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.

Interesting @FurierTransform. The MN narrative of location every time is drilled into my head now which is making me panic I’ve made the wrong choice.

Shoopashoop, I also moved to a big, beautiful period house in an area others are quick to dismiss as being a dump or slum. I find it offensive as I grew up in this area, and underneath the bad reputation, there is a thriving community, wonderful families trying to do the best they can for their kids, and kind and generous neighbours. We’re close to family, local shops, and the transport links are excellent. There are lots of groups and communities locally doing various hobbies or community initiatives- you just have to look harder.

Like PP, we too could have bought in a neighbouring “naice” area but we would have been squeezed in a tiny three bed with no extra living space. I have zero regrets in my beautiful house. I was so grateful during lockdown for the amount of space we had, and our huge garden.

And as for this:
The MN narrative of location every time is drilled into my head now which is making me panic I’ve made the wrong choice.

Whilst MN is a great place for advice and information, it does have a particular hive mind, and many MNers are very snobby about areas that aren’t majority white or middle class. I’d examine what it is about the area that’s making you feel so upset and try to untangle the reasons behind this. There must be like-minded families living close by, and positives that attracted you there in the first place.

Thank you @NatriumChloride that’s good advice

I agree with @NatriumChloride - the advice I see here is often very similar, and doesn't reflect the outside world.

We live in the nicest house we could afford, in a mediocre area. Three years on, we are very happy in our house.

What is it about the area? Is it the perception of the area that's bothering you (what others think of it), or the way it looks, or a lack of amenities? Does it just feel a bit bland and suburban, or does it lack green space?

Sometimes I find that just trying to identify the root of the issue gives me perspective and helps me think of solutions.

It depends how you live I think. We lived in nicer areas - more central, more expensive, more nice places to go - when we were younger as we were renting. Moved out to get more space and buy, which means area isn't as nice, but owning a place and having the space at home is now more important. We spend far more time at home than out in the local area. And the area is fine just not as posh, not as much going on. And we remind ourselves we can visit other areas when we like anyway. (We're in London.)