To base a half a million house purchase on what my 7 year old wants?

[Batwomanrisesagain]

We live in a new build property which is lovely, loads of other kids around, lots of green space. However all very 'on top of each other' and can feel a bit like being back at school with petty neighbour disputes that belong in the playground. I crave solitude as a result of said disputes but equally am very outgoing and sociable and on the whole enjoy the community feel.
I'm also keen on moving up the property ladder should the right house arrive. And it has, beautiful big old cottage with lots of land. No neighbours, beautiful house.
My child is distraught that their friends won't be around, it really is lovely how everyone plays out together. I'm seriously considering pulling out of the purchase as I think my child may have a point about being isolated.
Has anyone been in a similar position or live without neighbours? Or am I being ridiculous letting a young child decide our future?

[Atenco]

It sounds like you have an only child so even more reason not to isolate him. You will end up trying to think up things to keep him entertained that would still not be as much fun for him as playing out with his friends.

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

I would stay put and save the house move for when he is older - his unhappiness will outweigh yours

[Singingforsanity]

I lived in a lovely friendly street with my mates until age 12, when we moved to a quieter street, far from my school/friends and filled with pensioners (all lovely but not great to hang out with when you're 12). I felt isolated because of this, my friends all lived close together when we were teens so spent time together in the evenings and I always felt I missed out really. As a result I now live close to DS's future school, right in the centre of our wee town! I love it!

[hiccupgirl]

Having grown up in a village I would never choose to live rurally again and def would not move my child away from a town. It was fine until around 13 when we had to get the bus into town 7 miles away but then it was very isolated. My parents wouldn't drive me anywhere so I really missed out on seeing friends out of school.

I would stay and make the most the great position you're in. Your DS has friends and can play out which lots of kids can't easily do now.

[Littleballerina]

We live in an old farm house, isolated and no public transport.
I adore it, children go through phases of love/hate.
Myself and dp work full time but play taxi around work (fun after a 12 hour work day).
No jobs for the teens.

But.... they love the area, we're close to the beach and gorgeous walks. We don't get people knocking on the door and can choose when we see people. When the dc friends stay they go out.

[Littleballerina]

oh and I hated our new build! Dull and lifeless!

[Fatbird71]

We too have done this. We were in a large village that is growing at an enormous pace. We had a 70's house with typical postage stamp garden. We inherited some cash and moved to a larger house in a tiny village with masses of space front and back. We face on to a field full of lambs, and it's peaceful and relaxing. No more parking issues or thin walls.

Our two children have to go to the next village for school as our new one doesn't have one ( or a play area come to that) but our children love having space to play and have the woods nearby. Plenty of play dates lined up for both of them. We don't regret the move at all but we are also happy with our own company. Yes, we have to take the car anytime we want to go anywhere and I can understand why some people wouldn't like that but as we both drive, we can share out the chauffeuring duties. Having grown up in the suburbs, we relish our new environment.

[gillybeanz]

I could never live on an estate and the term cul de sac brings me out in a rash .
Atm we live on a pretty main road in town centre, but our older two were raised in a village in the countryside.
They soon settled in the town, we moved for more choice of activities for them, but I don't drive.
If I could drive no way would we have moved from the country, it was so idyllic and the kids played out the same as they do if you have a big garden in the town.
In fact, some nights most of the school of 30 kids were playing in the fields and village green.
As most of our dc are grown up now and dd is a boarder, so no friends in our area now anyway, we are looking to move back to the country.

[Drumdelgie]

I grew up in the middle of nowhere. I think the thing to bear in mind if you choose this is that in terms of giving lifts you are in it for the long term. I found living in a remote location got worse the older I got and the more I craved the ability to go visit friends and stay late etc.

[mayoli]

From 8+ I grew up in a block of flats and all the kids played out the back every day. Happiest memories of my childhood- before that we lived in the countryside and I remember feeling isolated and did nothing but bicker with my sibling daily. I honestly recommend staying

[deblet]

Not read the thread. But we moved to the country nice big house and very few kids in village. Now my daughter is 12 she spends most of her time on the computer unless I am around to ferry her about. None of her friends can just drop in to play and I feel guilty. My sons are autistic and so I am taxi to them for their groups but that are happier to spend hours on the computer. I now hate it as I get older the upkeep is draining and I spend most of my life in the car. I wish we had stayed in town in my lovely new easy to keep home. Your child needs friends I would stay where you are if I were you.

