Moving house compromises

[JackieTheFart]

We've agreed a sale on our house and are trying to find somewhere to move to. We're pretty central in terms of the city, so although we'd ideally like 4 beds and garden, basically there's nothing available in this area.

So, imagine you have 3 children, 12 year old twins, 9 year old - all boys - twins currently sharing. Small yard but a park over the road, secondary and primary schools within easy walking distance as is work and shopping, although work not a problem as mainly WFH.

What would you compromise on?

3 beds plus garden?
4 beds no garden?
Move out of the area so kids either have to move schools or get a 45 minute bus ride?

Husband and I disagree on a house we have viewed (I'll share after a few responses so as not to sway results!). It's only been 2 weeks (tomorrow!) since our house even went on the market, but things are moving FAST in this area.

So. What would you do?

I'd go with the 3 bed option you've described.

I would want 4 bedrooms over moving schools or having a garden.

Your huge 3 bed with potential and a garden sounds like a great idea. Dividing the master bedroom in 2 need not be a huge/expensive job. Then you have 4 beds and can work your way around re decorating the rest as/when you have time & money.

@ineedaholidayandwine yep just a stud wall, doors, and light switches. Could do that in a weekend really.

I really really do NOT want to move out of the area. If we were going to, I’d rather move much further and go closer to my parents who are 200 miles away.

But that’s not doable as it’s much more expensive where they are!

The 3 bed you have found sounds really good.

The advantage of living in it a while before doing more major work is good to work out the best layout etc for that house.

The house you've found sounds perfect.

As a parent of 3 (inc 2 teens), having a bedroom each is much more important than a garden. After age 11, my teens only use garden in height of summer to get a tan!

Our trampoline is now the sun bathing spot 😂 provides shelter from the breeze and all black absorbs the heat!!!

I would get the doer upper.
I don't think you need a big garden for teens but I like a decent garden.
Plus if you are staying there for a decent amount of time you can do it up exactly how you want it.

The 3 bed needing work doing sounds perfect. Plus it does have a garden so if/when you need to sell, it will attract buyers.

I'd go for more bedrooms and no garden. They won't use a trampoline at their ages. But it's so nice that they can take themselves off to friends houses and invite them back. Also, the 45 minutes on the bus is 1.5 hours they've got less for homework. It makes for an easier life. I can't remember the last time mine set foot in the garden.

I'm going to veto the one further away. It's just an added hassle - and tbh the 4th bedroom is in the loft (plus it's a terrace), so what we gain in a bedroom we lose in storage space.

I'm going to talk to DH now about the doer upper now. He's not in agreement with me at all, so I'm going to use some of your opinions to prop up mine!

Also OP if you think you are likely to be there for the next 20 years it would be nice to have a garden for when the grandchildren come round

Also think 4 bed and no garden. My 3 argue enough without having to share a room. Mine barely go in the garden anymore.

Thank you all, this has been very helpful. I think we’re possibly going to hold out for a 4 bed but I’ve asked to view the large 3 bed again, I’m not letting go of this one yet!

There was an article I saw yesterday (in the Times) about a shortage of housing and people who have sold ending up renting while they wait for a house.

If you don't want this to happen to you perhaps you can use this information to encourage your DH to compromise?

The home we're in now and have been here for 14 years my DH knew it was for us the minute he stepped through the door. I took a bit longer - perhaps a couple of years? I'm very happy here now and in my fantasies where I win a little bit of money on the lottery...I don't move, I improve!

Found this on a quick google search

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.idealhome.co.uk/news/is-there-a-housing-shortage-lockdown-2021-267288/amp

Thanks @SciFiScream I’ll check that out and forward it to him

I also think the 3 bedroom doerupper sounds perfect. I think if you plan on staying there for a long time then it's not just for the children, it's what you would like and enjoy too. Would you like a garden to potter about in, sit in?

But, I getbthat that's difficult if your dh isn't up for the work involved. We have been in our house for 10 years and are doing some major works at the moment and it's definitely an upheaval.

Apart from the master bedroom being split into two, can the rest be given a temporary lick of paint to be habitable for the foreseeable and then you take a room everytime you can face it and upgrade properly? That's what we've done.

The 3 bed which can be readily converted to a 4 bed (& back to a 3 bed with large master when they have all moved out!)

Are there any of the same house type online of the doer upper that have sold? If you look up the sold house prices for the road you might come across some pictures of the same type of house as yours more updated so you can see what it COULD look like?
Just an idea?

@Breathmiller oh yes, it’s all completely liveable. I’d be happy to do it slowly - what’s great is that because it’s big and has a garage, we wouldn’t have to shift stuff around all the time which is half the problem when you’re trying to do up a small house. It’s part of the reason we’ve got shitty carpets upstairs - I couldn’t bring myself to move everything out of the room to lay it!

@User5747384 have tried that! Unfortunately, this is practically the only house of this style in the area (current owner moved there when the estate was being built - in the 70s! - hers was already there and the rest built round it) and the attached semi is being done up by a ‘young couple’ so pics online show a similar shabby old house. Having said that, if we did move in I’d make sure to make friends with next door and get some ideas!

Anyway, might all be over anyway. Our buyer pulled out today. One weekend and has found a new house . Hoping other offers are still on the table.

@ineedaholidayandwine

Though if you can afford the 3 bed plus the work to split that room then that sounds a good option, i think you'd need to get on with splitting that room asap though so they can get their own space, hopefully just a stud wall if each side is set up with a window and radiator?

Agreed, as long as a stud wall provides sufficient sound proofing to prevent teen from hearing parents (or vice versa when older!)

As it happens @FunTimes2020 - the master would be split in two for the twins, the other room next to it would DS9 and the final bedroom which is at the other end of a long corridor would be ours

That 3 bed sounds perfect, hopefully you will get a new buyer soon.

My house is nothing I wanted on paper, but I love it, three years in and the fully tiled bathroom with flowery border has simply grown on me. Don't let him discount it just on decor.

@JackieTheFart

As it happens *@FunTimes2020* - the master would be split in two for the twins, the other room next to it would DS9 and the final bedroom which is at the other end of a long corridor would be ours

Well, surely that's a definite selling point. 🤣 Being at the other end of a corridor to teens that stay up later than you is worth it, in its own right. Forget gardens and location.