Dilemma over house wwyd?

It depends on your work.

Do you love your work? Have you managed yourself into a position where you don't get huge amounts of stress? Does your work not really limit you to enjoying life (I.e you get left alone on your holidays and can do hobbies at weekends not having to stay late and do.over time).

Because then I would go with B.

Personally we sort of did A except we didn't move. I chose to retire (from.a very stressful role that was all demanding at times in the year and often at night) and go part time at 50 as we were mortgage free. I care for my Dad here at home, so I'm.hardly "free" but that's my choice. If Dad wasn't here we would travel.more.

So, yeah, what are your job roles like.

There is a huge freedom to being mortgage free. Albeit most of our mortgage free years have been extremely low interest rates.

B. Because I'm 55 and the very thought of downsizing in preparation for retirement puts ten years on me. We're all different, but the thought of moving into a home to grow old in already depresses me beyond words. I'd prefer to think I had another dream home in me yet. Tbf though I love my job, will happily do it to 67 and beyond if my health holds. My DC are adults already so I've not a lot to do other than please myself, and I'm far from tired.

It would be no decision for me at all.

A all day.

I would use the extra money to help my kids out and reduce my work so I can enjoy life more and travelling.

Your kids are still quite young but in a few years they will have kids of their own and if it was me I would love to be able to help them out financially or with childcare etc

I'd go C as well - find an 'A' that you love more

House A all day long.
DH and I did exactly this though our DCs slightly older and have own homes. Unexceptional house but perfect for us.
Retired early with decent pensions. I was 55.
We took a year out, lots of holidays, treated the DCs enjoyed lots of relaxing!
After a year I began volunteering and this led to a few hours a week paid job. I also volunteer with another charity. DH volunteers in two roles which he loves. We also help out with DGCs.
It’s very comforting to know we own our home outright and our pensions will keep coming which is probably the best feeling. I don’t think I have ever felt more content, and I know we are very lucky.
But DH and I did both work in stressful, mostly management roles for a combined total of 75 + years so we feel we’ve earned it!

What is House A like? Area, bedrooms, garden etc. You don't sound that excited by it.

I’m approaching 50 and would choose A. I don’t want to have to work longer than I might otherwise need to through necessity (fine to carry on through choice). So long as A has a garden you can use the extra time making it lovely - or look for a lower priced property like B. I’d rather have the extra time and money as I got older and enjoy the freedom before old age/health brings any restrictions.

I’d go for option “C”

Keep looking for something that ticks more boxes. You don’t appear to be in any hurry so there’s time to sit back and look for something else.

I would personally not go ‘over budget’ at this point in your life because I’m risk adverse when it comes to finances. It’s a bad idea generally to buy over budget anytime, and doing it at the same time as reducing income (assumption on my part) is super risky.

A- for an easier life with less stress.

I can understand that B is attractive, and having a larger garden gives you more privacy, but we are currently (in our early-mid 60s) struggling to keep anywhere near on top of our third-of-an-acre garden. Hedge-trimming (hedges all round) takes so much time and effort. We want to be away places enjoying ourselves in our camper van instead of having to tend the veg beds and water the greenhouse. We had many years when our travel and fun options were limited by work commitments and elder care, but now we're free to go off at the drop of a hat, or grab a cheap week abroad, the garden feels like more of a millstone than a pleasure. And the bigger the house, the more the maintenance.

Personally, I wish we'd found ways to wind down our work in our mid-50s and taken more time off to make the most of those few years before the effects of the menopause/ ageing really begin to kick in. Ten years ago we were both fit and healthy, our knees and hips and backs were still good and strong. We're both reasonably fit and well now, but every year the physical work of maintaining the house and garden seems a little more draining and despite decent diet and exercise we're starting to have aches and pains. If we'd planned better we might have gone travelling and doing more strenuous things in the last years of our 50s, but we didn't seem to have that option.

At the moment we have one friend, slightly younger than us, receiving treatment for cervical cancer and another around our age in palliative care with a brain tumour and secondaries in the lungs. It's certainly made us realise that you have to grab your opportunities when you can.

I'd say that if you can imagine yourself living happily in A and using it as a base for travel and adventures or whatever else you want to do, then go for A and make the best of your prime years. Good luck.

If A saves you money can you make any changes to it that will help you like it more? Regardless I’d go for A

Providing house A wasn't in far less desirable area I'd go for A. Why stretch yourselves and have to work longer than necessary?

Can you post the 2 houses OP?

I would go for B but then I always go for the best I can afford. We moved into a house that was a big stretch in our early 40’s but we now have huge equity and a fabulous house. I always see an expensive house as a long term pension, if I ever need to move to an apartment, I will have plenty of equity.

Do you like spending time in the garden? Personally, I adore my huge garden , especially for the privacy.

This.We haven't downsized but the house we have is completely paid off. We retired at 55. Best thing we ever did. Having an absolute ball

My parents did A.

They were both retired by 60, went for option A two years later, and 10 years on are thoroughly enjoying seeing the world, having fun, and spending time with family/grandchildren.

My dad has a medical condition and his prognosis was that he was unlikely to live beyond age 60. He is now 16 years beyond that (made drastic lifestyle changes to help himself!) so loves having the time to live life to the full.

I don't think mid to late 50s is the time to over stretch. If house A isn't floating yiur boat find a house that suits yiur budget and that you like more.

B for the garden and many days pottering in it. But even better move somewhere a bit cheaper and get a cheaper house with the benefits of B.

We paid off our mortgage on our 2 bed house the week of covid.
Having that security meant we could focus on what we really wanted, which was to save up as much as we could and move to France. So we took early retirement mid 2021 [I was 53], and bought a house in France, and moved here after renting our UK house out as a safety net should this not work out. So as soon as our tenants decide to move out, it will be sold and we will probably look for a house here with more workshop type space for my pottery stuff and his gym stuff, and for the numerous semi feral cats we have semi adopted with more ground level living.

I think you need to think long term about what sort of a life you want should you retire early. You need something to focus on. And aim for that in your house choice.

I would go A. Use the extra money from the budget to go on some lovely holidays or to make some improvements so that the house is perfect for you e.g. get the garden and/or kitchen done beautifully.

I'd go B as not much longer until you retire. I couldn't live somewhere I didn't love. I've done practicality for years with small children and now I'm going with my heart especially since we've lost all 4 parents in their earlier 70s in the past couple of years!

A, without a doubt.

I lost my mum when she was only 55 and all she ever did was worry about money and bills. Life is far too short.

Go A, retire or go part time as soon as you can and just relax and enjoy life.

It would be option A for me. Although if it wasn't urgent, I'd probably hold out for a house I liked more.

Are you thinking that this'll probably be "the last house"? In which case you need to ask yourself whether large house and garden will still suit you when you're 65/75/85.
I also think people tend to overestimate the number of nights their adult children will want to sleep over. There might be quite a few when they're in their mid-20s, but that number will decrease a lot as they get settled into their own comfortable homes.
I'm 40 and probably sleep over at my mums maybe 6 or 7 nights a year. My slightly older sister does even less, probably 3 or 4. And that's only because my mum did the upsizing thing and has 3 spare bedrooms.

B. I couldn't settle for a house I didn't truly love.

Option A is preferable. You are not mind readers and B would entail much more work when you are both getting older. Of course you could come upwith an option C if you were still undecided!