To move kids

[Lill1e]

Hi all. I am currently living in a town in rented accommodation, its a nice house, I've done a lot of decorating to it to make it homely for the kids. My youngest plays with the kids on the road and the local soccer team and both seem really happy. However... recently a relative who bought a brand new house and now cannot move home to live in it has offered it to me to buy it at an extremely reasonable price. I wouldn't get this offer ever again in my life! Reason he can do this is because he has been working away in a different country for years, making a lot of money and didn't even need to borrow to buy in the first place so isn't losing out by offering it to me at an extremely low price. Its brand new, has all the latest mod cons etc, air to water and all that BUT it's about a 15 minute drive from where I'm living at the moment which means taking the kids away from what they've just gotten used to. They love the convenience of living in the town, as do I because of the short commute to work etc but if I take this new house it will be their "forever home" and a brand new one at that. I'm wrecked from trying to come to a decision. Anyone got any advice??? Thanks

Ps everyone else thinks I'm ridiculous to turn down the new house but my kids happiness is my priority regardless of the kind of house I live in

Buy it! Honestly kids will make friends, you aren’t moving so far away that they won’t get to see them again.

Your landlord could tell you tomorrow he is selling. As lovely as your renal may be there is always going to be a sense of risk

if you are in a position to be able to afford to buy what sounds like a lovely family home then go for it

Unless you have a secure LA tenancy then you'd be mad not to buy if you can afford it.

As others have said, the landlord could decide to sell tomorrow or give you notice so that's not a reason to turn it down.

No public transport where I live or where I'd be moving to but I do drive. I would be able to afford to buy it with a small enough loan yes.

Surely you can drive back to the friends who he plays with from time to time if they want to remain friends? My kids happiness is my life, and part of that happiness would be stability. This is an absolute no brainer for me!

Umm towns have public transport!

Anyway yes of course move, kids move all the time. The days of families staying put for ever ended generations ago, you move for work, you move for nicer housing, move for a change quite frankly.

In fact one of my bugbears is where its reported that multiple generations have been in badly paid work or unemployed due to decline in their town ... as Norman Tebbitt said (and I very rarely agreed with him) get on your bike. Moving is normal

I don't live in England. Where I live only large cities have public transport

Both girls aged 18 and 12. Not too concerned about the 18 year old as she is planning to move out in the next year or two but still has been through a lot recently with the break up of me and her dad and leaving her home.

No I usually drive them to the bus/school anyway as they go to school outside of the town we live in because when we moved after separation I promised them I would leave them in the schools they always went to so never moved them to the schools in town. It's a bit of a nuisance I know and now an extra 15 mins on top of that!

Definitely take the townhouse.

Go for it, like a PP said your landlord could sell at anytime.
Your not living in your home your living in someone else's so if this is away to get your own forever home I wouldn't hesitate

I did this last year. I was priced out of my rental area so bought a house a 15 minute drive from where I was. I have kept the kids in that school, I drop them off for play dates (my parents live there too so they use their house as a base after school and then go see friends) and it works well. DS starts secondary in September so he is going to the one closest to us and has started making friends around where we live. Kids adapt easy, they make friends faster than and easier than adults. And my two love where we live even if it is further from their friends.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm going to go for it!