[peachgreen]

I moved to a semi-rural location as a child and absolutely hated the isolation. Would never ever do it to my kids.

[milliemolliemou]

Moved to the country when DC was four (a mile away from small country town with good schools). No problems - both DH and I worked but managed to box and cox. DC loved walking, exploring, camping in the garden etc. Problems came when aged 14 DC wanted to go out and it was taxi duty and lack of bus/train meant DC unable to go to farflung friends. Helps if you mix and get on with local people/contribute but if both working it becomes harder. We had ten great years but would have moved back to a bigger town/city like a shot.
Good luck OP - and with a 7 year old doesn't need to be a forever home.

[Schooldramabannana]

Are the houses near enough each other that he wouldn't need to change schools?
Or would it be a change of schools as well as location?

[GaryGilmoresEyes]

I grew up in three different countries. One was very rural Spain, one a city and one rural UK. It didn't do me any harm. My friends would come at weekends (UK) and camp in the garden. I hated the city. Which is probably why I live in splendid rural isolation now.

[amusedbush]

My auntie moved to a black hole where phone signal is like witchcraft rural area when my cousin was about 14 and she hated it. She actually moved in with her dad Monday to Friday so that she could stay at school and see her friends, and traveled the 90 minutes to stay with her mum and stepdad at weekends. She obviously couldn't drive herself anywhere, there's no wifi there let alone a bus service and her parents worked shifts (both nurses) so she couldn't always get a lift.

She left for uni at 17 and never looked back!

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Living close to neighbours on a housing estate with people in and out of my house would be my idea of hell. I like my privacy , mainly. So I'd move immediately.

However if that's your thing, then stay. Different people like different life styles.

[bilbodog]

Can you compromise and buy an older house in an area that is still very close to a town centre. Most towns have one or two very 'sought after' areas where the houses are lovely, victorian, edwardian or 1920/30's but within easy reach of shops, buses etc. That way you get a lovely house but get away from an estate, new build situation? House may be semi or terrace but those lovely old houses are solidly built with lots of character and often more spacious inside than you realise.

[Panicmode1]

I was brought up in the middle of nowhere and loved the countryside life - I rode a lot and read a huge amount, but I'm not very sociable really. My brother found it very isolating. However we were at boarding school, so it was less of an issue in term time. In the holidays my parents had to ferry us around everywhere and it was a pain for them, and we did miss out on spontaneously arranged events due to logistics!

We live in town, and I find it very claustrophobic because I am a rural girl at heart, BUT with four children, two of whom are rapidly approaching teen years, we are staying put - they walk to school, their friends are all local, we have the sports centre on our doorstep, cinema, town etc all very easy to get to - and I don't have to be a taxi in 4 different directions all weekend.

Perhaps if you want the space/quiet, buy on the edge of a town, with good transport links so that he can easily see his friends, but you have a bit more of what you want....

Or, wait until he's 18 and then move, when his needs are less important and yours become more so (which is what we're going to do!).

[JonesyAndTheSalad]

We've moved around a lot and the best places have always been where there are other kids.

I love to see my DC out and about. I love it when kids call for them....and so do my DC.

I think it IS important.

[QODRestYeMerryGentlemen]

All the lovely 7 year olds playing out become 15 yr olds hanging out
We moved last year and our nEw village has a network of paths and play areas. Rarely see a small kid, frequently see smoking snorting drinking teens.
Total nightmare
Last summer listening to them shouting and f ing and blinding at 2 am

We downsized to free up income and I do like our new place, sooo much better off, can now afford holidays! But there's a price

[JonesyAndTheSalad]

Merry perhaps...but in our last UK home the teens didn't hang around on the street at all. The kids played out and the teens hung out at each other's houses or in town shopping etc.

[nombu3353]

HI Moms

I joined this group having seen some moms discussing about Pemphigoid Gestation, just wondering and need some information from those who have recovered or know any one recovered from PG if they were able to remove scars on the skin after birth.

Your response will be appreciated

[amusedbush]

nombu3353

If you create your own thread in a relevant topic, you will receive more replies.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Public transport would be another factor for me.

As they get older, if you are out in the sticks, you will spend even more of your life ferrying them around.
We tried to move to a more 'sticks' area when dds were still pre teen. It fell through and much as I would have loved the bigger house and garden at the time, later I was really glad we'd stayed put, in an area where I didn't need to be Mum's taxi service every other evening after school and half of every weekend. We had 'sticks' friends who had to do just that.