OH, as always, is happy whichever I decide Bo (the husband) is his best friend too, they cycle together and allsorts (it's all very cosy ) so he would be happy to live back on the estate (but this is the area he is from)

I know what you're saying Minda and I agree too BC (before Charlie) I used to be quite materialistic, always wanting the most expensive we could afford etc. Now I am of the opnion that as long as we make good memories, everything else is just 'stuff' - after we are gone, she will remember a nice holiday and time spent as a family much more than a nice fireplace and flashy car (or the space between the furniture!)

It's like being an addict though, every now and again, I get 'cravings' for the finer things that I don't need (now who's not making sense)

Cafe Ash is so very important to us, as you so rightly said, and all those fineries would go by the wayside if it was a toss up between that and bird food

OH and Charlotte had no problems making their decisions - maybe I just like tormenting myself

Mortgage free - wow wouldn't that just be amazing?!

The new house - is there room for expansion if you needed the space, like a conservatory to create and extra living room?

Go with your gut feeling - I wish I did when we bought our house, I hated our house and got the feeling we shouldn't buy it - and 2 years down the track I was right, 6 screaming neighbours kids who are all under the age of 6.... and the house - well I've got Hyacinth coming out of me in bucketloads right now

Good luck Ash, if you have too many doubts on it then it could be best to leave it alone. If there are more pros to the deal then you'll know the answer (write a list of pros and cons and weigh up what is absolutely necessary for your happiness from the list).

Have you been to look at the house?, get asurvey on it....

what if you move jobs? will it still be near by?

£15'000 shortfall can be covered by a remortgage so dont be too hasty.

If there were no hassles would you swap house keys today?

also

why is that area cheaper? what about insurance premiums?

what if you fell out with your friend?

alex
xx

I dont know which is the right decision for you but i would definitely suggest going with your gut feeling.

When we were looking at houses I saw our one online and totally fell in love with it, everything about it was what i wanted. However OH took one look and went NO WAY. Mostly this was because of the floor to ceiling lounge windows that are at the front of the house. So i put it to one side and thought no more about it although i was disappointed.
We found another house (smaller and more expensive 2 bed semi) which we really liked but unfortunately lost out on. We were really gutted cos it felt so right for us but my Mum told me that something better would come along so we started looking again. After a few weeks I pushed OH into looking again at this 3 bed semi in the area he liked. Eventually he relented to going to look at it. As soon as i got there i knew i loved it. OH also liked it and had always been keen on the area as it is quite upmarket and he grew up in this town. So the very next day we put an offer in and now it is ours. It needs more work than we originally thought but the area is indeed lovely and perfect for the dogs (open fields and woodland just the other side of our cul-de-sac with a cut through between the houses!)

Losing the house we thought we wanted and following gut feelings led us to this house and we couldnt be happier It was definintely the best decision for us. Follow your heart and im sure everything will work out for the best I hope it goes well whatever you decide

x

Follow your heart Good Luck whatever you decide

Can't help you at all but what a nice situation to be in! Good luck with your decision - it's gonna be a tough one to make.

Having lived with rotten neighbours in my previous house (which was only a two-bed but had larger rooms and more storage space than here), I love where I am because the area is nice and the people are great here BUT the house is quite compact. I would love a larger house and we have been thinking about moving when the baby is here but I'm reluctant to give up this to go to a bigger place with MAYBE not so nice people, if you see what I mean. By nice area I mean close to the countryside and further from the main town area, but I wouldn't care about it being a 'desirable' area (as long as it wasn't a rough area) - you have to be happy first and it doesn't matter if you lived in a real Hyacinth dream-area if you weren't happy.

You sound happy where you are now though anyway. About being close to your old mucker - would that closeness become a bit much now you've both moved on a bit? I have visions of that old sitcom with the neighbour always popping in - "it's only Sonya" .

Do you have nice people where you are now?

Thanks for all your input folks, I really appreciate it..........

Ingrid - Yes there is plenty of room for extension and there is already a conservatory there (waiting to be erected!) but I wouldn't want to extend particularly I don't think. We toyed with the idea of extending the house we're in now - and paid for plans to boot!! BUT after walking around the house, looking at the debris that's been left about, I thought that the more space we have, the more cr@p we will aquire. We had this discussion last night and OH says that the reason we (meaning they!) are so untidy is that there is room to be - when we lived in the small bungalow it was always tidy - because it had to be - does that make sense?

Alex - I lived on the estate for over 6 years so I know the house well (but a survey will be done if we get more serious) * The chances of me moving jobs are remote - I have worked here for 22 years and am now a director (and I can do the job in my sleep ) * Would I swap keys?? now that's a damn good question - and the one I'm having trouble with * The area is cheaper because it's closer to town than country, and the possibility of falling out with Po are too upsetting to think about, there are still alot of the old neighbours there, who were great anyway.

Kristina - We weren't looking to move but have always said how good it would be to move back there, when I go to visit Po I always think I'm going home in a funny way

Lou - following my heart would be easier if Hyacinth would bagger awff!!

LS - When we lived on the estate before - we said there was no way we would move 'cos the neighbours were so great! Then we had Charlie and moved, I hated the house we are in now at first and found it especially hard having a new baby and no friends so to speak. 7 1/2 years later and we were saying only the other week that we would never move 'cos the neighbours are so great!!!!!! Yes we are closer to the countryside, but only by about 10-15 minutes (It's not like we're moving mile and miles away - it's about 5!! ) Po and I never really moved on from each other, although we live further away now, we have neither of us 'replaced' our friends and even though the folk where I am now are brilliant, I miss the door being knocked for nothing more than a coffee and a gossip Thinking about it, we would be closer to all of our (socialising) friends, everyone where we are now are 'neighbour friends'

Here's another thought that's just come (My head hurts!!) if we moved and saved the mortgage money (which we would) by the time Charlotte is ready for college (hopefully) we'd have at least £30,000 as a fund!! (no interest added)and then still have the endowment 4 years later -

do it then, you are trying talk yourself out of something you obviously want!

I know what I'd like to give you woman . Sounds like you have the perfect opportunity to make life better and more comfortable for you all. What the hell are you waiting for? Get on with it girl!