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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I agree with others that you seriously don't want to underestimate the value of a good neighborhood and neighbors. And less than a mile isn't a lot, but I made the same move as a kid and we lost touch with most people. We made new friends, it was fine! and good in its own way! [b]But if you move you should go in accepting that despite still being close, it will drastically shift those relationships.[/b] When your daily routine shifts, it just does. If you don't have the impromptu connections, it makes a difference.

I like being creative with smaller spaces so am bias to staying. I would also make sure you really NEED all the renovation you are thinking of. Start with the basement, that will get you some good bang for your buck with more space for the kids and their friends. And get creative. Make sure your furniture really fits the home you have. It sounds silly, but I found a huge difference in being really careful with furniture purchases after we did some renovation that added some space, but our house is still small especially be DCUM standards - much of the furniture out there is meant for these 5000 sq houses. You try to put it in our 1500-2500 sq foot house and your house starts to feel smaller.[/quote]

OP here - this is what makes me the most nervous. While we do have friends and know some of the neighbors in the new house it would be different than now obviously.

The new house is close enough to walk to our old neighbors but of course our day to day interactions would change.  [/quote]

Yes, we moved from the northern end of our small town to the southern end - only 0.7 miles - and the relationship with our old neighbors is different. The block as a whole was close, and though we didn't live there very long (we rented there before buying on the other side of town), we were warmly welcomed into the fold. After moving, we're always excited to see each other at neighborhood events and catching up is fun, but I'm not in the loop anymore. They only to think to invite the current residents to their regular block parties. When my old next door neighbor had cancer, we found out very late in a happenstance way, only right before he died. I know the neighbors cicled around his wife afterwards, and I got to be included in some of it, but not the day to day stuff, etc. We are now in the same place, and we've been looking at houses, but ultimately, I don't think we'll move. One of my best friends lives two doors down and we're always running into each other and going on wals and hanging out and it's so effortless. And even if neighbors at a new house will be friendly, there's no guarantee we'll "click" in the same way. This type of particularly good friendship is rare, and not to be taken for granted. [/quote]

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