What we want ideally is a 3 bed house in our current town, near the good schools. Can't really afford it however!
Our choices are:
- Compromise on finish, for a few years:
We could get a doer-upper in the nice part of town, (seeing one for the second time today). This seems to be the only way to afford a small 3 bed here. We'd be near a wonderful, Ofsted-outstanding primary. However we wouldn't be able to afford to do the work for another 3 years so would need to make it as good as we could on a shoe string, and put up in living in somewhere which is quite shabby round the edges till then.
- Compromise on space. We could afford a lovely 2 bed near the good schools. It will most likely have a tiny garden. We will need to get rid of a lot of stuff to fit in it! We would need to move again much sooner, as our family grows. We wouldn't have room for friends to stay, beyond the sofa. But we would be living in a nice environment.
- Compromise on location. We could easily afford a spacious 3 or 4 bed with decent garden, garage, extra reception(s) etc in a neighbouring town, near a good primary. However it would make my commute 1hour 30 instead of 40 minutes, and I feel that's too much. I like that town, however as well as nice bits it has large pockets of social deprivation, crime and violence are higher in that town than other areas round here. Our current town simply doesn't have large areas of social deprivation, it's a much safer place.
Which would you choose?
TIA :)