WWYD - move or stay?

[KitschinSynch]

Hey everyone, I need some more help. Please let me know what you would do...

We have lived in a 2 bed flat 634ft squared for the last 12 years. It has gone up in value a huge amount about £250k but it sadly means that we can't afford to buy anywhere bigger in our area either.

DD6 loves her school and we have a really nice selection of friends she has had since nursery - we can walk to school - and walk to the tube station.
In short it's convenient and very friendly.

I think that the flat is far too small for us now and would love to move somewhere further out where we could afford a house - DH thinks we should stay and reconsider storage/decluttering - I am am my wits end and can't wait to be somewhere more spacious.

There is no scope for extending due to a drain and very small garden.

So would you move and take a chance of a new area, or would you stay.

Just to add that I have changed back to my original name KitschinSynch just wasn't doing it for me!

Why not try decluttering first? FAR FAR less hassle, and cheaper, than moving. I'm moving and it's costing me over £12,000 just in costs. You can get a lot of storage solutions at ikea for that!

I realise you're dying to move BUT, have you tried googling for small-house ideas? There are a million sites about it.

You'd be giving up a lot. I moved this January and I'm still thinking I made a HUGE mistake. Friends and schools are worth so, soooo much to life. More than I thought. :(

I'd have a really good look at what's out there - that could change your mind or DH's. Look on Rightmove at what's available in areas you like.

That's interesting whatsGoingonEh and sorry it's being a struggle for you. i am thinking that we move about 2 miles away and will have to get a car, but shouldn't be too cut off. I do try to declutter but everything of DD's seems to require storing - toys, books, school work, clothes, shoes, we don't have space for any more stuff!

I have been looking Clawdy which is why I know we can't afford anything bigger near us. :(

Since I've just had an offer accepted on the same street I live on now, I lean towards the 'stay if you can' brigade - that support network is something I would really miss.

I totally understand needing more space though, & 634ft isn't a lot - what we're doing is swapping a maisonette with very big bedrooms, for a house with more living space downstairs but smaller bedrooms. The floor space is about the same but it will mean we can actually have a table to eat around with friends. Is there anything that would do that? A bigger flat without the garden? (A big compromise I know, but we haven't had one for the last ten years and it hasn't been awful.)

If you can do it by decluttering then try. You would be paying a lot of money for space just to store stuff. Is it really all your dd's stuff? At about age 6 they start to have less stuff, Would it make a difference to buy furniture optimised to the space?