I would probably go with no.2 . I'm a bit claustrophobic and no. 1 sounds like it would be pretty crowded if the dogs all come inside. If the market is healthy enough that you're sure you can rent no.1 you could have your cake and eat it too. Seems no 2 has more advantages and you might need all the room if you decide to hve kids later on. Besides the fact that it's lots of fun fixing the downstairs by yourselves.