We currently live in a 3 bed semi with small bathroom, tiny kitchen, dining room down the hall. Dcs are 6, 3 and 18 mo dts. Saw a place yesterday which is 7 beds , south facing, huge garden, in ideal area/street, detached with driveway (not many places with driveways in this area). And we can just about afford it.
BUT it is owned by a woman in a wheelchair, there's a lift in the middle of it, a kitchen designed specially for the owner, ramps everywhere. 3 floors, massive number of rooms, basins in every room, anaglypta etc, toilets all over the place, slightly dodgy looking extension with terrace, roof prob needs retiling, could be damp, huge fish ponds in the garden, a cellar that will probably constantly flood. The things that bother me most though are the lack of original features (it's a house in a heritage area but was a residential home for a long time) and no kitchen/diner.
DP has 8 businesses and stressed out to the max already with them. I work 2 days, look after the kids the rest of the time. We are desperate for more space for us and the kids. Just don't know if this is worth the stress/risk? Have never done any renovation before, knocked walls down etc.