Dream House vs Dream Location - your experiences? !HELP!

SallyDucati

I would say location location location as well.  You may well love a particular house now, but with transport being an issue you might end up hating it because it causes you issues getting around.

purplebutterfly

Thanks for your help - I am a huge Location Location Location and Love It or List It fan and I know that they say the one thing you can't change is the location.  However, you also can't add land so I would be choosing between lovely garden or okay garden.

The area isn't bad but it has a 50-year-old reputation for (as my step-mum puts it) being "where the scruffy kids live".   

There is a bus stop round the corner from the house but it only runs every half hour and not after 5pm. There's a different bus with a stop about 10 mins walk away but that is also only 2 an hour. 

In terms of social problems with the area, it's mainly young teens  who hang around the local Spar shop hurling insults at passers-by and occasionally knocking car wing mirrors off parked cars for fun.  They are abusive and obnoxious but I don't think they're particularly dangerous  It's odd because there are some very big, expensive houses on some streets then a couple of streets behind that are the not-so-nice rows of social housing.  The one I want is between the two! 

It's 20 mins walk from a lovely nature reserve and is apparently generally a quiet area, apart from the few teenage wannabe gangsters making sexual innuendos and hurling insults. 

ETA - neither my husband nor I are allowed to drive due to health issues and certain medications, so it rules out a car.  It's £6 in a taxi to get to the nearest shopping centre where my doctor is. 

eidand

Always location.
A !!!!!! area will not make up for you having a nice house, it's still in a !!!!!! area. 

DayDreamerandGeneralWaster

I would not consider living somewhere without decent transport links if you can't drive. You might think it will be ok, but trust me, in five or ten years time, it will become an issue.

Thrugelmir

purplebutterfly said:

In terms of social problems with the area, it's mainly young teens  who hang around the local Spar shop hurling insults at passers-by and occasionally knocking car wing mirrors off parked cars for fun.  They are abusive and obnoxious but I don't think they're particularly dangerous  It's odd because there are some very big, expensive houses on some streets then a couple of streets behind that are the not-so-nice rows of social housing.  The one I want is between the two! 

Lived in a village for some years.  Generational group of kids with nothing better to do. Though eventually grew up and moved on. Then there was the stable hands, rolling out the pub on a Saturday night drunk. Often got up to stupid things and caused minor damage. Next door neighbour went to jail for armed robbery and stealing Range Rovers to order for export to the Middle East. Another close neighbour held his partner captive in their home. Likewise value of the house bears no reflection to the decency of the occupants. Everywhere has it's potential downsides. Far more goes on than ever meets the eye. 

AnotherJoe

purplebutterfly said:

TETA - neither my husband nor I are allowed to drive due to health issues and certain medications, so it rules out a car.  It's £6 in a taxi to get to the nearest shopping centre where my doctor is.

Is that an issue if you dont go out very often?  How much are you saving by no longer using a car? Can that money be put towards taxis?

Sphynx

It sounds to me like you need to keep looking. Neither house sounds right. I wouldn’t be opting for the nice house in the so so area with bad transport links. It will get old fast. Is there any way to change your search area or criteria? We thought again about whether we could make a different area work and found we could. Good luck with whatever you decide.

fishfingerbutties

When buying this house I chose smaller, older, less 'nice' house but much better location. Never regretted it.

md258

Is there anywhere that has good transport links but is a ok area and an OK house?  If so, that would be my pick.

Alternatively, is there an option outside town/in a different town? A longer (but still frequent) direct bus into town may allow you to get a nicer house and area.

KxMx

Do you feel able to afford taxis after the buses stop at 5pm when you may need to get somewhere? 30 mins isn't the best frequency but not the worst either. With the other route it's technically 4 an hour which is good. Does the other route run after 5pm?

We moved from a fully carpeted home in a lovely village with fab garden because of inadequate transport. 

Definitely had to compromise on what kind of place we moved to in the town (no carpet apart from living room & bedrooms, less privacy, back garden 3/4 patio and 1/4 beds) but the location was so much better it has been worth it.

Also don't drive so better buses adequate for our needs was top priority.