Wwyd

[ZombieBoob]

3 options

Move kids school for much bigger house not better area though. Higher end of budget.

Good sized house will not need to move school but will be out of town. Middle range of budget. Will be money left over for extras doing it up.

Fantastic location just a short walk from schools ect. Small garden though. Out of budget will be stretched if bought. Smallest house. No upheaval for kids.

Hard to answer without more details. I wouldn't ever move to a worse area, I think location is extremely important. I'd also prefer not to move my kids but I would do depending on their age and what I thought of current school/new school. I wouldn't buy a house where you had to drive everywhere.

Is the smallest house going to be too small?

Kids are 14, 6, 4 , and 17 months. Worse area schools are pretty poor.
Teenager dosent want to leave school so they would have to bus it to old school of not driven. Loads of room. Future proofing for elderly parents of needed. 8 bed.
Smallest house would be a squeeze no room to expand. 4 bed.
Middle house is in between but will have money left over to convert garage into space for granny if needed also to decorate exactly how we'd want it. 5 bed

Also house price rises will 100% do better in the nest location. Worse location houses are currently falling. Middle one stagnant. Its going to be the forever home

Middle one.
Money to spare.
Keep schools.
Enough room.
Garden size.
Looks like a no-brainer based on what you've said?

I would take the best location as long as it is big enough (enough bathrooms/bedrooms even if kids share etc.) We took a smaller house in a great location and it’s the best, good transport links for kids as they get older so we don’t have to taxi. Friends from school local for play dates. Won’t have to join the traffic jam that is school run in a car, we can walk.

If you stretch your budget too much and something happens, it could all turn to shit quite quickly -as lots of people found with Covid/Mortgage rates increasing.

Not number 1. Disrupts kids, no better area. Size in itself is not necessarily better. I'd decide between 2 or 3. Do you need to expand? Won't the oldest be off your hands in a few years anyway?

Location every time

Option 3. A.all house no upheaval can walk to school. I always think about the next 5 to 10 years in a house and the next 5 to 10 for you will be centred around school.
You can not underestimate the ease of a good location.

Just to add, we're doing exactly that. Moving to a smaller house in a much better location and we couldn't be happier.

Think my what ifs is the bigger house really. So much more house for the money. I just don't think I could do smallest/most expensive house just for location but will need to give it a proper think. Some really good points. Hope to possibly have one more baby next year

Options 2 and 3. What makes option 3 a fantastic location - is it just proximity to schools?

The smaller house is still 4 bedrooms and has good schools in catchment which should be your priority over future proofing for elderly parents.

I would choose option 3. Location tops everything.

Not 1: bad for the DC.

not enough info on 2 or 3. Eg for 2 how long and convenient (or difficult) will the journey to school and town be? Is 3 realistically affordable based on assumptions about your future incomes & other outgoings?

With 4 or 5 DC to consider wouldn’t base housing choices about possibly moving in elderly relatives later. That’d be a massive undertaking and possibly detrimental to the DC.

House 1 schools are “pretty poor “ you said so is it really fair to your kids to move to an area with poor schools if you don’t have to financially? It isn’t. That option should be off the table, in my opinion.

Don’t buy house 1.

I’d be inclined to go for house 3 as “fantastic location” is valuable to me (because I live in boring out of town not that far but actually everything is inconvenient location) but is it big enough ie can you get beds and wardrobes for 6 people and get 6 people around your table.

Don’t “forever home” this move. Get what you need for the next 15 years. Don’t compromise your children’s academic and social life because your parents might potentially fancy living in your garage. If you want multi generational living with your parents living with you and - presuming we are talking a few years down the line, your adult child then they are going to have to help fund that to get a big enough house near good schools.

Location every time. You can always improve a house, put your own stamp on it but you can't change the location. You've said yourself the schools for house 1 aren't good anyway. A good location will hold its value far better.

I wouldn't even think about the possibility of moving elderly parents in with you. You can't future proof every possible event, focus on your children

Does one have a big garden to go with the big house?

I would be tempted by one, plenty of room for everyone, a small house with a number of children and another one to come would be a nightmare for me. The younger children will be in primary school for a while to think about secondary and the local schools may get better.

Being comfortable is more important than location for me, assuming this house is not in a high crime urban wilderness. Only you know what is most important to you. If it is to be a forever home resale value doesn't really matter.

Option 3 location is only due to schools and the beach 2 mins walk away. Only a coop as a shop. Would be a stretch money wise.

Options two drive would be about 15/20 mins Option two is closet to shops things to do train station to bigger city. Buy outright

Option 1 is a half hour drive each way if stayed at current schools.

My thinking exactly with schools needing to be better should be the most important choice just something is pulling me to the bigger house. Has big garden too. Small mortgage

I would consider my existing children more than any future children.

I'd never knowingly move my children to a rubbish school, so I could have another child. 4 is enough, give them a good life in a nice area.

Middle house.