Have the choice between a newer build and a Victorian terrace - help!

Flugelhorn

um .... OK had a 1893 terrace in Yorkshire - swapped it for a 2010 Barratts down south and never regretted it for one minute - the Victorian house cost a packet to heat and could never seem to get the chimney to stop being damp - mind you it was 4 storey so a bit different 

BonaDea

Honestly, I think you just need to read your own OP.   That makes it abundantly clear that whether you recognise it or not you've already made the decision!   It's always good to get a sense check from others but there hasn't been a resounding chorus of 'buy the Barratt house', so you're good to go with the one you really want.  

ThisIsWeird

A0911 said:

Do you mean the stonework around the front door? I'll chat to some.

Yes. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6555442/how-to-repair-this-sandstone-door-surround#latest

FreeBear

A0911 said:

Sarahspangles said:

EssexHebridean said:

Buy the terrace for goodness sake - life is way too short to live in a house which, even at this stage, you have described as claustrophobic! 

Seconded (though at this point it’s more like tenthed)

Things I miss about an Edwardian town house I used to own:

Having a pulley airer.
You can have freestanding wardrobes and still put luggage or storage boxes on top.
There’s (possibly) an actual pantry.
If you fix something to a wall it takes forever to drill but forever is how long that thing is staying up.

A pulley airer is my actual dream. I love them. No pantry but good cupboards and a cellar. 

Conversation with niece....

Her: But cellars are where they hide the bodies.

Me: I know. Why do you think I want one

A0911

ThisIsWeird said:

A0911 said:

Do you mean the stonework around the front door? I'll chat to some.

Yes. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6555442/how-to-repair-this-sandstone-door-surround#latest

Hugely appreciate this! Sounds like at least part of the stone will need replacing, I'll chat to some local masons. Doesn't sound urgent so I'll look to get sorted at the same time as the door replacement.

A0911

FreeBear said:

A0911 said:

Sarahspangles said:

EssexHebridean said:

Buy the terrace for goodness sake - life is way too short to live in a house which, even at this stage, you have described as claustrophobic! 

Seconded (though at this point it’s more like tenthed)

Things I miss about an Edwardian town house I used to own:

Having a pulley airer.
You can have freestanding wardrobes and still put luggage or storage boxes on top.
There’s (possibly) an actual pantry.
If you fix something to a wall it takes forever to drill but forever is how long that thing is staying up.

A pulley airer is my actual dream. I love them. No pantry but good cupboards and a cellar. 

Conversation with niece....

Her: But cellars are where they hide the bodies.

Me: I know. Why do you think I want one

I do wish the estate agents would start putting this in their listings. The body storage potential is criminally overlooked. 

A0911

BonaDea said:

Honestly, I think you just need to read your own OP.   That makes it abundantly clear that whether you recognise it or not you've already made the decision!   It's always good to get a sense check from others but there hasn't been a resounding chorus of 'buy the Barratt house', so you're good to go with the one you really want.  

You're not at all wrong. I think I'm just a bit scarred by the previous two experiences and have been looking to play it safe, but how miserable I've been at the thought of the other one tells me the right thing to do is go for what I want and deal with the issues as I go. No house is without problems, so it might as well be one I want.

RAS

Imagine having problems with a house which you don't really want?

And expect a few gremlins when you move in to the one you like?

EssexHebridean

You have to come back and update us on your progress with buying and then living in Vicky T please! She just looks like such a lovely house - just “inviting” somehow! 

A0911

Well, I went to see Vicky today gang, and unfortunately she's recently been repointed in cement after a chemical DPC. Only the back but annoying to say the least.

If I go for her I'm going to have to budget at least 10k to get all this dug out and repointed in lime, plus whatever the survey dredges up. Also on quite a noisy road, which isn't ideal.

It's so frustrating that builders keep doing this to houses around here. In so many of them the stonework is very badly damaged/wearing away because they've used cement.