Stay/Move/Build extension

[Pickingmyselfup]

Currently live in an adequately sized house for a family of 4. It's not the biggest but not the smallest although it does lack storage space.

Our options are...

Move in a few years to a slightly bigger house in the same area. Limited to area because by then the kids will be at high school, can't move until I get a full time job because with childcare costs and my minimum wage we would only be better off by £70 a month. We need at least another £800 to put towards a bigger mortgage. However by then we will both be 40+, kids will be in less so is there any point in moving somewhere bigger.

If we built some kind of extension it would solve the storage space for downstairs. We could extend the kitchen and make a small laundry room just big enough to fit in the washing machine, dryer and airer so at least the washing stays hidden. Obviously there is a cost to that but likely less than a house move. A bigger house would be another £100K more, a single storey extension shouldn't cost that much.

3rd option is not do anything, keep everything as it is and have more money for fun stuff, kids, retirement etc. We aren't falling over each other or anything, we have an ensuite, bathroom, downstairs toilet and the kids have a room each.

We live in a 3 bed semi, one bathroom between 4 adults, could never extend big as we live on a corner, we could have a loft extension for around £40,000, instead we had a porch extension which in total cost nearly £20,000 when complete, but it does hold a lot of storage. We looked to moving when DC were teenagers but were looking at £100,000 more to buy, so we’ve stayed here. It works ok, only a few occasions when obviously a second wc would be useful. One DC is moving out soon, so we will have a small bedroom free. DH has never wanted to move once mortgage was paid, similar to both our parents who seemed to just make the most of where they lived, have nice holidays and retire slightly earlier.