Just for fun, which house would you pick?

[velouria]

If you could only afford these options for your home, which would you pick and why.



Option 1

Townhouse style condo in the heart of a very vibrant city neighborhood. Walkscore of 90. Coffee shops, excellent restaurants, markets, and parks all within easy walking distance. The neighborhood is good and improving. There is some crime (car and house break-ins) but the area mostly feels safe. Schools are decent but not amazing. (7s on Greatschools.com). Your friends all live nearby, including your three best girlfriends within a 5 minute drive each. 

Two shared walls, detached single garage, shared "yard" that 11 other families use. Two generous sized bedrooms and one bathroom. About 1200 sq/ft. Hardwood floors and an updated but tiny kitchen. The building and HOA finances are all sound. DH's commute is about 20 minutes from here.

Option 2
Townhouse in a secluded subdivision in an upscale suburb about 20 minutes away from the city. Located two miles from the suburban town's downtown area that has some nice restaurants and shops and a great library. Near exceptional green spaces and parks. The neighborhood is 100% residential and extremely safe. Crime is basically nonexistent here. The schools are all top-rated and highly regarded (10s on Greatschools.com). You don't know anyone who lives in this area, all your friends live about 30 minutes away. 

Two shared walls, detached double garage, private small fenced-in patio and garden and expansive shared lawns. Three large bedrooms, one full bathroom, and one half bathroom. About 1400 sq/ft. Laminate and carpet floors, larger but less updated kitchen. DH's commute is 10 minutes longer and includes highways, so about 30 minutes total in good traffic. 

[mrslka]

Option 2, safety and green space are huge to me.

[ashiscute]

Option 1. I'd so much rather live in a city where I could walk places. I currently live in the burbs about 10 minutes from the city in a house with a huge yard so I feel like a hyprocrite but an option 1 in our budget is not currently a reality. So I will live vicariously through you and say option 1.

[Deleted]

Option 2. Good schools and safety are extremely important to me. I currently live about 30 minutes from most friends and it's not a big deal. I also grew up in the suburbs and it is something I want for my kids.

[Deleted]

I'd pick number two also. Safety and good schools are very important to me. I also think thirty minutes from friends isn't a problem, you can always meet somewhere in between. Now of course you'd have to talk to your husband and see if the extra travel time is worth it to him (I'm kinda assuming your looking at moving).

[Deleted]

@mamak1218 I guess great minds think alike!

[penguin129]

House 2 for sure!

[earthian]

I would pick option 2. Great schools and safety would seal the deal for me. You can always update the house as you see fit over time.

[younglove316]

Option 2. Safety is a huge part for me. I like the idea of being close enough to things but far enough away from the crowds and commotion of things.

[allie1079]

Great question! That's tough. Would love option 1, but would prob pick option 2 in reality. 20 mins from city is nothing!

[lostinfaith225]

Before kids, option 1.

After having lo, option 2! Great schools, green space, storage, and safety are important.

[velouria]

Feb 13, 2015 18:28:21 GMT -5 trichie5 said:

Not sure? I like being close to things, but I like the upscale schools, parks, and security.

But I'd never convince DH to live in a town home anywhere.

Yeah, we would definitely both prefer a single family home. In this city that is consistently rated "overpriced" for real estate the single family homes in our price range are in... as my Realtor says... "uneven" neighborhoods. They have some nice, rehabbed homes with young professionals and families mixed in with complete dilapidated dumps, chained up dogs, and the occasional registered sex offender. Failing schools. Petty to not so petty crimes. Not neighborhoods I'm really comfortable in. 

To get a safer, walkable neighborhood with good schools we have to settle for a townhouse/condo because the single family homes are more than we can realistically spend without being house poor. If we were both working it would be a completely different story but I wouldn't trade being home with my kids for more house.

[velouria]

Thanks for the responses ladies. We currently live in Option 1, and I am starting to feel like I want Option 2, but DH isn't sold just yet.

[rodiesmum]

Option 2. Safety is very impt to us

[silentsara]

Option 2. I'd want the private backyard and 2 toilets.

[socomama]

Option #2

[hlm184]

Option two. For reasons others have said, plus hardwood is annoying.

[BostonKisses]

As someone who is struggling to sell a 2BR 1.5BA townhouse, I would strongly encourage you to go for a 3BR 1.5BA. Even if the 2 bedrooms are large (which ours are exceptionally large), it can hurt your resale value and potentially keep you on the market longer because it's not as desirable. Obviously other things like crime rates, lower rated schools, location, property taxes, etc. also come into play. Having 1 bathroom can also be a detriment, especially if there isn't a good location to add a powder room.

I'd also go for the increased square footage. 1200 sq ft. isn't bad, but having 200 sq ft. extra can make a difference.

