Move now or move later?

[mamansnet]

DS1 will be 2 in January and we've just found out I'm expecting DC2 in June. He has been with the most amazing childminder since July, who lives practically next door, but we have to find someone else from January as she's fully booked.

We live about an hour away from a big city where my DH works (he drives in). I've just started a 2 year full time course in the same city, and my train ride in is about an hour and a half with 2 changes. Sometimes I can travel home with DH, but never in.

We moved to this village 18 months ago to see if we'd like it. It's ok - we now rent a small 2 bed house with garden for the same price as a 1 bed flat near the city - but I feel too far from the city and our friends. The reason I'm doing this course is so that I can get back into work and we can buy a house closer to where we were before. Lots of my friends have kids around DS's age, whereas here we know nobody and DS has no friends outside the childminder's.

DH thinks we can stay in this house once DC2 arrives but I think it'll be too much of a squeeze. Plus I hate not having a spare room (which would be useful for PIL when DC2 arrives).

Financially, things are tight. We sold our flat last year and have £80k put away for our next purchase, though we're dipping into that a little every month since I'm a full time student again. Future purchase will probably be around the £500k mark, so don't want to use up too much.

I've found a 4 bed house to rent around the corner, which costs £100 more per month. There are 2 potential childminders living on the same street. The extra rent would have to come from our savings too.

So would you:

A) stay in the small house and make it work until I find a job and we can afford to buy. Both of us commuting and out of the house 12 hours a day until DC2 is at least a year old. DS1 has the upheaval of a new childminder and a new sibling 6 months apart.

B) Move into the 4 bed house, still have the commute and face moving twice in 2 years. DS has to deal with new house, new childminder and new sibling within 6-8 months. But we have more space and can take a bit more time looking for somewhere to buy.

C) Move slightly closer to town, reduce the commute, get more time with the DC but in a tiny flat. Start from scratch looking for new childminder and regular babysitter, but feel less isolated from friends. Try out living in a new place where we could eventually buy.

I think I know which option I prefer but just looking for other opinions/experiences, particularly regarding how difficult DS is going to find all these adjustments! Thanks in advance

C. to me, it sounds better all round

Congratulations on your pregnancy. The scenario you describe is tough because while you say financially things are tight, you are considering moving in to a 4 bed which would increase your monthly outgoings by £100. It does sound like you will need the space.

You also mention dipping in to savings to cover your monthly outgoings - this would surely continue and increase in the above scenario.

While you mention yourself getting a job surely as a full time student and with a baby on the way this is not likely to be viable ?

I would make a budget if you haven't already to get a better idea of what your monthly deficit is. I don't understand how you will be able to buy a £500k property (with associated mortgage payments) if you are financially struggling renting a 2 bed house?

Once you have a budget, you can look at the following and try and prioritise them in order:

• a larger house
• being near friends
• not spending savings
• saving to buy next property
• being close to preferred childminder

I wouldn't worry too much about your son's upheaval of moving house, new sibling etc too much. He's very young and they are adaptable. It's more important to think about your needs as a family.

Thanks for the replies!

We did a budget at the start of the school year (so last month) and we're probably going over by about £100 a month. The bigger house would take us to a deficit of £200 a month, plus any increase in bills. So not ideal, but it is only temporary while I'm studying.

It's true that it's not an ideal time to be pregnant, but my course director was very happy for me and is bending over backwards to help. If I have the baby in June as expected, I'll miss a few weeks but can pick up after the summer holidays in September/October. The training then finishes in December 2019 and I hope to find a job soon after. (I may already have a lead, but not counting chickens!)

We weren't struggling until I decided to retrain (and when I say struggling, I mean staying within budget. We're not in any massive trouble). I was a SAHM and now it's the childminder + rent + living costs on a single salary that are taking us over budget. We would have managed if I hadn't got pregnant the week after the course started!

It's all good though - we're very happy about the baby, I'm loving my new career and we do have a financial safety net. Life is good!

With c), you'd also save ££ on the commute for both of you - car, train and ££ for time at the childminder