Anyone chosen the bigger house in a worse area

[shoopashoop]

...and not regretted it?

Looking for positive stories 🙏🏻
Moved 4 weeks ago and don’t feel like I’ll ever fit in here.

Yes, we lived in a ‘naice’ town but couldn’t afford a house so moved across the County boarder to a cheaper town. Lived there for eleven years and it was fine.

It’s quite normal to feel unsettled straight after moving, as you get used to your new whereabouts, sort your house out etc. some people find this process exciting, whilst others find all the decesions needed overwhelming.

Had verging on a nervous breakdown on moving in (more to do with husband’s over the top reaction to a specific aspect of the area and me having really pushed the move as FTBs desperate to start somewhere - he wanted to stay in rental). I genuinely love it now less than two years on - family life with our own space each and a garden is fab and the area is fine, a bit boring if anything! We are well connected to nice areas and have discovered others.

I worry about getting new awful neighbours but the parking threads on here show that can happen anywhere.

Yup. We used it as a stepping stone to be able to eventually move to where we wanted to be.

It was fine, people etc very friendly but just not a long term thing for me, DH would have stayed because we had more land, huge house but we downsized to be in a nicer area for our DC.

Without wishing to be facetious it depends what the worse area is. Is it just not as “naice” or is it rough/complex multi levelled deprevation/unsafe etc?

Well yes, although it's just on the edge of a lovely area. I don't regret it now. I've got to know quite a few neighbours - the area is full of lovely people. I love my house because I've created a home that I brought the kids up alone in (moved here on divorce) and the house is hugely convenient in terms of getting everywhere and transport, as well as close to the supermarket. It's also a big house that fits all of my (big) family in.

I will sell up and downsize to the nicer area when a few kids have left home.

I also recognise that I could not have afforded my house in the area I wanted to live in. I was very lucky getting the house I got, and it enabled me to carry on sending the children to the schools they were in pre-divorce.

Thanks for but these. We have a school aged child already so this complicates things somewhat.
@Lastqueenofscotland not directly where we are but we do border and estate where it seems this is the case. We are not in the nicest area of the new city but we needed to be close to the motorway for commuting to work. Our immediate neighbours are nice - all older than us. The people are nice generally, just different to where I have come from.
We couldn’t afford where we were either - prices for 3 bed semis were already pretty crazy but they were then going for 40k over asking (sometimes more).
Just feel sad and want to get excited about decorating but I can’t. If I won the lottery I’d be out in a flash.

It likely feels worse because it’s all very new and you’re apprehensive. You can feel that way regardless of whether the area is “worse” or “better” than where you came from.

Logically, if you’ve chosen to live there then you must be similar to / have things in common with at least some of the people nearby: similar financial positions where you have to weigh up location against house size, you all want to be in a particular school catchment, you all commute out of town etc. Even on a nearby estate where many people are poor you’ll have lots in common, in terms of just wanting to quietly raise your DC in a decent community as best you can. I’d give it more time and meanwhile, try and make your new house feel a bit more like your old house in terms of getting it properly unpacked and familiar things around you.

Awww I feel your pain. Did you not get any vibes whilst going through the conveyancing ? We were sale agreed and had actually singed the contract with solicitor ( who by chance told us she wasn't sending it off until the end of that week) we just didn't get that excited feel that we thought after 17 years of saving we should have had. We backed out at the absolute last second and I'm sure we got flamed but I just knew it wasn't gonna be the right fit.

I'm sorry you feel this way OP xx

Give it time.

I moved to a lovely house in a lovely area and still felt like this. I suffered with really bad anxiety when we moved and ended up on anti-depressants. Within a month or so I absolutely loved the new place and I still do nearly two years on. I won't move again until I'm forced to die to old age or whatever.

Try not to focus on the area being the reason you're feeling like this. When I moved I came up with every reason I could think of that the house wasn't right and we'd made a huge mistake. It was just the anxiety finding its fuel.

Give it time, you may be pleasantly surprised.

*due to old age!

