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Original poster

Would you move back into your childhood home?

36 replies

Fourleaf · 03/05/2010 16:49

Hi all,

I am considering doing this and was just wondering if others would? Why/why not? Or maybe someone has done it?

I'm moving with my young family, parents won't be living there (and haven't for a while). It's a v nice house but I'm wondering if it will be too weird...

Many thanks

OP posts:
Reality · 03/05/2010 16:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bibbitybobbityhat · 03/05/2010 16:51

I would. It was a gorgeous house. Unfortunately I want to live in a different city now, but if that weren't the case and the house were for sale and I could afford it (which I doubt) I would move back in without hesitation.

I don't think there's anything odd about it.

BigBadMummy · 03/05/2010 16:52

No. It was tiny and horrible and has nothing but bad memories of my time there and the bullying I went through at the local school.

Francagoestohollywood · 03/05/2010 16:57

If you like it, go for it, there's nothing weird about it imho

Original poster
Fourleaf · 04/05/2010 10:44

Thanks for the replies - I think we are going for it but I still have reservations. I think the 'weird' element asfor me is just that sense of being back in the pt. We're going to make the house our own though, and although I have some bad memories it was mostly a lovely place to be as a small child...
Any other thoughts welcome

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 04/05/2010 10:45

yes.

PictureThis · 04/05/2010 10:48

In a heartbeat. I loved my childhood home. My mum would be exactly the same Reality

Original poster
Fourleaf · 04/05/2010 11:01

Sorry my post got a bit scrambled should have read 'the weird element for me is just that sense of being back in the past'.
Interesting to see so many people keen on the idea...

OP posts:
PestoMonster · 04/05/2010 11:09

No

onadietcokebreak · 04/05/2010 11:11

TBH if there are any bad memories then NO dont move back in.

expatinscotland · 04/05/2010 11:12

it doesn't look like it did when we grew up there, except the layout.

it's been remodelled and redecorated, is continually redecorated, too.

both gardens relandscaped, exterior remodelled, etc.

expatinscotland · 04/05/2010 11:12

Also, no bad memories.

Poledra · 04/05/2010 11:16

My DSis moved into her PsIL's house. It was challenging, as her (lovely) MIL was always just popping in to help out 'Oh, I just noticed that X is needed doing so I thought I'd get it done for you.' It was really hard until her DH sat down with his mother and asked her how she would have felt if her MIL (a difficult lady, by all accounts) had done this to her. DSis's MIL was horrified and, since then, it's been fine.

I guess I'm saying that, if you think your parents will get all proprietorial and criticise your ideas for changing "their" house then don't do it. If, however, you reckon they'll be fine, then go for it.

ajandjjmum · 04/05/2010 11:27

We actually thought about it when Mum was selling after my Dad had died. However, we loved our own home.

When I visited 'home' some months later, when the new people had moved in, I realised that actually it is people who make a home - it just didn't have the same vibe.

So if you love the house, and you won't be held back by 'the past' - go for it!

cupparooibos · 04/05/2010 12:19

The New York Times just did a fascinating story on this very subject, including a before-and-after slideshow.

I think I would do it, but I am also very attached to the garden there, having put a huge amount of work into helping my mum re-landscape it.

Cazbaby1 · 04/05/2010 13:42

We moved into my childhood home around 5 years ago.
My mum died 16 years ago and my Dad has now remarried.
It is a lovely feeling to be back and it has worked out very well for us all. I'd say go for it!

cyteen · 04/05/2010 13:42

Fuck yes, like a shot. Unfortunately it's a council flat so never going to happen.

twolittlemonkeys · 04/05/2010 13:46

In a heartbeat. My mum has gorgeous detached Victorian house which, with a bit of work would be a fantastic family home (it was wonderful when I was growing up). Our current house is a semi which already feels too small (and we have baby # 3 on the way!)

Happy memories and much nicer house than we could afford!

ImSoNotTelling · 04/05/2010 13:51

In theory I would.

In practice I know my mum would give me the [eyebrow] about the garden or whatever every time she came round.

So yes, but with reservations

3Happy · 04/05/2010 13:55

We are going to be doing this, probbly this autumn. My parents are downsizing and have offered us the house at a price we can't say no to. Current house is too small, so we'd have to move anyway, but would never be able to afford a house as big as the family house under normal circumstances. We feel totally relaxed about living there - dh is very comfortable there, we had our wedding reception there, lots of good memories. Will be wierd for my mother I guess when we start redecorating. We've set certain ground rules - like they have to ring the doorbell not just walk in like it's their house (even though she doesn't normally ring it at current house!!!).

I think the hardest thing by far is the ILs. MiL is obviously uncomfortable about us moving into my parents house - to the point of saying to dses "I won't be able to come and visit when you live there" so we're obviously going to have o work hard on making them feel welcome.

Originally it also caused consternation to my middle sister (because of the money), but she later did a 180 and was the main person to talk us into it (because we will be living next to parents new place and can take care of them in their old age, and she lives far too far away to do that).

We won't really know if it will work until we do it, but we're looking forward to it.

HTH

cassell · 04/05/2010 13:59

Loved my childhood home with a passion and it has just come on the market (for the first time since my parents sold it) and we could afford it - but problem is the location, completely hopeless for either my work or dh's and wouldn't actually want to live in that area either now if I could pick it up and move it would definitely go for it!

azazello · 04/05/2010 14:00

Yes. My parents still live here though but have moved into granny flat. We are gutting extensively remodelling though to make it a bit more 'ours' although tbh decluttering and a coat of paint seems to be doing most of the trick.

badgerhead · 04/05/2010 16:06

I would love to move into my childhood home, I have friends who currently live next door & who have told me what has been done to it inside. (It sounds really nice now), however the downside would be that when my parents moved out 23 years ago they sold off half of the garden & their is now a house built there which would spoil it for me because I remember playing in the lovely big garden & it wouldn't be the same without it

CornishKK · 04/05/2010 16:09

Absolutely yes. In fact I will be moving into my childhood home when we move back to Cornwall. My Mum chose it, worked her ass off to keep it and I love it. Luckily so does DH.

potplant · 04/05/2010 16:12

I think I would, but mainly for the garden not the house. Its enormous and really mature - loads of climb-able trees, secret paths etc the DCs love it. We could keep loads of chickens and have a huge vegetable plot.

My parents only really use the patio and hardly ever venture to the rest of it. Its a crime its so underused.