To consider selling our house and travelling the world with two toddlers?

Your head is full of magic lovey.

Go for it

Yes.

I was going to say the same thing as most people best idea would be to rent out the house.

Calm down. It's actually the other way round.

You have done nothing but dismiss the OP without once even trying to see the other side. If you take a look at my posts you will see I have been quite balanced

If anything you have latched and gone out of your way to push your very one sided agenda. You need a little levity in your life. You clearly have no capacity to accept any other way of life. I won't apologize for calling you out on it. Perhaps you should have stepped away from the thread earlier. Before you repeatedly went out for the OPs children and now mine.

Don't let the door hit you on the backside on the way out.

Thank you, both.

Meanwhile, I suspect that poster's children will have a very different story to tell.

Hiding this thread now.

I don't think a genuine person would post something as childish as "Lol, you are such a joy", so I'd just take it that it's someone on the wind-up and ignore them.

Just ignore it.

That pp came on to thread to share her story of doing this journey, which was nice of her to share - but then when commenters have critiqued op's plan she's mistakenly interpreted it as criticism of her own parenting choices, even though we are addressing the op, not her.

I think it's mostly people who are insecure in their choices who get defensive of them, so that may be the case here or maybe not

What the hell is going on with you? You have repeatedly latched onto my posts like a pitbull and tossed them around between your teeth, grabbing onto some phrase you don't like or some opinion you imagine I have and over-reacting. You keep making strange assertions and weird little comments about me as if you know me, which you don't, and you have been extraordinarily rude to me, again, as if you know me, and know where I'm coming from, which you don't.

I am not you. Get over that. It's really not that hard to understand.

Was hesitant to suggest this - but given the world economy now and the housing market and a looming general election, I would recommend this too - say, taking a 6m sabbatical from work, not selling but getting a house-sitter/maintenance firm to keep an eye on your property and see how you feel 6m down the line. When you all come back OP you can sell the house/DH can get a new job if needed.

But, really, if this is driven by DH feeling unhappy and stressed at work [not sure if it is ALL work related or whether he is generally ‘unhappy’], the most sensible solution would actually be for him to have some counselling and you all to have a luxury extended family holiday in the summer, maybe with an extra couple of weeks unpaid leave if the employer would entertain this.

IME if there is underlying unhappiness and/or depression you tend to take it with you - on holidays and into new jobs and houses.

How old are you? If over 40 I would not purely because age discrimination looms its head pretty early nowadays. You are confident he will come back to a very well paid job but it could well be he struggles. Then what will you do? We have similar savings and I wouldnt consider it unless it was an agreed sabbatical from work and you both had jobs lined up to come back to.

I mean she's not wrong. The fact there's a fuck load of money involved makes a huge difference to the advice! If I had those resources I'd 100% do it. Sadly I need to slave on month to month under barely tolerant stress levels like most other people. And yes I'm very jealous.

This thread is interesting. People convincing themselves that putting their children in an endless cycle of paid childcare and going to the park and never missing a bedtime is somehow giving them some kind of unassailable advantage over kids who’ve seen the world?

I would absolutely do it OP. I’d skip the Middle East and I’d suggest getting a campervan and driving down the east coast of Australia rather than an Airbnb. Australia has reciprocal healthcare for UK citizens btw.

Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia would offer some amazing experiences.

Now that will be a shock to the relationship!
Having said that, you've got plenty of funds to change mind and return at any random point (and buy two houses if need be... )

I wouldn't feel free and footloose and fun travelling with two small children, I'd feel a prisoner to circumstances and extra stressed as a result.
Also, when my DS was little, he was prone to travel sickness exclusively abroad and/or on the way there. Planes, taxis, hire cars, trains - all were "fun". #makingmemories

Though I'm sure I could spend a massive savings pot on some sort of project or adventure that would be someone else's idea of hell.

I don't know why people are banging on about stamp duty, you'll have to pay that anyway when you move.

Honestly that age is great to travel with if you take it slow and keep flexible and move with the weather (i.e. no middle east in August!). All of the places you list have good medical care, some much better than in the UK. With 2 adults you can always take turns having some down time. I'm very jealous! So much harder once they start school.

Lol, you are such a joy. Open to new ideas and tolerant of all ways of doing things.

Many many many people would LOVE to do this. It's really not that hard to understand.

Also, I second going to the Living Overseas board. You’ll find likeminded people there!

We sold our house because we’re planning to live out here for the long term. I really don’t want to go back to the U.K. I wouldn’t have sold if we were just here for 18 months, I must say!

@mysteriousspiderbite Ive never been to Dubai but I agree that it doesn’t appeal at all. Far too hot and I think it’ll be boring after a week. SE Asia is far more interesting, imo.

That is quite the drip feed.

I wouldn't blow 150,000 on bogging around in an air b'n'b in Australia, or stuck in Dubai with two toddlers. I can't imagine how this would be enjoyable. But whatever.

I would 100% do it! You'll never get this time back whilst they're young. Although I'd consider renting the house out, but that's the only thing really. So jealous, wish this was a possibility for me but we just do a couple of one month trips a year instead

I'd worry about vaccinations and good medical care.

Toddlers are restrictive. You'll be doing a lot of turn taking. The trip would be better chunked up into amazing summer holidays when they are older IMO.

Each to their own and I say this objectively and not nastily but it sounds like you are both just overwhelmed and looking for a break which might be better addressed by a few weeks at a top notch all inclusive followed by a week near your families and a long weekend together without kids. X

We were ex-pats in a rather volatile African country when the DTs were tiny. We considered renting out our home but actually decided to leave it empty so that we had somewhere to return to at short notice if necessary. There is no way, in your position, that I would sell up.
I would embrace the adventure with the children though!

Oh god don't go to the UAE though, it's awful. Oman is probably the nicest country in the gulf. Normally I'd say go to Jordan but I'd keep a watching brief on the security situation at the moment.

Indonesia (not Jakarta, skip it) has a lot to offer, and Vietnam is wonderful.

Do it! You won't regret it.

Also- renting out your house- especially for a short period, is not that simple. We've done it during a temporary period overseas and first everything needs to be legally up to scratch (of course), not all tenants are problem free, and then you'll need it to be vacant to sell it. Not guaranteed. If you are overseas you'll need a decent agent to look after it- and no one I know is pleased with their agent. I'd sell it and bank the money in a high interest account.

If you go over to Living Overseas you'll probably get more positive thoughts. There are some Facebook groups as well- Our Tribe Travels has some families doing similar.