Size or location?

[Choppies]

Due to cladding issues I am currently stuck with a baby in a tiny flat and am faced with the block being wrapped in scaffolding with no insulation for a year unable to sell…..

so me and DP are ploughing all our cash into buying a house to move to - obviously as it will be a second home the stamp duty is extortionate and we have a very limited budget and will need to compromise.

so if you have a young child (or 2), would you go for a detached 3 bed with garden and quiet streets (but basically zero amenities in walking distance, or a smaller 3 bed townhouse new build at a lower spec with smaller drive/garden and no garage but closer to cafes and shops??

so far all I know is that living in this flat in the freezing cold with limited daylight for months on end is the compromise I can’t make.

wise mumsnetters please help me with wise words

I have just purchased a house and went for location over size. You will never be able to change a location but you can improve a property in a good location even if you can’t change the size. If you are a home bird and don’t go out much then size might matter but it sounds like you like to have a social life and amenities. Being somewhere with nothing to do and nowhere to go would drive me up the walls especially with a baby or toddler to entertain. I would have lost my mind if I couldn’t walk in to town to meet my mummy friends during and after mat leave. Having a local assessable network of mummy friends was great and my daughter also loves going to playgrounds, walks, cafes, play groups at that age.

@Choppies Don’t get me started on the cladding. My friend is stuck in a tiny 2 bed flat in London with cladding issues with 2 kids under 4 so I really feel your pain. She’s been wanting to leave London to live closer to family and for better schools for ages but still no hope in sight

Option 2!

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years. If you like the area and want to stay there you can move within the area and build a life there. I honestly think you can be happy anywhere whatever you decide, if you want to be, good family and great kids you can make anywhere work for you. Or you can dwell on the negatives on any place and be miserable .