Sod's law. Lovely house back on market 1 year later - but by now we've spent ££ on our own house. Thoughts?

[StationeryNerd]

Just did a lot of swearing. A year ago we went through the painful experience of losing out on our 'dream' house on a nearby street. Why? Our ftb buyers gazundered us. We lost the onward purchase, despite scrabbling around to find another FTB. But then we emotionally moved on. My husband and I took £10k out of our life savings to glow up our current house to fall back in love with it again. Which we have. So we've changed the kitchen and added a couple of other things.

Well no surprise - now the house next door to the one we wanted to buy is coming onto the market.

The agent called me personally this afternoon. Question - do we go and see it anyway even though we've now invested cash into our current place?

Pro compared with our current house:

• it's not near a main road (our current is near to a main road)
• it's near the woods, families say their kids go and play together
• it's a Play Street, so closed to cars every other weekend
• it's got a front garden, our current is straight onto street

Cons compared with our current house

• It's further from the nursery, and we wouldn't want to change. So longer nursery commute for 2 more years.
• It needs a touch of work, whereas ours now is modern and finished. Nothing major needs doing, but new kitchen and redecorating.
• It's a bit more expensive, but once nursery fees are finished in 2 years, is just about do-able.
• ... Can I hope with the emotional turmoil that is the UK house buying process all over again?!

what would you do?

Honestly, if you're in your 40s and not sure you'd have the energy to cope before you can even get excited about the prospect, I'd take that as a big fat no. Spend the time whilst you are still physically fit enjoying your kids instead - but keep an eye on the market for other possible gems that might come up.

Get them to make friends on that street for safe bike riding :)

The steep garden would put me off. I've had a steep upward garden before and it was a pain in the bum.
I'm thinking no too.

How old are your children?

Will you be as delighted about little kids playing out on the street when yours are 10+?

Will you be chuffed to discover that all the teenagers hang out in the woods in the summer? (Maybe they don't?).

How would you cope living next to neighbours you probably resent who gazumped you?

Don't underestimate proximity and convenience.

What about the stamp duty, legal fees and moving costs though?

In 8 years there's a high chance another will come up especially if you regularly drop in a letter to express interest in specific houses.

If your gut feel was not immediately positive, I'd say no. Or suggest a completely different price to the estate agent.

Honestly, the negatives to that house and the monthly repayments would be a huge fat no for me. Stick where you are and sign up for some bike riding lessons over summer.

To me, it sounds like this house has reignited your desire to move again. Yes, you spent £10k but that's not a lot in the grand scheme of things. It hasn't resolved the reasons you wanted to move in the first place.
The house you saw today isn't the one for you but it suggests you should start looking again and be ready to move when you do find the right home.

No, it doesn't sound better to me.

You worry about Play Streets?
Good grief, there's no hope. 🙄

Not in our forties yet @KievLoverTwo I meant if we wait the full 8 years we will be. We have one nursery-age toddler now @Madcats and unsure about a second. We'd struggle here for space if we had number 2, although it's not something I'm 100% planning. I think you're right @tattychicken that the steep garden (we're talking ten steps down) has put me off but maybe it has reignited a desire to move eventually @Chewbecca ... just not the right one. It was so strange viewing the twin sister of the house we almost bought. But weirdly, I didn't walk round thinking 'yes, yes'. I love the street more than the house. But will it be worth the extra £1,375 per month? No.

Ten steps down with a toddler will be a nightmare. Renovations also sound big another nightmare. I’d be inclined to stay where you are. Unless you can get a massive discount.

This is not the house of your dreams @StationeryNerd so I would let it go.

Something better will come up eventually and there’s no immediate hurry to move is there. It was worth a look.

Play street put me off sounds good in principle but be a pain in the arse
when there small you need to be out with them then When there teenagers ether not interested or bring groups of there teenage friends hanging around on your st

there's only a few years where it would be beneficial noise at weekends footballs bounced of your cars

I love my DC, not sure I would love everyone else’s DC playing outside my house.

How does a Play Street work if you need to drive somewhere?

@Pinkypinkyplonk

I'm sorry that your job is your life. Never mind, you could change that if you could find other things & people that interest you.

