How to choose between 2 properties

tarab1986

Thanks everyone. We will arrange another viewing before proceeding I think. Your right about the off road parking - its something I hold fairly highly (partner doesn't drive) but it's also not a deal breaker. At this stage house 2 is swaying my interest more because of the bigger garden and that it's decorated to our style (a bonus since we are ftb and not hugely d.i.y savvy).

sidefx

Carer wrote: »

Having lived in a house with a combined bathroom and toilet and now living in one with them separate, I would never live in a house with them combined again unless it had an extra toilet somewhere else, especially with children in the house.

It's so much better if you need the loo/are ill/want to soak in the bath/ with them separate, especially when kids come along and you are toilet training.

For that reason, and the parking and being on the edge of the estate, I would choose house 1.

I understand your point re separate loo, but I personally would hate it. All depends on the OP's circumstances. Another loo elsewhere is ideal, but I would hate my main bathroom to have a separate loo (been there, done it, didn't like it!).

tarab1986

Ironically I've grown up with both. As a kid we had a separate bathroom and loo and just considered it normal (especially as my grandma's house was the same). Then as a teenager me and my 2 sisters have to make to with 1 bathroom in the house when we moved which was very frustrating. Now my parents have 3 bathrooms for just the 2 of them in their latest house (bathroom, en suite and downstairs loo with shower).

getmore4less

Check out a roof that has not been converted to get an idea of what they have done

You will have no idea if they compromised the roof behind that nice plaster boarding and what is the level of insulation.

Ask to see the plans and the party wall agreements if a terrace.

Parking wins. You can fix up 1 but can't add parking to 2.

I suspect house 3 is the winner when you find it.

Doozergirl

getmore4less wrote: »

Check out a roof that has not been converted to get an idea of what they have done

You will have no idea if they compromised the roof behind that nice plaster boarding and what is the level of insulation.

Ask to see the plans and the party wall agreements if a terrace.

Parking wins. You can fix up 1 but can't add parking to 2.

I suspect house 3 is the winner when you find it.

The Party Wall Agreement is about how work takes place. It has no relevance once building has finished. Plans, yes, if there are any, or a detailed explanation of the work carried out to that point, before investing in a survey. OP is looking for an upgrade to the ceiling joists that are now a floor, and insulation between the rafters to the pitch as a minimum.

Personally, if I couldn't decide, I would make offers on both and see how the final price affected my decision.

Pixie5740

tarab1986 wrote: »

Thanks - we are considering it as a fancy loft atm but one that maybe we could do something with one day. If we were to go ahead we would be getting a structural survey on either property.

Don't let the loft sway your decision. The way you describe it makes it sound like it isn't a proper conversion at all. In fact is put my life savings on any survey you have done on that property coming back and saying that loft conversion is hooky and not a useable bedroom.

There's a reason for building regulations and I think it's deplorable that the current owners would allow someone to sleep in that death trap.

If there's no room to put a staircase in now to comply with building regulations then there still won't be any space when you move in.

By all mean buy House 2 but treat the loft as storage only, not a bedroom.

moneyistooshorttomention

Depends on your priorities - sounds like you are inclining to house 2. I think I probably would personally (on the grounds of a garden and conservatory being more important to me than to many).

I'm personally not that concerned about parking - I know some are. I would take the view anyway that "I cant change the size of garden (so go for house 2). However, I might be able to change the bad behaviour of anyone 'knocking' the car - IF it happens - and, if that did prove a problem then having too small a garden would be an even bigger problem". So lesser of two evils being a car at risk, rather than the certainty of getting frustrated by a small garden. A car is an inanimate possession after all - whereas a garden is about Your Life. Also, should you decide to have children ever, then a bigger garden would give more leeway for a decorative bit of garden for you and a "rough and tumble" bit of garden for them.

getmore4less

Doozergirl wrote: »

The Party Wall Agreement is about how work takes place. It has no relevance once building has finished.

The point was did they bother getting them at the time, there probably would have been relevant work on the separation walls in the loft.

You want as much evidence as possible they tried to do a proper job(other than the access)

bouicca21

Conservatories look nice but are rarely practical - too hot in summer, too cold in winter. They are not for everyday living. The nicest two that I have seen are quite small, with just a coffee table and a couple of chairs, so useful for sitting with a cup of tea/coffee and admiring the garden in spring and autumn.

Gigervamp

You say that house 2 is a 3 bedroomed house, and that the loft is converted into a bedroom.
Does that mean that the loft is bedroom 3? If so, shouldn't the house be marketed as a 2 bedroom with boarded loft?

If it's a 2 bedroom and at a similar price to house 1, I wonder if it's overpriced. Also, would you have even looked at it if you had known it was only a 2 bed?