Should we buy bigger house for our kids teenage years - in an area we don’t want to live after school years are finished

[Curledpup]

3 bed bungalow currently which feels like we are outgrowing. Moving to 4 bed house would be very expensive for us in moving costs and also more expensive house. The area we are currently has good schools but it isn’t an area we see ourselves forever. So trying to decide if we should make do with smaller house and make the move once kids leave for uni and we can buy wherever we want at that point. Or is there no point moving then, once they are out of teenage years. It’s 10 years til youngest would finish school, who can I suppose is a long time. But if we move to bigger house now I feel it would then be the forever home.

In exactly the same situation. We're aiming to move when the kids go into year 7, in a 3 bed now with twins and a dog and my contract is now permanently wfh. We're going to move. I can't see how we will cope otherwise, teenage girls, one bathroom and no dedicated space for me to work.

They share at the moment because they want to but that won't last forever.

10 years before they finish school, could easily be 7+ more years until they actually move out if they go to uno etc. Moving out and renting is very expensive.

Aw that sounds very similar but we have boys who I think may start bumping their heads on door frames when they get older! Also dog too!

I realise that potentially they may stay with us in to their 20s t but that is part of the reason why I am thinking if we move after school we could be in a nicer area and get more for money. The current area the prices are really inflated for the schools

I would move. 10 years is a long time!

How far away is the new are? Still 10years I'd a long time

The new area is actually hypothetical. Probably 20 miles out of city to nicer villages

It’s very frustrating as I love our current house !

I think you are right though we probably have to move really

You probably don’t want to move to a village as your DC get older, they will want to be able to access a social life.

Move! Ten years is a long time, and it still in no way commits you to it being a 'forever home'. We are gradually doing up a giant Victorian wreck in an area we chose largely because of its proximity to DS's school -- he'll be gone to university or elsewhere in about nine years, but I certainly don't see us spending the rest of our lives here.

Unfortunately as we are in Scotland the lbtt tax is really high so it just makes moving really expensive so that’s why it makes you think twice about moving too often

Op, what is you feel you need from a bigger house? How many dc do you have? Are any sharing a room?

If some re sharing a room then I agree you'd need a bigger house (if you can't extend), but if you were looking to create a den could you put one in your loft or a proper, insulated den in the garden?

2 kids. Nobody is sharing a room but one is in a small box room. It is tempting to extend but I worry we may de disappointed and still want to move. Everything just feels in close proximity in our current house. Each bedroom is only a few steps away from the living areas

Can you move the roof or walls and stay put?

I understand, I've only got one teen at the moment but both live in their rooms, they are more important to them. Personally I'd do a spreadsheet and work out the cost of living or the potential cost of extending. In my area we seem to have roads of bungalows together, so if your area is like that you could go on rightmove or zoopla for ideas of extensions. One of them might inspire you.

The roof is too shallow to go up so we would have to change the pitch of the roof, which could possibly be done but I have only seen one other house locally that has done that so I have a feeling it’s not that easy. And we already extended the kitchen so not keen to extend any further.

Can you move locally if you like the area? You'd need to do it before they start secondary school as when I've suggested moving mine have been really against it. Wouldn't recommend living away from town once they are teens if you are already in town.

I'm planning to move once mine have finished school rather than before so I can chose something for the next stage of my life then (post child rearing).

Older teens tend to stay out a lot.

Moving schools now probably wouldn’t be well received as eldest already at academy

A decent 4 bed house in a good school catchment is likely a really good investment. I suspect that the increase in value over 10 years will far outweigh moving costs.
We relocated when oldest 2 were 19 and 22 and youngest 9. Bought in the best school catchment we could. Youngest is now in year 9, so less than 3 years to go to 6th form. It is not our forever home but it is perfectly nice and has increased by 25% in 4 years. We didn't expect the exactly but we will, once she is out of school move to a nicer, more us home outside of catchment.
In summary, for 10 years, I would just do it. I doubt you will regret it.

I’d move and then move again in about 15 years to an area you want to live in.

How independent are your DC? Do you think they'll definitely go to uni or move out when young?

We moved from a two bed when our DD was 12 (in our case mainly for investment and very lucky we could stay in area we love). DD decided a couple of years later she was going for a sixth form scholarship out of county, so off she went at 16! After that university 600 miles plus. The extra space is great when she's around, but we're actually thinking of moving in 2/3 years time (detached, move away from area totally) and size wise we'll be looking at exactly what we had before.

How much would the moving costs be?

Could you get pp and put a big summerhouse thing in the garden? My teens would be happy with that!!