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Original poster

Would you agree that this house is too expensive?

78 replies

eeyores · 21/12/2025 22:02

DH and I have seen an amazing house. It’s £350K. We do need to upsize due to having another dc. Anyway our current (dhs) income is £3950 a month. Council tax in this area is imo v expensive, it’s £300/12 months. After mortgage and CT and bills, we’d have £1200 for food for family of 5 (one is 6mo), petrol and savings/fun money/ Christmas, birthdays etc. Our current bills and mortgage is £1200 a month and it feels like a lot more for this house (plus all of our savings/equity in this house). Obviously when dc is a bit older I’d be looking to get a job but we can’t rely on that as it’s a rural area and I don’t drive. I’d say it’s too tight but dh thinks it’s fine and worth it. What do you think?

OP posts:
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 21/12/2025 22:12

Apart from the cost, I’d advise against moving to the countryside with 3 DC if you can’t drive - unless you intend to learn soon. Those 3 babies will be at school - then secondary school before you know it. Then they’ll be teenagers and will need to get places. If your rural public transport is anything like ours, they’ll need a lot of lifts!

Does the £1200 include food?

Oddities1 · 21/12/2025 22:35

A rural area and you don't drive? Are you nuts?

£1200 for a family of five sounds extremely low - I'm a single person and get through almost that on food, petrol, travel, 'fun', odds and sods. And holidays? And birthdays? Christmas? Sounds miserable.

fashionqueen0123 · 21/12/2025 22:38

Learn to drive first. Why would you move somewhere that you can’t travel from easily?

Upsetbetty · 21/12/2025 22:40

Moving to a rural area when you can’t drive is the height of stupidity…all money issues aside! Why would you do that!?

gogomomo2 · 21/12/2025 22:41

Learn to drive! I didn’t and living rurally was a nightmare. If driving isn’t an option stick to towns

Oddities1 · 21/12/2025 22:42

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 21/12/2025 22:12

Apart from the cost, I’d advise against moving to the countryside with 3 DC if you can’t drive - unless you intend to learn soon. Those 3 babies will be at school - then secondary school before you know it. Then they’ll be teenagers and will need to get places. If your rural public transport is anything like ours, they’ll need a lot of lifts!

Does the £1200 include food?

She says in the op the £1200 is to INCLUDE food. So food PLUS everything else as well as driving lessons and a new car and all of the associated costs?!

Oddities1 · 21/12/2025 22:43

And insurance for a new driver will be extortionate

Youraveragelass · 21/12/2025 22:46

How rural are we talking here OP? I live rurally and it would be an absolute nightmare living here without being able to drive, let alone with 3 kids in tow!

That aside, how much do you currently spend per month? What does that £1200 need to cover? £350k doesn’t seem expensive for a house to comfortably fit 5 people so could you even find anything cheaper that would provide you with the living space you need?

mumofbun · 21/12/2025 22:46

It's far too expensive

We try to do 1200 for food and petrol (family of 4) and it's really hard. But we both have other spending money and savings budgeted separately to that.

Christmaseree · 21/12/2025 22:50

£2750 per month for mortgage and bills seems quite high.

Oddities1 · 21/12/2025 22:54

Christmaseree · 21/12/2025 22:50

£2750 per month for mortgage and bills seems quite high.

This thread is an excellent example of how we're all so different. I'm single and live alone and pay about this on mortgage and bills every month!

But also spend £1200 a month on everything op is proposing - but for five people...

RescueMeFromThisSilliness · 21/12/2025 23:05

What is the house like - can you describe it? £350k wouldn't get much round here.

Christmaseree · 21/12/2025 23:07

Oddities1 · 21/12/2025 22:54

This thread is an excellent example of how we're all so different. I'm single and live alone and pay about this on mortgage and bills every month!

But also spend £1200 a month on everything op is proposing - but for five people...

Show quote history

My bills are low, solar panels and an electric car help but my food is shockingly high.

Original poster
eeyores · 22/12/2025 07:59

@RescueMeFromThisSillinessit’s a huge detached 4 bed, one bedroom with dressing room, separate living from dining from kitchen, two bathroom. Living room is massive, huge garden (we have none), separate garage and shed. Bedrooms are all decent size, easily all fit doubles in them etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
eeyores · 22/12/2025 08:01

When I say rural, I mean a small village. Not literally a house in the middle of nowhere. Primary school and small shop plus a few small business. One mile away from secondary school, more supermarkets etc. But still rural.

