Which Would You Prefer....House or City Cent

FIRSTTIMER

good responses....thanks for the info

Hoploz

If you're a young ftb and you can afford it, my advice would be to buy in the city centre. Then once you settle down, have children etc then life changes and you might want to be in a less urban area.

I am basing this on London as that's my region. I wish I'd bought in London when I was young as I've seen people own flats for 5 or maybe 10 years make hundreds of thousands on them, then move out to houses in Surrey virtually mortgage free. I've made money in the suburbs but nothing like in London where prices have just seemed to rocket exponentially.
Eg I know someone who bought a property in 2002 for £250k in east London and it's now worth over £1m. The house I spent the same on in Surrey at the time is now worth £450k.

Of course the investment factor may not be the same in other cities!!

ReadingTim

Why are the only options at such opposite ends of the scale?

I don't know where in the country you are, but neither option will be cheap - best part of a hundred thousands pounds at the least. That's a lot of money to spend on something you're so fundamentally uncertain about.

trailingspouse

Until 4 years ago I would have said house in quiet village every time. But we needed to move, and the perfect house came up at the right price - the only down side was that it was on a main road close to the centre of town. That was the compromise that I had to make in order to get this house, which in all other respects was perfect.

Now?? I love that I can walk into town (supermarket, post office, hairdressers, doctors, dentist, physio, pubs, tea rooms etc etc), I love that our house is easy to find (no more cold takeaways), there are people passing all the time and they stop for a chat if I'm working in the garden, there's a bus stop just outside if ever we had a problem with the car. I love it!!

So if the only choices were city centre apartment or house in a village, I would go for the apartment. Never thought I would say that.

teddysmum

Ours is an in between.


We are in a semi on what was once a village, long absorbed into the town and city, but we have large gardens , yet are five minutes drive from supermarkets and a small town centre.


We are on a quiet estate, where most owners are over 50 with a few 'children' still at home . I only know of two 'real' children; a lovely little brother and sister, who live in the next street.


Next door has been bought and is being renovated by a builder, who intends to sell on , so I am worried about who will move in . Hopefully, anyone with lots of children and wanting a lively lifestyle will be put off by all us oldies.

hounsehunterftb

HOUSE!! any where.. I don't find its worth getting into the hassle of "leasehold" properties!

Minkybob

Another vote for the in between from me, I grew up in the country and frankly can't think of anything worse

Really the two main factors are my wariness of leasehold and the fact neither myself or my OH can drive. So I get the garden and a short train ride to the city.

wantonnoodle

I grew up in the country, and lived in inner city areas when at uni. I hated it - I felt claustrophobic and that I had no space to speak of.

Now, I live in suburbia, a quiet road, albeit just off one of the main arterial roads into Manchester, 10 mins walk from a supermarket (Waitrose) with 2 other supermarkets within a 5 min drive, bus stops on the main road if something's up with the car, but around a mile from the open fields and countryside of the National Trust's Dunham Estate. To me, its ideal - all the conveniences of urban life, but without feeling stifled and claustrophobic.

johnD17

Own my own flat in Manchester next to work. Been here 3 years. I would never want to leave, but noise is my main factor and longer term kids / quiet is the driver for me looking around at houses.

It's all about the building for me and neighbours. You can't control neighbours anywhere and is my big worry in looking at neighbourhoods and the potential cost of a detached.

johnD17

Don't know why so much worry about lease hold. Zero impact for me.