Love it or list it ?

[Jen288884]

Me and DH are 40 years old. We have a 16 year old and 13 year old. We have lived in our home for 12 years and have been happy here. Recently I've started feeling the itch for change. It may be because we've been here a while, or that people around us are making changes or that I'm facing a bit of 'turning 40.- what am I doing with my life' kind of thing. My issue is that there are so many positives with our home so I've got a bit of a 'love it' or 'list it' dilemma. I am worried that spending more money here will solve most issues but not everything but perhaps I'm being unrealistic to think we will get everything on our wish list.

So the pros are

Perfect location. We re in the centre of a lovely village , close to shops, parks, all amenities but surrounded by fields so it still feels peaceful. I don't drive so this is great for me.

The house is large. Enough bedrooms and a spare for family to stay, an office for DH , a few different reception rooms, 3 bathrooms, big drive and garden.

Lots of scope to extend / modify

Brilliant neighbours / community feel.

We've spent lots of money updating over the years and getting it to our taste

The master bedroom and a bathroom are downstairs so future proofed for when we are older

Downsides
We are semi detached - although our neighbours are lovely and we hardly see / hear them

It's a 60s dormer bungalow so although not an 'ugly' house, it's not the traditional property with kerb appeal I always wanted.

The kitchen is at the front of the house and on the small side and the dining room on the opposite side of the house.

We have been looking for around 5 months at houses for sale but to get something similar size / larger but detached they seem to be costing £170 k - £250k more!.

We can resolve our kitchen issue with an £100k extension making a larger kitchen diner entertainment space while retaining other reception rooms to be closed off.

My worry is, spending this money and staying but still longing for a house with greater kerb appeal. Estate agents have advised that semi detached houses have a ceiling limit so I don't think I'd recoup the whole money spent on an extension if we decide to sell eventually.

For the record DH is the most laid back person I think I've ever met so is happy either way
This is brilliant most of the time, but doesn't help in this situation.

Do I just accept that I won't ever tick all of the boxes and if I'm perfectly honest, the appearance of the house from the outside would most probably be lower down the list after size / finish of the inside of the house and location. Or do I hold out and hope that this dream house exists?

Could you switch up rooms? Ie, move the kitchen to a larger existing space in the house? This would be cheaper than an extension and it sounds like the house is a good size already.
I don't think I'd be moving in your shoes, the locations sounds brilliant. You can give a house curb appeal and you can change size and layout.
I get itchy feet with houses but switching things up and making changes often sorts that for me.

Thank you - not really unfortunately. Our largest room is the conservatory (it's 11.5 ft x 20 ft ) but this where the extension would go. It would need to be knocked down and rebuilt and extended width ways to create a new kitchen diner entertainment space. If I switched up any other rooms, although it would make the kitchen bigger , I don't think it would significantly do so.

It's just such alot of money to add an extension but alot more to move to something comparable in size but with the additionals. Our plan at the moment is to sit tight, save or overpay the mortgage and keep looking but I am constantly changing my mind and going back and forth. Usually in life I am very decisive and know exactly what I'm heading towards, but I seem to be struggling with this one.

I think we need a floor plan.

I was convinced by 'perfect location' and 'large'. But a decent kitchen is important.

£100k is a lot. Have you had a couple of quotes? Maybe pop up the layout in case there's another option although getting rid of an old conservatory is often the obvious place for a kitchen extension.

To go with the title of property shows theme - location location location!!! That is what is most important and it sounds like you’ve hit the jackpot there. Kerb appeal is for what? It’s about appearance rather than quality of life so I would say, gently, get over it.
your house sounds great, and the extension is half the cost of moving. To me it seems like a no brainer - build yourself your dream kitchen and carry on enjoying your ideally situated home.

Rendering, modern windows, new/clean roof, planting... can all make a huge difference to kerb appeal, I'd keep an eye for attractive bungalows and see what people have done to achieve that. There are a few pairs of bungalows near me where one is modernised, one not, and the kerb appeal difference is incredible.

170-250k more for a better kerb appeal is a lot , given you’re in your 40s how much pressure would the extra mortgage put on finances ? I’m in my 40s and focus is on getting my mortgage down and not increasing it.
your sounds perfect in a lot of ways , I’d definitely get more quotes for the extension to see if any other ways to improve the kitchen situation. Having said that I’m in a detached house and wouldn’t be able to go back to a semi now but maybe for you if you’ve lived there for so long without any issue ?

You need to remember that in the UK we spend more time inside our houses looking outward than vice versa.

Thank you everyone, your replies are really helpful. I will try and draw a quick floor plan and post it later.

The quote is just a ball park figure but unfortunately I can't seem to get a better idea until I've paid an architect to draw up some plans which I'm a little reluctant to do until we:re sure on the route we re taking

I can sympathise with what you’re saying OP but, on what you’ve told us, I would stay put and extend, and re-read that list of positives whenever I get itchy feet again.