I have doubts on the house we're buying / love another house

Rachelredwood16

Rachelredwood16 said:

Woolsery said:

From experience, I'd say don't buy unless you are both completely happy with the purchase, especially if its intended as a long term property.

Few of us ever get that dream property, but when one partner buys into the joys of a particular house and the other finds they cannot, the stage is set for conflict. If it's agreed as a short-term, stepping stone property the imbalance may be tolerable, but if one of you sees it as more than that, the other will grow to view it more like a prison sentence.

It's definitely a longer term thing, we said it would be for 10 years. My husband is now thinking of it being a "forever home", which is fine by me as less cost, stress etc for having to move again! I'm so conflicted as I felt really positive about it until things started to go tits up & now I'm overthining it & wondering what if.

Okay so I misinterpreted what my husband meant. He's on the same page of 10-15 years but if it's the right house or we can make alterations to make it a "forever home" then thats perfect. 

I'd just like to point out we are discussing this but we're not getting anywhere hence my post

Bendy_House

Ok, that makes it harder! They are both very pretty houses, and very nice inside too.

One's in a terrace, and t'other semi.

One's 3 storey. Can often add more character - as I think it does in this case - but that's a personal thing.

One has larger bedrooms, but no separate reception room downstairs (ie no dining room), so the third bedroom would need to become the study/chillin'/music/whatevs room.

Both are very pretty on approach, but I think the second has the edge, with the paved area and trees?

Both have very usable and enjoyable outside spaces - the first is more conventional 'garden' - tho' also has decking and seems private - and the second one is more 'landscaped' and, er, trendy?

A factor that's hard to tell from this side - how do the locations compare? Are they actually close to eachother? Where can you walk to from each, in terms of a local shop, pub, park, rivers, outdoor spaces?

And is access to a primary school a consideration?

I'd say you are spoilt for choice! Both are lovely. My heart says 'No2'...

housebuyer143

I like them both, but personally I do think the first one offers you more space so I see where your husband is coming from. 
That living room is almost the same set up as mine in the one you are buying, the width is similar but mines a little longer, and you can't get a corner suite in there.. In fact we can only have one layout, but that works fine. 

I would be drawn to the first one as a longer term place 🤣🤣 
Everyone wants something different though so it's very hard and if you are not getting that feeling from it then i would think it's not right. . 

Woolsery

Bendy_House said:

Rachelredwood16 said:

Yeah sure.

This is the one we're currently purchasing: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124868231#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is the one we viewed yesterday: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125580344#/?channel=RES_BUY

 A factor that's hard to tell from this side - how do the locations compare? Are they actually close to eachother? Where can you walk to from each, in terms of a local shop, pub, park, rivers, outdoor spaces?

And is access to a primary school a consideration?

Err....they're in the same road.

Ramouth

They are both lovely houses.  The master suite of the second is really nice.  The first house has the potential to create a kitchen diner at some point in the future (which I would want to do) and you don’t have to run up two sets of stairs when you realise you have forgotten your socks!  Another thing to consider is loft space - town houses often don’t have much.

The second property is very well presented and uncluttered whereas the first is rather lived in looking - do you think this could be having an effect on your feelings about it?

user1977

In general I'd say semi over a mid-terrace, though in both cases all the rooms appear to be against a party wall, which isn't great (depending on how good the sound insulation is).

Rachelredwood16

Bendy_House said:

Rachelredwood16 said:

I keep questioning whether I like the lounge, it's rectangular and we've always said we want a square - this 2nd house has a square lounge. I think the rectangular one may look more cramped? I also don't like the kitchen in the original house so that would need to be re-done and the carpets need replacing. The 2nd house doesn't need these things so we'd save money there. The houses are up for the same price but the 2nd has ever so slightly less floor space.

The 2nd one doesn't have a dining room though so we're losing space for that.

I have to say, I was expecting more than that!

The vast majority of sitting rooms are rectangular, no? So if 'square' is important, you may be waiting a long time.

The kitchen and carpets need doing. Fair enough - that is an extra outlay, but then you get to fit what you really want with these two very important features.

The second house is smaller?

The second house doesn't have a separate dining room? (A spare room can have a multitude of purposes, not just dining. I'd have thought that a 'biggie').

So, on paper, the first house wins!

Tbh, I was expecting "The second house backs on to open fields/ is near the park/ is on a leafier street/ is in a nicer community/ has a lot of original features" type stuff.

