We’re moving from the city to the suburbs due to school selection (family of three and a dog – maybe family of four is in the cards, probably isn’t). I know on this subreddit the focus will be more on valuation, appreciation and resale potential.
We are sort of down to two choices within the county. In that sense both are great locations: super safe and a 5-8 min drive to school. Both are in the same price range.
House 1: 2800sqft freehold townhouse (no HOA). All core amenities are within a 5 min walk (independent coffee shop, a couple of restaurants, a couple of supermarkets, pharmacy, children’s park, bakery, etc) and the neighborhood is green, school bus stop‘s right in front of the house. Decent size but very weird layout and very narrow garage berth. The area is gorgeous though this house, and all the others on the block, are showing their age. We can make it a bit less haggard, but municipal ordinances require us to stay within the same aesthetic patterns as neighbors.
House 2: 3600sqft semi detached freehold with no HOA though shared private ramp with 3 other houses. Much prettier facade, excellent build quality, great layout, and a short walk to essentially a nature reserve. But the street is ugly, the area is fully residential, no amenities. Closest amenities are a 13 min walk that involve crossing a walkway over a freeway. Hence why the price per surface area is lower
Both properties are in good condition, good energy efficiency, same overall price.
what makes more sense?
Location or layout? Advice requested
byu/learnworkbuyrepeat inrealestateinvesting
Posted by learnworkbuyrepeat
2 Comments
Which one do you like better? Listen to your intuition
the walkable neighborhood wins for me, especially with kids in play. that 13 min walk to cross over freeway just to get coffee or groceries gets old real fast when you’re doing it multiple times per week
weird layout can be worked around but having everything walkable is huge for resale too – families with kids will pay premium for that convenience