OP posts:
peoplesuckpeoplesuck · 22/12/2025 08:06

No, it’s not enough. It may be when your kids are small but unless you go back to work or your husband get lots of payrises, once your kids are teens they’ll eat that in food alone, let alone everything else. Teenagers cost a fortune, plus saving up if they want to go to uni etc. By the time you’ve paid for food (£600 a month?) only 600 left for savings, emergencies, days out, clothes etc is very tight.

Original poster
eeyores · 22/12/2025 08:06

But yeah, after bills we have roughly £2700 a month for food and everything else. On this we manage one family holiday a year, Christmas and birthdays are not stressful, we have decent savings. But we live in a two bedroom flat (plus a tiny box room for one Dc), eldest Dc is nearly a teen so don’t want to make them share with youngest when they move out of my room and we don’t have a garden. It’s hard, we have a decent quality of life but we do feel that there isn’t really enough room for all of us. But we can’t afford anything bigger here. Dc would not mind the move, we’ve discussed it in theory and they wouldn’t mind, mainly as they get their own, bigger bedrooms Grin okay so what would you do? Live in a flat that’s too small but have decent money month to month or bigger house that’s comfortable and big but a lot less money? Also bear in mind I’ll get a job in about two years hopefully.

OP posts:
Cricketashes · 22/12/2025 08:06

I wouldn't be comfortable with that. That's not a big income for 5 people.
Like PP said, I wouldnt be living rurally if I couldn't drive. I live rurally and have to drive everywhere. There are only a few buses a day.

Christmaseree · 22/12/2025 08:26

eeyores · 22/12/2025 08:06

But yeah, after bills we have roughly £2700 a month for food and everything else. On this we manage one family holiday a year, Christmas and birthdays are not stressful, we have decent savings. But we live in a two bedroom flat (plus a tiny box room for one Dc), eldest Dc is nearly a teen so don’t want to make them share with youngest when they move out of my room and we don’t have a garden. It’s hard, we have a decent quality of life but we do feel that there isn’t really enough room for all of us. But we can’t afford anything bigger here. Dc would not mind the move, we’ve discussed it in theory and they wouldn’t mind, mainly as they get their own, bigger bedrooms Grin okay so what would you do? Live in a flat that’s too small but have decent money month to month or bigger house that’s comfortable and big but a lot less money? Also bear in mind I’ll get a job in about two years hopefully.

Possibly yes after reading your update. Is there a bus service in the village?

Mauro711 · 22/12/2025 08:27

Is there no middle ground option? Going from a 2-bed apartment to a 4-bed rural house with massive garden is a big jump. It would also be mad to live in that house/area and not be able to drive. Your H will have to spend a lot of time ferrying kids around when he's not working.

Could you not find a 4-bed terrace or a 3-bed one that you could extend/convert into a 4-bed somewhere more connected?

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 22/12/2025 08:30

I'd move and look to increase income assuming this home is suitable for 15 years.
Ie. There is primary and secondary provision. A GP nearby and as teenagers your children have something to do / theres a bus service.

It's a lot of house for the price and you can do it up as and when you like.

Given you arent earning i'd be looking at getting a few tool and doing a bit of DIY yourselves.

I'd also ensure you have good income protection and lif eonsidance for your husband and if needed I would forgo holidays to pay for it.

Id also be looking at cheaper middle ground options. Eg a 3 bed you could extend to 4 bed in time.

popcornandpotatoes · 22/12/2025 08:32

I think it's pretty ridiculous to live rurally if you don't drive, regardless of costs. There's always threads on MN about can't get Dc to school, can't get to hospital, can't work cos i don't drive and live rurally. Such a ridiculous decision

Flibbertyfloo · 22/12/2025 08:37

That sounds far too tight. I'd either stick it out where you are until you go back to work, or buy a three bedroom with scope to extend in the future.

DefiniteMeteor · 22/12/2025 08:39

I’d put everything into learning to drive and getting a job. Then see what mortgage you can afford and go from there

Mydadsbirthday · 22/12/2025 08:42

I would just go for it, no way would I want to live in a two bed flat with no garden and three kids.

But ONLY if you plan to learn to drive AND get a job. Loads of pressure on your DH if you don't.