Help me make a big life decision - house related

[eb777888]

I've always been envious of those closet bedrooms. Like, I could totally fill a room up not just with clothes but shoes, accessories, jewelry. scarves, where I could see everything and have it out as opposed to shoved in my closet. OMG. I wish I would have thought about this five years ago when we were buying a house.

I'm not sure if it's a "keeping" point, lol.

[W.T.Faulkner]

You decide what is too big for two people, Mofucko. If you love your house, stay. If I were you, I'd stay if I loved the house, and 1 room would be my big-ass closet and another would become something else awesome that I haven't decided yet. lol

[Deleted]

I'd stay unless there were plans for a 100% perfect, fabulous new dream house already underway.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

I don't think that the size matters. if you feel comfortable there, then stay. If you don't want the space, move. If you are sitting there questioning it, then maybe take it off the market and wait for an upswing to list again. You are in a great position if you don't have to sell and like the area. Take advantage of that.

[tulip]

I don't think so. If you can afford it, why not?

There is zero law saying you can't have extra space or a big house because you aren't having kids.

I LOVE the idea of a closet room. LOVE.

I have always wanted a bedroom to myself, ceiling to floor bookshelves with books and a big comfy chair. The chair would only be big enough for me and I'd read and read. In peace.

I would keep the house and make the house for our lifestyle with all that glorious room!!!

[sherbanator]

Were you guys hoping to downsize to save money? I guess I would have to know exactly why you wanted to sell besides two empty rooms.

[Deleted]

I would totally stay.

[Deleted]

Then you should definitely stay. I'd like an empty room where I can just spread my clean, unfolded laundry out and close the door. I'd even get fancy and call it a dressing room. That would be awesome.

[eb777888]

Yeah, if you're not downsizing to save money, I'd totally stay.

[sherbanator]

Okay, I saw your update. I would probably just take a break and take your house off the market.

[SKP82]

If you love the house and you're not looking to save $$ on the mortgage, I would stay.

[Deleted]

I would stay and totally do the "ready room".

[pantsparty]

We're buying a 5 bedroom home and we don't plan on having kids, if that makes you feel better Moving is expensive. If you guys like the area and are comfortable there, then I'd think it's a good choice to stay

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2013 22:18:40 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Aug 18, 2013 22:16:34 GMT -5 @aliciaroset said:

Don't you pay to heat/clean the space?

No, we live in filth, we freeze during the winter and sweat it out during the summer. WE USE A FAMILY CLOTH.

<3

[fuckyourcouch]

We have 4 bedrooms and a basement and 3 bathrooms. There are only 2 of us. Lol

One bedroom is an office, one is a guest room, and we use all 4 closets. One bedroom has shit everywhere that needs gone through. (I regret nothing chicken)

If I loved the house, I would stay.

[azurely]

I would stay in your position. If you love the house, are happy there, could use the space, and can afford it, there's no reason you HAVE to move.

[blackcat]

If you don't need a lower mortgage, I would stay! DH and I have a 2200 square foot house and we're probably not having kids. We have three bedrooms plus a large sitting room off of the master which could be converted to a 4th bedroom if we wanted to do that. We use the sitting room as a reading room/office, we have a desk in there with computer, book shelf, small sofa. The other two bedrooms: one is a guest bedroom and one is a workout room, we have a treadmill and recumbent bike in there. ALL of our closets are stuffed full. I'm glad for the extra space. And it's really nice to not feel like we're on top of each other.

[Deleted]

Before BF, and the move to San Diego/California, I lived alone (+3 pugs) in a 3300 sq ft house (that cost significantly less than my current smaller beach front house(. I didn't specially use 2 bedrooms (I had my room, office, and pug room) or one of the living rooms, but damn do I miss that house. A place for everything, a room to pack for vacations, space for everyone to visit/ stay all at once....never, ever any clutter.

Ok, flashback. But, I'd give my left arm to have that amount of space in this location. Trust me, you'd miss it!

[pantsparty]

Aug 18, 2013 22:09:30 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Aug 18, 2013 22:01:28 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

We're buying a 5 bedroom home and we don't plan on having kids, if that makes you feel better Moving is expensive. If you guys like the area and are comfortable there, then I'd think it's a good choice to stay

Ooh, what are you going to do with the bedrooms? Will there be a Panty ready room?

ETA: Lol, I'm leaving the mistake, Panty ready room sounds more exciting than Pantsy.

Um HELLO we need AAAAALLLL the space! One guest room, one master, we both work from home so 2 offices, and then...a reflection room...and then...a dancing room. THERE! FULL UTILITY!

[gretchenindisguise]

I'd stay.

The only reason I'd say move is if you found an absolutely amazing place that you just absolutely are losing your head over and can't imagine not living there.