In which case, I was going to suggest you both sit down, head up a sheet of paper with each outside by side, and begin to list the PROS of each, and if you can putting an 'out-of-five' figure to each point.

And then ditto with a list of cons.

It might help, or it might not. It'll be hard to put figures on how they make you 'feel', or the importance of location, but these ARE valid, tangible reasons too, so should have figures on them.

Yeah the dining room could be an office when we need it to be, not just a dining room. I get that on paper it seems like a no brainer but I'm still uncertain whether it's worth the hassle of the new build & freehold issue. If we're not going to exchange without a completion date in mind and that the freehold might not be listed in the land registry in time given its taking some time at the moment to sort it may all fall through. I know there's no guarantees that this will happen but it's what's weighing on my mind. Hence I want to go back and see it. 

Funnily, we're all on the same estate, both are within a 4 min walk of my current house haha. 

Rachelredwood16

Bendy_House said:

Rachelredwood16 said:

I keep questioning whether I like the lounge, it's rectangular and we've always said we want a square - this 2nd house has a square lounge. I think the rectangular one may look more cramped? I also don't like the kitchen in the original house so that would need to be re-done and the carpets need replacing. The 2nd house doesn't need these things so we'd save money there. The houses are up for the same price but the 2nd has ever so slightly less floor space.

The 2nd one doesn't have a dining room though so we're losing space for that.

I have to say, I was expecting more than that!

The vast majority of sitting rooms are rectangular, no? So if 'square' is important, you may be waiting a long time.

The kitchen and carpets need doing. Fair enough - that is an extra outlay, but then you get to fit what you really want with these two very important features.

The second house is smaller?

The second house doesn't have a separate dining room? (A spare room can have a multitude of purposes, not just dining. I'd have thought that a 'biggie').

So, on paper, the first house wins!

Tbh, I was expecting "The second house backs on to open fields/ is near the park/ is on a leafier street/ is in a nicer community/ has a lot of original features" type stuff.

In which case, I was going to suggest you both sit down, head up a sheet of paper with each outside by side, and begin to list the PROS of each, and if you can putting an 'out-of-five' figure to each point.

And then ditto with a list of cons.

It might help, or it might not. It'll be hard to put figures on how they make you 'feel', or the importance of location, but these ARE valid, tangible reasons too, so should have figures on them.

I've also already got a pros & cons list going for both as I'm super organised and love a good list!

Rachelredwood16

Bendy_House said:

Rachelredwood16 said:

Yeah sure.

This is the one we're currently purchasing: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/124868231#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is the one we viewed yesterday: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/125580344#/?channel=RES_BUY

Ok, that makes it harder! They are both very pretty houses, and very nice inside too.

One's in a terrace, and t'other semi.

One's 3 storey. Can often add more character - as I think it does in this case - but that's a personal thing.

One has larger bedrooms, but no separate reception room downstairs (ie no dining room), so the third bedroom would need to become the study/chillin'/music/whatevs room.

Both are very pretty on approach, but I think the second has the edge, with the paved area and trees?

Both have very usable and enjoyable outside spaces - the first is more conventional 'garden' - tho' also has decking and seems private - and the second one is more 'landscaped' and, er, trendy?

A factor that's hard to tell from this side - how do the locations compare? Are they actually close to eachother? Where can you walk to from each, in terms of a local shop, pub, park, rivers, outdoor spaces?

And is access to a primary school a consideration?

I'd say you are spoilt for choice! Both are lovely. My heart says 'No2'...

So you see my issue and seems you have similar tastes to me in preferring number 2! We've both always been intrigued by 3 storey houses & at one point they were the only types of houses we booked in to view!

They're down the road from one another and on the same estate that we're currently on, both within a 4 min walk & we have a primary school on the estate & can walk to ASDA within 15-20 mins! 

Rachelredwood16

housebuyer143 said:

I like them both, but personally I do think the first one offers you more space so I see where your husband is coming from. 
That living room is almost the same set up as mine in the one you are buying, the width is similar but mines a little longer, and you can't get a corner suite in there.. In fact we can only have one layout, but that works fine. 

I would be drawn to the first one as a longer term place 🤣🤣 
Everyone wants something different though so it's very hard and if you are not getting that feeling from it then i would think it's not right. . 

Ahh, so our current sofa wouldn't work then?! Hmm... this thread has been helpful & unhelpful hahaha