Location or garden for a five-year move?

[frans]

We're planning to move to try to get to a better area while prices are relatively low.

We have two main options:

• move to a very popular 'trendy' area of the city, close to my mum for childcare, and in the catchment area for amazing schools. Very well-maintained terrace which won't need any major expenditure, amazing inside with 25ft loft bedroom - but tiny outside space with shared access. Lots of vibrant shops on doorstep. Huge park over the road.

or - for the same-ish price -

• move to a less popular area, two buses each way for mum to provide childcare (we'll do lifts when we can), decent sized detached house with small bedrooms, mahoosive garden, driveway and garage, house is dated so would need work to modernise, decent local primary but would need to move before secondary. Few shops nearby. Huge park over the road.

DD is 1, we're looking for a 5 year move before we can buy our 'forever home' of a large house in an excellent area.

Mum wants us near her - but in a house with a garden. We simply can't afford that now. It's either near her OR a large garden.

Which would you go for?

Thanks

I would go for the location. Given that you are talking about a 5 year move then school places come into it. If the schools are amazing in the better location then I would live with the small outdoor space and go to the park over the road. To get DD into a fantastic school is worth the sacrifice imo.

Personally I would go for location. I feel happiest 'connected' to life outside the home, by which I mean easy access to shops, cafes, friends and family. There is a park across the road after all. But I know other mners will say a big garden is important for very young children. I have recently bought a house and chose location though, as being so far away from local amenities would make me feel isolated. I guess it depends on whether this would be an issue for you?

I'd go for the house with garden. Safe, outside space for her to play in- a park is good but would adult supervision.
The school you rate as 'decent ' and you plan to
move within 5 years anyway so would eradict the secondary issue.

Location. It's a pain having to travel everywhere. You don't need a lot of outside space when children are very little and a yard can provide a lot more fun than you think.

In our last house we had a yard big enough for a table and chairs, a big planter for herbs, a table sandpit and still enough space for a tiny child to pootle around in his ride on car. You can make it really homely and green. Our walls were painted, and we had a little built up "bed" on one wall for growing climbers and creepers.

You'll need to apply for schools sooner than you think, and if you want to end up near your mum, you might as well move to that area now so that when you can afford a house with a garden your DD won't have to change schools as well.

How small is the outside space? Is it big enough for your DD to play & you to sit out? If it is then I would go for location - you also have your Mum nearby (does she have a garden) & the park opposite. God luck

Thanks for the advice all.

HouseHunting, there's enough room at the front for a partio table, and a mall play area, there's also a few square metres at the back. There's plenty of outdoor space at mum's.

At the moment I think we're going for location (although think we're going to be outbid :-()

Fingers crossed!

That sounds like definitely enough outdoor space to me. Good luck with your decision - hope you get the house & are not outbid. (I know it is such a stressful time as we made an offer on a house yesterday). Keeping my fingers crossed for you

location.

location.

location

location.

because you're buying this with an eye to selling it.

we're hoping to get a place with no garden at all, and 3 young children, but it's close to loads of stuff we're interested in, the school, etc.

it's dark here a lot of the year and wet the other part.

stuff the garden, we're getting a Wii from the Kays catalogue instead if we get this place .

Location

I have always had somewhere with a garden but tbh how many months of the year can you actually utilise it? I am in Scotland and its not many!!

Where I live now it wouldnt really matter if I had a garden or not as there are so many parks..and the beach is not far either!!

Same here, Haggis. We've had a massive one for the two years we've been renting this place and gotten pretty limited use out of it due to the weather here.

And then even when it's good, there's fecking midgies and wasps.

Wii time!