[velouria]

Feb 14, 2015 15:18:25 GMT -5 BostonKisses said:

As someone who is struggling to sell a 2BR 1.5BA townhouse, I would strongly encourage you to go for a 3BR 1.5BA. Even if the 2 bedrooms are large (which ours are exceptionally large), it can hurt your resale value and potentially keep you on the market longer because it's not as desirable. Obviously other things like crime rates, lower rated schools, location, property taxes, etc. also come into play. Having 1 bathroom can also be a detriment, especially if there isn't a good location to add a powder room.

I'd also go for the increased square footage. 1200 sq ft. isn't bad, but having 200 sq ft. extra can make a difference.

Thanks for sharing your experience. We actually already live in option 1 and I'm feeling drawn to option 2. The only thing that makes me optimistic about selling this place is that it is located in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in one of the most popular cities to move to. But yeah, it feels small and that's annoying me! I really want the 3rd bedroom, 2nd bath, patio, and the better schools.

[velouria]

Feb 14, 2015 12:02:23 GMT -5 hlm184 said:

Option two. For reasons others have said, plus hardwood is annoying.

I love, love, love hardwood! Have you had bad experiences? The only problem is the way the floors creak when I'm trying to sneak away from my sleeping kids.

[hlm184]

Feb 14, 2015 16:53:29 GMT -5 velouria said:

Feb 14, 2015 12:02:23 GMT -5 hlm184 said:

Option two. For reasons others have said, plus hardwood is annoying.

I love, love, love hardwood! Have you had bad experiences? The only problem is the way the floors creak when I'm trying to sneak away from my sleeping kids.

We just moved into a house that's all hardwood downstairs.  It's so annoying thus far - it gets scratched or dinged (it's bamboo), if you skip a day vacuuming it's a disaster and gets super gross with a dog, a cat and a baby running around!

[icequeen]

Option 2 sounds lovely!! I am sold on the safety and low crime. I also like being in a secluded neighborhood for some peace of mind. The schools are also an amazing asset. Good luck with your purchase!

[MadisonPenny]

Option 2 for all the reasons mentioned above but also because a condo does not appeal to me. I'm not interested in spending extra $$ every month for someone to cut the grass, plow the snow, etc. when I can do those things myself (or realistically, DH, lol)

[caybeh]

Option 2! I like being out of the heart of the city.

[gnomesweetgnome]

It's a really tough decision!  I love all that option #1 has to offer, but tiny kitchen = sad gnome.  #2 is appealing due to the parks, safety, and great schools.  But longer commutes, not being near friends, and not being able to walk places is really hard, too.  If DH and I were in this situation, and had no pets (we currently have three dogs), we'd probably pick #1.

[milfintraining]

Not a SAHM, but a soon to be FTM. We lived in the city and moved out to the burbs in a big house for everything that you stated in option 2. Crime is everywhere. We live in one of the best school districts in the state, but there's also a drug problem in the high school as well.

For us we miss the city. I do mostly natural/organic grocery shopping and those stores are in the city, 30 mins away. Both mine and DHs commute is 45 mins to an hour each way. Our family and most of our friends are also 30 mins away. Once LO is here, we're going to list the house and try to get as close to the city as possible.

Think about your day to day lifestyle and make your decision that way. However, I do agree with the comment made about having one bathroom. A half bath goes a long way.

[sagen]

2, we chose our house based on schools, and I don't regret it!

[hlm184]

Feb 15, 2015 15:33:05 GMT -5 forevermorgan said:

Feb 15, 2015 13:40:12 GMT -5 hlm184 said:

We just moved into a house that's all hardwood downstairs.  It's so annoying thus far - it gets scratched or dinged (it's bamboo), if you skip a day vacuuming it's a disaster and gets super gross with a dog, a cat and a baby running around!

I think it's the pets. We have 2 cats and 3 kids and you're right - the amount of hair and crud that ends up on the floor is amazing. I sweep and vacuum ours, at least, twice a day because I can't stand it. My friends without pets don't seem to have to clean up as much. Unless theirs are just dirtier than mine.

I do think they clean up easier than carpet. And definitely wouldn't trade them for carpet. Ours have some small dings but I'm kinda proud of them. Like they symbolize that we actually Live here.

The dings don't bother me, but they stress MH out because we're selling the place in three years.  I tell him he needs to chill out - things will get dinged, too freaking bad.

[sarahandeddie]

Option 2
Reasons - larger size, larger garage, more privacy, better schools, sounds better for family life, safer and larger garage.

I've grown up in a smallish sized city my whole life. The whole area probably has a total of 200,000 people. I can't even imagine not having a private yard and sharing walls. I've only lived in fully detached homes (aside from an apartment in college).

[redhorizon343]

You forgot one of the biggest factors for me - price. Are they about the same amount of money!? If the difference would make an impact on what we could afford day-to-day, I might choose the cheaper option.

Also, how long are you planning on staying there?