To not move house?

[fishladder]

For months now I've had it in my head that we should be looking to move. We have been in our current house for 12 years and because we had a very fortunate windfall a few years ago we are mortgage free. I thought as although we are still only in our 30s we should push ourselves, look forward something bigger, etc, even though our current house is big enough for us.

Everything we looked at in our budget had some sort of big compromise which made it not as good as our current house eg garage size, garden space, floor size, location. I've realised that our current house has a lot going for it (unfortunately as we bought it in 2007 this has not been reflected in a huge increase in price).

Dh and were talking last night about making some improvement to our current house eg new carpets, bathrooms, redecorating and converting the huge attic space above the garage to a sort of den for dc as they get older.

Wibu NOT to move? I feel like I've been seduced by a narrative, the one I suppose our parents generation had, about pushing ourselves to something bigger/ better....I also feel like constantly going on right move for bigger better houses has made me a bit dissatisfied with my current house, and that if I give it a bit of tlc I could fall in love with it again?

Don't move. It's costly, stressful and you're already mortgage free!

Maybe spend a bit extra and get a designer to help with the redo?

If you're comfortable in your house don't move.
If you were to find your dream home, then maybe reconsider, but there's no point in getting into debt for something you don't even want.

If you are happy there then that is the main thing. The grass isn't always greener. Think about just the savings you will make in terms of solicitors fees, estate agents fees, moving costs, not to mention stamp duty. You probably won't get much change from £20000. If the potential new houses won't make you 20000k happier then stay put and improve the house you have. You might then be able to move at a later date if the market recovers and you see somewhere else you like.

You could put that money into the house, holidays or invest for deposits for the dc when they are older. All too soon the dc grow up, leave home and you are left with an enormous house which doesn't make you happy.

I rarely respond to posts on here but you are definitely not being unreasonable. My husband and I bought a house in an okish (not great but not the worst) area with three bedrooms specifically because we could live here long term. Yes, it would be lovely to live in a nicer area, to have off road parking and a larger garden. But the price jump to get to that point will leave us with absolutely no wiggle room in our budget and would rule out any possibility of us retiring early. We bought thinking we'd be willing to stay here for 5 years + whilst assuming that we'd be likely to want to move at some point but have come round to the idea that staying here would actually be fine and will allow us to do lots of other stuff with the money it would cost to move!

Plus more house/garden means more to clean/ care for and more space to accumulate junk/clutter! None of which are things that make me happy!!

We’ve been in a financial position for some years where we could go bigger. Much bigger, but when the push cam to the shove I love my house. It was never too small for the four of us, ok so it didn’t have a utility room that I would have liked but we extended and did a loft conversion. More importantly it was in a really good area, really close to good schools and in a little tucked away position. Nowhere could I get the same spot but bigger.

Now my DC are grown and leaving the nest, I don’t need anything bigger. The thought of leaving this house makes me sad.

So I’m not.

We paid the mortgage off three years ago, we have a lovely house beautifully maintained and are putting the extra money away into our pensions and having nice holidays. Some friends are now downsizing because either they have moved off an interest only mortgage or they have no hope of paying it off before retirement or they are pottering around in a too big house.

I guess I am saying, there’s more to life than a utility room!

It's a home, not a ladder!

We are hoping to be carried out of our tiny house feet first. (But we will probably extend 😂)

Yanbu.

Fairly unanimous then!! Definitely gives me food for thought- thinking about all the things I could do to make our house more beautiful and the money we'd save by not moving.

When we bought this house 20 years ago, my boss asked me when we would be buying our next house. He too was of the mind that you stretch yourself and then downsize at retirement and take the non-utaxable profit as your pension. Fine for him. But as I pointed out (a) It's our home and (b) he didn't pay me enough to go bigger! We're going nowhere.

Work out what it would cost you to move to the house you really want, include fees and stamp duty. Work out what it would cost to do up your house and extend. Then think about all the good things you could do with the difference.

We could have a much bigger house (our house is big enough and in a good location) but we spent the money on investments. These investments give DH and I the security of knowing that we can stop work earlier or help out the DC when they are older.

My parents bought a starter home when they had me and never moved although they had intended to. It was a bit cramped for a while but now that they have an empty nest it's perfect for them. I have many happy memories from it too and love visiting.

This thread is interesting timing for us. We're in a similar thought loop. Bought this house 10 years ago when it was a state but worst house in the nicest road rule. Location is nearly perfect (Road has got a bit busier than we'd like) but close to great schools etc. We've extended so have 4 beds, two living rooms (sort of), massive kitchen and utility room and not a huge mortgage now but we've seen so many of our neighbours move to bigger houses that we started to feel like we were missing a trick.

I have started thinking maybe we just chill out and go on more holidays and stop chasing bigger and better all the time.