Head or Heart rule: help me chose house

noah45

Moderators please feel free to move if necessary:

Please help me make right decision, 2 identical houses in same estate. I just want peoples oppinions in what might seem like a silly matter but has our heads in a tizzy.

House A €135,000
Immaculate
could move in and have absolutely nothing to do or change
It's perfect
Total Cost €135,000

House B €121,000
Needs new blind~€900
Needs painting~€600
Needs new carpets~€1000
Otherwise fine
Total Cost €123,000=€125,00 at most

We adore the dearer house A, but we could make House A similar for about €10,000 less.
Problem is that our hearts say A while our heads say B. Buying A would be a dream but due to circumstances it would be the upper end of our financial limit.

Has anyone been in a similar circumstance?
What would people advise Head or Heart?
Thanks

Montroseee

In the grand scheme of things, particularly if you are getting a mortgage, 10 k is a small amount. Get the better house.

Ihatecuddles

Heart, 100%. Its your home and I'd always spend the extra, if you can afford it.

I moved into my house 7 months ago, saying I'll do X Y and Z....went with the cheaper house and said we'd fix it up. Haven't done a thing with it yet

House A.

GotTheTshirt

Easy choice, B.

That's not a lot of work at all. Are you sure you''re not underestimating the cost of buying and fitting the carpets?

noah45

It's just an estimate on the carpets- could be more, it would be for stairs and 3 bedrooms

Miss Demeanour

Always go with your heart......never mind that old sense talking head......

Menas

Your head is the one that pays the bills, not your heart. And buying your own stuff allows you to personalise it exactly to your taste. B for me.

Tokyo

noah45 wrote: »

House A €135,000
Immaculate
could move in and have absolutely nothing to do or change
It's perfect
Total Cost €135,000

House B €121,000
Needs new blind~€900
Needs painting~€600
Needs new carpets~€1000
Otherwise fine
Total Cost €123,000=€125,00 at most

To be honest, these would be the last things I'd be basing my house choice on - a couple of days work and a lot less money than what the difference is would have them checked off the list. I'd be looking at the build quality of the house, size, garden, where it's located and so on - the things you can't easily change to your tastes once you've handed over the cash.

SEPT 23 1989

I would pay 10,000 not to paint such is my hatred for painting

noah45

Build is the same, gardens etc all the same and in the same estate.
Really torn

beertons

House A.

If you start working on things with house B, you see more stuff you want to do. Then the 10k turns to 20k. Meanwhile, house A is bought by someone else, who didn't spend any more on it. And they're very happy.

Go with A.

Tokyo

noah45 wrote: »

Build is the same, gardens etc all the same and in the same estate.
Really torn

B, definitely.

With 14K of a difference you can repaint and recarpet the house however you want, and have a chunk of cash left over....

corner of hells

For shame on you all , are the day's in AH long gone where no soul can suggest arson or looking in the neighbours windows at night ? Is there not a passing cat that needs a boot up it's hole ?

Donkey Oaty

Could you use the existence of B as a negotiating factor to get them to knock a few quid off of A?

IrishIrish

Why don't you add in the extra things you could get with the money you save for house B and then weigh them up. Such as:



House A €135,000
Immaculate
could move in and have absolutely nothing to do or change
It's perfect
Total Cost €135,000


House B €121,000
Brand New 50 Inch top of the Range TV
Holiday for me and my Wife
The New Ipad I've been wanting to get
Needs new blind~€900
Needs painting~€600
Needs new carpets~€1000
Otherwise fine
Total Cost €135,000

zAbbo

How are you torn?, save the 10k which would be the same as 3-4 years off the mortgage.

ringadingding

Exactly, bluff on pulling out, get 5k knocked off house A.

Coke and hookers for the mods
Face kicker
Blast the house with pîss

Etc etc etc

niallb

noah45 wrote: »

Build is the same, gardens etc all the same and in the same estate.
Really torn

Then don't take out an extra €10,000 loan that you don't have to.
The interest on it over the period of your mortgage would buy the blind and paint the house.

the_syco

noah45 wrote: »

Moderators please feel free to move if necessary:

Please help me make right decision, 2 identical houses in same estate. I just want peoples oppinions in what might seem like a silly matter but has our heads in a tizzy.

