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Original poster

At what age did you buy your forever home?

128 replies

ThedaBara · 13/02/2025 20:32

Just being nosy.
DH and i are still in our starter home, after 15 years. We're almost mortgage free, but with COVID and childcare costs, have no savings. Our youngest is about to start school, so that will free up some cash. We would probably need to borrow at least 150k to move into a home we could consider our forever home. I'm about to turn 40 and the thought of taking on a huge mortgage at this age is worrying. WWYD?

OP posts:
Pickingmyselfup · 13/02/2025 21:06

We bought this when we were 27/28 and fully expected to be moved on by now almost 15 years later.

However, I'm now reluctant to take out a bigger mortgage (250K) and double our payments. Our house is adequate, no spare bedroom but kids have their own space. Lacks storage but most places seem to. I don't see the point in moving anywhere when it is a "nice to have" instead of a necessity.

So perhaps this will be our forever home.

reluctantbrit · 13/02/2025 21:08

We moved 14 years ago, I was 38, mortgage of £190k which included £30K budget for a loft extension as it was cheaper than buying a house with one bedroom more and no renovation. We will be mortgage free in 1/2 year.

DD was in the last year of full day nursery, we moved because we lived in a primary school black hole and needed somthing predictable to apply to.

I hate buying/selling in England, so unpredictable, unsure, expensive so we looked for a house to stay for a long time.

Forever - no idea. DD will go to uni this year and we will see what we want in 4-5 years.

WifeImprovementWorksInProgress · 13/02/2025 21:10

I don't really like the term 'forever home'. But, after a couple of moves we bought this house when I was 36 and intend to stay until something big changes.

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General money
Ariela · 13/02/2025 21:11

Mortgage now paid off many years ago - luckily my endowment was that old it went through the 15% years, so there was enough left over to pay for solar which has been amazing. Our mortgage when we took it out used to be £1200-1300 a month, but we took it over 20 years knowing the endowment would pay out.
Electricity hasn't changed too much due to the solar and the fact we've replaced stuff for low energy, oil has gone up a fair bit but we only buy in a heatwave when the price is low as we don't use much per year. We do pay 10x the council tax now though!

Runnersandtoms · 13/02/2025 21:12

Bought ours 20 years ago I was 23, DH was 28 but he had a flat he'd owned since 18 which was then worth quite a bit more than his mortgage. Moved further out of London to be able to afford 4 bed detached with garage. It's our forever home unless a) we unexpectedly come into money or b) we decide to downsize once the kids leave.

Cantbelieveit888 · 13/02/2025 21:13

We are late 30s and I’m now in my ‘forever home’……… with a large mortgage….. although there might come a day where we might move into our ‘never say never home’ 🏠

MidnightMeltdown · 13/02/2025 21:13

£150k is a tiny mortgage between two people! Confused

pavillion1 · 13/02/2025 21:14

43

SoeurFayre · 13/02/2025 21:15

You would have thought of our current home s a "forever" home as we built it with our family in mind. Our youngest has only known this house.

But it will be too big for the two of us once the kids leave and I don't want to have to clean, heat and maintain a huge house just in case grandchildren visit. We will downsize as soon as we can, to a small house with minimal garden.

I think the children will be sad as the house is in an idyllic , seaside location and they have loved living here, as have we, but ideally another young family will move in (though judging by recent local sales it will be an older couple from London who will buy it and it will stand empty and neglected 11 months of the year)

doihaveacase · 13/02/2025 21:15

The idea of a forever home creeps me out. I like to move around! We're on our 3rd purchase with a massive mortgage at 44, it doesn't bother me at all. I think we'll do 5-6 years and then move again, then again when the kids fly the nest. At that point we'll downsize enough to be mortgage free. The dream would be two homes in different countries and split our time between them.

In your shoes I wouldn't hesitate to take out a £150k mortgage for a nicer house.

HeddaGarbled · 13/02/2025 21:17

60 😃

Though actually, I think I’ve probably got one more move to go, so maybe 70 if I’m lucky.

stargazer02 · 13/02/2025 21:20

35 and owned outright right away. Had been renting it for 10 years before buying it so I've been here 15 years, and have another 10 years before youngest is uni age. If the house wasn't adapted for my disabled daughter Id probably downsize when her siblings leave home, but as it is we might end up being here forever.

