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Which type of home do you prefer!

(132 Posts)
TrendyNannie6 Thu 28-Jan-21 13:40:37

Just that really! Myself having lived in terraced house, detached, semi, I am interested as what others prefer! I’ve never lived in a bungalow, quite fancy a detached bungalow though,

Nannarose Thu 28-Jan-21 13:53:04

Even if it's only a narrow jitty, having a detached house means less worry about noise.
We built a '2 storey bungalow'. By that I mean it functions as a bungalow for us, with guest bedrooms upstairs.
We live on the main street in a small village, so people pass by and (when they can!) call in.

Doodledog Thu 28-Jan-21 13:55:33

For me, the style of house (ie terraced, semi or whatever) is far less important than the location and amenities.

I also think that preferences vary over the course of our lives. We've been in our house for over 20 years, and the children were young when we moved in. A garden was on our wishlist then, but it would be less of a dealbreaker now, for instance.

I prefer to live in a road rather than on an estate of similar houses, and being close to shops and restaurants (those were the days!) is also important to me - I once lived in a village with one shop half a mile away, and I hated having to use the car to get anything they didn't sell, or to go to the bank, PO etc. Now I really like being within walking distance of things.

We live quite near a school, which was important at one time, but now it is less so, and can be quite noisy when the children are going home.

NotSpaghetti Thu 28-Jan-21 13:58:12

I have once had neighbours I can't bear to think about... stressful to the point I couldn't function.
Next move will be detached - even if that means microscopic.

Namsnanny Thu 28-Jan-21 14:02:22

Detached (less noise) off street parking or drive. Neighbours, local shop, bus service, surgery, safe dog walking, pub, school (more diverse people passing by) old church. Anything I've missed?grin
The design of the property itself not too worried about, as I always have to change things around to suit my tastes.

Grandma70s Thu 28-Jan-21 14:10:18

Quiet! So I suppose detached is best, though I have lived in all sorts but always with quiet neighbours.

Very little traffic - how do people live on main roads? - and trees are more important to me than the type of house.

maryrose54 Thu 28-Jan-21 14:14:59

I never used to mind that we live in a mid terraced house until recently. I notice noises from neighbours more, just normal sounds, and this heightens my anxiety, so would like a detached place.

Gingster Thu 28-Jan-21 14:25:21

Definitely detached. Near to shops, bus routes etc. As you get older, these things are important.

Jaxjacky Thu 28-Jan-21 14:29:54

We live in a semi detached house, on a quiet estate, little traffic and good neighbours. A walk to a lovely community pub, shops, buses and views of woods to the rear. I doubt we’ll ever move as we’re happy here and have been for over 20 years..

DillytheGardener Thu 28-Jan-21 14:37:38

I live in a semi detached house, but our neighbours, though very odd, are pretty quiet on the whole. I’d love a big detached house with a heated pool if I won the lottery though!

Redhead56 Thu 28-Jan-21 14:46:03

We live in a detached house on a small estate over the road we step into woods. They stretch for miles as an old railway line it's quiet and pleasant. Our house is too big for us now but we are too lazy to be bothered moving. We own a little cottage in Wales which we bought for our retirement. Now we have grandchildren it's out of the question and being sold.

kittylester Thu 28-Jan-21 14:59:01

I/we have lived in everything from a terraced cottage via a detached bungalow (which we hated!) to modern detached.

My favourite houses have been our previous house - an Edwardian, 3 storey semi - and this one - part of a converted school.

In my view, a house either 'speaks' to you or it doesn't. We all love this house, even with it's drippy roof, and it would take a lot to make me move. It's a happy house!

muse Thu 28-Jan-21 15:04:04

Location is my priority when I've moved. Away from main busy road. A shop within walking distance e.g spar or small co-op. Garden a must but it's not overlooked. Car parking off road.

Then ideally a detached bungalow.

Grandma11 Thu 28-Jan-21 15:14:21

I have just sold a detached bungalow, it’s been in the family for 25years, had plenty of space for a nice garden, but as we got older, we became less able to cope with its upkeep, remote area, and lack of facilities and local services, and was a real pain transport wise for anyone who could no longer drive.
Although it was a Bungalow, it definitely was a home more suited to someone young and fit enough to maintain it, it certainly was not for us!
We have a House on a new estate where all the facilities, shops, delivery services, and Medical Centre are within reach either on foot, or by using my Mobility scooter. The downstairs is very disabled friendly, with a shower room and a study which can be used as a ground floor bedroom. The upstairs rooms can be used for teenage Grandchildren if they ever need to stay, all the younger ones now grown up and no longer require ‘Babysitting’ when Mum and Dad go out!

