Hi, please help me make a decision as my heart and brain are not in the same place.
Background:
DH and I are in our 40's, we have a 6-month old and we are currently in a waaaaaay too small rented flat in SE England.
A while back, we've had an offer accepted on a house (SE England). The mortgage offer is for a 5 year fix under 2% which, by today's standards is incredible. It runs out in Sept, though, so we can only use it for this house.
The house in question is an OK house in an OK area with OK-ish schools. Nothing spectacular and it's about all we can afford in this area of the country.
While we were waiting for our sellers to get a move on with their chain (it's been months), we became convinced the sale will fall through and after viewing umpteen other properties, we realized we can't afford any other house we like around here. So we started thinking about moving to Glasgow where we lived years ago (when we were young and wild!). In Glasgow, we could afford either a superb house in an OK area or an OK house in one of the best areas with the best schools (like Bearsden or Milngavie etc). But to get there we have some bumps:
- DH would have to ask for a transfer from his work. It would probably be granted but no idea when, it depends when there's an opening. Risk is where-ever he gets transferred might not be as nice as his current setup, it's a gamble.
- I would also almost certainly have to change jobs as my current employer wants us 3 days in the office (although I can do my job from home without any issues) . Risk is the new job would probably not be paid as well. I am the main earner so that would be painful but not disastrous in the short term.
- We would likely have to first move into rented accommodation in Glasgow and only after buy a house (very hard to do viewings from miles and miles away and the market is hot there at the moment). Risk is: really nasty to move twice with a small baby.
My head says to buy the SE property (bird in hand etc). My heart wants to go back to Scotland.
A third option would be to buy the house in the SE now and then move up north in a few years. But by then DH will be almost 50 and he's the social one of us two. Really hard to start fresh in your 50's...
I am so very torn. I want to do what's best for my DC and I just can't decide what that is.
So please let me know what you think!
YABU - buy the SE house, Scotland is just a dream which might easily become a nightmare!
YANBU - listen to your heart and go north