House A €135,000
Immaculate
could move in and have absolutely nothing to do or change
It's perfect
Total Cost €135,000

House B €121,000
Needs new blind~€900
Needs painting~€600
Needs new carpets~€1000
Otherwise fine
Total Cost €123,000=€125,00 at most

You'll probably do a few changes in the first few years, so I'd go with house B.

Painting and carpets will be done to suit your own tastes.

ballyharpat

This is a no-brainer, House B-so stay 2 weeks more where you are renting/living, and get those things done-to your own taste....add in a few more bits. 10k of a mortgage is probably around 17.5-20k over the life of the mortgage.....

anncoates

Nothing worse than skimping on a choice and regretting it later. If you can possibly stretch to it, I would let a relatively small cost dictate a lesser choice.

The Diabolical Monocle

Maybe you're very busy.

If so Ill fix it up with some carpets and paint for a mere 9 grand.

Save the 10k and all the associated interest, and do up house B even better than house A

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

House B dude. If the houses are identicle, your heart is making your head lazy. Your heart is a little beatch that needs a kick up the hole.

If house A was in a different estate, town, closer to X, Y or B then I could understand. Have you got a surveyer in to check them both out? Have you got any money left over if a bidding war starts? It probably will and you will probably be bidding against yourself (phantom bidders).

Satriale

Focus on how many hours you have to work to make 10K (plus deductions from your wages).

Then save the 10k.

Bof No1

Hi, as an 'older' person, who's bought and moved several times when I was younger, before settling into my present house, I'd like to add my tuppence worth, if I may? Do you see yourselves staying here for the rest of your lives? What is the situation as regards schools, access to transport, commute to work, distance to shops, leisure facilities, etc? All of these things have a bearing on your decision, but your answer to my first question should sort things out. If you never see yourselves moving, house B, for all the reasons mentioned by previous posters, as well as the big one, a lower mortgage. If you think you'll move in the future, house A, as a 'finished' house will remain that way, you'll mind it better and will gain, when you sell it on. Cheers, Bof No1.

LowOdour

You might think that you won't need to spend anything on house A but you will want your own bits and bobs to suit your taste so you might well end up spending a few grand on it anyway.

House A brings a lot less hassle (which I like) but house B gives you better financial possibilities (which I like).

So in short...I dunno really

Spanish Eyes

What is the orientation of the back gardens in both houses?

If they are both the same, go with B and save a few bob.

If one is South or South West, or West, go for that one. Best decision ever.

If back is East or North, the decision is made, go for the other one.

markmacken

With House B you could put your own stamp on it. I think there is something to be said for that.

Roger Hassenforder

noah45 wrote: »

Build is the same, gardens etc all the same and in the same estate.
Really torn

is there a difference in aspect?
are the back gardens both facing the same way?
get it as S-SW if possible. priceless
will the neighbours' house cause shading?


same as Spanish eyes above!

Cookie_Monster

offer 125k for house A

Summer wind

Go for house A. You said you think it's perfect and you only live once.

Thumpette

Deffo house B if it's just decor that's the difference. We did similar 2 years ago, allocated the money for the bits we (I) hated and did all the bits up front. I think if you don't do the work right away maybe you never will and it will rankle at you, but if you commit to it you'll have the place just to your own taste and save a packet! Good luck whichever way you go!

noah45

Thanks all, well it seems most of you think house B and use the 10k to put our own stamp on it. We do see ourselves staying there, children are all reared and its on a bus route.

We have just today used house B as a barganing tool to lower price of house A and are awaiting a reply but not expecting success.

Thank you all for your input, it's exactly what I was looking for and I really appreciate it.

I think that if we got House A at about €125-€127 then we'd go for that, but otherwise I think it'll be House B and put our own touches to it and have a bit of money for extras.

SeanW

Assuming everything else is equal, I'd go with House B. Not only would the whole lot be cheaper, but assuming the work is not urgent, you could long-finger it, paying for it out of day-to-day salary and keep it off the mortgage. That would save you even more. Think the €2500 estimate and add on about 40-60% (the first years of a mortgage you're mostly paying interest).