Chasingsquirrels · 13/02/2025 21:20

We brought our family home (4 bed detached) at 28, having brought our first home (3 bed semi) at 22.
Different times!

I'm still here at 52, although no longer with the husband I brought it with.

I expect I'll downsize at some point, but not for another 10+ years.

Definitelysometime · 13/02/2025 21:20

I'm nearly 42 and we've just taken on a 400k mortgage to buy the dream home, having previously had < £50k left.

Not forever, and we can always downsize as soon as the DC leave (or before if we really have to) but it's the dream home for us as a family while they're living at home, perfectly located for schools etc

Deadringer · 13/02/2025 21:21

Like a pp I don't really get the idea of a forever home, or even a dream home. When we got married we bought what we could afford, a small 3 bed, as our family grew we moved to a large 4 bed, when the dc have all moved out we will downsize to an appartment or small townhouse. So the right house is the one that suits our needs at that time in our lives.

godmum56 · 13/02/2025 21:24

I was in my early 40's it wasn't planned to be our forever but life is what happens and so on.

Gymmum82 · 13/02/2025 21:25

30 First home and forever home. Perfect size. We won’t need to move again

LetMeStopWhatImDoingToFixTheProblemYouMade · 13/02/2025 21:26

MidnightMeltdown · 13/02/2025 21:13

£150k is a tiny mortgage between two people! Confused

It's not tho is it. With higher interest rates at the minute and raising a family it could be 15-20 years additional payments. Thats a lot to think about if you don't need to.

Redredwiner · 13/02/2025 21:26

We were in a similar position though not as close to paying off the old house, we took out a bigger mortgage of £260k. We over thought it for ages and now don't really think about it. We're happy here and it is suitable as a forever in that it has the space we need, but I expect later in we will move somewhere cheaper and reduce the mortgage that way

justasking111 · 13/02/2025 21:27

SoeurFayre · 13/02/2025 21:15

You would have thought of our current home s a "forever" home as we built it with our family in mind. Our youngest has only known this house.

But it will be too big for the two of us once the kids leave and I don't want to have to clean, heat and maintain a huge house just in case grandchildren visit. We will downsize as soon as we can, to a small house with minimal garden.

I think the children will be sad as the house is in an idyllic , seaside location and they have loved living here, as have we, but ideally another young family will move in (though judging by recent local sales it will be an older couple from London who will buy it and it will stand empty and neglected 11 months of the year)

This was us our forever big house with two acres great for the children but once two left home and youngest reached 16 it was too isolated. So we downsized. We were very happy there but the upkeep was getting me down. Now I have health issues I'm glad we did sell

Our forever home is now an Airbnb sleeps ten with jacuzzi, hot tub and outdoor games. Very posh and ultra modern.

PartyOFive · 13/02/2025 21:28

33 when we moved into this house which is the one I suspect we'll spend most time in, as a couple. It's just about to become the house I've lived in longer than any other, and we won't move til kids leave home, barring some major change of job.

What is it about your current home that makes you want to move?

HairyToity · 13/02/2025 21:30

We upgraded at 39 and 44, sometimes I miss our previous three bed home. The mortgage was less, a higher disposable income, smaller garden, and it didn't need any work. This one whilst much larger, and a fab location, is a project, and everything costs so much. The children seem happy with all the space, and we enjoy entertaining. It's swings and roundabouts. The last house was cheaper to heat, and the Council tax was less..... I felt like I had more free time at the last house.

LaughingCat · 13/02/2025 21:31

Two years ago, at the age of 39. We have a big mortgage and the initial quote for the remodel that will turn it from student gig decrepit vibe to forever home ballooned fivefold in the first year alone so we can’t now afford to do any of it. Everything is still in boxes, we have rising damp and faulty, ancient electrics. And it’s bloody freezing all the time except in summer when it’s stifling. Oh, and to keep it at just above icy costs us over £500 a month in gas and electric.

This will be our forever home, probably because we’ll never be able to afford to move out 😂

therattlebag23 · 13/02/2025 21:32

I think you are wise to consider staying mortgage free. Lower outgoings give you a lot of freedom - to work part-time if you want to, to spend money on holidays and activities with the kids, to save for an earlier retirement.

SuperTrooper14 · 13/02/2025 21:33

We upgraded to our FH when I was 45. I love it so much, we are definitely never moving again!