Being able to walk to the high street vs having a garden

Not having to rely upon a car for everything is a lovely way to bring up kids

I've had the walking distance with small garden and now have slightly further with large garden - the latter has been much better for quality of life

from experience, option 2 is much better

In your situation 100% garden

You say a ten minute drive, but is there potential to cycle at some point in the future?

We're hoping to buy a house in a rural area soon, but part of the plan is to get an electric bicycle so that we don't have to always drive.

We think that will reduce the hassle of always needing to find a parking space and dealing with the traffic.

Definitely walking distance, it makes such a difference not having to drive everywhere.

Our old house, had a driveway but no outdoor space for sitting out/washing. It was within walking distance of bakeries, chemists, butchers etc... it was handy but we still drove most places e.g. a bigger supermarket or DIY shop.
We ended up moving to a more rural area with a garden.

Presumably the house near the high street has a bit of outside space. A small yard? If so I'd definitely go with that. I live in something similar with 2 kids. I would hate to live anywhere where I had to drive to pick up a loaf of bread or pint of milk.

Sounds great, but that's not an option open to the OP.

We had this exact decision to make and went for the terrace house with small garden and parking, next to huge park.

There are times when I regretted it, but the children had SO much freedom as teenagers, being able to walk into town at all hours and to the park to meet friends - they are among the most independent of their friends and I'm sure this is why!

I have a Victorian terrace, with a small garden big enough for a trampoline and shed and patio with seating, and a five minute walk to the high street, doctors etc.

A garden every time no question. Your kids are so young, a garden would save your sanity more than a walk to the town! Couldn’t imagine not having a garden for young children if it was an option.

Easy access to high street much better than a garden. I regret moving further out to have a garden, DH and I never find time to do gardening and it’s such a faff, it also never ends and weather is never nice for long enough to enjoy it. With all the rain, you’ll be lawnmowering the grass at last once a month.

You cannot beat being abele to access coffee shops, gyms, parks. I now have to get busses everywhere as I don’t drive because I’ve always previously had easy access to a high street.

This. I know people manage in flats etc with dc, but it becomes a real faff when you have to organise going out every time you want to get some fresh air.

Central house for me every time, it's what I have. Loads of parks and playgrounds nearby, walk to school, walk to work, to shops, to restaurants etc. I do have a very little garden so we can sit out, but it is pretty micro. I would hate no outside space at all, but am quite happy with a patio.

I would have hated the primary school run to need a car.
But I live in London and don’t love the car based life that many MNers rely on.

No parking or garden is an absolute no no from me .

Parking & garden. Sounds like amenities are walkable too in your situation

I love having a garden too, but would say not having to trek the kids to the park whenever they need to run around is a benefit for me more than it is them!

People are saying the garden for "the kids" - I am more for ME (if I was the OP 🙂).
My own private outdoor space is my dream. I'd be happy with a balcony in my flat.
I could have plants. A place to hang washing. A place to sit and get air.
You can purchase food and clothes to be delivered. You don't need to go to an actual shop.
But you can't sit outside online 🙂

Having children of the same age, I'd choose the garden and parking option. Getting kids in and out of the car is a chore at the best of times.

Also, we live near a lovely park. We have been so many times that I'm sick of the sight of it but tolerate it because the children like it.

I think I'd get cabin fever without a garden and feel like I have to be 'out' all the time.

Is it small garden/yard, or no garden at all?

I wouldn’t choose no garden at all with small kids (older kids, maybe).

If there is a small garden that’s different, there’s a lot you can do with a small garden. In that case I’d choose the more central option. It’s personal but I feel trapped if I have to get in the car to go anywhere.

I’d put schools top of your list of considerations though. Being able to walk to school at primary age is a massive benefit IMO. And also ties in with being in catchment.

Having grown up somewhere where you had to drive 8 miles to the nearest shop I would choose walking to amenities every time.

I honestly don't know. There are advantages to both. Near me there are many modern flats (some have parking and a small outside space), right near a common with ponds, not far from woods, a lovely high street with attractive shops, supermarkets, post office, pharmacies, cafes and restaurants which has outside seating for good weather, and a real buzzy, but villagey, atmosphere. That's in a SE London borough. I'd have been happy to live in one of those as a young mother, it is far better than the terraced house with garden we had as our first house. I wouldn't mind it now I am old! Too expensive for me though but I'm OK where I am so no complaints.

People who live in smaller places such as I described tend to move on to something bigger with a reasonably sized garden and garage in time but, when you are still young-ish, it's a good idea, imo, to have less responsibility (such as 'doing up' and maintenance), and more time to enjoy life, especially with a small child and if, as I did part-time, you are working.

I know a thirty-something couple with a five and a half year old who bought a small ex-council flat two or three years ago, after renting a shoebox of a house for a few years. It's not grand, there is parking, no personal outside space, but they've made it really nice and just down the road in one direction is a beautiful meadow. In the other direction is a busy high street with all amenities. They both earn, their child goes to a lovely school and they are happy, the property is theirs and in a few years, they'll move. It's just right for now.

Nobody can make your mind up for you. You just have to weigh up the pros and cons and take a leap of faith.

Garden for kids that age.