We don't want you to make our decision (honest) but want some dispassionate viewpoints.

[twinsetandpearls]

We were going to move this year to care for the in laws about 45 minutes up the road. Dd was going to start in a prep school in September.

In Laws have both passed away but we would still like to send dd to the school. We were going to move as planned ready for dd to start the school in September. WE both intensley dislike the town we live in so moving away was a huge bonus and there are a lot of changes I would need to make to this house to make it work for us.

I work very long hours at a school that is at the bottom of the road and the school and dp were worried about how I was going to cope doing a commute of 30 - 45 minutes. At present I don't drive but have started lessons. It does make sense in a way for me to commute rather than dp as I work about 36 weeks a year wheras he work about 47. We were also nervous about taking on a new mortage and new school fees in one year so we had thought about staying here for another year, the school isa only 15 minutes away from dp work so he was going to drive dd to school ( about 40 mins from here) and then go to work and do the same in the evening. The school day is much longer at this new school though so I am worried about dd becoming to tired and also the extra driving that dp will need to do.

We are also lost what to do with our house which at the moment in a nightmare if we stay there are a lot of jobs to do but obviously if we are only going to be here for another year or two there seems little point in spending a lot of money.

Places at the school are filling up and I am worried that if we wait a year dd will not get a place - there are only one or two places in the yeargroup she will be entering.

So do we
a) Move for september 08 as planned and just do a bit of painting and cosmetics in the gardens to help it sell.
b) stay put for a year but start dd at the school in September 08. Do the same cosetic bits in the house.
c) stay put until september 09 and use some of the money we save on school fees to do more jobs on the house which will increase the value of the house , dd will start the school when we move.

Staying here makes sense to me because my job is on the doorstep and it gives us longer to build up more financial reserves and add value to the house - but we are staying in a house we don't like in a town we hate and dp is still doing his long commute.

Moving sooner makes sense as we are living in a miserable limbo here and i think that having accepted that dd is going to this school I want to get her started and I want to be as close as possible so we can support dd in her school.

There is probably a very clear answer but my head is spinning trying to work it out and I am finding it hard to see this loigically as I want to just get out of this town.

If you want to get out, then move. There are pros and cons to each option, but if staying would make you feel trapped and depressed, then get out and take the risk that you could have made more money on the house etc.

TBH, 30-45 mons commute sounds short to me, but I live in London!

yes I am not daunted by the commute as I used to love I London and did that every day although commuting in London is easier than in Lancashire. I suspect that if I am not driving the commute will be closer to 45 mins depending on where we settle. Many teachers at my school do about that commute as the town we teach in is not one many people want to live in, in fact I may even be able to come in with someone else.

But at present I get into school at around 6.30am and rarely leave before 7pm whihc is why people are worried, but I would just have to do more at home.

Can you spell out a bit more what you plan to do to the house and how much you think it will increase by?

Personally I'm not that convinced that house prices are goign to go up by much in the next 12-18 months, but obviously there will be local blips. If you're just tidying up and painting then all you are doing in accelerating a sale rather than "adding value" (eg new kitchen, bathroom etc).

It sounds as if your heart isn't in the current place. If you are dh are both working hard then I would think that it would be better to invest your time and money into building up your new home rather than investing energy into a place that you're looking to sell.

If we were going to stay for a few years then we would do things that made the house work for us rather than necessarily add value although they might

1. knock down wall between dining room and living room as we have a huge living room at the back of the house and a tiny dining room. The dual windows will also add light to the house which is dark.
2. Decorate more lavishly the rooms so far we have only done the kitchen and half the living room.
3. replace rather manky dining room and hallway carpet. fireplace in living room
4. call in someone to sort out front and back gardens - our back garden is the lowest on the street so has become a bog

If we are year for between 1 and two years we will

1. decorate but not spend as much, just a paint job upstairs.
2. fireplace
3. carpets
4. gardens

If we are going over easter summer

1. put up the paper we have in the living room - undecided over fireplace
2. tidy gardens carpets in dining room and hallway.
3. general paint and spruce up.

Yes lady muck I do feel like we are pouring money time and effort into a house we don't like. But there are thnigs we need to do if this is going to sell and sell quickly.

I would clean it top to bottom (as in de-clutter, freshen up, ensure each room is well-presented), fresh coat of paint on the walls and then sell. Don't stay in a town you do not like, don't stay in a house you do not like.

I would put dd into your preferrend school for Sept 08, because you will otherwise fret about places not being available.
Then look at moving, and starting afresh in a place you like.

I would get an estate agent around to value your house and then pick his/her brain as to what works would be worth doing and which would not.

Some things don't make much of a difference to the selling price.

I think it would be much better to move as soon as you can. That way you settle in and get used to the new house and area and the commute before your dd starts school.

so for me I would say A

B - I think this really would be unfair on your DD if you can avoid it. Private schools do have longer hours and more homework than state schools generally so I agree she will probably be exhausted at first. Also would be better near her school so that she can more easily socialse with the other children outside of school.

C - Seems the worst of all worlds to me. Even if the value of your property increases, the one you are likely to buy probably will too.

If the school is near your dp's work, he could do some or all of the school run drop offs. I assume you will be getting some sort of after school care (school club, etc) for the evenings.

Then again that is only my opninion

Your hours at work are very long - do you work 5 days a week or fewer days?

we have done that already Willmouse , he said tidy gardens, lick of paint ( two new kittens have ripped wallpaper) and carpets in hall and dining room ( dog chewed carpet and feint smell of catwee)

He said they would not necessarily add value but that houses are starting to be a bit sluggish on the market so we need to make it as attractive as possible if we need to sell by a certain date.

I work five days a week lazycow. dp work day finshes at half four and they have activties in school until 7pm if they wish to stay that long so dp could pick her up.

WE are looking to move onto the school bus route which would mean that as dd becomes more confident dp would not need to be picking her up and dropping her off.

I'd get out if I was you. I've lived somewhere I hated and didn't realise how depressed it was making me feel until we moved. I now feel alot better about life in general.

We are now in the position where we want to move again to a bigger house. The house we have bought needs a new kitchen and bathroom and we don't love the house enough to invest all of that money. We are just going to tart it up to get us through the next few years.

we have lived here for five years and I have mostly hated it and sometimes tolerated it, dd has a good life here though.

I think you should stick to plan A so to speak.

What's the point in spending time money and energy on a house when you are not 100% committed to staying?

Only my opinion though!

We are about to come into some money as well and I fear that we would end up frittering it away on this house when I would like to use it to reduce the mmortgate on our next house or allow us to buy somthing bigger without extending our mortgage.