What is it about the area that you feel you don't fit in with? in what way are the neighbours different? I moved to the other side of the country to an area with high deprivation but very affordable and it took me a while to feel like I fit in as my accent was so different and I just felt out of place, but I joined some local meet up groups, joined some local facebook groups, and did some volunteering and a few years later and I feel like part of the furniture :) Sometimes you've got to put your worries aside and throw yourself in and get to know your new area and it might surprise you :)

We bought a house in our small town. We bought in the ‘not so nice area - ex-council houses etc. To be honest even the very very worst part of our town is probably equal to the best part of most cities!

We could afford a 4 bed with large garden, study and 2 bathrooms plus massive conservatory in this street but a few streets closer to the ‘nice’ end we would have had to buy a 3 bed 1 bath with no extra living space

Yes when we were ftb a 2 bed flat in the area we were renting cost the same as a 4 bed house and large garden 2 miles down the road. We chose the house and when we sold ten years later it had tripled in value and the area was super trendy. The previous area had stayed similar prices …

Yes similar to you @Kyrae.
I am hoping I grow to love it like you! love the house and this is ruining it for me! Really don’t want to have to move again and uproot the children.
Thanks all for positive stories keep them coming
@Girlwhowearsglasses that’s great! Definitely right decision for you.
Oh to have a crystal ball...

Yes! Bought a large house in a less nice area. Not a horrible area but not seen as 'posh' like the town we used to live in. School catchment still good though. So far we love it and are enjoying the extra space. We're only 10 kins drive away from lovely towns anyway.

We dont live in the best area, there is nothing wrong with it, it is just a bit meh. The high street is functional but boring and we are a bit further away from the town centre and the beach than I would like. But we love our house, have nice neighbours and the schools are great. We just had to compromise and I dont think we would be happier in a much smaller house nearer to the beach and nicer pubs and restaurants. The good schools were a clincher though.

When you close the front door, you can't see what's outside. Providing you don't have noisy parties going on next door or paper-thin walls so you can hear the neighbours having a wee, what goes on outside doesn't matter.

Look around at all the wonderful space you have. Step outside into your garden. Providing you're not in an area where you're at imminent risk of being burgled or knifed as you step outside your gate, then the outside world is irrelevant. It's easy to travel for shopping, friends, leisure activities etc. But inside is where we spend most of our time, and having the space and room is a wonderful luxury that lots of people in nicer areas won't have.

The grass is always greener OP. Maybe try writing a list of things you love about your house to try and adjust your mindset.

Me! I could have afforded my favourite area (where I grew up), but I wanted an extra bedroom, playroom and bigger garden. I've been here 5 years now and I don't regret my choice at all.

I think more than the area, it's the road that's important. My road is lovely. All my neighbours are great. I don't work, so spend lots of time at home and having space means far more to me than walking round the neighbourhood feeling posh! I would have chosen differently had the cheaper area felt unsafe though.

We did and no regrets. Area is quite run down and mix of students and families but very green and walking distance from everything we need. I like it here even though it's rough round the edges but our neighbours are all lovely and we could never have afforded our house one mile down the road in the naice bit (but we can walk there for free!)

I chose a larger nicer house in a less prestigious road, only sold due to divorce

we bought in walthamstow village years ago....most shops boarded up...dealers in local pubs etc...paid 46k....selling next year for 800k...or more !!....area changed totally in past 25 years.

@earsup amazing!
Just been reading another thread about a recession and house prices dropping. So much to worry about. I have really struggled to put things in perspective today

[quote shoopashoop]@earsup amazing!
Just been reading another thread about a recession and house prices dropping. So much to worry about. I have really struggled to put things in perspective today[/quote]
most of the houses near us have sold fast but for about 50k below asking price but a bit over priced to begin with....its not always been fantastic tho....the landlord who owns the slum next door has pestered us for years to sell....we have reported him many times for his bed in shed arrangements etc....hates us as had many visits from council etc...!!

Yes I've technically done this with every house I've purchased so far, on the basis that my personal prioritisation when buying a house has always been the house itself over the area in which it sits, therefore by definition I'm buying a 'better house in a worse area'. I have 0 regrets.