To move from a detached house to a terraced house?

[Choccitystoppity]

Bought first home in an acceptable, but not ideal, area. It is a detached house with a garden. However, have come to really like the area and local amenities! Plus now have lovely friends nearby. But, schools are only OK, and that is becoming more of an issue as my kids get older, and the area is a bit deeper in the suburbs than….
….a terraced house that I like that has come up for sale closer to town. Has no garden. Our preferred schools are in the area. Better transport links. Closer to family, but would have to start over again with making local friends.
Both houses are 3 bedrooms and not hugely different in size.
WWYD?

Don't do it. You will regret it.

No garden - no way!

Having no outdoor space is depressing.

I agree. I went from a detached to an old Victorian terrace and end up actually hating the house. Adjoining neighbours, street parking, traffic, although I had a drive. Never again.

With the lack of garden you'd need to be very careful not to overpay. So many people will rule it out so it might be difficult to sell, and that should affect how much you are prepared to pay for it.

It's so easy to sit on here and say oh no, I'd never compromise on being detached and having a garden. But people do.

Slightly left field suggestion but have you considered flats? Migy be similar compromises for significantly less money, or much more space or other features for your money, and your preferences for where to compromise seem to line up quite well with them. There are some near us that are an old manor house conversion a 5 mins walk from school.

I wouldn’t. I’d miss having a garden but not as much as I’d miss off road parking. The reason I moved from a gorgeous terraced house 20 years ago was the nightmare parking. There are far more cars on the road now.

We chose house and area and our children go to a reasonable, not amazing school. We all benefit from the extra space and the lovely neighbours and all the rest of it but the school is definitely not one of the better ones. We do a lot of extras at home to supplement. We use our garden all the time and my daughter and I are super sensitive to noise so we love this house.

Do what suits you. Who cares if Karen thinks detached houses are the be-all end-all? You know what's best for your family. We live in a beautiful house which is a semi. My parents, siblings, etc all have this view that a detached house is the goal and we are silly for staying in a semi, and boy didn't they make that known when we moved! But a house is a home and you know what home means to you!

As others have said, the lack of garden would be a big issue for me.

what would the costings be, by the time you had factored in moving costs etc? I think I’d feel a bit deflated to pay out a lot of money and end up in a terraced house with no garden.

is it particularly lovely? Victorian with big rooms etc? Is the entrance straight onto the street? Or is there a front garden?

You say you have lovely local friends, are your kids friends with their kids? So much of the outcome at school depends on their peers. If they have a nice peer group, they should do well in an OK school.

Also, without the costs of moving you could pay for tutoring and extra curriculars etc.

The thing I say to everyone is pick area over house. From personal experience you can always adapt a house to your needs but you can't change an area.

If you all aren't garden lovers this could work for you, as children grow they make friends and head out with them and go places. If there is a park near then that's bonus points.

Amenities are important, being near things is important for everyone and if you have to travel to places all the time is so draining. Schools are so important too, it's so beneficial to get a good school, it's also handy living near one for children's friends, you will discover that living away from these things can bring up problems for your children, yes, you can drive them but that's not always a choice if both children need to be at something at the same time.

I lived in detached bungalows until I came to the UK at the age of 33 and since then have lived in ex council flats. Now, I have a small 2bed ground floor flat with a tiny garden which has a sitting area and some plants. I love it, brilliant area, enough gardening to be fun, not enough to be a chore. No children but I think even if I did, there is a nice playground and communal gardens on the estate which children use, often unsupervised, which seems ideal

Go for it!

Agree 💯. A detached is most people’s ideal for good reason! My neighbours were crazy inconsiderate and when they don’t even work and are home all day and up all night - well then a whole new level of annoyance is unlocked! Being anywhere but a detached is an unbearable thought now!

My husband and I have some great friends in the area. One of my children also has good friends locally at the moment, but the other is being bullied at school. I am realistic that the social situation for children can be hit and miss wherever you are.

The key issue is that the local secondaries where we currently live don’t have a good reputation, both educationally and socially.

The terrace we are considering is in a very handy location generally, including for excellent schools. But that is why detached houses in that area are probably out of reach for us!

A lot to weigh up… ⚖️

I've gone from a detached house to a terrace and I'm very happy. A little bit of noise from neighbours doesn't bother me, and in my larger detached house there was a lot more noise from other adjoining gardens with their gardeners, children playing etc.

I would always prioritise schools if you can. Any house you can make into a home, and it's not for ever. If schools are important to you then you won't regret it.

That’s a bit harsh and doesn’t make sense to be described as a ‘Karen’ simply for preferring detached property types!. A ‘Karen’ is someone who is unreasonable, angry, entitled and always demanding things be done their preferred way 😅.

PS most people who prefer them don’t go around telling others they’re silly for not having them. Sorry if your family do. But usually people on this thread just want to share opinions based on valid experiences.

I would definitely prioritise education over a house. It's the most important thing you do for your children. You can move again once they're finished school. Also, living in zone 2 London, I don't know anyone with a detached house and don't get the terrace hate.

No garden would put me off completely. I moved from a terrace with barely any garden, to a semi, and the difference having a garden has made to my enjoyment of life is wonderful. Also consider you will be able to hear your neighbours probably 90% of the time. We could hear our old next door neighbour trump.

No way. Home life is more important than a school.

Why are you assuming your children won’t do well at the local school? Have you seen evidence that they’re not doing well?

..especially as you spend more of your life there.

I find it harsh being described as all those things online every day just because of being called Karen. I use my middle name online.

Having had 4 DC go through the school system to adult hood ..I can safely say that if children are happy at school it has a huge positive knock on effect at home ,and obviously the same if they are unhappy at school.
I don't think I'd move to a house without a garden,but otherwise it's a good idea

How is parking currently and at the terraced house?

Also three secondary schools in our area ,over the last 20 years they have all taken turns in being the sort after school ,the school no one wants to send their child to ,the school with to many difficult kids ect ect .it changes regularly.
So I don't know ,your current house sounds lovely and you gave friends near ..just your child getting bullied is not great ,can that child move school without you moving house

Thank you for all the replies. Lots of food for thought.
I must admit that this thread did not go the way I thought it would! Usually people say location above all else. It is always difficult because, of course, no two houses are the same and each one comes with its own pros and cons.
It is also interesting buying a second house because with the first house we were very idealistic “oh, would love a big garden” etc, but in reality we spend very little time in it.

The terraced house is no problem, lived in one for years before we moved to our now detached. Had lovely neighbours and the house keeping the heat was a huge benefit. However couldn't do no garden. Even then we had a small garden.