Dilemma big house with small garden vs small house with big garden

Waterlily24

Brick house for me too. Our master bedroom and en suite are downstairs and for us it works as a bungalow as upstairs isn't used. It's perfect for us. There is another bathroom downstairs and one upstairs too.

Ithaca

It might depend on your family situation.

For us the second garden would probably be too small as we have three children under 10, so more outside space in the summer would be important (unless there was a park or play area very close). But for my child-free friends it would be ideal - enough space for a social BBQ and summer drinks now and again, flowerbeds and room for a small greenhouse for a couple of tomato plants, plus no more than 10 mins to mow the lawn.

We have a lovely large garden which our kids have not been in since mid-October because it's cold, dark and wet outside. Instead they are bouncing off the walls each evening so a bigger living room might have been better.

magn8p

Thank you all for your time.

I have made an offer for House2 - brick build bigger house with small garden which is 10% more expensive.

There are a couple of public parks and woodlands near the house. Adding to that I am not a keen gardener myself, except for an unfulfilled lifetime wish of owning a cherry tree (which can be planted in the front garden :-). The west facing side garden isn't massive but I think it is just enough for a BBQ.

Thanks again for sharing your opinions, helped me offer a price 5% less than asking and I hope the seller accepts it!

seven-day-weekend

In 2015 we bought a a two-bed bungalow with a large garden, so usually my choice (assuming I didn't need the space), would be small house large garden.

However, in the OP's case, the smaller house with larger garden is made of concrete, so it would not be on my short list anyway, and I would buy the other one

SailorSam

I always use to describe my last house as, a 2bed Wimpey Rubbish. But really there was nothing wrong with it. My only complaint was the gardens were clay, and flooded. The house i'm in now is much bigger and bigger gardens. Now i'd like to downsize, perhaps back to the Wimpey, but i've got into gardening now, so like a decent one.

magn8p

SailorSam wrote: »

I always use to describe my last house as, a 2bed Wimpey Rubbish. But really there was nothing wrong with it. My only complaint was the gardens were clay, and flooded. The house i'm in now is much bigger and bigger gardens. Now i'd like to downsize, perhaps back to the Wimpey, but i've got into gardening now, so like a decent one.

I completely agree with you. Nothing wrong with House1 which is a 3 bed semi detached Wimpey - it's semidetached, feels more roomier than House2.

However, out of the 40 replies so far, you are the only one who would consider it. So, I can see that affecting its resalability (I know the word doesn't exist).

House2 seems to be a safer bet - despite having a small garden and being 10% more expensive.

House1 - Offer made and accepted at £300K. (£300K OIEO was asking price)
House2 - Offer rejected at £315K. Another offer made for £330.5K - awaiting response (Guide price - £345K).

Fingers crossed.

karcher

Good luck,.

glasgowdan

I'm almost wishing our garden was a bit smaller as I'm in the initial phase of getting it under control and set up for our family after it had been neglected by elderly owners for the past who knows how many years (they built the house and have lived here for the past 60 years!). But it's a 300m2 front and 400m2 back so a bit different. I've taken something like 10 full loads of waste (van+trailer, maybe the equivalent of 12 bulk bags each time) to the farm tip already. In the final straight now!

I think you've made the right decision regards the second house, though I'd probably still be waiting for something better in your shoes!

magn8p

glasgowdan wrote: »

I'm almost wishing our garden was a bit smaller as I'm in the initial phase of getting it under control and set up for our family after it had been neglected by elderly owners for the past who knows how many years (they built the house and have lived here for the past 60 years!). But it's a 300m2 front and 400m2 back so a bit different. I've taken something like 10 full loads of waste (van+trailer, maybe the equivalent of 12 bulk bags each time) to the farm tip already. In the final straight now!

I think you've made the right decision regards the second house, though I'd probably still be waiting for something better in your shoes!

Wow, is that a house or a mansion that you live in? :-D I guess the plot House2 is built on is half the size of your front garden . I know what you mean about waiting for a better house, but any decent house this part of Cambridge is expensive beyond reason. For example, A 3 bed detached house with the size of your gardens would cost anywhere between £600K and £1.5M.

glasgowdan

I know what you mean, sometimes the right house doesn't seem to exist. Ours isn't a mansion, just a normal sized house on a big garden.