Wwyd - opportunity for a stripped back life !

[Spanglyprincess1]

I've and my first baby and it's radically changed my view of what's important.
I have the opportunity to purchase a smaller terraced house in a village 20min walk from my mom and sisters (opposite directions) with good schools. It isn't a fancy house or posh by any means, bog standard ex council type but in a good area. It would be tight for three years but then I would be morgage free with a lot of extra income and running costs are tiny. It means I could afford to reduce work hours, take the family away on nice holidays etc etc. But it isn't what most people's dream looks like. Or I could get a big detached posh house but pay a lot for it for the next 30 years.
I'm wavering but if I'm honest I think I want a simple life to work part time and enjoy my son's childhood.
Wwyd?

Small house and simple life. Lots of holidays. We get one shot at life - make it happy

I would buy the small house. For me, its a no brainer.

Same, smaller house and easy life, enjoy it, we only get one!

Small house every time. Gives you so many choices.

What are most peope's dreams? I don't dream of owning my own home. We have just moved due to thoroughly shitty neighbours, it was very easy to upsticks and be somewhere new within a month.

Your proposed move to be nearer family and be mortgage-free within a few years seem to best thing. Worrying about being in the wrong neighbourhood is a touch snobby (sorry!).

Congrats on your baby

We got stuck in our first house we brought due to the crash also ex council. It's took a while but I definitely rather be comfortable financially.

Why don't spread the mortgage over a longer period so it's it so tight and u can start your nicer life now

Do it. Imagine being mortgage free! And if circumstances change, you can rent this little house out and buy a bigger one.

Are you planning any more children and is the house big enough to accommodate that?

You can always take on more hours to afford a bigger place when your kids are older. But being mortgage free while they're young would be amazing. I love living in a terrace, being close to people, the neighbours are all friendly and chat. As long as you aren't wound up by hearing other people here and there, it's a great place to raise a family. I would choose a terrace over a detached house anyday.

Sorry if sounds snobby hang up from exh who would have sneared at this house.
I'd like more children maybe but given my age and number of SDC it isn't likley. However , house would accomadate them as sdc are much older so by time my babies needed own rooms they would be at uni.

Definitely go for the simpler less stressful option!

We bought a big house a few years ago with a hefty mortgage over a short period. Quite frankly it feels like a millstone round my neck. I don’t feel a sense of pride in the house, more like claustrophobia because we just don’t have the money to do the nice things in life and we’re always worrying about bills.

We are selling the house at the moment and going into rented accommodation to give ourselves a chance to reset. We probably will buy again in the future but with a much smaller mortgage (or potentially mortgage free) on a much smaller property. In the meantime we are going to have some fun!

Life is to short to bury yourself in a house for the sake of appearances! Do what will make you happy and able to sleep at night.

Definitely smaller and simpler! I grew up in a huge, but very run down, house that my parents struggled to pay for, to the detriment of pretty much everything else (no holidays, hardly any money for even day to day extras, they both worked long hours and we hardly saw them, my bedroom ceiling collapsed over my bed because of the damp, always cold, etc). My mum is still stuck in it now, as nobody will buy it as it is (for a price she will accept.....) and she can't afford to do it up! I know your circumstances aren't quite as described above, but my parents were very concerned with having the biggest house they could afford - it was all about how things looked.

Needless to say, I have a modern, warm house, that is suitable for our needs but easily affordable. Some of our friends have huge houses, sometimes dh wonders whether we should be aiming for more, but there is so much more to life than a fancy house.

I live in a small house, I could buy and mortgage to double the size, but I like travel too much, it might back fire when I’m older as I can’t really downsize, maybe to a flat but I want to create memories with my daughter now. I’m the only one of my friends who think like this though.

Thanks everyone for your views.
My plan for old age would be to save as I'd ahve more disposable income and I also have a decent pension, but dp dosnt.

Definitely simple life. Then save some of your extra income and retire early. Nobody gets to their deathbed saying "well I had to work until I was 70, but it was worth it for that en suite bathroom and a massive telly".

Small houses are great, and I have known ex-council ones to look great, especially with good garden upkeep. Imagine also saving money/time on visiting if you are close to family. Do it.