Moving to an area you don't really want to because you can't afford the one you do?

[DarkDaysHopefullyOver]

How have you come to terms with moving to an area you don't really want to move to because you can't afford the area you want?

For background, the area we want to move to we have connections to, we lived in a rental there for 9 years, my children still go to school in the village, my GP is still there, my favourite places to walk the dog are there. We are currently living in temp flat in the city which we have to be out of by end of September.

I am using LIFT to buy a house 5 miles away, and will just continue the school commutes. I really hope we can be back in the old village within 5 years. Houses are rarely available and usually at least 300k, which is unattainable for me as a single parent at the moment, there are the odd 200k, but they tend to go very quickly and end up with a closing date (we are in Scotland).

I'd like to settle in the new house, god knows its been a hellish journey, but I'd like to keep a goal of moving back where we love!

Maybe your view will change as you come to know your new area. Give it a year and see how you feel.

I've always taken the approach of buying fixer-uppers in the area I want because I like renovating houses and I need fields and trees around me to feel at home. And I can never afford the 'done' houses where I want to live.

I think this is really common. I had to do the same when I bought in some hellhole in London when I was younger. The thing is, it’s not forever. It’s a positive step in the right direction but the path isn’t always straight! I expect you will find things you really like about the area too and the property. I did, even though the area I bought in was officially deprived. You can still plan to move back to a better area when you can afford it.

Having family and friends connections does make moving away harder but not impossible. You can definitely make new connections and find new fun places to hang out but you need to be open to the possibilities. If you move home and spend your time hankering to be somewhere else, you won’t be able to settle and be happy in the new place.

You’re going to have to change your mindset especially if you want your kids to be happy in your new home. Look at it as a fresh start and spend some time exploring and getting to know your new area.

I feel for you, I went through something similar. It doesn’t have to be forever and you may even like the new area! Investing in the right property is important so maybe later you can make a profit when you sell and move back to this village.

Is there an option of buying a smaller place (flat?) in the area you love?

I think it will be hard to accept a new area if you’re spending all your time going back to the old loved area.

I feel the same but we had to make do at the time due to our budget and lack of house deposit. We’d rented for a few years too.

We luckily have really lovely neighbours that have welcomed us.

I always remind myself this isn’t our forever house (even though it’s lovely) and it’s all part of a more long term life plan.

Thank you for your replies, I don't really want anyone to feel the same but it's comforting to know I'm not alone.

I would love to buy a run down house that I could afford in the village, but nothing has been for sale for some time. There was 1 house, used to he an old neighbour, theirs was offers over 180k, but that is already above LIFT threshold and it went to closing date within 4 days. There are 2 currently for sale, one for a year, other about 6 months, both over 350k.

The house I am hopefully buying (please let the mortgage go through!), is still a big fixer Upper, although it has a very large garden and 2 loos. There is a large willow tree next to it in on a tiny ledge which the council own. I am less than 10 minutes to 3 of my other favourite walks.

We left our old village 5 months ago and I'm still not over it, I miss it so much. We were right next to the school, open fields. I still cry over it.