3 bed detached to a 2 bed cottage? I'm mad, aren't I? :(

[Baddz]

Hello!
Have been in my current house for 3 years now.
It's 30 years old and a 3 bed detached. Garage conversion and conservatory.
Off road parking.
It's a nice house.
We have had to spend quite on it since we moved in :( and I think it's coloured my view somewhat.
I would say its worth about £30k more than we paid for it.
There is a 2 bed grade 2 listed cottage that has come up for sale.
Garden, garage, summer house, private garden.
There is no way in hell dh would agree, but I have always abated to live in a period property.
It would mean the dc sharing a bedroom which dh is very against.
Come on....give it to me....I'm mad, aren't I?
:(

[Boofy27]

Baddz, what you want is a nice Victorian/Edwardian place. They have oodles of charm, nicely proportioned rooms and no one complains when you make them warm and watertight.

If you find that you still have too much disposable income, go for some kind of renewable energy system, a ground source heat pump will take up as much financial commitment, emotional energy and day to day upkeep as a challenging small child.

[CatieBlanket]

Rusty's idea is a good one. Get thee a Little Greene Company colour chart and transform a room!

[rustyrailings]

Can't you give one of the reception rooms a total makeover, give it a different feeling, make it yours? Some period colours and pictures perhaps, a project just for you.

[Baddz]

Yes.
Spot on.
My house is dull :(
I am very lucky as we have loads of storage and (inc conservatory) 3 reception rooms but....I just don't love it.
80% of the stuff in this house is either Dhs or the dcs.
I yearn for minimalism!

[Pipbin]

I agree Tidy. Good storage for boring stuff like ironing boards it very close to the top of my house buying list. Dull, but you need it. Houses where I couldn't see where to keep the ironing board and vacuum cleaner were rejected.

[WellTidy]

I'm so glad

[Baddz]

You have.
:)

[WellTidy]

You are mad. Mad.

The romantic in me thinks it would be lovely, picture perfect and ever so sweet, and I can practically smell the butter melting in the croissants that you would be enjoying for breakfast in the ever so pretty little garden.

But really. Where would you store things and keep it looking quaint and pretty and picture perfect? Essential things, like the suitcases, Christmas decorations, toys and clothes that your DC1 has grown out of, but you don't want to throw away because your DC2 will have use and wear out of them. Is there enough practical space eg for the vacuum cleaner, ironing board, clothes airer and all that mundane but essential stuff?

Listed is a nightmare. You will definitely pay more for anything that you want or need to do to a listed house than you will any other house. if you don't like the feeling of how much you've had to spend on your current home, then you have already had a taste of what spending on a listed building is like.

Have I helped?!!

[Apatite1]

And may you soon achieve all your library dreams thehumanjam!

[JustWantToBeDorisAgain]

You are completely mad!

I live in a 3 bed semi detached cottage ( not listed but v old) we are looking a moving to a modern detached 4 bed for more space, as the dc get bigger they just seem to take up more space and make more noise!

I loved this property when I was single and had small babies but now we've just outgrown it... I can't imagine wanting to go smaller!

[thehumanjam]

Apatite that sounds like a library to
me! I'm very envious, we are hoping to move in a couple of years and I'm looking for houses that have scope for a reading room style conservatory.

[hmc]

It's a very bad idea. You are romanticising it terribly and would live to regret it

[Apatite1]

I insist on calling it the library even though you can only get two comfy armchairs and a few lamps in it. But it's being designed with floor to ceiling bookshelves, and by Jove, I'm calling it the library even if my husband laughs at me!!

[SmellTheGlove]

I do know how you feel! We are about to move to a slightly smaller house nearby which is Victorian compared to the 1930s one we are in now. Our current house has more space but I just don't feel the love, I never have, and like you we have had to spend lots of money fixing really boring things like the gutters and windows and never had any spare to do nicer things like redecorate or get a new kitchen! BUT!!! We only have one DS, and moving to a 2 bed rather than a 3 bed won't really affect him. I have never really yearned after a massive house, it's more about location and period charm for me...I'm actually quite enjoying getting rid of loads of clutter!

[Baddz]

A library!?
OMG.
I would love a library!

[Apatite1]

Really, there is no joy in living in a cramped place. I live in one and I can't wait to move. My new home will have a large master suite, my own dressing room, my own ensuite, a study and a library. I'd take that over our current flat in a period house any day (bloody place is draughty and I deeply resent the money we spend to heat it very inefficiently!)

[WingsClipped]

If your DH absolutely hates it then I don't think it will work for you guys to go ahead. DH thought our cottage was small but doable- it probably helps that we still have the other property to fall back on once the kids are old enough to need their own space.

[Baddz]

I just feel so....meh about this house.
All it's done is cost us money and I begrudge every ruddy penny.
At least if I loved the house I wouldn't feel so fed up about spending money on it.
Ideally I would love a Victorian or Edwardian period house.
But....not many of them where I live :(

[Baddz]

I can't afford a large one!

And Dh hates it.
Ds1 likes it though :)

[Apatite1]

No that's crazy. Crazy! I look forward to getting a cottage as a second home, but even childless me thinks it's mental to try to cram all my stuff into a cottage. And you've got kids. You need a large period house, not a small one!

[Baddz]

Issy...I know. I know :)
It's my usual spring madness

[Pipbin]

Boofy. Ideally have a buildings regs inspector telling you that you have to do one thing while having the conservation officer telling you that you can't do it, while setting fire to £10 notes.

[IssyStark]

Yes you are mad as well you know

Just think of the cost of moving now and then having to move again once it is just too much to have the kids on top of each other while they are moody teens/trying to revise for exams etc etc.

Remember rightmove is for property porn, it's not real life

[Baddz]

Boofy...ouch. That sounds rough

[Boofy27]

It's always worth trying things out before you fully commit, setting fire to ten pound notes while someone wearing a hard hat pretends to be a conservation officer and shouts at you is an excellent way to get the 'owning a listed building' feeling.