We have a 4 storey house with fantastic views . We have lived here many years and now in our 50 s . The house is in a great location but has some compromises in layout such as one room which is difficult to use as it has three doors going from it . The kitchen is foot but dark as half of it is underground / into the hill - we live on a steep hill .
My dh is in a stressful job and is waiting to retire from it at 60 in three years n do something part time . Put our house on market with plan to downsize and release equity to be motagage free also . Sold in three days .
We saw a smaller semi all done up , upvc windows - but we didn't buy due to a local issue .
Since then we have got cold feet - we love this area but the house costs a bomb to heat and all the windows will need replacing in next few years . If we downsize in this area there are only 4 streets and the houses are either very big - medium like ours or tiny cottage terraces . So it wd be diownsizr to a two bed or two bed with loft space .
Or we cd move area but everytime we look Ina new area we get a heart sink feeling . ( except for one other area - views again but modern detracted but there are only 6 of them - we got an agent to leaflet asking to sell but no response - people rarely move from there )
Our buyers have offered to wait for a year while we try and find somewhere .
So
Choices - try to stay in this area and downsize . Mortgage free - but small .comprimuse - size and you can hear thro walls in lot of the houses .
Try keep this size house going ( as love the views and there are no probs other than Windows , hi bills and upkeep £ again you can hear the walls but big enough to get away as can go on a different floor . I'd love a detached house but non in this area - all tall terraces .
Wait fir the detached in other area ( which may or may not come avaliable !