To ask if you regret moving to a bigger house, or if it was the best decision you made?

[Movingonupnowww]

My husband and I bought a small house when we were in our mid twenties. We have spent a huge amount of time and money making it into our home. We have a good sized garden, character features and as much space as the two of us need. What we don't have is parking (though on street is available) and at the weekend the local pub can be a bit noisy.

We have been talking about moving to a bigger property, maybe in a big village rather than the small town we live in now. Our house is worth probably around 230ish, a bigger house would be 350.

I'd be interested to hear from others who have faced the same dilemma. Is it worth financial stretch? At the moment we are able to save quite a bit with a good lifestyle so I worry that will go and we might not gain much.

Thank you for reading.

Sorry all, haven't been on here a while, forgotten about quoting.

About what people think... most of my friends have bought their second houses now and all big, I worry they'll think there's something wrong with us if we don't move from our starter home. I grew up in the country where most of my family and friends had (have) country piles.

We live in a 3 bed plus study townhouse, mid terrace, in a small town centre. There are 3 of us. The downstairs is probably going to be a squash if ever we have us plus DS plus a friend when he's older as it's a tall thin house but if we stay we'll be mortgage free in our mid-50s. It's not worth adding £100k on to the mortgage for a smallish detached or a big semi-detached on the outskirts, for us. Right now we can walk to the cinema, coffee shops etc.

We bought a bigger house because our family had grown. Very glad we had the extra room and bigger garden when lockdown started. The playroom became a schoolroom and the spare room an office. But in your situation I wouldn't move, I'd put the money into savings or pensions rather than investing more in a bigger property. If you do want to invest in property buy a small rental property instead.

@Movingonupnowww

Sorry all, haven't been on here a while, forgotten about quoting.

About what people think... most of my friends have bought their second houses now and all big, I worry they'll think there's something wrong with us if we don't move from our starter home. I grew up in the country where most of my family and friends had (have) country piles.

I totally get this. Most of our parents' generation in our familes on both sides bought massive detached homes in their 30s and I think are waiting for us to do the same!

I've got to be honest. As you get older(late 50s) , and if you develop long term health issues, a bigger house can become a chore. Beware of big gardens, they take alot of hard work, time and energy. Cleaning can be very difficult and don't start me on decorating. Yes, husband can be all for it, but in my general experience once husbands retire, there is a change. They are not as keen to do as much round the house as they get older, especially painting and decorating. Before I get jumped on, Im purely talking about my experience and those of friends in my circle. I would not move house just to be able to park my car. Unless you are moving to the middle of nowhere, there are parking issues everywhere. As you get older, you need amenities nearby, in my own case doctors and hospitals for various health issues. Good luck whatever you both decide.

We moved from a 3 bed mid terrace to a 5 bed detached and just the lack of party wall noise has made the expense worth it!
Only thing that is a tiny downside is that it’s much colder in the winter and being cold blooded I’ve had to invest in fleecy pj’s! Saying that, the hot weather is bliss in this house, so much cooler

If you’re happy where you are don’t move! The housing market is crazy at the moment… not the time to move if you don’t have to, especially if you’re heart isn’t in it.

Don’t do something to try and keep up with the Jones! You said yourself you don’t even have overnight visitors so I guess people rarely even make it upstairs in your house to know the actual size…

@Movingonupnowww It sounds as though there's not much reason for you to move then - unless you are thinking of having a family at some point, in which case house and schools will need reviewing, and sooner rather than later as the price differential to upsize only seems to increase.

Don't move to 'keep up with the Jones' (your peer group).
(Also - 60's/70's houses are pretty good buy as plot and room size usually decent!)

Thanks so much everyone, some really good points. I hadn't really considered the knock on of more fuel, council tax, cleaning etc.

Tokyo, that's the thing. We earn a pretty good wage between us, so I feel it is expected but now I have some really good points to bring up if it is mentioned.

We moved to a much larger house I love the space but now the DC moved out most of the rooms lay empty and it’s a lot of work to keep clean. Like other people said everything else is more expensive bills and maintenance. I think we will down size at some point.

It's a tricky one isn't it? We've stayed put for twenty years whilst our peers have all climbed the housing ladder and at times I've felt like a second class citizen visiting their country houses.

We could have afforded to move to something similar to our friends but wanted to A. Have plenty of disposable income to travel and not worry about money, and B. Pay off the mortgage (which we did by age 40)

I still don't know if we made the right decision to be honest - we never have to budget and have a very healthy savings/pension pot, can retire at 55, but I still feel inferior compared to our friends and it stops me from having them round very often as I (stupidly) feel embarrassed by our house. I know it's daft to feel like that as I have other friends with smaller houses and I never look down on them - it's just lovely to be invited somewhere and feel welcome and that's what's important.

I think your decision has to be based on your own lifestyle, and take everything about it into account.