Otherwise - stay.

Host amazing parties. Send your H out and invite girlfriends over and let them crash for the night. Ditto but reversed for your H. Have a ready room. Have a guest room. Have a workout room. Have fun.

Enjoy your unclean giant/not giant house.

[Deleted]

I would make one room completely my own for hobbies, yoga, reading, avoiding H, etc. Having a room where I know I can always be alone and not have to deal with anyone else's stuff would be amazing.

[Deleted]

I agree with everyone else. Don't move just because it seems like too much space. My parents have experimented with downsizing a few times and it drove them crazy every time. They like having an extra guest bedroom (or two) because they love having us kids come and stay or having friends come stay with them from out of town.
And having a ready room or a ready room/yoga/whatever you like to do room sounds amazing. And having extra beds for guests is also nice.

[Deleted]

I'm trying to understand how a smaller house wouldn't have a smaller mortgage. Do the smaller houses you are looking at have bigger yards, or are in a better part of town? Or newer houses?

Whatever makes those houses as expensive as a bigger house is what you should think about. Would you rather have more space that isn't necessary, but could be used? Or would you rather have that newer house? Or the bigger yard, or whatever it is.

I guess I'm also curious if you can find a smaller house with a smaller mortgage. That would be my first choice.

[goaskalice]

You can never have too many rooms...craft room, wrapping room, work out room, movie room, game night room, GBCN room. The possibilities are endless!!

[gretchenindisguise]

I just don't think that 2800 is that outrageously big.

If you had a 5300 sq ft house, I would probably be suggesting you sell. But 2800 just isn't that giant for me.

Especially since I know you guys are doing fine with money, savings, retirement, etc. At some point - you just have to live and enjoy life than reuse toilet paper, kwim?

[Deleted]

Aug 18, 2013 23:16:28 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Aug 18, 2013 23:08:07 GMT -5 @bearysweet10 said:

I'm trying to understand how a smaller house wouldn't have a smaller mortgage. Do the smaller houses you are looking at have bigger yards, or are in a better part of town? Or newer houses?

Whatever makes those houses as expensive as a bigger house is what you should think about. Would you rather have more space that isn't necessary, but could be used? Or would you rather have that newer house? Or the bigger yard, or whatever it is.

I guess I'm also curious if you can find a smaller house with a smaller mortgage. That would be my first choice.

It could be more or less, depending on where we buy. We want to stay in the same general area. Let's say I live in Smith Town, two miles away is Old Smith Town, a little more prestigious. Both are safe but one is slightly more desirable. If we buy a smaller home there it will cost about what our current house does or just a little less. 

We looked at a smaller house very nearby that was just completely renovated with an awesome pool and pool house. It was just slightly less than ours. 

Yes, we could definitely find a smaller house with a smaller mortgage but that's not our primary goal.

Makes sense!

Personally I would probably sell (if you can sell it) and go for the more renovated house with the pool (for example). I would enjoy a pool and the upgraded house much more then an extra bedroom turned into a closet.

I wouldn't go through the hassle of moving to upgrade neighborhoods, but upgraded features in your house makes an impact on your life daily.

How important is that stuff to you? That's what I would be thinking about when debating selling the house.

And how often do you actually have guests? I would love to have an extra bedroom in our house, but we decided it wasn't worth it because we don't have visitors that often.

[sillygoosegirl]

Can you afford to carry two mortgages for a while? Or sell the house at a bit of a discount so you can be confident it will move quickly? I think I wouldn't want to move until/unless I found another house I loved more than where we live now. But maybe you are confident you could find another house you loved more than the one you are in?

DH and I looked for a very long time before we found our house. If we decided we didn't want kids, I'd be open to downsizing (though just closing the doors and ignoring 3 bedrooms is working pretty well for us so far), but I'd be worried about being able to find something we loved more than where we live now on short notice while our current house was under contract.

[papie]

I would try to sell.  That is a LOT of house for 2 people.  We don't even have that and we are having a third child.  It just seems crazy to me to be heating/a/c/cleaning/etc so much space that you don't need. 

[demelza]

Why not stay if you like it!? The house not getting a solid offer could be a sign your meant to stay and enjoy it.

[nomad100]

We are in the same situation (sort of) we have a big house (even bigger than yours, tbh) and it is just the 2 of us. Though DH's kids from his first marriage are with us several times a year but never all at the same time so we don't really need 3 guest rooms.

We could make do with a much smaller house. We did when we lived in a HCOL area and couldn't afford anything bigger.

However, we love our house. And we love that we have the extra space. And we love our 'hood. So we have decided that this is our forever home and we are going to enjoy it until we can't -- then it will be take us to the old folk's home or the morgue.