decoration - still not insubstantial. Would you want a new kitchen/bathrooms? Sounds like there is still an opportunity for you to make a mark on it. Being closer to station also a benefit.

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cavell · 03/11/2013 20:08

"Well, first you need to discount the one you hate. Hopefully this is not the one that DH loves "

That's exactly the problem.

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capercaillie · 03/11/2013 20:10

House C sounds as though it would need more than 80K! If you're looking at gutting internally (what about roof, windows? If damp, then can be prob with roof) then I'd say you're looking at over £100,000 and probably more like double it.

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Hassled · 03/11/2013 20:14

I'd pick B.

Unless you're a keen gardener, 3 acres is a hell of a lot to deal with. That's a serious time commitment. And 1.5 miles is too far to walk along a busy road twice a day.

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Twighlightsparkle · 03/11/2013 20:16

Keep looking would be my advice.

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ItLooksLikeRainDear · 03/11/2013 20:17

House b sounds like best option. I bet DH wants C - my DH would!

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Twighlightsparkle · 03/11/2013 20:17

That came out wrong! Apologies!

I mean if you can't find one you both agree on, then keep looking. The first two sound nice.

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bimbabirba · 03/11/2013 20:22

Links would be handy Smile

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mumofapirate · 03/11/2013 20:25

id go with B

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cavell · 03/11/2013 20:37

And the prize goes to..... ItLooksLikeRainDear

Yes, dh loves House C, the damp, gloomy, grotty, barn (my description). I think really he's in love with the view (admittedly very nice) and the idea of having 3 acres of land. Gawd only knows what we would do with it. It's agricultural land, so can't be turned into a garden. Dh's grand idea is to turn it into a campsite, with access through what would be our garden.

I love House B - to me it's a slight and spacious family house with big bedrooms for both the girls, about twice the amount of garden we have at the moment and some neighbours. I really don't fancy living in the middle of a field.

The first house has bags of "potential" but I agree that it's too far from the train station and I think we would struggle to cope with a 3 acre garden. It truly is stunning at the moment, but I don't think we could maintain it as it is and worry that we'd end up handing on an overgrown mess to the prospective next purchasers.

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cavell · 03/11/2013 20:39

light and spacious, not slight and spacious.

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bimbabirba · 03/11/2013 20:41

Isn't 1 mile to the train station still quite far for your DD's to walk whatever the weather and when it gets dark early?

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cavell · 03/11/2013 20:49

I think 1 mile is okay if the weather is okay. I will probably be able to give a lift home from the station most days. The houses nearer the station are mostly flats or smaller terraced houses and we are looking for something a bit bigger than that. Quite a few children walk from the main part of the village to the station.

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BackforGood · 03/11/2013 21:33

I'd choose B, but I think it's down to personal preference.
My dds walk 1.5 miles home from school, but that's not after a train journey. It's along residential roads, but I wouldn't want them to have to do it on quieter roads, and after a commute.
and, I'm no gardener, and, I don't want to start doing major works. Of course, there will be others who think a large garden is a real bonus, and others that think being able to 'add value' is a good thing.

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WhispersOfWickedness · 03/11/2013 22:54

Ah, yes, tricky then! If it were me, house C would be my last choice too! I think it's probably a step too far to get you to live in a house that isn't finished for two years plus when it is one you don't like! I really think you both need to discard that one.
Then have a serious discussion about the other two.
House B does sound the most appealing to me though!

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steppemum · 03/11/2013 23:12

well, maybe you need to get him to do a plan/budget etc and see how it would really plan out. Let him work out the dream a bit to see if it works.

And keep looking!

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cece · 03/11/2013 23:19

B for me.

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cavell · 04/11/2013 00:59

Thanks for the advice, everyone. This is giving me sleepless nights - hence the post at this hour..
.
I think the whole idea of masses of land is a bit of a long-held fantasy for dh. The reality is that it's a bit of a struggle to keep our current "normal" sized garden looking anything like decent, but dh can't or won't accept that. Even House B would mean twice the amount of garden that we have now.
The other thing is that the barn conversion is surrounded by playing fields. There is no other house for 3-400 yards. To dh, being surrounded by playing fields means being in "the heart of the village". "People come to play football or cricket", he says "how much more at the centre of things could you be?". To me, it is just living in the middle of a field and I just see myself being really lonely there. (We don't know anyone at all in the village we plan to move to). Having actual neighbours, as we would do in House B, is what I see as being "at the heart" of the village.

I am desperate to move from our current house and it took ages to persuade dh to move in the first place. We have an offer at the moment, but I am worried that the buyer will pull out if we don't find something soon.

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schmalex · 04/11/2013 06:18

I would only buy C if I could afford to do the work it needs straight away (and rent somewhere while it's done). I wouldn't live in a damp dump with kids. I don't think it's practical to move in and think you'll have money to renovate in a couple of years, you'll just be miserable in the meantime.

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