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Would you move to this house?

42 replies

pinkponie · 06/05/2026 11:17

Dh and I have seen a house we liked. The size/condition of the house for the money they’re asking for is rarely low; this is due to the location. It’s not even a village; it’s just a group of houses off the side of the road, near the water. There’s no shop or school, they’re about 8 miles away. The council would actually pick up/drop off primary school age dc (we have three, two in school, one baby) but I think that we’d need to take/drop off dc3 when they reach nursery age. I currently can’t drive, obviously it’d be a priority to learn and I’d start as soon as I can but obviously there are situations I can’t control re length of test waiting times etc. DH’s flexible and can drive, but it’s a given that I’ll need to learn asap and I can’t say how long that will take. The thing is, this house would be paid off in 5 years with the mortgage being so small, it’s walk-in ready, it has enough bedrooms for each dc to have their own (albeit not big bedrooms), we’d be able to go on a few holidays a year which we currently can’t, we’d be able to save money, we could afford me to be a SAHM for as long as it suits the family/indefinitely. But it also means living in between two towns with nothing at your doorstep, there’s not even anywhere for a walk. Other houses we’ve seen in the actual towns would mean that we could afford them but probably no holidays/one every few years, low savings monthly but more amenities. These are very small towns so there’s nothing like cinemas etc. We’re restricted location wise due to custody arrangements with the older DC’s father (dh is only the father of dc3).

OP posts:
mindutopia · 06/05/2026 14:25

We live very rurally. Our closest full time neighbour is about 1/2 miles away. Tiny shop and a pub about 20 minutes walk. Closest proper shop is 15 minutes drive. No public transport, though there is secondary school transport for eldest. I absolutely love it. It’s such a wonderful lifestyle and so peaceful. We are very lucky to live here. But we can both drive.

LittleGreenDragons · 06/05/2026 14:27

Why is it so cheap, has it been flooded?

Rural buses are not to be relied on, even if they run regularly, as the funding isn't always there. How often, and how early/late, does it run?

Speaking as someone who's childhood was spent in a rural location. Yes it was lovely having the freedom to wander until I wanted to be with friends (from age 8 upwards) then it was horrible and isolating even though both parents drove.

Untailored · 06/05/2026 14:28

Absolutely no way, for all the reasons everyone else has said.

mindutopia · 06/05/2026 14:28

Why can’t you go for a walk though? It must be on a road and there will be footpaths somewhere? Unless it’s on the side of a motorway, surely you can walk anywhere.

Astra53 · 06/05/2026 14:33

It's my idea of hell but other people's idea of heaven. I would always go for the convenient option. Shops, train station, doctors, pharmacy, hospitals. If these things aren't a priority for you then you will be fine. If they are, you will need to massively adjust or find a different property.

FKAT · 06/05/2026 14:35

It doesn't sound very nice OP. If you were describing a rural idyll full of country lanes and fields to play in and a pony, maybe it might be a consideration but a group of isolated houses 'near water' 8 miles away from civilisation. Nope, absolutely not. The value of locality and convenience if you have kids is priceless. What are you going to do for 6 week summer holidays with 3 kids holed up in a house and you not driving? How are they going to play with friends?

The odds are that at least one of those other houses contains a weirdo as well. You can cope with oddball neighbours if you live in an estate or a village but if it's just a few of you, it makes life uncomfortable.

Justploddingonandon · 06/05/2026 14:38

Nope. I can drive but that doesn't mean I want to drive everywhere, sounds like you wouldn't even be able to pop to the local shop for milk or take the kids to the playground without getting in a car. Although, I am also wondering how somewhere can be that remote yet not have anywhere to go for a walk. Also, it will become more of an issue as kids get older and want to do clubs / meet up with friends etc. I live in a city and still end up being a taxi service for my teenager as some of the stuff he does isn't on a direct bus route, but at least he can get a bus if his sister (or one of us) needs to be somewhere else at the same time.

Yeahyeahyeahnooooo · 06/05/2026 14:41

Hello no. The dc will want play dates, sometimes it shows abd you can barely trudge to the corner shop, never mind 8 miles. If DH breaks his leg you're absolutely fucked.
It's cheap for a reason.

Madwoman94 · 06/05/2026 14:53

I live somewhere similar but we are surrounded by fields not near water. School bus collects and drops children off at the end of the drive. I go shopping once a week on Wednesday. I do drive and have a car but often don’t go out on weekdays. You soon learn to be organised and not forget things or do without. Rural schools that have a lot of bus kids are more flexible over forgotten PE kit or dinner money. Your main contact in school becomes the secretary rather than the teachers. Keep a well stocked freezer and learn to do without if you forget to buy it. We’ve just a single track road to walk on, if you’ve better walks that’s great.

It’s just a different way of life, I’m currently sat in the orchard watching a few chickens pecking around and two ducks snoozing.
There are no service buses to where we live. Nearest hospital or large supermarket just over an hour away Do need the hospital sometimes but the smaller local (5 miles away) shops are fine for almost everything. Amazon deliver as well

Inmyuggs · 06/05/2026 14:56

No
Amentities and things to do for the whole family outweight the cost and hoildays.
How depressing.

user1497787065 · 06/05/2026 15:32

Sounds perfect to me. Not quite sure what the near water comment means? Sea, river, lake? MN is obsessed with bus routes and coffee shops. Yes, you need to learn to drive pretty quickly but it’s not essential to live near a coffee shop or park. We live rurally and our DC grew up here. Yes, we did a lot of driving but in now way did our DC miss out by not living close to a town.

Mintearo7 · 07/05/2026 15:16

Nope, buyers in every price bracket have an option of a better house in a worse location. I would not do it for the sake of holidays etc - prioritise your daily living. Also, moving and settling into somewhere new with kids in stressful. I wouldn't add to that pressure by having to learn to drive so fast.

PurpleThistle7 · 07/05/2026 15:25

Sounds like a terrible idea honestly. You can’t put yourself in this situation voluntarily.

2026me · 07/05/2026 15:42

No. Definately not if I couldn’t already drive.
We live ‘semi rural’ but do have school and a shop. Still it’s a pain, miles to travel to a big supermarket, doctor, work, everything really except school, you have to drive. The house sounds amazing, but don’t underestimate the effect on your daily life, especially with very young children. I miss popping to Asda, being able to walk to docs in 5 minutes, my kids are older now but just taking them to the park to play? Clubs? Having other kids local as they get older? You’ll have to drive them to every friends house and pick them up again etc…it does get tiring!

Bryonyberries · 07/05/2026 18:08

I’d be wary if you can’t drive. I had a driving licence when I moved to my current house which is rural but hadn’t driven since I passed my test and had no car. I hadn’t need one as we’d lived in towns. A month or so of being here without a car we quickly made it priority! We had two young children and a regular bus route (although infrequent and early finish time).

Timetakesacigarette · 07/05/2026 18:32

Terrible idea, you’ll regret it and the kids won’t be happy.

ArtAngel · 07/05/2026 19:18

No way.

8 miles to a shop, 8 miles to your dc's friends houses which deprives them of friendships , you'd be stuck in as a SAHM, totally isolated, really isolating for teens, or you spend your whole life as a taxi.

And once your mortgage is paid off you will have a low value house that you can't sell and don't have enough equity to buy a new place.

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