Would I be crazy to move 8 miles just because?

[kickassangel]

We've live in our current house for 6 years and I am very 'meh' about it. don't hate it, but certainly don't love it. I'm also 'meh' about the area we live in, and the local high school, which DD will go to in just over 2 years if we stay here.

I keep really wanting to move a few miles into the nearest city. It's a small university city, very vibrant, lots of facilities. I work on the edge, and DH's work has just moved to the south side of the city, close to my work. There's a housing area midway between his work and mine, (3 miles commute for each of us) where I really like the houses. They're about the same size but about 10% cheaper than our current house. They also have a MUCH smaller garden - I fecking hate our current one as DH & DD are both allergic to everything outside so I have to mow over an acre at least once a week then no-one goes outside at all!

The potential new house would also be only 1 mile from the gym that DD and I go to at least once a week, and where she plays tennis. There are loads of kids from her current school in the area (I teach at the same school so this is a mixed blessing) and none right where we live.

BUT - moving house is a pita, and expensive. So - would I be stupid to move just a few miles to save a few mins. each day on the daily drive, and be closer to all the stores/movies/restaurants/schools/friends?

makes sense to me. you'll be able to walk to the gym and even walk to work if there's a problem with your car.

I would move assuming jobs are reasonably secure and you don't have any longer term plans that mean the area would no longer be so ideal. We moved last year, primarily for a bigger house, but being 5 miles nearer to school and station for DH's commute has made a dramatic difference, more than I ever thought possible.

Moving was a bit of a stress for the 3.5 months it took from putting house on market to completion but not hideously so. Moving locally helped as no need to find out about schools etc. I also threw money at it for packets etc to reduce the stress.

Also makes sense to me, only if you can afford the fees etc though! It sounds as though it will increase your quality of life which is a brilliant reason IMO.

How are secondaries in the new location?

You have plenty of reasons to move! Being 3 miles from work is a dream.

My last move.was less than 3 miles

In our road people I know have moved to it :

• from the other side of town
• from a road that is about 0.3 miles away
• moved literally over the road (rent to buy)
• moved from a semi to detached both on the same road.

So no makes perfect sense to me if you can afford it.

Absolutely move! Sounds fab!
DD will love you for it too. Teenage years much better in vibrant small city (and IME they get up to much worse in boring cut off areas)

Think ahead. I think there are huge benefits to living somewhere teens can be self sufficient for transport , with a good safe cycle route or regular buses to school, town, cinema etc.
Would the secondary at the new house be better? If you compare your total mileage for you and DH over a month in time and petrol costs I bet the move would look even more attractive . But I hate the idea of being car dependent.

We live in the US so car dependent is pretty much a given. However, there would be far more opportunity for sharing a lift to work, or DH giving me a lift, so makes it less of an issue if a car is being repaired.

High schools pretty similar, although I will be asking around some more. DD has SN so there's scope for it to go disastrously wrong if she doesn't settle into a new school. New house would have many more options for high school (about 5 to choose from rather than 1).

It's the hassle of moving that deters me, but the more I think about it the more sense it makes. Typically about 5 or 6 properties come up for sale in the area I like each year. They are 'Mac Mansions' and not much different from one another, so I can wait until one that has the right number of bedrooms comes on the market.

I love my job and never want to leave (about to get a new headteacher so I may change my mind, but don't think so).
If DH changed jobs, most of the potential new ones are closer to where the new house is.

We'd be 8 miles closer to movies, supermarket, local shops. All the stuff I feel shut off from (even by only a few miles). And we could get takeaway delivered! (Currently have to drive 8 miles each way for anything other than pizza)

We'd also be closer to the airport for business trips and flights home to the UK.

We can easily afford it - the cost of new house is sufficiently less that it will cover all the fees and getting the house painted if we want.

Right - time to work on DH. He hates moving, but this seems obvious to me.

Typing this has made me realize that I really want this! There's a couple of houses on the market right now - I think we should book a viewing and take it from there!

It sounds like a good move!

You will easily get more of your life back for the time and trouble of moving!

I'd move for the takeaway delivery alone!

We moved 300m about 2 years ago. No regrets at all
I love living in a town, and wouldn't go back to living rurally for anything.

I have absolutely no idea how to sell a house in the US as this is our first place here, but I'm sure we can work it out.