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Should we stay or should we go?
In March 2003, myself and my then boyfriend (now husband) bought a house together. We had been together years and the time was right to move in together. We had lived at home to save a deposit so went straight to a house purchase. We got engaged days before we moved in so it was exciting times.
It was a lovely 3-bedroom semi-detached house and was to be our starter home. Our first step on the proverbial property ladder. Our plan was to look at upgrading or moving back to our shared “home” town of Malahide in a few years. Nearly 14 years later we are still here. Still in our starter home. Babies came along, a property crash came along and basically real life came along.
As we expanded our family the house, which seemed large and spacious for two, started closing in on us. We were surrounded by baby stuff, we eventually lost having a spare room (not that anyone ever stayed once we had kids) and so we started to crave more space. We kicked off our “space” mission by converting our attic and knocking a wall down between our dining room and kitchen/breakfast room making one big kitchen/diner and leaving room to put a (very small) utility room.
We then went on to add an extra room on the back of the house. A bright airy space thanks to double french doors and a well positioned roof window and blinds from VELUX. We turned the new space into a fantastic little playroom. You can check out some the simple ideas I shared for setting up this room here. It has been a Godsend for containing the toys.
Yet despite all the investment in this house I am still craving more space. I know I need to declutter. I have no doubt that a proper declutter will make the house feel more spacious but I guess the issue is that deep down I am not certain I want to spend the rest of my days in this house. We have tried really hard to make the house into what we want with all the work we have done to date but I guess the root of the issue is that this house was never meant to be our forever home.
Shortly after Mum’s death we came across an ad online for a house only 5 minutes walk from this one. A five bedroom, detached, dormer bungalow with a fabulous big extension on the back; think under floor heated tiled floors and so much light from wall sized windows and a ceiling that was primarily VELUX windows. I loved it. It was very like the house my parents had bought 40 years earlier and I had grown up in. It was like it was sent from above. We figured out we could just about afford it and offered on it. To cut what was a long story, we didn’t get it. Damn cash buyers.
So now here we are, pondering the future in our current home. We love what we have done to the house so far and I am sentimental about the fact that my three babies were born into this house so if we are to stay in this house long-term I would need to do a few more jobs. Refurbish our ensuite, add a nice new fireplace, maybe a stove, I’d skim the ceilings, replace carpets; there is a list. It goes on. However, there is really no point in sinking any (more) money into the house if we do want to move at any point in the next year or two but will an affordable house we love ever come up? So we are a little in limbo.
Should we stay or should we go? As it stands we will see how 2017 progresses. We will probably make some small fixes to the house; a lick of paint here and a lick of paint there maybe even a new carpet and definitely a declutter all while keeping one eye on the property market.
Right now, I am off to buy a lottery ticket. Fingers crossed!
This is a sponsored post however all views, content and house dilemmas are my own.
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