battlemaiden Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Because we've been offered a bigger house (really needed), but I can't imagine leaving my view. :confused: I would leave my itty bitty house on a hill overlooking a plateau, hemmed in on both sides by two mountain ranges, to a bigger home with a better schooling lay out, but with no view. Actually, it is even worse. There is a house behind this one that would be looking down into ours. I think I may suffer from clausterphobia (sp). I may cry. Trust....trust....trust..... Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Ooh - that's really hard - It sounds that smaller might be better for you though. Any chance of holding off and waiting for the next offer? If I was in Hawaii - I might sacrifice the larger hose for the view as well - how do the rest of the kids feel - and how long will you be in paradise? Can you keep your sanity in the close quarters with a view? If so - stay!! And please post a picture of your view so we can all enjoy it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamace Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I'd rather be inspired by a beautiful view than have a bigger house! Plus there's more to clean...:001_huh: My husband and I went to Maui for our honeymoon and stayed in Upcountry...talk about views! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I feel your pain. I can't handle people living where they can see into my house! I would take smaller house. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I feel for you! We can't see any other houses from our property, but we can see a dozen fireworks shows across the mountain from our balcony. Unfortunately, so many of our trees are beginning to crowd the view. It won't be long before we completely lose that nice selling point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Stay where you are, why live in Hawaii, if you dont have a view. Just sayin. Its all about serenity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 .... but I can't imagine leaving my view. :confused: ..... Why do you think I've let my dh talk me out of moving for so long. And now we can't and the neighborhood has been bad for teen boys for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 We have the potential of living in this house for 5 years. That would mean my kids would be 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, and 6 by the time we would leave. Our current house is 2000 sq ft with very small bedrooms, and one big open kitchen/DR/Family room on the main floor. All open. All of it. Did I mention that we are all in the same room at the same time during the day? all of us. :tongue_smilie: I love, love, love my view. But I'm wondering how selfish I am for making the kids crazy to keep it. The new house has no view, but we are only a short distance from seeing it all. I just won't be able to go to my rocking chair and take it all in during the normal school day. The lay out is *much* more reasonable for multiple ages. Ugh. My head hurts. I just walked through the potential house (the current occupants were nice enough to let us walk through before they move out). I like the space. That is it. [sigh] You guys aren't helping...or maybe you are. I need spend to go do some serious thinking and praying. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Don't do it. You'll never really be happy there, and if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Just wait it out. Something better will come along, or maybe you can build a little school room/rec room detached from what you have now. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Frankweiler Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I've been in your shoes (sort of.) Not in Hawaii. But we were offered a larger house while we lived on base at our last duty station while dh was deployed. It was a tough call. The first house was....cozy (1250 sq ft) but it had a great view from the kitchen onto the neighborhood. (ok, not that great compared to the views of Hawaii!;)) But, I could see the kids playing in the culdesac in front and we backed up to some woods. I loved the neighbors. The layout was ok, but it was just so crowded and cluttered all the time. The new house was much larger (2000sf) and not the best layout, but we all had more breathing room. I ended up taking the bigger house, since I couldn't even enjoy my little house when we were on top of eachother all the time. And, you know what....I ended up loving that house too. The neighbors were wonderful. Each house has it's pros and cons. Is this a one time thing? Why are they offering you a bigger house now? If another house (with a better view) becomes vacant, could you take that one? If you're feeling claustrophobic in your current house, it's not going to get any better as the kids get older, and you might really regret passing this up. I know it's a hard decision to make. