To move or not to move!

[Firstimer703]

My DH & I are expecting our first child in August and currently trying to move house so we can have more space. We live in a 2 bed terrace near Cardiff city centre at the minute. The hallway is home to a bike (sometimes two) and our 2nd bedroom currently serves as a guest room, dressing room and office.

Our house sold last week to someone who wants to pay a fair bit more than the asking price so now the estate agents are in a rush for us to find somewhere to go. Before it was sold, they were telling us not to bother looking until we had a buyer and now they would like us to have found somewhere in a week despite not showing us a single property!

The housing market is slow at the minute. There isn't loads coming on to the market in our price bracket and few have the sunny garden that I am desperate to have! Then on the other hand, we already have a house we like (albeit small) and it's cheap to live here which might be a bonus with a new priority in our lives. While we stay though, prices are going up and we may not get such a good offer on ours again.

Obviously the clock is ticking as we wait for our new arrival and I'm not sure what to do! Anyone have some worldly advice for us?

Does the house with the sunny garden, in an area you like and in your price range, actually exist? Is it a case of them not being on the market at the moment, or that actually it's not out there? You can find house prices etc on zoopla to see if what you're after is in your price range. Then decide how much you're willing to compromise... E. G. If the house doesn't have the garden you want, would you rather stay where you are? Don't be pressurised into moving just because the estate agents want their fee! Good luck.

Maintain your attitude that you dont have to move.
Keep looking. If you find somewhere suitable then great. If you dont, world has not ended. If you have sold quickly there is no reason to suspect you wont do so again if needs be.
Remember agents are motivated solely by comission so ignore pressure.

Make the move, I say. Your place is small? Well, it's going to get smaller. You like things the way they are? Well, DC is about to drive a horse & carriage through that (in a good way!). Change is inevitable. I'd embrace it and get moving, realise that your priorities will change. A city centre location becomes less important than a driveway, etc etc. Just enjoy the ride! 😀

It is possible to get the house with the garden but there aren't that many and they come with some compromise (which I'm happy to make) such as smaller or on a main road or a bit more expensive but still within budget. It doesn't matter so much to my DH but for me, if I'm working my socks off to pay for the house then I want to be able to sit in the evening sun with my glass of wine & bbq if I want to! In our current house, our garden is small but very sunny. Previously, I've had a large S/W facing garden. Think once you've had it, it's hard to go back!!

Personally sitting in the garden in the evening with wine was something we stopped doing when the DC came along. I have fond memories of it from pre-DC but our eldest is 11 and early evenings are still one of us doing bedtime while the other cooks. That said, afternoon sunshine is nice.

I think it depends on your long term plans really. Are you expecting to outgrow this house and "have" to move, or could you stay 5 years? If the former, going higher up in your budget now seems pretty sensible rather than waiting a few years and doing this all again then. It's a balance - don't let the estate agents bully you into it, but on the other hand it's not fair to faff about and keep your buyer waiting for months while you decide. I think you need to see a few, quickly, then weigh up whether your hearts are in moving or not. If not, let your buyers know asap, because they could be missing out on other houses.

Thanks for all the replies, it's good feedback and useful advice. Feel a bit more clear about the way forward now. We're booking lots of viewings and hopefully we'll find 'the one' soon!