To leave my tiny house in a perfect town for a bigger house in an area I’m not sure about.

Would an 85K extension add at least 85k to the value of the house?

If it wouldnt then I would move.

Your floor plan is very similar as a house i use to rent. A lot of people turned the front bedroom into two with a box room over the bulk head (although the front bedroom already had the windows which made it a little cheaper to do).

I moved from a much more reasonably priced area to an expensive one and as a result paid twice as much for a much smaller house. I'm struggling. I am not a tidy person and although I got rid of quite a lot of things before the move, I still have a way to go. I really, really miss having more rooms!

That being said, I love the area where we live. It is safe, my daughter loves her school and has friends round the corner, there are parks and green spaces, and we have family close at hand. I just wish the house was a bit bigger - it is a similar plan to yours but smaller - no space for a table in the kitchen! We'll manage, I've made my choice, but it isn't easy.

What’s behind the kitchen/ dining room? How wide is the house? And how small is the garden at back? Assume no garden to the side?

Get the kids into the schools you want - you can always move 5 miles down the road later when they are in a good school.

We've chosen a small house in an affluent and desirable town. We absolutely love it here, the schools are very good, there's stuff to do and places to go, people are generally pleasant and educated, it is just lovely to walk round. It can be a bit pretentious but I think it's better that way than a bit rough. 5 miles away we could afford a house twice the size with a garage and bigger garden but I just couldn't do it. Good schools for the kids is my top priority.

Extend

Stay put and extend :) it’s all about location.

My personal experience leads me to advise that you stay where you are happy.

I made a decision to move, once it was on the table I focused on all the ways the current house was too small, convinced myself it was unworkably small.

I've (after much waiting and much negotiation) managed to organise moving back to my old house as I have hated every single moment since we left, and it has been almost 2 years now.

Do not give up what you have. Having a location you clearly love by the way you describe it, neighbours you get along with (which is absolutely crucial for peace of mind), and good schools when you have little DC, is so beneficial to your life and wellbeing.

If you get into it, there are so many ways to design a small home to work for a family of 4. Get on YouTube and look for some interior design inspiration! Consider in future giving the kids the bigger bedroom and splitting it! So many options, I wouldn't give up all you have for a physically bigger home. Lots of people choose to live in small places with their children as a sacrifice to live in their dream locations.

Stay and extend. Also, we live in a two up two down terrace and put in an office at the bottom of the garden. Something like that could easily be used as a space for teenagers.

I bet you could get a decent open plan room in downstairs- if you post a floor plan I’m sure people could give some ideas!

Stay where you are, declutter and extend. Do the extension and maybe even a garden office. Use every inch of space. You might then find that in a couple of years you can afford a bigger house where you are.

Honestly if you love the area you’d be mad to give it up- my kids spent barely any time in their rooms at that age. Furnish one of the kids’ rooms as a nice double, fit bunks into the other room and move the kids in together when you have a guest. Look at the downstairs rooms and make a big kitchen diner in one (then a small snug) if you can. Reassess in a couple of years.

I have a Victorian house. I have just spent £1100 on various plumbing issues. Maintaining it is so much more expensive than newer houses. Take that into account.

I would rather be cramped near better schools than somewhere spacious with less good schools. It’s personal preference of course but I would stay where you are.

Well if the DC are 2 and 4 now you’ve got quite a long time before they absolutely need their own rooms; This also means that a lot could change with the schools in both areas before they get too far into education so why not leave it a little longer to make the decision?
On the other hand, an extension to your present home will add value so it may make it easier to trade up where you are.

I wouldn't move anywhere with worse schools.

Presumably there was a reason you chose the town you're in now and not the one 5 miles away when you first moved there?

I'd stay put and extend.

Exactly my comment. I mean at least delete the last sentence, and the long dashes.

I agree with all the pp who said it's all about location. 100% it is better to live in a smaller house in a lovely location, than a bigger house in a less-desirable location! We are in the same boat and have decided to stay put. We love it here and you can't put a price on the perks of where we live.

You are being unreasonable for using chat gpt to post questions 😆so grating to read!

I was told years ago by a good estate agent friend that if you are moving long-term, and can't afford the area you really want, buy as close in distance to it as you can, as other people will do the same, and the "gentrification" effect spreads.

Definitely stay for now. Are DC the same sex?

Are your children the same sex? Or do you have a boy and a girl? If it's the latter, I'd be more inclined to move as they'll need a bedroom each at some point