Smaller house, bigger garden?

[AwFeebs]

In a quandary.

Chance to go for a house which is closer to school and work, higher spec and has a bigger garden.

Here's the but - it's rooms are smaller than our current house. Not unlivable but definitley smaller. Same number of bedrooms, 3 - DDs share. We're a family of 5.

Anyone downsized a bit and found it OK?

Is it massively closer to work and schools? The bigger picture is your use your home 365 days a year and sit in your garden in the UK about 3 full months of a year? Can u put an extension on it?

Without knowing more circumstances its hard to say. How much will you honestly use the garden? Could you afford to do an extension or garden room at some point to create more indoor space? Do you have a lot of stuff that you'd want to keep and store in a new house?

@organisedmother I've worked out that I will gain about 5 hours a week not doing the extra travelling.

No ext unfortunately.

I would be considering how much smaller the rooms are, is there potential to extend, and how long would you imagine living there? If you have two sharing a room, as they get older they'll have more 'stuff', would it still be comfortable? Then how much bigger is the garden, how much time do you spend outdoors to enjoy it? Not really sure what I'd do but just some questions to consider.

Both properties are rented at the moment. Tbf I'd like to live more minimalistic. I need to get rid of some stuff that I just let mount up.

The garden really is for the children. Our garden now is the size of a postage stamp.

Seeing your updates, if you're renting then you're not tied long term. So if you'd gain five hours each week, and gain a garden rather than a postage stamp then I'd say it's definitely worth it!

Oh yes if your renting there is no ties, I thought was a purchase.... go for it!

Yes, several years ago we moved from a large three bed detached with extension to a much smaller three bed terraced. I haven't regretted it at all.

For us, the new house is in a much nicer area (moved from city to village), with a community and a shorter commute to work for my DH. A decade on, I'm happy we made the move, as this is a much nicer place to raise children and whilst I have missed the bigger rooms at times, being clever with furniture (esp in Children’s bedrooms) and a garage conversion has given us the space we need. As children get older, I have found they need less space anyway, their toys become iPhones smaller and so you don't need to house as much crap.

Funnily enough @TrySarahTops my sister said the same thing. Less plastic toys/figures to store.

We are going to go for it.

We are doing this. Postage stamp garden in Edwardian terrace with large rooms and tall ceilings, to semi detached house with 100ft garden but all rooms smaller than our current place.

We’re moving for schools and better area, and you can’t get spacious period houses there. The big garden is a huge draw, and although I’m a little apprehensive about the smaller rooms, we plan to extend the ground floor plus rear first floor, and convert the loft into a spacious master. All of the other bedrooms will be small doubles at a push, but in a few short years my children will be teenage boys and I don’t think they’ll want or need that much stuff in their bedrooms. Plus, the garden size gives us the option to build a cabin out there for them if we are finding space in the house a bit tight. I get what you mean, though, it’s difficult to imagine where we are going to actually fit all of our current furniture into smaller rooms.

Yes! Garden for us us the most important thing we are looking for. We moved from massive four bed to tiny rented while we have been house hunting. Actually got rid of more stuff when we moved, than we actually moved with and have been slowly getting rid of more since. I'm actually quite embarrassed at how much crap we had accumulated. It was very wasteful and we certainly havent missed any of it! It has made us much more considerate of what we buy now, and we tend to buy better quality things that we we actually get use out of. I like our uncluttered (smaller) house. We have been really smart with storage too. I think as long as you think about what you really want/need from a house, and it meets the criteria then downsizing isn't necessarily a bad option if there are other pluses. The one thing I don't like is the small kitchen, however, as I do like to cook and I do use a lot of different gadgets.

it would be cheaper than an extension to get a large shed to use as an external room - get electric connected & insulate walls - it could be a playroom or study area (dimplex for heating)later you could insulate it yourselves

what is the attic like? either for storing out of season things or for future extending into attic?

@AwFeebs

That's great! The extra time you'll gain is worth its weight in gold.

We downsized from a house with lots of space in a remote location to a house which is ample but more compact in a great location and it’s the best thing we’ve ever done

Loft no good for storage we were told.

We could board it but unsure weather permission would be granted. Apparently new build lofts aren't really built for lots of storage unlike older style house.

We've got rid of loads of stuff already and I feel so much better. Just something we will need to keep on top of now. Trying to be clever with space, sons new bed is a divan with drawers for storage.

Anyone else have brilliant storage ideas?!

Move...you csn get the keter storage sheds for the garden lots of stuff can go in there

www.wickes.co.uk/Keter-Store-It-Out-Max-Plastic-Garden+Wheelie-Bin-Storage-Beige+Brown---4-x-5-ft/p/119796?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp119796&sc_intid=119796&gclid=CjwKCAiA_Kz-BRAJEiwAhJNY7w8Pz4sv8SXoBffQX3v55jwI5GL8q7f-EuZJcWx5JOKLTjmHiXXRLxoCo24QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

www.argos.co.uk/product/2755126?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=ixixwtmaa&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7cacid:804-872-0397%7ccid:9595961000%7cagid:98944957397%7ctid:aud-641224041017:pla-891947164955%7ccrid:424865084345%7cnw:g%7crnd:6412657548451418023%7cdvc:m%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:9045957&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9595961000&utm_term=2755126&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=98944957397&utm_custom2=804-872-0397&gclid=CjwKCAiA_Kz-BRAJEiwAhJNY78eo9y0CjCpNsj5h7CB-V5SCbZFG3U_z_gPca9rXkUJj6RhXBtRQBBoC1tcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You’re not meant to put anything in the loft of a new build as they’re designed with lots of insulation and to let air circulate to reduce heating costs!

Ahh that explains it then @BungleandGeorge!

Thanks for the links @Embracelife will take a look!