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) Five kids here, and about 1800 sq ft. This is my dream house. We have a little bit of land, but it looks like we have much more, because of all the land our neighbors have, LOL! The kids have woods to tromp in. A pond (mudhole) to dig life out of, and observe. Space to have animals. (If they're small, lol). Small town ambiance. (Snicker) Everything we wanted. And...a small dining/living/kitchen combo, like you mention. That's all tile. (So the togetherness is...amplified. Easy to clean, but amplified.) I do love it, I do appreciate only having a small space to clean, etc. But there are days when, if someone offered me a less palatable view/land situation, and a different house layout (maybe an office, or a playroom at least, for pity's sake), I'd have to seriously think about it. I think I'd end up keeping the view, though. I love looking out at the woods, with nothing obscuring it. Yeah...you need to sit down and think about it, and pray. It might be a good thing, but you might regret not having that view for the remaining years in Hawaii. When I think of places we've lived, the scenes that come to mind usually involve our landmarks, you know? The river in VA...the pastoral scenes from our village in Germany...and now, the woods out back. I vote, personally, for the peace of the view. A little more room might enhance life inside the house, but the place, and what I think I would want to take with me, is the beauty outside. But if it's really going to hamper your quality of life to have all that...togetherness, lol...then it might be just as well to take the bigger house. (I guess that wasn't really that helpful, was it, lol?) Edited July 16, 2009 by Jill, OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Shoot...give me the small house if Hawaii can come with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Alright I'll be the lone dissenter. I would snatch up the bigger house in a heartbeat. If we were all stuck on top of each other most of the time I don't care how great that view was I'd go crazy. I only have 3 kids and we feel cramped in the 2500sq ft we're in. I'm sure that's because of the wacky layout of our house. We don't have the option of base housing here. The wait list for something we'd fit in is longer than our orders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I need a view. I feel so hemmed in (all trees in my backyard)--I would so love to look out on the ocean, or see mountain after mountain--I need a view that goes on and on and on... I think when my view becomes more about something internal rather than external, when I can see beauty and feel peace no matter what is outside my window--then maybe I will be able to live anywhere and look out upon anything, and be ok. I'd say, cultivate your "internal view." And maybe wait for the "third alternative," which may present itself--probably as soon as you surrender to whatever God has planned for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 Unfortunately, in this situation, there isn't a "wait for something better" option. This is our shot at getting a 5 bedroom in military housing. If we turn it down, we go to the bottom of a very long list. I have tried every idea I can think of to make our current home more homeschool friendly. I have, at times, gotten very creative where I put the preschoolers to play when I have big kid work to do. :D I can't squeeze out any more room. And we aren't allowed to build on to these structures. Phooey. You guys have been great. You are echoing many of my feelings and emotions over this situation. At least I don't feel so guilty anymore. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Unfortunately, in this situation, there isn't a "wait for something better" option. This is our shot at getting a 5 bedroom in military housing. If we turn it down, we go to the bottom of a very long list. I have tried every idea I can think of to make our current home more homeschool friendly. I have, at times, gotten very creative where I put the preschoolers to play when I have big kid work to do. :D I can't squeeze out any more room. And we aren't allowed to build on to these structures. Phooey. You guys have been great. You are echoing many of my feelings and emotions over this situation. At least I don't feel so guilty anymore. Jo You have as many children as I do and we have a 5bdroom. I totally understand the loss of the view...I lost a view to move here also. But it was very much worth it to have the five bedrooms. We split the children up into three, hubby and I have one, and the 5th is a schoolroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Make the move. 5 yrs is a long time to be cramped in asmall house when yoi could have had a bigger one. But we're in 800 sq ft. 2000 sounds like a dream. But you also have a lotmore people. So if you can't sqeeze any more out of it, ditch the view and be comfortable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 2 comments. If the idea of making you move makes you sick at your stomach, then don't go (or vice versa). Listen to your gut! Second, 2000 sq ft is NOT itty-bitty. I would kill for 2000 sq feet! (well, not literally, I'm just sayin') Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 2 comments. If the idea of making you move makes you sick at your stomach, then don't go (or vice versa). Listen to your gut! Second, 2000 sq ft is NOT itty-bitty. I would kill for 2000 sq feet! (well, not literally, I'm just sayin') You're right. 