The area we live in is covered by several private Care agencies should the need arise, something the Bungalow was not, likewise no Supermarkets or takeaways covered that area either, and a very poor bus service via a long walk and then once a day, hence we Sold it in favour of more suitable living arrangements, the best thing we could have done given the circumstances.

Oopsadaisy1 Thu 28-Jan-21 15:19:53

The only type of house we haven’t lived in is a terraced house.
Bed sit, Tower block, semi detached , detached, detached thatched, and now a detached bungalow with spare bedrooms upstairs, plenty of room, large garden in a village, very quiet.
However since we moved in the village shop closed, no buses any more, village school now closed, you now have to have a car to get to shops, doctors and everything else, other than the pub which we still have.

Perversely I’d love a terraced house close to shops, restaurants and cinema.

jocork Thu 28-Jan-21 15:27:04

I think every home you live in you find something you wish you could change, so you look for that in your next one. I've been happy in my home for 17 years, though living by a school is a major disadvantage so I'd probably avoid that in future.

Now I'm looking to downsize as I no-longer need such a big house and, having retired I want to move to a cheaper area as I no longer need to be near enough to commute to work. I've decided I'd still prefer to be detached due to noise considerations but I'd want to be near a good bus route into the town centre, to make use of my bus pass and in case I become unable to drive in the future. A bungalow is on the wish list, or maybe a chalet bungalow so I could live on one floor but have bedrooms upstairs for visitors - not essential at present but future proofing so I don't need to buy a stair lift later. I also want a smaller more manageable garden than I currently have - enough space to sit out when the weather is nice but small enough to mow without needing an extension lead, and maybe raised border to make gardening easier.

Hopefully I'll find my dream home somewhere but I need to de-clutter first!

NanKate Thu 28-Jan-21 15:27:19

We live in an end of terrace house which I absolutely love. The sun streams through our bay window at the front all year round. Our front door goes onto a path of a few feet and then you go directly onto a large field looking down towards the Thames. The neighbours all the way down to the end are friendly. Children play out on the field all year. My grandchildren just love playing here.

The house is a modest affair, but we have extended to the side and wouldn’t swap it with any of the larger houses around here.

Greeneyedgirl Thu 28-Jan-21 15:28:28

I agree with Doodledog requirements do vary throughout a lifetime. We have lived in semis, terraces, bungalows, flats and detached.

I like the modern detached we have now. No neighbour noise, well insulated, low maintenance, smallish garden, in a large village with doctor, dentist, and shops with PO. Frequent bus route into local town. Nice walks and countryside around us.
Only thing lacking.........no undertakers! Otherwise all our future needs covered grin

My ideal would be a modern eco house, like a Huf House.

Callistemon Thu 28-Jan-21 15:30:02

I/we have lived in everything from a terraced cottage via a detached bungalow (which we hated!) to modern detached.

I'm wondering why you hated the detached bungalow, kittylester? That's what I keep searching for but they are few and far between. Of course, none are built now which means older people who may want to move to one are stuck and hold up the supply chain for younger families.

It has to be the right one, of course, as some have very odd layouts.

Yours sounds like what we're looking for, Nannarose!

MiniMoon Thu 28-Jan-21 15:31:16

The favourite of my past homes was a detached bungalow. I loved single storey living, and would jump at the chance of having another.

geekesse Thu 28-Jan-21 15:34:25

I thought this was going to be a thread about whether a home should be well-organised or spontaneous, tidy or messy etc. I’m not that bothered about the type of building at all as long as the roof doesn’t leak and the windows fit properly. I’ve lived in most options, and in my experience, the walls and roof are not really the ‘home’ they are just the house.

LauraNorder Thu 28-Jan-21 15:39:34

Have had detached in the middle of nowhere since the early 1980s, cottages, houses, large and small. We are used to shopping fortnightly and getting the car out for doctors, dentists, etc.
We know as we get older our large detached place will be too big, we look on rightmove constantly to see what’s available but have a fear of neighbours having read some horrific tales on here about potential problems..
Ideally a little detached cottage set back from the road, with a small garden, on the edge of a small well equipped town and good bus service.

Blondiescot Thu 28-Jan-21 15:44:12

Detached - but then I've only ever lived in the one house since I was a child. It's been in the family for five generations now. Couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

glammanana Thu 28-Jan-21 15:50:30

The most favourite of my previous homes was the large Victorian semi we had when the children where growing up all the rooms where big with high ceilings and deep skirtings,a hallway which you could dance in and a split level staircase we sold when prices where at their best when the last of my sons left home it was impractical to keep as the up keep was expensive for the two of us.
Now I am in a bungalow which is in a terrace of four and very quiet being at the top of a cul de sac all of my neighbours are retired but they are also friendly which is lovely.

kittylester Thu 28-Jan-21 15:54:31

callistemon, we lived there when we had 2 toddlers and an Afghan hound so it was always a mess!