@StationeryNerd

I'd definitely go & look at it.

However, whilst I think the 'pros' are nice, they wouldn't be enough to make me move. I'd want to be getting a lot more than that for the added expense & certainly not having to work 7-10 years longer!

psi don't see play streets as a bonus. I think they're bad for kids (removes boundaries 2/14 and makes them less safe 12/14. & a bloody hassle for yourself..

The play street sounds great when you have really young kids but incredibly annoying as they get even slightly older - how do you get your car in and out on play weekends? Or get things delivered. I have a two person delivery today. Would that have to be rearranged if a play weekend? We have a disabled adult son, would he just not be able to visit on a play weekend (car needs to be nearby).

And costs sound the type you would regret. It sounds too expensive. Especially with everything doubling in price just about weekly now.

Stay in yours for now, & then, if important to you, look for a quieter street with front gardens that is more affordable. It doesn’t have to be a play street - kids play pit safely in other streets as well.

The staying 20 years things may just be the size of houses. Families stay in our rat run street for decades (we have), because the houses are large, close to schools, pretty central so allow teens to be independent & are now large enough for adult children & extra adults to live comfortably here without us all being on top of each other. In other words it’s not the street, it’s the style of house. People do tend to stay decades in family homes because that’s their purpose - to bring up the family. We’d only move from here if the family no longer needed it.

Although extending in your 40s, which we did, is fine (you're not ancient!), it's the steep garden, little kids running around outside and the attraction of the woods to teens which put me off tbh. The buying, moving (and what you may discover once you're there) and hassle too, after you've lavished love and money on your current home... It's a no from me. BTW retiring at 55 is fab! Especially if you're into travelling and exploring 😉

don't know if anyone has mentioned this but if it is your final.home would the fact that it would likely be full of children playing in the street be what you want as you get older and yours are past that point or leaving home? Your needs change on that respect as you get older.

@YeahComeOnThen
oh, you’ve misunderstood me. I love my life and my job, and my pay!!! ( and therefore my mortgage.)
Thats why I can’t imagine retiring, I’ll only retire when I’m no longer able to work. Hopefully I’ll be able to diversify by then!

All the pros are based on things for your child. What about you? Your child will grow up very fast and you won't need the things you're basing this purchase on.

And adding an extra 10 years of working into your retirement age! Wow. No I wouldn't do that!

At 47 retiring seemed for wimps. At 57 I'd happily retire tomorrow. Menopause brain fog, aching joints and general fatigue are sadly very real. I love my job but I've worked full time for almost 40 years now... enough!

I wouldn't knowingly take away my life choices over a house.

@Pinkypinkyplonk I want to retire while I can still physically and mentally enjoy life. Only stopping because you have to sounds very sad.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn
Thats possibly because you don’t love your job. I honestly will be very sad to have to retire, obviously I will wind down some hours over the years and do other things. But I’m obviously one of the lucky ones who looks forward to working!

@StationeryNerd it seems to me like this isn’t the right house and you feel that way too. I’d keep overpaying current one as much as you can so you’re cutting what you owe more quickly. I’d visit and research places like this street you like so you have a short list (or long list even) of locations you would be happy to move to - maybe set up alerts on rightmove and other similar sites for those.

Work out what you’re prepared to spend doing up next, or max borrowing for one that’s ‘done’ and whether you can cut expenses elsewhere to cover it and so on. Maybe look at flexing what pension contributions you make (be careful here and take qualified advice if unsure). Then, if you find the right house in the next 12 months go for it and if not, shelve plans until the ‘next’ time that works for you - of course you can then change locations because you won’t be fussed about primary etc.

@Pinkypinkyplonk I actually specifically said in my post that I DO love my job! Which I do... I don't know how old you are, but I do know that my outlook on life changed dramatically when I got into my 50s. Now as I edge closer to 60, I realise more and more that life is short and I want to do more and more... not spend my time at work, despite the fact that I have a fantastic job with amazing colleagues and exciting projects.

I'm just advising the OP to think long and hard about whether this house is worth pushing her retirement back by 10 years.