At what point does size trump location?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I am thinking of moving again.

My house is basically a 35 foot corridor with no hallways - straight into living room from street, kitchen at back - 3 tiny bedrooms plus bathroom upstairs. There is nowhere to do anything - we have one table in the kitchen. On that everything happens - marking for dh and I, eating, craft stuff for dd and I, all computers.

It is however a lovely Victorian cottage in the nicest area - close to parkland, near the town centre (Starbucks a 4 minute walk). DD is in a good school.

I want to swop to something like this

a town house (not that one, not that area) but that style. It's not in the nicest area - perhaps the third nicest area. I would have to run dd to school - its 2 miles. She may when older be able to get a bus.

But it has hallways, a dining room, a study and downstairs loo (currently using front room to see clients so I can't see them when anyone else is in the house as staircase to loo upstairs is in the front room)

Does our need for a larger, more practical house make sense? The house would be slightly cheaper too as ours is more 'desirable'.

But I do love my house and its location.

Advice anyone?

Hmm, well as someone he did compromise on location for size and lived to regret it, I'd say probably not. we had 4 beds, a study, massive garden, etc, etc. and it wasn't worth it at all.

Depends what the area is like. Is it still 'nice'?

We ended up miserable (seriously miserable - took over our lives and nearly destroyed me) for 4 years as the area was grim and we had one awful set of neighbours. We lost a lot of money, but eventually sold and moved to this house which is half the size but in a decent area. not fancy, but nice, with people who consider other's needs from time to time, etc.

If you love your home and are, you may well live to regret it.

One thing to add - will being 2 miles away from the school impact your dd's social life in any way?

Also, any chance of making alterations on your current place or building an extension to give you more "rooms"?

No it won't impact her social life - actually it moves her to directly opposite the swimming pool, cinema, ice skating.

We converted the loft last month (but we couldn't put a staircase in as there's no room so we just have a ladder) and it has given us more useful storage and insulation but its not really suitable as a room. The rear of house is too small to convert and is on a hill so we had a quote to install an 8ft foot conservatory at 30k as there was so much digging out.

The house to move to is definitely not as nice an area - its not awful though. It's next to a dual carriageway and not close to parkland.

I hear you and sympathize with your thoughts. Although ours is considered quite large as 2 bed Victorian terrace (it has a hallway which is wider than usual), but I still feel a lack of proper layout in the house. If I could work out how to maintain my job which is in London City (or win a lottery pot), I would happily switch to cosy town with more space and probably cheaper. I would not compromise on location though ? good areas/good schools are a must!
BTW, I started liking townhouses for their modern/thoughtful/spacious layout. Hmm.. wish I had one!

I think it would be a great move, as you say the area is the 3rd best area - so from that I presume that it's still a nice area? If you were considering moving to a bad area then I'd say stay where you are, but if the new location is good, just not quite as great as before, then go for it.

Would it be in an OKish or a truly grim area?

I have lived in lovely flat in a bloody awful area and it was awful. We moved 3 yrs later and I was so much happier.

I now live in a lovely house in an OKish area and I am very happy.

If I lived in a great location we would be living in a broom cupboard. I can always dream, though.

I am going to take a drive up there when dh gets back just to have a look round in the evening.

There is no doubt though that my location is heaps better.

We swapped a tiny 2 bedroom mews conversion in the swanky West End of Glasgow for a 5 bedroom/4 public room 1930s converted bungalow in the sticks - and had money left over for a conversion.

For us (2 DCs at the time, now awaiting arrival of No4) it was absolutely the right move: Vastly more space, closer to my and DH's work places, closer to CM. DCs able to walk to school and make local friends which they will be able to visit on their own when a bit older. Still in a town, so local shops, trainstation across the road, 17 min into centre of Glasgow.
All good.

However, area is still nice if not at all glamorous. No cultural/night life. Everybody knows our business. Our former neighbours/friends (who have 3 DCs) who are much more into the whole cultural/arty scene of the West End thought/think we are nuts .

Bottomline is, it needs to suit you and your family. No real right or wrong.

We are doing it, I am mid selling process (all back and forths with the solicitors at moment)

Where we live now, the houses are more expensive because of the local primary school is outstanding on Ofsted and has an amazing reputation. We actually bought a 3 bed to have money over rather than hit our top price and get the 4 bed we wanted (we had one child at the time)

We are moving to a 4 bed property 1 mile away but there the local primary is a 3 and 2 on the Ofsted reports and we can afford a bigger 4 bed than we can here.

New house has loads of potential and all the things that matter to us, lounge on the back overlooking garden rather than the road, double garage which we can convert and room to extend the kitchen.

This house is lovely in some ways, huge 16ft kitchen, decent sized utility, 3 double bedrooms, big en-suite. But it is worth losing all this because we have a through lounge/dining room and the stairs are off the lounge so lots of noise from 2 boys tearing around. Plus all the heat from downstairs goes upstairs. Also all the noise from the TV/chatting in the evening goes straight up the stairs at night disturbing the boys sleeping.

Teeny back garden as the previous people put a conservatory on the back. Sounds great and we use it as a playroom but that is on the back of the dining room so the dining room becomes a corridor from the lounge to the playroom. It is freezing in winter, like being in a goldfish bowl with all the windows and we are surrounded by other houses.

We have an vestibule hall, so tiny, that trying to get just me and 2 children in it and shut the front door is a logistical nightmare.

There are more cons than pros and we have spent 5 years completely gutting this house and even now I hate it. Am looking forward to the move, fingers crossed.

We lived in a large house in a cheap road and while the kids were at home it was the right decision. We all had space and could accomodate friends, musical instruments, sports stuff. It was great everyone having space!!We have now moved to a smaller house in a smarter road and are also v happy now we are just 2 again. Those years just flew by.

Maybe you do need to move but is the new house you've seen the right one? Sounds like you're just not sure. If you feel apprehensive then it's not right.

Hold back and see what else comes up. Life is full of wonderful surprises. You may just find a bigger house around the corner comes on for a decent price.

We're planning on moving at some point this year, for me space will be the deciding factor as we spend so much time at home (I'm a SAHM and DH works from home) otherwise I feel very cramped. I like to have 'zones' in the home for certain things like sitting from for the evening relaxation, kitchen/dinning/family area for the day time, DH has office upstairs to work in etc.
But I would still have to like the area, it would need to be safe and meet my families needs just doesn't need to be a posh/stylish area to live in.