To move or not

Hi all. I don\'t know how to really word this. We are living just in the outskirts of a town in a semi detached 3 bed 3 bath. We are here 8 years. We are in 2 minds as to move out further to my home village which is less than ten minutes away and move to a detached bungalow again 3 bed. We have the option of building on an extension at the rear of the house we are in now so we would have a larger kitchen plus living area.this would mean renewing our mortgage, keeping in mind our mortgage is very small luckily. Or if we move it will cost us a lot more and there is work to be done to the house. I love the house I am in only wish we had more living space hence the extension. My only fear is the not knowing weather or not we would get stuck with neighbours from help down the line as the house attached to us is rented out. Could someone please make my mind up for me

Stay.

Extending your current place you have full control over it.

Moving you run the risk of neighbour issues over which you have no control.

Better the devil you know and all that.

+1

I'd be going for the extension. Lower costs would clinch it for me. Getting into larger debt for the sake of moving down the road 10 minutes doesn't sound like a good move.

AND .... you love your current house!

I would move. Even if you turn your current home into a palace, neighbours from hell can wreck your life and the value of your property. We moved to detached and never looked back.

i think in the future , being closer to a town will not only be more appreciated but the value of homes out in the sticks will be considerably lower relative to in urban areas , id stay

We moved from a 3 bed simiD suberby Dublin to a 6 bed detatched on a 1 acre site the other side of the country 12 years ago. But there is a lot to be said for the 3 bed semi, the work never stops keeping lawns and property maintained.There is a very good documentary on Netflix about living minimalism, people s spaces full of junk that they don't really need and if they got rid of all the clutter the amont of space it frees up.

And if there is a shortage of oil, you will not be able to get into the shops or work. no car

I'll answer your question honestly:- If you have good neighbours, love them, embrace them, thank them. Stay there. Don't risk a move to a place where you could have neighbours from hell. You have been warned! Believe me! I learned the hard way.

While being attached to a rented property isn't ideal there is probably no need to fear the worst. Most people are reasonable. Whether you have kids, and their age, is a big factor in whether you should move. The ability to walk to schools, shops, sports etc is huge. You may have narrowed your options too quickly. It might be worth putting off any big decision for a year while you mull things over and in the meantime declutter/reorganise your house and try to save some money.

I would also vote for staying i you love your house and are happy with the area. Also in my opinion, I reckon that renters are less likely to dispute planning permission- but I could be proven wrong!

Have you considered approaching the owner of the rental property and seeing if he/she is interested in selling to you? If you're looking at re-mortgaging anyway (and the price is affordable), it could afford another solution. Then you could consider either a.)knocking through, or b.) renting it out yourself: therefore choosing your own neighbours in future, and using the rental income to pay for an extension.

Ten minutes is no great distance - that shouldn't be a deciding factor.
A detached bungalow would give you far more peace and quiet.
It's also far more 'future-proof'. Maybe you'll need a Granny Flat or whatever in the future - also far easier in a detached scenario.

What is it you like about the present house - maybe you can incorporate these things into the bungalow and have the best of both worlds.
A 3-bed semi is a 3-bed semi - a detached bungalow can become whatever you want it to be.
Good luck.

We have just moved near our kids because we are pensioners, getting older and who knows we may need help in the future. In general its either a bungalow in the country or a semi in the town

Stay. You love your house and moving would cost you more money than staying.
Re neighbours, if you have neighbours from hell, you have a better chance of them moving if they are renting than if they are owners. And you don't know who your neighbours might be now or in the future if you move. Not to mention that I think you should have a better outlook on neighbours - good ones will keep an eye on your property and help you out in times of need. Be a good neighbour and assume they will be too

Take in account with auctioneers fees solicitor's fees selling and buying, stamp duty, land registry fees, removals, you can write off about €15,000