2000 sq feet was spacious a few kids ago. It has become progressively smaller with the kids inexplicably growing ;) and more joining the family. I shouldn't have used the term "itty bitty." Perhaps "bursting at the seams" would be more accurate. No nausea, except the pressure to make a decision. I wish my gut would tell me something. Tonight we make the final decision. Then we will accept our choice, hopefully with grace and thankfulness. Eventually.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Personally I would give up the view for the bigger house. We were in a 750sq ft house with a view and spent years trying to find something else. In the end, the only house we could find has a better view. BUT if it hadn't had a view, I would have taken it anyway. It's about 1500sq ft and we have 4dc, so I agree that 2000sq ft isn't itty-bitty. But I also know that layout is everything. A good layout can make all the difference. I love open layout, but understand that with that many kids it can mean too many people all on top of each other. If you've really tried everything to make your current house work, and your going crazy in it, then sacrifice the view and move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 What can you do to make a view? I've been reading this Guerrilla Gardening site: http://www.guerrillagardening.org so I'm in a revolutionary mood... Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Do you still have easy enough access to parks, library, etc. with the new house? Will there be friends near enough? There is always the option of putting the vote to the family or at least to the family members who are of voting age... How bad can the view be? It never includes snow or slush...:001_smile: Wishing you peace with your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) When dh called and asked if I had a problem moving early, I looked out at the harbor and the mountains and thought, but, but, my sunsets. At least you would be moving into a bigger house. We stored what I thought was a lot of stuff and are now in a three bedroom apartment. I miss the view, I miss the neighbors and I miss having a yard and a neighborhood where I could just send the boys out to play (especially the hours of hill sledding they would do). Are they offering you my old neighborhood? If so, you need to think of other factors besides just the view, like safe green spaces for playing, new playgrounds, pool, even closer access to things like a great library branch (Salt Lake) and to the commissary. Would those things give you more time? Go make friends with the folks in my old house and enjoy their view. Edited July 16, 2009 by Sebastian (a lady) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlemaiden Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 When dh called and asked if I had a problem moving early, I looked out at the harbor and the mountains and thought, but, but, my sunsets. At least you would be moving into a bigger house. We stored what I thought was a lot of stuff and are now in a three bedroom apartment. I miss the view, I miss the neighbors and I miss having a yard and a neighborhood where I could just send the boys out to play (especially the hours of hill sledding they would do). Are they offering you my old neighborhood? If so, you need to think of other factors besides just the view, like safe green spaces for playing, new playgrounds, pool, even closer access to things like a great library branch (Salt Lake) and to the commissary. Would those things give you more time? Go make friends with the folks in my old house and enjoy their view. Yep, your old stomping ground- but without your gorgeous view. I'd be smack in the middle. The street that makes me think of a male bovine, with Hawaiian spelling (:D thought you'd enjoy). We accepted the house this morning. My husband left for an Eastern Pacific deployment soon after the signing. :glare: Thankfully it is a local move and the neighborhood is full of friendlies. It wouldn't be as much of a challenge if I had a husband to help. :D I'll be giving up sunsets over the Wainaes..... Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yep, your old stomping ground- but without your gorgeous view. I'd be smack in the middle. The street that makes me think of a male bovine, with Hawaiian spelling (:D thought you'd enjoy). We accepted the house this morning. My husband left for an Eastern Pacific deployment soon after the signing. :glare: Thankfully it is a local move and the neighborhood is full of friendlies. It wouldn't be as much of a challenge if I had a husband to help. :D I'll be giving up sunsets over the Wainaes..... Jo I really miss having the larger house, the garage, the nice neighborhood and the big kitchen. I think once you get settled in, you'll be very happy. The houses really are pretty well laid out and spacious. Plus you're only a hop skip and a jump from the pool. Get a baby sitter for a couple days, get everything unpacked like you want and then enjoy. I can even recommend a couple good sitters if you need. Not right in the neighborhood but nearby. I might miss them more than I miss the big house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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