The house ticks every box. So why do I feel flat?

I agree with this.

Why do you need to love it anyway? The important thing is not to hate it.

I've not read everyone else replies.
I'll only say that I put a similar thread on here a few weeks ago and got 50:50 proceed / pull out.
In the end we pulled out. There was no reason not to like it. But I didn't and I still don't. My partner thinks of it as the one that got away and is sad. I had a real choking sensation in my neck in the weeks leading up - I literally thought I had thyroiditis. I didn't. The house was choking me.
So now we have lost some money, and we'll have to spend a damn lot more to get a house we love. But I think it's worth it. I don't want to have to do this again.

We have got a very standard 50s 3-bed house which admittedly doesn't have much character. But the location is amazing, can walk everywhere within 10-15 mins. I'd personally hate having to drive into town.

Moving is upheaval and scary. It’s not something I get excited about personally. Change is hard work.

OP, people on mums net are usually more 'sensible' types. Be true to yourself! I wouldn't do it.

Go for it.

You can always give a house character, and as a PP said, if character to you means 'old and a bit wonky' then be prepared to spend lots of money on it in the future.

What are the neighbours like?

My parents bought a holiday home in France which didn’t make their heart sing completely. They’d seen a Charentais style house which was old but couldn’t quite afford it and there was another reason. They used the other house for 20 years before selling. It was in a hamlet with no shop or bar, just a bread van coming round and you had to drive anywhere. But they loved it.

OP, we were in a similar situation mortgage wise. We had agreement in principle just as the Liz Truss mini budget happened. I’m not sure we were expecting our offer to be accepted. It was our first property we offered on and was under our budget.

We have since seen so many things come on the market on the same street that are just a little better (extra bathroom, extra bed, etc) and would have been in budget but with the precarious situation caused by Liz Truss, we just pushed full steam ahead.

I love our home but wish we had had more time to shop around. The mortgage crisis made us feel we were lucky to get it.

I was in your exact position.

We lived in a terraced in town centre. 5 minute walk into everything and I LOVED it both pre-kid for the bars and then on maternity leave to get out for sanity. Just used to bimble about town. At 18 months we realised it was great for a non-moving baby but it was presenting issues with a mobile toddler. The house had a basement so split floor living, no parking etc. Simply no space.

We wanted an older property (we had been in 1830’s) but moved to a 1930’s. It was a total dive. It was digusting. It was also 35 minute walk from town but had a bus route. I felt miles away at the thought of it.

The reality was it’s been the best decision. Son has plenty of space. We simply don’t go to town a whole lot anyway and I do walk in the summer or grab the bus. It’s been a total non issue honestly. We’ve extended and decorated the house and now I can’t imagine moving. Closer to schools than we would have been and we are still growing growing into it. We very much bought for the potential!

We bought the equivalent house 15 years ago. Sensible, solid purchase. Not exciting but very practical. Agreed it was the inbetween house and we'd look to move at some stage before secondary.
Still here, eldest off to university later this year. Planning to stay for at least another 5 years. It's still not a romantic house although we have developed it to our needs and it fits us perfectly. No regrets.

I live in a house that isn’t what I’d choose if I was single. But it’s safe and calm and has enough rooms for us (2 kids) and nice neighbours and easy walks to schools. We lived in a flat when my daughter was little and I had a lot of cafes and shops on my doorsteps. I still miss it but this house is much easier day to day. Turns out my daughter is autistic so really benefits from the quiet and extra space.

I have plenty of friends raising children in city centre flats though - it’s not odd or impossible so if you love it there and really value the location, that’s important too. I would also be curious about how old your kids are, how they get to school now and later etc as all that becomes much more important as they get older.

I would go for it OP based on the info you've given.

My house doesn’t make my heart sing, but it is nice. The children and their friends bombing around the garden does make my heart crazy. Watching my cat staring into the borders in the hope of vermin, or rolling on the warm patio… 🥰

If you are closer to the school your kids will be closer to their friends when they’re at an age they can meet up without you. That is a bonus too.

Charming and characterful are less important than space, convenience and outdoor space as your kids get older, IMO.

Closer to school? Incredibly beneficial. Main bus route to town? Brilliant when you have teenagers. Off road parking? Amazing! Garden? Fantastic!

As your children get bigger and life gets even more hectic a calm, large, useable space is way more important than character features such as nice fireplaces and architraves. You can add those! A house is a house until you move in and make it yours, then it becomes your home.

The financial wobbles are likely for any house you buy, by the way. It’s a big scary commitment.

Buying a house is massively stressful, particularly if it will raise your mortgage payments/monthly outgoings. We rented a (horrible) house near the station and a short walk from town, but when we bought we had to move further out. I was full of doubts! But honestly, it's been great and having the space and peace and privacy of your own garden is lovely. I would urge you to plan to at least redecorate, so it will feel like yours. It may be a 50s house that isn't beautiful from the outside, but what matters is what's inside. Does it have all the rooms and space that you need? That is what is important, plus the garden and parking. Town is still walkable, you're on a bus route, you'll be closer to the kids' school - you're not moving to the back of beyond! It's a no-brainer to move IMO.

Do it!
Closer to schools is great. DC will want to play with friends and being closer to them is a real plus, especially as they get older and walk to meet friends.
Character is lovely but you can create your own character in the house. Ours is a plain house but we have put our stamp on it with interesting decor and art work that we love.

We bought a house last summer we weren’t in love with but now we are! It’s brought so much to the table in terms of a better quality of life.

I personally wouldn't buy it, but then I rate how I feel about a decision very highly indeed. I've learned to trust my gut and it's not done me wrong. Good luck.

The first house I had with my exh was very much as you describe, OP, with all the same pros and cons. It was very much the sensible choice.

I lived there for 15 years and it never felt like home.

After we separated, I moved into a small characterful terraced house that felt like home from the first night I slept there.

Do I regret the sensible family house? No. Because the pros outweighed the cons for me at the time (and still would if I had to make the same decision again) but I never loved it, no.