Which house would you go for?

enthusiasticsaver

Personally if you can afford it I would go for the detached with garage. You could try a cheeky offer as you in good position. I know the terraced one is bigger but one of the biggest reasons for people moving is neighbour problems which will be more likely in a terrace - not all the time I know. Saying that our younger daughter and son in law live in a semi detached with no neighbour issues and my elder daughter is in mid terrace again with no noise issues so it is more down to neighbourhood I think. We have lived in a detached for 28 years and wouldn't move from there though which is why I would opt for the first house.

Loopy28

The detached house just looks a bit unloved. There is no damage but there are none of the things evident that make a house look like a home.

There are no plants in the garden, the lounge has a suite and tv, no additional furniture, pics etc. It almost looks like someone has moved out and a squatter is there having found a few basic necessities to add to the house.

Kynthia

Not many people regret buying a detached property but you may regret a terrace when you could have had a detached place. Although it may not be a deal breaker to you, you'd rather have a garage than not, plus a decent size garden is nice.

In five years time which do you think you'll be happier living in?

because

Another vote for the detached if you can afford it

Out,_Vile_Jelly

When people say a property "needs work" I always imagine a ravaged wreck with no heating, electricity or running water and ivy cascading through the holes in the roof. Maybe an outdoor privy and a well (containing a dead dog).

It turns out that what people actually mean by "needs work" is that the decor's a bit tired and they don't like the kitchen cupboards or the colour of the lav. Does a 12 year old house really need "complete redecorating"? I must inform my parents, who've had the same lounge carpet and curtains for at least 25!

If it's detached and has a big garden then go for it, but don't expect it to look like a show home or something off a stupid property !!!!!! programme within a week of moving in.

I bought my house in a probate sale, cheaper than others because of the grubby old lady decor- but it was end terrace, spacious and has a lovely garden.

Paully232000

Loopy28 wrote: »

I know noone can decide for me but always good to hear others views

House 1- 190k. 3 bed detached 12 yr old. Garage. East facing largish garden. Clearly not been decorated since it was built. 1 reception room with stairs in lounge. Needs new kitchen, complete re decoration. Garden needs landscaping- just grass and sloped at present. Ensuite master bedroom- although bedrooms quite small. Total floor area 75sqm

House 2-180k. 3 bed terraced in cul de sac. 10 yr old. No garage-allocated parking space near property. South facing garden, quite small. Modern kitchen, decorated to high standard. 2 reception rooms, 2 en suite bedrooms. Large bedrooms. Floor area 105sqm.

We have sold ours, house we want to buy can't find property to move to. We need to find somewhere to not hold up our buyers, both of these are nice and chain free.

Thanks!

I would go for house 1 if i had to choose based on the description. although, at present house 2 sounds nicer cosmetically, the is nothing like being a detached house as I have found now living in one after living in a semi-det.
If space is an issue, you could always, although i wouldn't want to get rid of my garage, convert it to more living space. As for decoration, it wouldnt cost you that much if you are willing to do most of the work yourself. We have just redecorated our whole house and cost us less than £6K (ish) including some furniture and the like. Bit bigger than house 1 too. Also we did it over one year so didnt seem like much work but when looking back what a change it has made from what we moved in to.
Would cost you more as you want a new kitchen, but can that wait, is it really that bad? When we first looked at our house the kitchen looked dated, but after we moved in cleaned, painted, new fixtures, blinds, and other cheap(ish) cosmetic changes without ripping out the kitchen, looks good for a while now.

HollyBuns

Personally, house 2. Less work, more space and for less. They sound like very different properties. Are you sure there's nothing else out there that you won't feel more strongly about and have the 'this is the one' feeling?

Loopy28

The house that we really loved is an end terrace that we had an offer accepted on. Problem is they can't find anywhere to move to and EA said they do really want to move but aren't prepared to go in to rented and that the slow down in the market means we might be looking at Spring.

I would be happy to wait but our buyers aren't and I understand that, we can't go in to rented as we have a large early repayment charge on our mortgage meaning we would not have enough equity left for the deposit for the new house. Yes we could lose our buyers and try and get new ones but then our offer on the property will be gone and we could lose it anyway as by the time we get new buyers, someone else could offer on it.

I have always wanted to live in a detached house. We currently live in a semi and while noise from neighbours isn't too much of an issue, there have been times when the teenage sons have music on loud, there have been times when they have had parties when the parents away, plus there have been some weekends we have had to write off as next door have done noisy DIY. This has led to me loving the idea of a detached house.

It has been difficult to look past how basic the detached house looks although I know with a decorating it could look lovely. There is nothing wrong with the kitchen, it just is very very basic although new cupboard doors, flooring and some paint would probably suffice.

Our top budget is about 190k and the house is on for offers over 190k so not even sure we could get it at the price we want, although it is chain free and has been marketed for more than 3 months with 2 price reductions so think we might be able to do a deal.

Loopy28

My other concern is the detached bedrooms are tiny. The ensuite master bedroom is well under 7ft by 9ft!

Paully232000

the master is under 7ft by 9ft? maybe the other house then. I am sat in my home office which is about 12ft by 10ft and looking at it would just be big enough for a double bed and not much else.

Are there fitted wardrobes in addition to this size?