Ask HN: Can you help me decide which type of house investment I should do?
by cx42net | 2025-08-13 12:40:27+00:00
I recently sold my company and got a little money from this that I'd like to invest and not keep dormant in my bank account.

I'd like to invest it in a house. I have a few options but I don't want to rush and regret my decision after. All have pros and cons that are really worth considering and I'm also trying really hard to ensure this is not a fade too that I will regret.

Just a quick description of my current living situation to explain the various options I can think of. I live in the east of France in a house with a nice backyard (not big, but nice enough for me). I'm not in a flat in a big city where the need to have a green space is a must for the weekend, that's not the case. Prices for the house in my area are about 175k€ for a 100m2 (1076 square feet), and it's easy to find a house at 80/100k to fully renovate it after. I did a lot of work in my current house in various area, and even though I'm not a professional in that area, taking house renovation work doesn't frighten me. The issue is more on the time availability (where can we find 48 or even 72 hours a day, I only get 24!). Buying a house in these price range would consume around 70% of the money I got from my sale, and I'd like to keep a bit also for anything that could arive. Also, I'm not looking to invest to make more money from it, but to have something outside my bank account that is solid and can potentially help in the future.

With that in mind, here's the ideas I have, with their pros and cons (in no particular order).

Option 1: Buying a house to rent We are near the swiss border and a lot of french people live in France and work in Switzerland. I believe buying a house in these city would be taken quickly and could be rent with no troubles. A house, compared to a flat, would target families, which are - in general - more calm than a 1-bedroom studio for students.

Pros: Rent money - Quickly taken Cons: I can not enjoy it (go on weekend there for example)

Option 2: Buy a cottage at less than one hour drive. I could enjoy living in these a few times per year, let the family also use it, with the kids and all, and have a way to disconnect from our daily routine. I could also go a few days from time to time to work remotely, isolated (I like that). On the opposite side: we'd have to pay for service we wouldn't use everyday (electricity, internet, taxes, etc) and we would have to maintain the house (cutting grass, etc). No - or not much - renting to bring back money

Pros: Nice escape place - Could be shared from the family - Work remotely from there from time to time Cons: Weekly work (cutting grass) - Extra expenses (electricity, internet, etc) - No rent

Option 3: Buy a lake, and hopefully with a small cottage in it Kind of like Option 2, but with a more bare/raw way to sleep there. I'm not sure I could escape there to work remotely for instance, but I'm attracted a lot by the water side of things

Pros: Could have some nice weekend there - Could be shared from the family Cons: Work (cutting grass, managing the lake) - No real way to work remotely from there

(Text is too long, I'll continue in a comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44887733 )