If you were choosing a home...

[Melissa in St Louis]

Would you choose

 

a) TONS and TONS of space but 30 minutes from children's activities, ok yard, WOW neighborhood

 

b) might be just enough space with careful planning, 2 minutes from children's activiies, perfect yard, good neigborhood

 

prices are the same..

 

 

HELP!:lurk5:

[Teresa in MO]

I would definitely choose A. the WOW neighborhood and the tons and tons of space would do it for me! You might even be able to find activities for the kids close by. I would drive the 30 miles.

[nmoira]

Given just what you've said, I'd be inclined to choose the second option.

 

How much square footage are you talking about? Is your natural inclination to minimize clutter? Would the smaller house mean children have to share rooms?

[OnTheBrink]

I would definitely choose A. the WOW neighborhood and the tons and tons of space would do it for me! You might even be able to find activities for the kids close by. I would drive the 30 miles.

 

:iagree:

[Denisemomof4]

without a doubt, the one with more space and better neighborhood.

 

We chose to move further out for acreage and our Dream Home. My husband commutes 45 miles to work each way, but when he comes home he's arrives at what he calls his "little piece of heaven on earth." We have NO regrets. We moved from an area where we were close to everything, and now we're further away from everything but have absolutely NO regrets. We learned to group errands with appts. and such.

 

And we got lucky. The small town next to ours started an AWESOME homeschool group.

 

Our friends are all local now, but you'll have to consider driving your kids to see their friends. Is that ok with you?

[abbeyej]

Husband's commute would figure into it for me too. If his commute is similar to the children's, then we would go (and have gone) for the smaller house closer in to town, work, and activities.

 

I also find that, long-term, being closer to the kids' activities also generally means being closer to potential friends. Impromptu play dates and such happen plenty when you live close to the other kids. Even planned play dates may happen only rarely if all the friends live half an hour away.

[Danestress]

I would choose the house nearer their activities.

 

30 minutes each way is a lot of driving. If the activities are frequent, I would put a top value on my time.

[stripe]

I must admit I am not sure what "WOW neighborhood" means. But I'd be inclined to say B. I'd like to imagine that I'd rather be outside, whether doing organized activities or running around outside. I am also scared of houses with giant amounts of space.

[Melissa in St Louis]

Option a) hubby (and deep down me too) feels it is a step up

option b) hubby (and deep down me too) feels it is a step down

 

We would continue to go to same activities, not find new ones.

 

Kiddos would still have own rooms no matter what.

 

Main concern is dh works nights and we may not be able to be quiet enough in house B. :confused:

[lynn]

Being that gas prices are unpredictable and a perfect yard I would go with option (B) unless you really want the WOW neighborhood and bigger house.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I'd be inclined to say option A if option B didn't have a better yard. I'm not sure which I'd pick. The yard might do it for us since we love to be outside and have a garden.

[JFSinIL]

I'd pick A - come winter, a smaller house will make you long for the one with more space! The fact that B seems a step down to you is something you would think of everyday if you go with B. And kid's activities can change - you may find a carpool for some of them! Go step-up, go A!!!

[Pixie]

I would choose B, no hesitations. My kids are involved in a lot of activities. I wouldn't want to drive 30 miles several times a week.

[Tap]

With the ages of your kids, I would pick A as long as the yard is something the kids can play in.

 

 

1. Your kids are pretty young and you will need growing room.

 

2. Unless you are rarely home....I would invest heaviest into where you will spend your most time.

 

3. There is something about this neighborhood that speaks to you. Unless it is just curb appeal, go with your gut about the neighborhood.

 

4. 30 minutes is not convenient, but it also helps you to prioritize what is really important! You won't be likely to overwhelm the kids, if it is a serious commitment from you too.

 

5. What if you have a third child (either planned or unplanned) is there room in house B? is there room in house A?

[lapsetmom]

I know what I would choose. B all the way! I hate being far away from where I need to go, and hate not having a good yard. Smaller houses are sometimes better because they are easier to clean. My children already have to share rooms so the fact yours get their own room would mean I would already be happy. BUT, you sound as if you want A deep down. You've got to look at what YOUR priorities are.

[Susan in KY]

I would choose B, no hesitations. My kids are involved in a lot of activities. I wouldn't want to drive 30 miles several times a week.

