HELP - Bigger backyard vs Bigger sq footage inside the house - Need to finalize within a day (Mart: HOA, how much)

[bghouston]

It has now come down to this:

Bigger lot and smaller sq ft of the house at builder 1 vs. bigger sq ft of the house but a lot smaller lot at Builder 2. Terribly confused. Both floor plans are decent and end total pricing is very similar as well and both are in the same community.

What holds more value at resale ? The one thing we have realized is only 1 storey homes have bigger family room and most 2 storey homes have typically smaller family rooms. We cannot afford the mansions that have 2 storey homes with a massive family room of course. So it helps that Builder 2 has a slightly bigger family room and even bigger bedrooms on the top floors but does it really matter over having a big backyard?

All pros & cons welcome in helping us make a final decision.

roughly:

builder 1 - 2979 sq ft on 13,300 sq ft lot (.3 acres)
builder 2 - 3230 sq ft on 8,000 sq ft lot (.18 acres)

Many Thanks

[annie_himself]

How much do you need the bigger yard? Do you ever plan to add on?

[KatieKennedy]

Do you have kids? If so, a bigger yard is more important when they are young. Id there room for a playlet or pool? Once the kids are teenagers, they mostly stay inside or they go to meet up with their friends who have pools, etc. You will spend time in the family room year round whereas many times of the year it will be too hot to spend much time outside.

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by bghouston

It has now come down to this:

Bigger lot and smaller sq ft of the house at builder 1 vs. bigger sq ft of the house but a lot smaller lot at Builder 2. Terribly confused. Both floor plans are decent and end total pricing is very similar as well and both are in the same community.

What holds more value at resale ? The one thing we have realized is only 1 storey homes have bigger family room and most 2 storey homes have typically smaller family rooms. We cannot afford the mansions that have 2 storey homes with a massive family room of course. So it helps that Builder 2 has a slightly bigger family room and even bigger bedrooms on the top floors but does it really matter over having a big backyard?

All pros & cons welcome in helping us make a final decision.

Many Thanks

Bigger house sq footage always = higher value as houses are generally value by $/sq as the main comparable if same neighborhood.

The rest is really personal preference. Realistically how many times will you be spending in the back yard? Unless you planning to build a pool, backyard size should not be a deciding factor imo.

[PedroMartinez]

Does the home with the smaller yard have enough yard? Will it prevent you from installing a pool or anything like that?

BTW, even though my home is two stories, I prefer a single story home.

[bghouston]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

How much do you need the bigger yard? Do you ever plan to add on?

I was planning on adding a badminton court for now, but it has enough space for a pool as well if someone wants to put one (not sure if HOA will create any issues though). We do not have kids yet but plans maybe for this year maybe. There will be a good sized extended covered patio. as well

This big lot has no neighbors behind. I was more thinking along the line of re-sale value and the potential that buyers will see when buying a house. Do you think I can command a better resale value (not even in terms of money but actually being able to find a buyer right away) with that bigger backyard?

[bghouston]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

Does the home with the smaller yard have enough yard? Will it prevent you from installing a pool or anything like that?

BTW, even though my home is two stories, I prefer a single story home.

Yep , the bigger house with smaller yard is too small for a pool installation.

[Sampaguita]

How big of a difference is it between sf of the houses & lots?

Is it like 2500sf on 1/2 acres vs 3500sf on 1/8 acre?

[Sampaguita]

We have a small 1-story house on a huge lot. It's big enough for a pool & house-add on.

But, if I had the opportunity to buy a larger house on a smaller lot, I would prefer to have a larger 1-story house than the huge lot. I just wouldn't want a postage stamp sized lot.

[DSL_PWR]

Yard size for some plays a very important role in building a home. Having the right size yard for entertaining, kids, pool, gardening, etc can be what makes home. Also consider the bigger yard if you plan to have dog(s) as they need room to run.

The bigger house will have its return for sure but there are those looking for that right yard to close the deal.