Would you move from this house?

[Spottybotty20]

Tearing my hair out and wondering what to do, I have lived in my house for nearly 3 years, it’s built on a hill. There are 12 steps from the pavement to the front terrace and then the garden has 2 tiers as well with a big set of steps between.
The house itself is lovely, plenty big enough and in a good location (once your off the hill) walking distance to shops and cinema etc.

I’ve got 2 young kids (3 & 1) and I’m struggling getting them both in/out of the house multiple times a day due to the steps. I very often spend the day at my mums house and avoid going home until my DH finishes work to help me in and out.
I keep thinking it will get easier as they get older and to just hold out but it is driving me mad.

Has anyone lived with steps/hill before and it’s got easier or have you moved and been glad of it?

If you can afford to move then I probably would, the garden doesn’t sound great for a young family either.

I prefer living on a hill. No chance of flooding, great exercise. I’ve lived at the top of some corners in my time, often with a long way from car to front door, dogs and child in tow.

I certain wouldn’t move because of that.

corkers

The house opposite has just 4 big steps to the front door and I’ve often seen them struggling up and down with the buggy and toddler.
I don’t think I’d even look at moving in somewhere with as many steps as you even without small children. It must be a nightmare carrying shopping in from the car.
I’d move.

T b h, I couldn't afford to move just because of that

If I were you and I could afford to move I would. Imagine if you broke a leg (it happened to me when the DC were very small).

I live in a second floor flat with no lift. It's 36 stairs from the communal front door to my front door. I'd love to move but can't afford it!

Is there anyway to put a temporary ramp for the pushchair until the kids are older. I'd hate to leave a house I loved just because it's hard for a short time.

@AmbushedByCake @emmathedilemma we have quite a small mortgage at the minute but we could afford to increase it. Just annoying when I had views of paying it off! the garden is also a pain, I’m up and down the steps like a yo-yo and constantly worried about the kids on them.

@LetMeInYourWindow i wish I had thought about it more before moving here!

@ilovepixie sounds like a nightmare, you have my sympathies!

@devildeepbluesea the non flooding this is good because the street at the bottom of the hill had a major flood last year and it was awful. There are lots of flatter but not flooding areas around me though.

@PattyMelt its more like a staircase so far too steep for a ramp. I didn’t feel at all like I’m leaving a house I love. I actually hate the house more and more every day. It’s a shame though because the house itself is fine.

We stayed at a holiday home that was like that and I could not wait to get home and be able to open the back door and let the children run outside.

It's difficult to visualise but is there any way you could have a pathway that gets you up to the side of house and you use the back door?

It isn't long until it's less of a problem. I'd be looking at spending the moving costs on improving the hand rails etc to make it easier for the three year old. You can also do a lot to a steep garden. Maybe it needs more levels? It's nice for kids to explore them as they get bigger. Spending conveyancing costs on hard landscaping might make sense if everything else about the house suits.

A second child is always quicker out of the buggy. Mine walked miles by two as she wanted to be like her brother

what is round the back? is using the back door not a possibility instead?

but yes i would honestly move because of that

@Calmdown14 @GettingItOutThere the back is higher again. There’s a garage that we can’t physically get our car into (which means only road parking which is a nightmare) then down 2 sets of steep/ high steps to get to back door. The garage is level with our upstairs bedrooms. There’s nothing we can physically do to improve it.

I’ve seen a house nearby which is affordable but the bedrooms are all a bit smaller and it’s not as close to everything as our current house. It does have a flat driveway with parking for 4 cars and a flat and much bigger garden with patio doors that open straight out and onto it and potential to extend in the future.

just need to decide if a smaller house with better access is worth paying more for. DH thinks not, but then the steps don’t have much impact on him!

Just let him take them for a whole weekend alone but make sure he HAS to take them out several times. Boom. Suddenly he cares about the steps.

The more you describe the house the more I'd now say Move.
Smaller bedrooms can be lived with at the place you've seen if you organise and store things well.

What pram are you using? Avoiding going home seems a bit extreme.
There's no way I would be moving into a house based on what you have said and taking smaller bedrooms the kids won't always be in a pram. The 3 year old can stand I know it's tricky if they fall asleep.

In 2 years time, the kids will be running up the stairs like rabbits and in 4 years, you will have trained them to carry the shopping up too.

moving is complex and stressful and expensive, so don't move just for the sake of the next 2 years. if this house is in the right location & has good connections, then stay.

Crazy idea, but for less than the cost of moving, you might even be able to put in an outdoor lift
www.levellifts.co.uk/products/open-style-platform-lift/

However, if if everything else was perfect we'd just box them in and put a light in

What about installing a ramp? Much cheaper than moving.