To sell or not to sell ?

tattooedhoney

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I really need some impartial advice!
I have a house which I bought on a key worker scheme 6 years ago. I was lent just under £31,000 to buy my two bedroomed cottage.
It's a lovely cottage but when I moved to the country I had a boyfriend.. since we split up it is increasingly lonely and difficult to get out without driving ( costs a fortune to get taxi's).
Everyone is lovely but they are much older and married/ retired. My mortgage is up for renewal in april but I think instead of being unhappy i should sell my place and move nearer the town.
Of course this would mean giving the housing association their money back but with the increase in house prices it is unlikely i will be able to afford to buy anywhere else.
I was so happy to get on the housing ladder and feel it may be a step backwards.. unless I can rent somewhere cheaper and save up again.
I wondered if any one else had experience of the housing associations and if I am making a stupid decision to sell ?

thanks

I am so confused

jaffacat_2

Hi, can you ask them if you can buy somewhere else closer to town but still stay on the scheme after all they are still making their money through the investment?

tattooedhoney

I have but the scheme has finished so the HA will just take the money back and give it back to the goverment. I have to staircase at the point of sale ( that is pay back the percentage they own of what my house is worth now) .

PasturesNew

It's unfortunate that your change in circumstances has lead to you being unhappy, but it seems to me that if you simply learnt to drive you could get into town for your social life.

Through life, people move on and things change. You might be just as lonely if you moved into town because people's lives change and they might NOT be doing such exciting things as you imagine they are. But by then you'd have given up your snug cottage and wished you hadn't.

I don't want to be rude, but you're not getting younger. In that, I mean that living outside of a city can be a really relaxing thing in order to wind down from the rush of work and any excitement of nights out. Generally people aspire to living outside of a city, but within easy commuting.

In order to sell, you'd be putting yourself through a lot of cost and upheaval for what seems to be a desire to get to some pubs easier!

Investigate learning to drive. You can even do intensive week-long courses.

Pick yourself an economical small car (easy to park, low fuel costs, low insurance costs, low tax disc costs). Enjoy your life in the country.

With a car you can go where you want, when you want. You can even do new things because you can get to them when you want to.

tattooedhoney

thanks for the ideas. I can and do drive. thanks for the reminder about getting older ! only 31 next month though :eek: and not quite ready to retire ( if only).

I could never actually see myself staying here long term ( before the split) but had a crazy idea about being able to pay off the house and rent it eventually , however neighbours of mine have tried that and it is difficult to get people to rent. ( althought it is only 10 mins outside town. there is a bus service but it goes in a different direction.

yes i would like to get to the pubs etc , but in town I would be more able to walk to shops/market and not be completely reliant on my car to do everything.
It's just renewing the mortgage for another two years say and then having to pay the remdemption fees because I want to move will be more costs.

I just think that renting a cheaper place and saving up means I can buy a place on my terms.. or i may lose any chance of getting on the housing market.

baby_fuzz

I think that it partially depends on how much you ahve to pay in early redemption fees, but mainly what you want - if you are deeply unhappy about being there on your own, then it's not worth keeping the house. Whereas, if it was something you can live with, and find ways around, then you should stay!

Phirefly

it it that you want to be nearer your chums in the town, or that you think you'd make more friends if you lived in town?

tattooedhoney

i moved to my current house to be with my ex. it has taken time but I have got some friends around town. So it's two fold I can be nearer friends in town and also maybe make more friends.:beer: