Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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! But if you move you should go in accepting that despite still being close, it will drastically shift those relationships. 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.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:NP - OP, just chiming in to say I get it entirely. We have three, DH and I now WFH mostly full-time, and space is an issue. Our kids are all in elementary and while eventually they’ll move out, we don’t want to be cramped and miserable for 10+ years. Quality of life matters, too.

I’d be very realistic about what a renovation could get you vs. the new house. Even if it needs cosmetic things done, you could do those over time and the extra space might be very welcomed.

Op - I grew up in a 4300 sq ft house and my sister (family of 4) has around 4500 sq ft house. It is always so nice when we visit.

We have visitors quite often and it is very cramped when we add 2 or more people to our already cramped space.

NP - OP, just chiming in to say I get it entirely. We have three, DH and I now WFH mostly full-time, and space is an issue. Our kids are all in elementary and while eventually they’ll move out, we don’t want to be cramped and miserable for 10+ years. Quality of life matters, too.

I’d be very realistic about what a renovation could get you vs. the new house. Even if it needs cosmetic things done, you could do those over time and the extra space might be very welcomed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2600 sq ft is a lot of space. Is it a layout issue?

OP here - no the layout is pretty good. We just have a lot of people in the house and need more space. DH and I both work from home and need dedicated office space (apart from each other) and our kids are close in age so will be getting larger and taking up more space. 3 kids who are under 5 years apart, so they will all be teenagers in the house together.

If the layout is pretty good and you have 2600 feet can you explain why you feel like there is no way you could make it work with a finished basement? I totally understand the feeling and the pull like "we will NEED the space when they are teenagers!" as i also live in a small house (good bit smaller than yours but only have two kids so that is different), but I try to remind myself that this is a pretty firmly American phenomena that we think each person needs so much square footage. with a good layout 2600 sq feet would usually be a good amount. So what is the current squeeze? Sounds like the work from home?

We just finished the basement in our smaller home for this reason. Husband works in the basement. I work in the small sunroom. Could two of your kids share a room so you could use one for an office?

OP here - yes the work from home makes it much more difficult. It just feels like we are all on top of each other all the time. Two oldest kids share a room but it is tight and over stuffed with all of their things. Youngest is in the smallest room in the house and can barely fit a twin size bed. I have one of the rooms as an office that doubles as a guest room.

Realistically we need all 3 kids in separate rooms (personality clashes between oldest two) and two separate office spaces plus a guest room for when guests come. The guest room is a want, not a need, but we have a lot of family who come and stay with us and we would really like to have space to host them.

pp here an this is helpful context. With this info, it doesn't sound like your renovation proposal really solves much of your problems. it sounds like bedrooms are really your problem and I am empathic to the sibling issue. The only renovations that would solve your issue would be I guess if basement could double as teen hangout plus guest area plus office (which it totally could, many people's basements do!) and then somehow you have to figure out how to move your office so that one kid can have the bedroom... so that is really your pickle. I'm really a small house advocate but if you're really this uncomfortable and you have family coming all the time than maybe this is a good option (the other house).

Anonymous wrote:You love your neighborhood and your neighbors: priceless

Renovate

100% agree. We love our neighbors and neighborhood too. I think if I won the lottery I still wouldn’t move.
Can you declutter and purge? Not to trivialize the space issue but you have enough bedrooms for each kid to have their own room. Lots of people have way less space and are fine. If you had less stuff it might feel more roomy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The price of the bigger house sounds too good to be true. How can it only be $100K more than existing home of its nearby and much bigger? Seems fishy to me.

Op here - yes I too am a bit skeptical. I looked at the new house and while it has a ton of square footage there are cosmetic things that need to be done. Like the master bath needs to be redone, painting needs to be redone, outdoor porch needs to be redone.

Our house has a lot of the newer finishes but lacks in the square footage. We would need to blow out walls and do major renovations to add square footage.

What makes you think you could do this for 200,000? I am skeptical.

Op - sorry the $200,000 would just be for the main floor reno. The basement reno would be around $70,000.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The price of the bigger house sounds too good to be true. How can it only be $100K more than existing home of its nearby and much bigger? Seems fishy to me.

Op here - yes I too am a bit skeptical. I looked at the new house and while it has a ton of square footage there are cosmetic things that need to be done. Like the master bath needs to be redone, painting needs to be redone, outdoor porch needs to be redone.

Our house has a lot of the newer finishes but lacks in the square footage. We would need to blow out walls and do major renovations to add square footage.

What makes you think you could do this for 200,000? I am skeptical.

I would renovate the basement and then reevaluate. But I live in a smaller house with the same size family and have no intention of moving. It will feel tight for a decade or so but then the kids will be out and we’ll be rich with our paid off home. And yes, both adults work from home

Anonymous wrote:The price of the bigger house sounds too good to be true. How can it only be $100K more than existing home of its nearby and much bigger? Seems fishy to me.

Op here - yes I too am a bit skeptical. I looked at the new house and while it has a ton of square footage there are cosmetic things that need to be done. Like the master bath needs to be redone, painting needs to be redone, outdoor porch needs to be redone.

Our house has a lot of the newer finishes but lacks in the square footage. We would need to blow out walls and do major renovations to add square footage.

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Anonymous wrote:2600 sq ft is a lot of space. Is it a layout issue?

not really, i recommend 1000sf/family member

Rubbish.

I think the 1000sf per person was being sarcastic

I don’t know. I’ve been here long enough to remember a lively thread where someone stated that their realtor insisted on 1000 sq ft per person.

that's crazy talk! we're a family of 4, two of whom are near adulthood, and DH and I both work from home. We live in 2400sqft just fine. it's all about the layout.

3rd world that is why people come to America for a nice comfortable house , white people think they should get a reward to live like a poor person

Pardon? "white people"? You are a sick, racist individual

I don't believe a "major renovation" to add real size to the house can be done for 200k. I would be curious as to where you live or where you got that estimate.

The price of the bigger house sounds too good to be true. How can it only be $100K more than existing home of its nearby and much bigger? Seems fishy to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2600 sq ft is a lot of space. Is it a layout issue?

not really, i recommend 1000sf/family member

Rubbish.

I think the 1000sf per person was being sarcastic

I don’t know. I’ve been here long enough to remember a lively thread where someone stated that their realtor insisted on 1000 sq ft per person.

that's crazy talk! we're a family of 4, two of whom are near adulthood, and DH and I both work from home. We live in 2400sqft just fine. it's all about the layout.

3rd world that is why people come to America for a nice comfortable house , white people think they should get a reward to live like a poor person

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2600 sq ft is a lot of space. Is it a layout issue?

not really, i recommend 1000sf/family member

Rubbish.

I think the 1000sf per person was being sarcastic

I don’t know. I’ve been here long enough to remember a lively thread where someone stated that their realtor insisted on 1000 sq ft per person.

that's crazy talk! we're a family of 4, two of whom are near adulthood, and DH and I both work from home. We live in 2400sqft just fine. it's all about the layout.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2600 sq ft is a lot of space. Is it a layout issue?

not really, i recommend 1000sf/family member

Rubbish.

I think the 1000sf per person was being sarcastic

I don’t know. I’ve been here long enough to remember a lively thread where someone stated that their realtor insisted on 1000 sq ft per person.