Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

So we are house hunting, and currently have two favorite houses.

One is in an ideal location (walkable to center of town, train station) with a great view of a park/pond. The house is smaller though and an odd layout. Laundry in the basement (with a family of 4 there is a lot of laundry!)

The second is a large colonial, with a perfect layout/flow on a larger lot. About 8 minutes further from the train. Quiet residential street, but less beautiful neighborhood.

Both are in the same school district. We have two kids and are hoping to stay in the house until they graduate high school.

What do you pick? The view/location or space/layout?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Posted by Calla

So we are house hunting, and currently have two favorite houses.

One is in an ideal location (walkable to center of town, train station) with a great view of a park/pond. The house is smaller though and an odd layout. Laundry in the basement (with a family of 4 there is a lot of laundry!)

The second is a large colonial, with a perfect layout/flow on a larger lot. About 8 minutes further from the train. Quiet residential street, but less beautiful neighborhood.

Both are in the same school district. We have two kids and are hoping to stay in the house until they graduate high school.

What do you pick? The view/location or space/layout?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Since you aren't really talking about that much of a distance, I voted for the layout. Especially if you have kids that will only get bigger.

Houses have a way of "shrinking" the longer you are in them as it is.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

OMG this is a tough one. I hate teh location of my home AND the layout....I tend to say location over everything else even still though.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Posted by rkoenke

Posted by Calla

So we are house hunting, and currently have two favorite houses.

One is in an ideal location (walkable to center of town, train station) with a great view of a park/pond. The house is smaller though and an odd layout. Laundry in the basement (with a family of 4 there is a lot of laundry!)

The second is a large colonial, with a perfect layout/flow on a larger lot. About 8 minutes further from the train. Quiet residential street, but less beautiful neighborhood.

Both are in the same school district. We have two kids and are hoping to stay in the house until they graduate high school.

What do you pick? The view/location or space/layout?

I don't particularly favor the park / pond thing. Ponds will offer mosquitos and bird turd... if you aren't too close to it, that's good. Also, teens go to parks at night and have parties. I prefer to stay away from public places. I am the only one who voted for layout. Specifically b/c you said it's only 8 minutes further from the train.
Just my opinion.

Message edited 1/2/2009 8:38:56 AM.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

I would go with the better layout since they are both in the same SD

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Where is the laundry in the 2nd house?

What are the sizes of the lots?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Do you think that down the road you will be able to fix the layout problems in the home with the good location? I also really wanted to be close to the town and walking distance to the train. We ended up finding a house that was 1.2 miles from town so on a nice day it's walkable but not convenient. I love our house and now it doesn't bother me that we can't walk to town. I am happier that we have a bigger house than what we would have gotten closer to the town. Also, I didn't think that my neighborhood was that pretty but now that I live here I LOVE it, so your view on that might change. We were looking in the dead of winter so we didn't realize how much nicer it would look in the summertime.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

location location location!

I regret choosing layout over location and 4 years later we are selling the layout house for a location house.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

With the distance being that minimal, I would go for the layout.

Changing the layout down the road will be costly and hard to do with two kids.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

If you were talking completely different towns/neighborhoods - I'd say go with location .......
but for 8 BLOCKS and the same SD ? - I'd go for the house you like better -

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

I would go with the layout house. This one sounds great. Laundry right off the kitchen and it's a colonial. I have know some friends to have Splits and they just seem small to me and you really would have to spend a lot of money to expand a split level house. It sounds like you are still pretty close to the town with the Colonial. GL in your decision.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

I would go for the layout house. It sounds like a better home for your family due to the size. From what you posted, you might grow out of House#1.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Not 8 blocks -- about 2 miles. A 10 minute drive to the train/center of town vs walking/1 minute drive.

(So, that means 20 minutes more commuting time every day for hubby round trip)

Thanks for all the feedback, its really helpful!

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Hands down, layout. When your kids are teenagers and the size of adults, you'll be happy that you have the better layout. plus, you spend so much time IN a home that I think it's really important that the layout works for your family. You're not talking the difference between a good SD and a bad one, so to me, the layout stands out as more important.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Layout. Plus, I don't want to be that close to the train due to the noise factor.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

IMO layout since they are both in the same school district

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

Everyone always told me buying the worst house in the best location is better than the best house in the worst location. You can better the house, you can't better the location.

But since you're choices are so close together, you might be better off in the house you like more, I think over time the bigger space will outweigh an extra 20min on the commute.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

# 1 key factor in real estate is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!

Also best for resale!!

Good luck!

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?

I too would usually say location but in this case with the homes being so close to eachother and in the same school district I would go for the house with the layout that works better for your family.

Re: Which would you choose - Ideal Location or Ideal Layout?