Tail Docker

I'd go with house A or B tbh. They sound much better.

ygolometsipe

you should buy both houses and live 50% of the time in each.
In 6 months to 1 year, you can sell the house you don't like
and make mega bucks on the ever increasing housing market!!!

I would go with A - no one ever does the house work

Tin Foil Hat

noah45 wrote: »

Build is the same, gardens etc all the same and in the same estate.
Really torn

No brainer in that case. Get the cheaper house. Nothing on your list is urgent, so you can do them at your leisure. Even if you really wanted those jobs done straight away you could have them done in a week by professionals without having to lift a finger. A painter would have a house done for €1.5-2k in a few days, for example.
Think how long it would take you to save 7-10k. Years? And for the sake of a small bit of inconvenience.
Also, get wooden floors. Carpets are a pain in the hole. Laminates are reasonably cheap and perfectly fine. You could easily afford the difference between those and carpets on the difference between both those houses and still have a pile left over.

Spanish Eyes

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

No brainer in that case. Get the cheaper house. Nothing on your list is urgent, so you can do them at your leisure. Even if you really wanted those jobs done straight away you could have them done in a week by professionals without having to lift a finger. A painter would have a house done for €1.5-2k in a few days, for example.
Think how long it would take you to save 7-10k. Years? And for the sake of a small bit of inconvenience.
Also, get wooden floors. Carpets are a pain in the hole. Laminates are reasonably cheap and perfectly fine. You could easily afford the difference between those and carpets on the difference between both those houses and still have a pile left over.

Yes the back gardens may be all the same, but ARE THEY FACING THE RIGHT WAY! for the sun and the barbies, etc......

There is nothing worse than having a back garden that does not get any sun when we feckin get it!

The alignment of a back garden would always be a deal breaker for me.

Cee-Jay-Cee

noah45 wrote: »

Build is the same, gardens etc all the same and in the same estate.
Really torn

I would also consider exact location, ie is one of them near the end Of a street which would mean less traffic passing, less late night drunken idiots making noise outside your house etc etc

I'd also be attempting to find out who the potential neighbours are and what they'd be like to live beside (and adjoined to if it's a semi)

The work you say house B needs is relatively minor and shouldn't really sway your decision.

Tin Foil Hat

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Yes the back gardens may be all the same, but ARE THEY FACING THE RIGHT WAY! for the sun and the barbies, etc......

There is nothing worse than having a back garden that does not get any sun when we feckin get it!

The alignment of a back garden would always be a deal breaker for me.

Fair enough, yea. I agree. My analysis was on the basis of all else being equal.

bottlebrush

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I would also consider exact location, ie is one of them near the end Of a street which would mean less traffic passing, less late night drunken idiots making noise outside your house etc etc

I'd also be attempting to find out who the potential neighbours are and what they'd be like to live beside (and adjoined to if it's a semi)

The work you say house B needs is relatively minor and shouldn't really sway your decision.

A friend of mine had a similar situation a few years ago. She made her decision based on feedback about neighbours both sides of each house.
Had she bought the other house she would have had a lot of hassle from one of her neighbours who is just one awkward a**hole!

mrolaf

House B you will make it your own and it will turn out nicer than a

Spanish Eyes

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

Fair enough, yea. I agree. My analysis was on the basis of all else being equal.

Sometimes the spec of a house will be amazing, that can be a big draw. But the garden on the other hand is dark and always will be.

A big issue that is often forgotten when buying a house, IMV.

God I am going to be called a feckin nerd now, but when I was looking for my house I brought a compass with me to check the back garden orientation!

That was before the days of smartphones with inbuilt compasses etc.

And there were three houses on my list, all in the same area all the same size.

The one I chose is SW facing, and is not overlooked. Best decision. Needed some work, but it was so worth it.

mikom

noah45 wrote: »

House A
Immaculate
could move in and have absolutely nothing to do or change
It's perfect
Total Cost €135,000

I take it you've never owned a house before?