Whats more important location or house?

squoog

as K&P would say Location, location, location! Also buy the worst house in the best street is one of their tips.
I live in a sought after location where houses tend to be smaller with tiny gardens but walking distance to great schools. The value of property copes well with changes in the market as there is always a high demand for property.
Is there a park nearby to make up for small garden? I lived in a lovely house in wrong location for 13 years, (couldn't persuade my husband to move...) and now live in a less than perfect house but in a great area. I wouldn't change location now. Can you talk to other people in both locations, neighbours of houses that you are looking at. Ask questions and see where you would feel comfortable living. Good luck!

Mayflower10cat

Having made the mistake of choosing house over location last time round......! This time I vetted the area very thoroughly and did lots of spying missions. When a house came up in the perfect quiet road, even though it was small, we snapped it up. Because we'd downsized, we had some funds for extending. Very happy here and so glad we moved when we did.

shisslemopp

It's location all the way here. We're in the process of moving from a great house because the location isn't quite right, to a house with a great location but a house that we're going to make great over the next 6 months or so.

I think you need to take a good hard and thorough look at the location, check it at all times of the day, including school times and pub chucking out times, go and sit there in your car for a bit and see what you think.

Good luck

muskoka

location every time

SuzieSue

I went for house over location. I wanted a detached house and this was the only place I could afford one.

I think it depends how sociable you are and whether or not you have children. We keep ourselves to ourselves and although we know our neighbours and could rely on them for help if needed, we wouldn't consider them to be our friends and don't really want them to be. Also, if you have children, it is important that they mix with the sort of people you would consider suitable and so I would go for location over house every time even it meant big compromises on the house.

mr_fishbulb

Location.

You won't be thinking about how nice your house is when you have to walk 30 minutes each way in the rain to get to the train station.

casper_g

A house that cannot be made to work for your family will be unsuitable even if its location is perfect; a beautifully decorated, spacious and solidly-built house in the worst possible area, far from family and friends and where you can't walk to the end of the street without being mugged at knife-point won't do either.

You have to look at the whole picture, and find a house that is good enough in an area that's good enough. Unless your budget is large enough to get the perfect house in the perfect location, it's better to compromise somewhat on both house and location. "Location, location, location" only works as a maxim if the "less than perfect" house can be made "good enough" with time and effort. I'd love to live on a nice leafy street in Kensington, but I wouldn't try to move my family into the 8' square cupboard my budget would probably buy there.

abaxas

Usually location.

But areas change, what was one middle class become chav scum. Dives are 'up and coming' etc.

It's amazing how quickly an area can change if a local employer goes bust.

vasseur

Location every time. I learnt the hard way All OK now though - it was right near a new rail link and the values just rocketed meaning I was able to move to a more desirable area within a few years.

It was horrible to start with though - i dreaded going home every night.

Linton

I would suggest tha the important factor is that the house is appropriate for the location. This will make it easier to sell later . Most people who want to buy a mansion wont want to live in an undesirable area and most people want to live somewhere very desirable will be less keen on a run down 50's semi.