Location, location, location, How did you decide where to live?

[Hoolahoophop]

Did you just know, or did you have to carefully balance the pro's and con's?

Option 1. Centre of small market town, pubs, restaurants and shops on the doorstep. Kids walk to school and their friends houses. Large house and garden but still town sized life would be about popping into town, spontaneous breakfasts out, kids friends walking back after school, rarely using the car. Probably cheaper, so more money to spend on all those in town things.

Option 2. Outskirts of village, could have several acres of land, really large house, maybe pool, woodland to climb in, space for vegetable growing, barns for outdoor games and entertainment room. Lots of space for animals, chickens perhaps or even a horse. Lots of room for entertaining friends and family, space for teenagers to congregate in their own space. More expensive, but such a nice amount of space may want to be at home more often.

I'd love both, but clearly that doesn't happen very often. I don't know how to work out what would be my priority.

Neither. City life for me.

Are you a townie?

The country idyll (horses, chickens, tree climbing) only really works if you know what you're doing. Don't get caught up in the romance of having 'several acres' if you've no idea how to manage them.

Option 1, for the sake of the kids who will get the benefit of being near school and town and a natural stopping point for friends. Will be able to be much more independent and less likely to need to drive around country lanes at high speeds when they're of the age to do that.

For socially awkward loner me, option 1, but without anyone else cluttering up the place!

See that's the only thing I am sure about. City life is NOT for me. Though I do like being a short train ride from the city for days and evenings out.

I think a lot of it depends on how established your friendship groups etc are or is this a fresh move to a new area and therefore you're starting from scratch? I would also say that you need to add that on option 2 you will need to factor in there will be a lot more driving as your teenagers won't be able to be as independent as they like.

I would personally prefer being in the market town as to a quieter location but maybe there's a half way house where you can still be located reasonably centrally and get a bigger house.

Option 1 sounds better to me.

Unless you are independently weathy, don't need to work and want to devote yourself to maintaining your massive house, land & pool, planning dinner parties, horses, chickens etc - then option 2.

I live in the suburbs of a town - I can access the countryside, walks, forest etc within a few minutes drive. But I'm spared the pain of maintaining it.

Bigger isn't always better.

Both options could be withing 5 miles of both work and kids school so same area, same friends etc. same family support.

I currently work part time officially, though would still say i was still cash rich and time poor. But that wont last forever, looking to reduce hours and responsibility in the next 5 years or so. Logic says in town would be easier. We are costal and sail, would be lovely to have space for storing boats, paddle boards and kayak.

But I prefer to be outdoors working or playing in the garden more than anything else. Have always dreamed of a cozy feeling house in a village with loads and loads of outdoor space. Grew up in a village, moved into a town. Now looking for the next and final move.

DH grew up with friends always congregating at his house (about 2 miles walk from their school) because they had space and lots of accumulated stuff to entertain themselves with, old cars, band practice, pool table etc. and a barn that made a makeshift bar etc.

DH was more towards option 2, I wanted option 1. We went for option 1. The DCs are starting to get more independent so I don't want to take that away from them by living somewhere where everything is a drive away (and I also don't want to become a taxi service)! I would love to have horses at home, but the reality of having to employ someone to look after them every time you go away is off putting for me. Chickens we could still have with option 1.

Definitely Option 1 while you have kids living at home. Maybe keep Option 2 on the backburner as a retirement plan.

Do you not think the kids would benefit from growing up with loads of space?

I have always thought big garden while kids at home, downsize into town when they move out!

No point in having all that space if you have nobody to fill it with!

@Hoolahoophop I know a fair few who went for option 2 and it went wrong due to friends not being arsed to pop over or needed cabs if they wanted a drink , school friends actually not bothering to come out that far as parents working so not able to just 'pop them over' and no decent bus service.its easy to base something on a lifestyle that may never happen but you know your friends and kids best!!

I was going to say option one, until you mentioned option two may have a pool....🤣

@Crikeyalmighty hmm. We have a range of friends who live in and out of town, big social circle, take turns in hosting big get togethers, but yes, the ones who live closest to the school tend to get the most impromptu visits. The ones with the pool get the most attendees at their parties!

Of course teenage pool parties would come with a whole host of additional stress. 😱

I'm from the city and OH is from a small country village , when we moved in together we couldn't get an apartment in the city and would if only been able to afford a one bedroom. OH found a 2 bedroom house in between both our homes that is in the countryside I wasn't happy about it at first 50 minute drive from work / home . 4 years later and we bought a house here and I love it truth be told I wouldn't live in the city now life is so much nicer outside of a big city (to me anyway)

What a lovely quandary I would go for 2 as it sounds wonderful. If it turns out to not be what you hoped for you could move to a 1 type of set up perhaps

We are exceedingly fortunate that through a lot of hard work and even more good luck with are in a position to create our dream life and home......we just cant decide where that is and what it looks like. Having had a taste of rural and a taste of town we are split!

Option 2 for me, it’s what I have now and love it. As does anyone who comes here.

Oh we’ve the opposite, everyone wants to stay.

@Wineandcupcakes I'm pleased for you- I know a fair few who did such moves and ended up with those they thought would be enthusiastic visitors who never materialised!!

Op, having been here and bought the t shirt, here is my experience.

when you buy a large house aith a lot of land it takes time to get it as you wish. That doesn’t mean it’s not turnkey when you buy it, just it all takes time to understand it, to understand how to manage it, it’s fun learning.

by the time you’ve got it nailed the kids have grown up. They will love coming back to somewhere with so much space. Mine do , it is a haven.

friends all drive, they come to visit or stay for a night or a weekend, we have the space to host and enjoy doing so,

you need to be a chauffeur for your kids and their parents for their friends, not a problem but a little bit of a pain.

you can’t really walk anywhere, well where we are, no pavements, so it’s taxi or car. You just get used to it.

however you have privacy, be it you want to blare music, have a bbq or a fire pit, or lay quietly reading, no close neighbours feet away complaining or disturbing.

pros and cons. But kids grow up fast. Friends and family willing to drive a few miles. And how many Impromptu brekkies do you want?

Depends on the age of the child. Once they get to secondary age I think independence and being able to meet up with friends trumps outdoor space every time.

But you don’t stop them doing that, she’s not talking Outer Mongolia. She will have to drive for ten mins.

True. I live in the middle of a busy city and have no car so happy to admit my perspective is skewed. The thought of being a taxi driver to teenage kids does not appeal to me at all.

Fair enough, I moved from town to rural, was only a few miles. The driving was absolutely fine, however I’m married and always one of us around to do the few mins it took, no biggie.