Buying a house in the same area 31 March 2017 at 1:11PM in House buying, renting & selling 21 replies 1.6K views

Scorpio33

Is it ok to move house, but stay in the same area?

We like the area we live in, its got good neighbours and near a good school.

However, we would like a bigger garden and a driveway - something impossible in our current house. We have been looking and a house has come up near us with a huge garden and a driveway. The thing is, it would mean another 8 years on the mortgage (increasing the monthly payments by about £100 a month which is affordable), and the house is about the same size - except with a driveway and a garden.

Is it ever ok to move, but stay in the same area? We are not getting more bedrooms, if anything we are losing space as we currently have a loft (Something the new house doesn't have). Its just the driveway and garden we are gaining.

Red-Squirrel_2

Why would it not be ok?

Scorpio33

Well usually people move for more bedrooms or a better area, we are not.

So it begs the question, why move? The answer I suppose is for the garden and parking.

So what price would you put on a bigger garden and a driveway?

tykesi

Scorpio33 wrote: »

So what price would you put on a bigger garden and a driveway?

£347.86

I'd go to £350.14 if the driveway was block paved.

Doozergirl

8 years on the mortgage and another £100 a month for the duration is an awful lot for a similar sized house in the same area.

Why so much for a drive and bigger garden?

arthurdick

Block paved , Herringbone, but in the same area, dodgy call, I'd say with the bigger garden and driveway for that area, the ceiling limit would have to be just over what TYKESI has said.
Roughly.

cyantist

Can you cope with less space if you were no longer to have a loft? Are you likely to want an extra bedroom at any point?
I wouldn't go to the hassle of moving just for a driveway and more garden and certainly wouldn't pay that much more. Instead I
would look for something that had those as well as more internal space, but I guess that might mean even more on the mortgage.

elverson

Scorpio33 wrote: »

Is it ok to move house, but stay in the same area?

We like the area we live in, its got good neighbours and near a good school.

However, we would like a bigger garden and a driveway - something impossible in our current house. We have been looking and a house has come up near us with a huge garden and a driveway. The thing is, it would mean another 8 years on the mortgage (increasing the monthly payments by about £100 a month which is affordable), and the house is about the same size - except with a driveway and a garden.

Is it ever ok to move, but stay in the same area? We are not getting more bedrooms, if anything we are losing space as we currently have a loft (Something the new house doesn't have). Its just the driveway and garden we are gaining.

Of course it's OK. If people are moving out of the area there's probably an external factor involved - job relocation, school catchments, retiring to the coast, etc.

shortcrust

On the street where I grew up one of my neighbours moved to the house next door!

My general life rule is that you can do anything you want so long as it doesn't hurt anyone.:)

glasgowdan

I wouldn't move for such a small gain in property enjoyment. I'd pay more for a bigger upgrade.

ProDave

There is nothing wrong in what you propose. Moving to get a bigger garden and drive is a perfectly valid reason to move. It probably opens the scope to extend the house later on if you want more accommodation.

I hate the tv property programs that poo poo anyone that won't buy a house because it does not have it's own drive. To some people (me) that is very important.