Dilemma over house wwyd?

Maybe the cheaper house isn’t quite right for you. Perhaps it’s worth holding out for something you like more?

Sounds to me like you have already decided. Go for the one you really want. It’s probably your last chance to do that! If it doesn’t work out then you can downsize in a few years.

But what about when they marry, have children etc? I want to have room for them to come and stay

“I’m aware it might be a lot for us to manage in 10/15 years time”
”the garden is sizeable”

So you really want to lumber yourself with a house that’ll be a lot to manage, and more particularly, a large garden? It’s fine for now, but that garden won’t keep itself looking lovely, so you’ll have to add a contingency for gardeners for when you are no longer able to manage it yourselves. While I can understand wanting space for your DC and DGC in the future, it shouldn’t be at the expense of your own well-being and comfort. At the moment, you can see the lovely house and garden and are thinking well, we could manage the repayments if we work a bit longer - but it’s everything else that goes with it. Also, how would you feel about managing the house on your own? Any house needs upkeep, and we none of us know what the future would bring. Obviously only you can make the decision - but I would advise caution. You don’t want to be in a position where ill-health forces you out of a house you can’t manage, or a garden you can’t afford to have help with.

Also consider what work needs doing - work needing doing on a house involves time, resources, money and energy - in your 50's it is more taxing. I discovered this after downlizing to a house in lovely area that needed some work, but once in I discovered a lot more work was needed. I ended up needing to extend the mortgage and borrow more. In hindsight I would have gone for a more expensive house that didnt need work (that was my aim). It is difficult finding the right house though at the right time when you have sold etc. Due to some inheritance I have been able to pay off mortgage earily. Also consider future grandkids staying over and space / size needed. Meet the neighbours for both also - just knock the door and introduce yourself. See what they are like.

So A - if it doesnt need much work other than decor, you love the area and think you can love the house once you have decorated it how you want. You can always work on the garden to get it to be what you want over time. As long as it has a nice feel to it and as long as it can meet your future needs for space re guests / grandkids etc. If it needed lots of work I would not consider it as this eats up time and money and you may as well have gone for the larger house you love. Financial freedom is nice and opens up your life to do more things.

B - If it has a great feel to it, doesnt need barely any work, you love the area and house, nice neighbours it will meet your future needs.

Good luck !

A. We have children similar age (4 of them) and are downsizing to the minimum house size so we can be mortgage free. I’ve done the big house thing now and ready for my life back not working to pay the mortgage and bills

I would go for B , because you can afford it and it sounds so much more exciting.

A seems like one you could move into 10 years from now and if B is as attractive as you think it will sell easily.

Perhaps you could pretend house B had another offer on it - how would you feel?

B. I’d rather have a house I loved and a nice garden than to retire early. Working to 60 and a bit is perfectly normal. I know people who retired early ish and they do a lot of sitting around and rotting, watching tv, pottering, sort of waiting to die. Seems very depressing! I’d rather have the security of working and a good property investment.

We did A.
Both retired at 55 - so freaking happy 😊

I'm older than you, we did move in our mid-50's to a glorious house which we stayed in for 15 years and really enjoyed.
Provided you're happy that you'll probably have to move again later I'd go for house B, but be prepared to have to sell sooner than you expect if anything goes wrong with your employment or health.
House A is the safer option, but have you considered looking for something between the two: a really nice house that's better than A but possibly slightly smaller and less expensive than B. If it's more the size of your likely final downsize you'll be spared the horror of another move.

Never too old to go with your heart ! We are roughly the same age as you, with dc at the same stages, I would go for whichever you love the most and will make you feel happy when you wake up, which sounds like B to me.

You're clearly not into House A. Go for the one that makes your heart sing

A - Not only is it budget and lifestyle friendly but you can keep it clean easily and upkeep will be small. If you want to grow stuff get an allotment.

B is a millstone and you'll be moving again before you retire.

A

We haven't done this, but our house is a small semi. We've been here over 20 years, our kids grew up here and have now left home. It's not the house of our dreams, but we've paid the mortgage off, I've gone part time and we don't need loads of room now. Having more free money to do things we want is more important to us than the farmhouse in the countryside.

Having had an aunt and uncle both pass at 61, and another early 70s uncle be diagnosed with parkinsons and dementia, I'd go for early retirement and enjoy your lives together.

However, if you're really not sold on option a, I'd keep looking for option c.

We are soon to be in a similar position, just discussed this morning. Option A for us every time, because we value travel and flexibility, neither of us spend much time pottering around the house or garden.

We've just gone for B, though I would have preferred A really.

You will still probably keep working anyway, pensions aren't as good before 60 etc, plus it's not that old at all. X

House B

You're in your 50s not your 70s

Similar situ. We went for option b.

Are mid 40s with younger DC and have just gone for house A. Pleased with the choice and happy to have tiny mortgage. DP was recently threatened with redundancy and it wasn't particularly stressful because of reduced house expenses

B because you may move into A and regret it whereas you probably won’t regret moving into B.

One of the joys of being old and retired is travelling while you’re healthy enough to do that (assuming you can afford it) and not being limited for time by amount of holiday days available. I wouldn’t choose to work regimented days longer than I had to unless it was a job I adored. There are many other things to do with one’s life. And it’s true that old age does bring some limitations of energy, even when healthy. Don’t make decisions in your fifties that assume you will still have the same amount of energy and strength in your seventies.

I think it depends if you’re a person who really cares about their living space.

I couldn’t live in a house I didn’t love, so it would depend if house A could ever be brought up to that standard.

If you’re mid 50s you may have 20 years before you have to move again.

But large gardens are a lot. If one go you is a mad keen gardener and can spend their retirement keeping it under control, ok, otherwise you will have to pay a gardener a lot of money.

I'm early 60's and DH early 70's. Absolutely house A or find house C. House maintenance and garden maintenance gets more and more difficult the older you are. Unless you can also budget to pay for cleaners, handymen and gardeners during your retirement.