For us it was the best decision but we have DC so chose space over more disposable income. When it was just two of us we preferred a smaller place and the money to go out more

We have stayed in our average sized period home since moving 25 years ago and our earnings have tripled. I understand exactly where you are coming from, but being mortgage free in our late 40s and having lots of spare cash for holidays and experiences throughout our lives.
We have guests a lot as we are very sociable have a guest sofa bed in the study. People keep coming back so they must be ok with it.

@Movingonupnowww

Thanks so much everyone, some really good points. I hadn't really considered the knock on of more fuel, council tax, cleaning etc.

Tokyo, that's the thing. We earn a pretty good wage between us, so I feel it is expected but now I have some really good points to bring up if it is mentioned.

Do your friends and family have children though? If they do, that's why they need more space. You don't as you don't have children. If you're planning on having children, then get a bigger house. If not, don't bother. It's extra money for nothing as I said, and that is just stupid.

@Essentialironingwater

We don't regret it but we moved to a cheaper part of the UK so went from a 2 bed character Victorian with no parking to a 5 bed on 5 acres with a small guest cottage. So no extra financial stretch.

We bought ours for the land, wasn't bothered about a huge house, I think location and garden are our priorities. I don't think the larger house gives us anything extra apart from more room to host and less incentive to declutter really! The gardens, however, have really improved our quality of life and being able to park outside the front door is great

That’s amazing!! Where did you move to? We are looking to do the same

@Movingonupnowww

I think it's partly because we are worried what other people think.

This the worst possible reason to move. Other people won't be living there with you. Other people won't be paying the bills.

It’s a tough decision. Me and DH are late 30’s and have a lovely 2 bed end of terrace in a quiet corner with 2 parking spaces and a lovely huge garden. Our mortgage is cheap so we have money for fun (no kids and none planned!). We talked this year about moving as I’d like an office as we both WFH and are in one bedroom each. I’d also like a proper spare room for my parents to stay and he’d like a garage. But we love our little house and wouldn't be able to afford a bigger house where we currently live. Plus we’d be increasing our monthly outgoings by a fair bit so would have less money for fun.

We’ve decided to stay put for a few more years. This definitely isn’t a house we’ll live in forever but it suits us now. Everyone expects you to climb the housing ladder but if it’s not what you want to do you don’t have to!

We did but we moved as we have children and needed the space and a bigger garden. It's been a life saver this last 18 months as no one has fallen out.
I wouldn't move from here just bacause of what others think. Your house sounds like it works for you, don't worry about others may or may not think

If you feel judged, just say you want to be more environmentally responsible using only what you need than buying, cleaning, heating and furnishing space you don’t need. Under occupying homes means more houses need to be built, the loss of valuable agricultural and wild space etc. You have the moral high ground staying where you are. Plus more spare cash and less of a mortgage, hard to see the down side, tbh.

Plus energy bills/insurance etc will be going up a lot in the next few years.

@Movingonupnowww

I think it's partly because we are worried what other people think.

The absolute worst reason for moving house. What they think is their issue, not yours.

I think you may need to start spending time with people who don’t see where you live as some kind of compulsory set path from ‘starter home’ to ‘forever home’, two phrases which always make me vaguely cross. Live according to your own needs and wants.

I have friends with money who stay living in tiny inner-city houses because they love the sense of community and the neighbours. I have friends (with two children) who live in a caravan in a field as they gradually restore a ruin, and another friend who lives on a riverboat with his son.

We’d probably still be living in our tiny, battered central London one-bed had work not taken us elsewhere. The house we bought last year caused incomprehension to many, I’m sure, because we could have bought something in turnkey condition in the outer suburbs for far less money, but I walk and cycle everywhere and wanted to be within a fifteen-minute walk of cinema, restaurants, galleries, pubs, after years in the country — and there aren’t that many options close to the city centre with enough space and a garden. Similarly, we sold a comfortable village 4-bed when we decided to move countries, and people were vocally terribly surprised, because that represented their idea of a ‘forever home’, and why weren’t we ‘settling down’?

Stay and put the extra cash into SIPPs.

We moved to a bigger house in a village and although I love our new house, I split up with dh 6 months later. I cant afford to live in this house on my own and so I will have to sell it. If I had stayed in my old smaller house I would have been able to live there without Stbex. We only moved because we needed a home office and now Stbex has left my situation has changed and I no longer need an office and wish I had stayed in my two bed terrace with great neighbours and friends.

Totally worth it for us. We did the sensible first purchase but quickly grew out of it, throw Covid into the mix and the need to WFH and we needed a lifestyle overhaul.

It's an investment overall, we can downsize down the line if required but hoping not. Prioritising home was the right thing for us though we haven't done it at the expense of our lifestyle too much, no point maxing ourselves and not having any disposable income to enjoy life.

I bought a bigger house but not for the space for the location. All things being equal I wish I could have stayed in my most favourite house. I would have a tiny mortgage now.

But if the pub noise is getting you down then I would move.