DH and I will both be retired by the end of the year. We live in a 4 bed, house, new build but not estate constructed in 1996. It is a really nice house with lots of space, 2 x ensuite, big double garage, recently renovated kitchen family room at the back. We have a study and a room we use for yoga practice. Nice but compact south facing garden too. Our village in the south west is not a particularly posh one but perfectly nice.
We would like to move this year to somewhere there is more going on, ideally with some live music, cinema, independent shops etc. we want to be able to walk to go out, not have to drive half an hour or more in the dark.
Our house is not particularly valuable, maybe 450k, 475 top. In our local "nice town" there is little for sale and an influx of Londoners has
really pushed up prices, there is a 2 bed terrace there in need of modernisation for 400k. our second choice is up north, only 3 places for sale on rightmove altogether, usually there are 20+. Yesterday I thought I had hit the jackpot with a new development of rather stylish houses on an old industrial site not too far away from us. They are rather small but attractive. I called to enquire about when there would be a show house, as they are not scheduled to be built until the end of this year beginning of next. I was told it was unlikely I would get one as there were over 80 enquiries a day and that three plots were reserved by people who had already sold but were prepared to wait a year or more. Oh, and the prices were not set yet and might go up from the around 500k suggestion, indeed the semis being build later might cost more than the detached that are being built first.
The market just seems to be impossible. Even if we were to sell now and wait in rented there is hardly any of that around, and we wouldn't get the benefit of any increases on our house. Sadly I'm starting to think the simple idea of moving somewhere more fun to be is just not going to be possible.