Thank you for some good advice. I think in my heart I know that to move would be a better decision, but it takes me out of my comfort zone where it is rather cosy. I think I probably would regret not doing it in years to come.
However I do fully respect those who pay off their mortgage, and think it would be lovely to have no financial restraints.
susieb-I have thanked you but the button hasn't worked, and now you have no thanks button to press, and no notice to say I thanked you. (does that make sense)
Ax
Sorry, I've come in a bit late on this one, but I'd say go for it girl!
We did a similar thing last year. Had a £30,000 mortgage and could pay it off easily within 5 years. Deliberated for over 2 years pros and cons of moving. Made ourselves quite miserable in fact.
Our mortgage is now 4x that amount (wow - looks terrible in print!!), but we now have our dream home - a large detached four bedroom house, bags of space, superb, quiet neighbourhood. Quality of life is without compare. Absolutely no regrets whatsoever. Never been happier.
Me, too go for it. You are young enough, with enough spare cash, to sensibly afford it. Stay within your means and aim to pay the mortgage off by late 40's. If you dont do it you may regret it later on.
We're in a similar situation. We have £23,000 left on our mortgage which should be cleared within the next 2 years. However we are now looking at almost x6 that in order to move from a 3 bed semi to a 4 bed detached in a better location.
It is nerve racking but we feel that if we don't do it now (whilst we are used to paying out a large chunk of our income in mortgage payments) we never will once we have got used to having the money again.
At least doing it now whilst our children are still small means that by the time they have grown up and no longer need looking after; we'll be mortgage free, in our dream house, and have enough ready cash to be irresponsible again!
Its a big step, but so long as you have budgeted correctly and it is affordable it is worth taking the plunge. For added peace of mind go for a long term fixed rate mortgage (5 years plus) or even a fix for the whole term.
Even the guy who remonstrated with me for saying that still couldn't bring himself to move until he had saved up the 80k it took to get his next house (however many years that took).
What rot, I am the opposite of stifled. People are all different! Some of us just hate being in debt, it isn't rational, it's emotional, but it feels really great to be completely debt free. In my case I paid a nominally £1000 a month mortgage off at £2000 per month, it was soon gone, but most of the £2000 per month carried on going into savings which built up to a good amount for moving onwards and upwards in only a few years (this is a gross simplification but it illustrates the point and the numbers are obviously scalable). It was't a case of 'Damnation, because I paid all that money on the mortgage I had to save and save and scrimp and save to afford a better house' but 'Blimey, without really trying I've got all this money saved up already, I can afford to move on'. It has made me feel I have much more freedom of choice, not less. The spectre of negative equity can never haunt me again (I remember 1995!) and I have chosen to work fewer hours and enjoy myself more.
However, going back to the OP and her question, I also believe, as long as your long-term earning prospects are good, to be truly happy (emotions again!) you need to get a house you really want to live in before you concentrate on reducing the loan.
But you don't have to go for the full 25 years again. Play about with the figures and choose the term that allows you to pay off the mortgage at a rate that's comfortable for you, doesn't cramp your lifestyle, and leaves some accessible savings for unforeseen circumstances. Guess what, Sloppy, we sing from the same hymnsheet! (Could be in an Offset Mortgage but the arguments pro and con are well covered elsewhere on these forums so I won't rehash them here.) Overpay when you're feeling flush but don't live like paupers either. Moderation in all things.
Oh and BTW, am not a guy - and I was all up for a new mortgage to get a more stupidly expensive house when we moved (living in Oxford is our dream), it was himself who put his foot down. We're all indivduals, not stereotypes.
Replies
However I do fully respect those who pay off their mortgage, and think it would be lovely to have no financial restraints.
Thanks for your time
Ax
Ax
We did a similar thing last year. Had a £30,000 mortgage and could pay it off easily within 5 years. Deliberated for over 2 years pros and cons of moving. Made ourselves quite miserable in fact.
Our mortgage is now 4x that amount (wow - looks terrible in print!!), but we now have our dream home - a large detached four bedroom house, bags of space, superb, quiet neighbourhood. Quality of life is without compare. Absolutely no regrets whatsoever. Never been happier.
If you can afford it, go for it and enjoy it!
Foreversummer
We're in a similar situation. We have £23,000 left on our mortgage which should be cleared within the next 2 years. However we are now looking at almost x6 that in order to move from a 3 bed semi to a 4 bed detached in a better location.
It is nerve racking but we feel that if we don't do it now (whilst we are used to paying out a large chunk of our income in mortgage payments) we never will once we have got used to having the money again.
At least doing it now whilst our children are still small means that by the time they have grown up and no longer need looking after; we'll be mortgage free, in our dream house, and have enough ready cash to be irresponsible again!
What rot, I am the opposite of stifled. People are all different! Some of us just hate being in debt, it isn't rational, it's emotional, but it feels really great to be completely debt free. In my case I paid a nominally £1000 a month mortgage off at £2000 per month, it was soon gone, but most of the £2000 per month carried on going into savings which built up to a good amount for moving onwards and upwards in only a few years (this is a gross simplification but it illustrates the point and the numbers are obviously scalable). It was't a case of 'Damnation, because I paid all that money on the mortgage I had to save and save and scrimp and save to afford a better house' but 'Blimey, without really trying I've got all this money saved up already, I can afford to move on'. It has made me feel I have much more freedom of choice, not less. The spectre of negative equity can never haunt me again (I remember 1995!) and I have chosen to work fewer hours and enjoy myself more.
However, going back to the OP and her question, I also believe, as long as your long-term earning prospects are good, to be truly happy (emotions again!) you need to get a house you really want to live in before you concentrate on reducing the loan.
But you don't have to go for the full 25 years again. Play about with the figures and choose the term that allows you to pay off the mortgage at a rate that's comfortable for you, doesn't cramp your lifestyle, and leaves some accessible savings for unforeseen circumstances. Guess what, Sloppy, we sing from the same hymnsheet! (Could be in an Offset Mortgage but the arguments pro and con are well covered elsewhere on these forums so I won't rehash them here.) Overpay when you're feeling flush but don't live like paupers either. Moderation in all things.
Oh and BTW, am not a guy - and I was all up for a new mortgage to get a more stupidly expensive house when we moved (living in Oxford is our dream), it was himself who put his foot down. We're all indivduals, not stereotypes.