Should we Move?

[SilverDoublet]

Current situation:
4 kids, aged 11 boy, 10 girl, 8 girl, 5 boy in a 3 bed semi D, one shower room, on a busy road. Kids sharing bedrooms. Small north facing garden, overlooked by lots of neighbours. No side access or garage for bikes. 20 mins walk from school, up a hill. Within a flood plain, but highly unlikely to flood (1 in 1000 or less in any given year)

We have come into some money and now it's an option to move. Would you move for more bedrooms? We're really settled and attached to our house, 2 of the kids were born in it, but are we being stupid not to move when we have the extra cash?

more bedrooms and at least one more bathroom before your kids get much older! Realistically the gender and age profile of them means that at most the 2 girls in the middle are going to be ones to share a room but teenage girls sharing……it’s been done but it’s probably not ideal!!

I'd move if i was you. You'll need the extra space. Sounds exciting.

That's my (semi-logical) thinking, but at the same time it feels so hard to leave here, I'm probably just being stupidly sentimental about our house. On paper it sounds a bit crap! We do have a lovely downstairs and kitchen, it's just upstairs is much smaller and extending will be a massive and costly job that's not worth it.

Will it still be lovely when they are all over ten?

I don't know... Are all teenagers awful?! Do they need their own rooms? There is a downstairs 'office' in the former garage that can be another bedroom.

I would move.

I must admit, I don't understand people who have attachment to property rather than what actually suits their family so maybe I'm not understanding your dilemma.

Home is home, wherever that is. Memories are carried with you. You don't need to stay rooted to one spot.

Based on your own description of your current house I’d say it’s a no brainer!

6 people including 2 teenage girls and only one bathroom will be living hell!! Move, you’ve outgrown that house.

Firstly, lots of children share rooms. No-one likes it but it's really really normal. At least at the moment everyone is sharing! If you were to move, would you want two extra rooms so all the children can have their own? Or could you have two sharing and two with their own rooms?

I would look to see what you can get. See if there's something suitable that you can afford. If you are happy enough in your current house (aside from not having enough space), you want to make sure the move would be an improvement.

An alternative could be to pay a chunk off your mortgage so you have more equity - you would be saving interest and then if a move became more essential in the future you'd still have the capital.

This! I would definitely move to get another bathroom at the very least.

Just from your OP. it's a no brainer! Move. All the reasons you have given are very valid. Enjoy the process. Good luck.

We had two kids in what sounds like a similar property and we moved. We were super attached to it and it’s still a bit sad but now the kids are older we are so glad we did it then. They barely remember the old house and are absolutely benefitting from their own bedrooms and ‘crucially’ more than one bathroom.

so yes - I’d move and not think twice about it.

Objectively your house doesn’t sound very nice. Do move, you will make new memories and attachments and give yourselves and your kids a better quality of life.

I’d actually move for bathrooms, particularly as they get older. Sharing bedrooms is one thing, but you’re going to end up with queues and rows in the morning.

I think most people would say you need more bathroom facilities.

Bedrooms is a tough one, because even if you buy a 4 bed house that is still not enough for 4 kids to have their own rooms, so you are looking at 5 bed to have that. Of course the bigger house you have, the more empty it is going to be in the future when they all leave, so you may actually be planning two moves, one to a large house and then another to downsize in 20 years time.

Plus of course the CT bills and energy bills may increase hugely for a large house.

We do have a downstairs toilet also, but only one bathroom with a shower. Myself and my husband are from larger families, he's one of 6 kids and I'm one of 5, and we each only had one shower room growing up. Yes there were queues and learning to compromise! 😂Our current house is the very best house we've ever lived in!! So feel very entitled thinking of moving 😂. Part of me feels if we live in a small house it'll encourage the dc's to move out sooner and we won't have to downsize!! We could help them with deposits then too... But maybe space is better.

Thanks. If you saw it you'd think it was nice, it's bright and has a lovely open plan kitchen but on paper it doesn't sound amazing 😂. But I probably need to detach myself from it!

There’s actually nothing wrong with being happy with what you have. There’s a lot of benefit to a smaller space too and if everyone is happy then that’s lovely. Keep the money and see how you feel in a few years maybe?

Attic conversion and use the room in the garage. Take space off a bedroom for another bathroom/shower room. Price it up and see if it's more economical to move or stay. You have come into some cash so use it wisely!

If it's any consolation, I moved to this house when I was 28, on my own and I'm still here many many years later. It just works for me and I'll be out in a box I'd say! But I don't have four kids either, so horses for courses I suppose.

What age did you leave home op? I currently have a teen and a tween and we are moving because young people stay at home well into their twenties these days due to cost of living. We need more space for 4 adults.

Why dont you get an estate agent round and speak to a mortgage broker. Be 3 hours work at most. Get an idea of what you could afford and browse Rightmove. Just get an idea on what the next move could be, that might give you your answer.

Can you afford a 5 bed in an area you want to live? We left a much loved house that we had outgrown - and we still miss the neighbours and the street. However we really did need more space - partly to accommodate teenagers but also for a grandparent to move in with us as well. I think if you can afford it, go for it

4 children in a 3 bed semi, and you have the money to move? No brainer, of course you need fo move. You’re tight for space now and will be even more so and they grow into teenagers.

The other option would be to extend.

We could convert our attic to a bedroom and the garage is already a spare bedroom/office... I'm wondering if I keep clearing out everything will it be ok.... Toys will be gone in a few years. Have a morning/evening rota for the shower... Have a home office in one of the interconnecting living rooms. Buy some sheds for external storage.... Etc.
Would that be really awful with 4 teenagers?

Do teenagers need a lot of space? Yes we can afford some 5 beds in our area, but they don't come on the market very often. And the ones that do are often doer uppers which we don't have the time to take on.