What would you do if you were us?

[BigOldOak]

Sell or stay? Both turned 40 this month. DC 10 & 2.

YANBU Option 1- stay where we are. Been here 20+ years, nothing left to do to house, low maintenance, small garden, kids bedrooms aren’t massive, modern comforts and warm. Lovely safe community village, beach on doorstep, good neighbours, but are surrounded by them on all sides as an estate.
Small mortgage meaning no £ worries, DC could have private education, I don’t have to go back to work.

Option 2- move to large period house, lots of potential, barn (that could be converted and rented out), 2 acres, very secluded but can walk to the town. Needs a lot of maintenance cosmetic work as basic original eg old windows/kitchen/bathroom but nothing structural. Would have no/minimal money for renovations until I go back to work (which I’d planned to do when nursery free hours start), starting again with a big mortgage, tighter financial belt, no holidays/private school. DC could just about walk to the only school (huge with not a great reputation)

I love gardening and DIY, DH not so much. Big house and garden would be a dream forever home for us all but does it trump education and £ security? We have always been cautious but for some reason both feel like taking a leap!

Or are we having midlife crises?

Option 1 especially as DH not keen.

No daily grind for you then?

I'm not quite at the point where I'd put my kids on a boat and sail the world but I see no problem in adding to the excitement if Life Happening gets a bit monotonous. New ventures can have perks.

this

We do the daily grind minus making the kids love in a renovation project. Not sure what your point was?
If Stuff Being Hard is what builds resilience then we, as a family, have had plenty of practice and plenty of curve balls without seeking to actively add to the load. We also Go Places and Do Stuff for excitement purposes using the money we save by returning to a functional home and not a renovation project.

Option 2 sounds like way more stress than it's worth....

I'd go option 1. People that have positively done an option 2 on here, haven't done it in the current climate that I can see.

If you don't do option 2 now, it doesn't mean you can never do something along those lines and if you save with that intention, then you'll have a nice renovation fund ready to kick off that project in the future. The outlook at the moment makes me cautious.

I think it depends on your values. For me, I think I’d stay where you are as I could spend any extra money on holidays and could potentially retire earlier with more cash.
my sister however would be better off making the move as to have a big house and land would make them so happy that BIL would be happy to work until 90 and my sister would be ok with working to pay for it.

Option 2, but dh and I love building and diy, as do our dc (who are now teens). We have been building/renovating all their lives, currently in a new house which we haven't done anything to yet and they are chomping at the bit to get started.

But then I need space. I couldn't stay in a small overlooked garden when I had the possibility of acres dangled in front of me.