Myself and DH moved to a an area on the outskirts of NW London back in 2013. It was ahead of the birth of our first daughter and we were looking for an area with good affordability (it was our first home), good schools and good transport links into London and this area met all three criteria. My partner is from the area and both his parents still liv there, which we figured would be really helpful for childcare. We have subsequently had three further children and I can confirm having his parents nearby has been invaluable. .
We are in our third property in the area and are lucky to have a large detached house backing on to our park. We completed a loft and rear extension back in 2022 and it's safe to say our house is a really good fit for our large family. Our kids are in outstanding state schools and the area is safe for a London borough. We are also about 3 years away from paying off the mortgage on the house.
So here's the problem, despite the area being safe, having good schools and near family, I have always hated it. I find it incredibly drab, dull and uninspiring and there genuinely isn't a day goes by when I am not on right move looking at new areas of fantasizing about living somewhere else. I hate the suburban feel of the area which is so different to where I grew up in South London, the crappy looking streets, houses, shops, it genuinely get's me down a lot of the time. I have shared this with my partner and he thinks I am being snobby, he is happy in the area and sees it has many benefits, BUT if I am really unhappy he would be prepared to move somewhere else.
There is an area that is adjacent to the one we live which is very affluent, much nicer than where we are now, and would mean we can keep the kids in their current schools and still be close to my partners parents. A comparable size house in that area would mean taking us taking a significant mortgage, maybe 600-700k compared to the 42k mortgage debt we have today. It sounds mad to even consider it but I am really unhappy in the area and have been for sometime. My husband amd kids by contrast all seem fine where we are, obviosuly my husband grew up here and the kids don't know any different.
My question is, am I wrong to pursue a move? Would it be selfish of me to uproot my whole family to a new area, taking on additional debt, when it seems to be only me with the problem with where live?