:iagree:

 

That being said, I'd probably rent until I found something I wanted on all fronts.

 

Oh, wait. That's what I *am* doing. Never mind... :D

 

:auto:

[Tammy]

I am sick of driving everywhere.....and moving closer to town would be wonderful, LOL.

 

.

[bettyandbob]

If dh commute was not a factor, I'd go with B. The time spent in the car becomes a huge drain. In a closer in neighborhood your dc may even be able to walk themselves to some of their activities when they get older. My ds walked to and from his French tutor when he was 13 last year (1/2 mile away). Your dc will want to visit friends , being closer makes this an easy drop for you otherwise you have to plan and view it as a hassle.

 

What is the WOW factor of house A? Is it a 2 acre lawn you will have to maintain? There's a time drain. I used to think I wanted the big house/yard (sometimes I still do). However, you need to ask what are the positives about house A and if these positives also require more maintenance. They could quickly ad up to a lot of cleaning and yard work. I want less time for mainenance and commute and more time for family.

 

Also, consider how far it is to other stuff. If I have to drive more than twenty minutes to grocery or other basic errands house would really eat away at me. I 'm assuming B is reasonably close to things so running simple errands does not require planning.

 

I value my time out of the car. I value my dc's time out of the car.

Edited April 29, 2009 by betty

[mazakaal]

Option a) hubby (and deep down me too) feels it is a step up

option b) hubby (and deep down me too) feels it is a step down

 

We would continue to go to same activities, not find new ones.

 

Kiddos would still have own rooms no matter what.

 

Main concern is dh works nights and we may not be able to be quiet enough in house B. :confused:

 

Given what you've said here, I would choose A or keep looking. Trying to be quiet for dh in a small house could cause enormous stress. How often would you be driving to the kids' activities? If it were daily, I would keep looking. If it were only once or twice a week, I'd go with A.

[momofkhm]

Main concern is dh works nights and we may not be able to be quiet enough in house B. :confused:

 

This would make me choose option a!

 

Besides I think I would anyway.

[Unicorn.]

A, no contest- hands down A. :0)

[Melinda]

I would choose A. A big house is more important to me than a huge yard, though.

[nmoira]

 

Main concern is dh works nights and we may not be able to be quiet enough in house B. :confused:

White noise machines can work wonders.

[stripe]

So if you're concerned about appearances, that you have to be in the "right" neighborhood with a giant house, then that's your priority, rather than whether it works for you. Because from what you said, with the step up/down thing, it's not the actual quality of life, it's how others will think you are doing. I don't know.

 

If you have a long winter and a giant house, consider heating costs.

[Melissa in St Louis]

I have a mother who worries like no other. No further comments there.

 

Also, DH works so hard (at his dream), and he has verbally said he needs to come home to something nice that he feels good about. I am just trying to do what is best for everyone. (read as: impossible)

Edited April 29, 2009 by Melissa in St Louis
can't type!

[Janet in WA]

We would choose "B". A 30-minute drive for activities would have meant we didn't do many (if any) activities.

[Mom22ns]

So if you're concerned about appearances, that you have to be in the "right" neighborhood with a giant house, then that's your priority, rather than whether it works for you. Because from what you said, with the step up/down thing, it's not the actual quality of life, it's how others will think you are doing. I don't know.

 

 

Ouch. I don't think that is fair at all. I love my big house in the country with a long commute. It isn't about what others see, we just love having space both inside and out. My dh works from home and we're all here all the time, it is important to us that we don't get cabin fever. She never said it would be a step up in other people's eyes, only in their own feelings.

 

I'd choose A in a heartbeat. That is just because it has what I look for. Driving doesn't matter to me, we assume a 20-30 minute drive to kids activities and go almost every day for something. That said, not everyone feels that way and you need to choose the one that fits you or keep looking for one that does.

[HeatherInWI]

I'd take b. Heating and cooling a small space is going to save a lot of money in the long run, and 2 minutes from activities would save a lot of time and gas money. A perfect yard sounds good, too!

[Mom0012]

I would definitely pick option b. I do not like to drive 1 hour round trip for activities and everything you shared about house b sounds pretty good.

 

Lisa

[Melissa in St Louis]

Thanks, Momto2ns....:grouphug: Needed that one.

 

Yes, DH works prt of the time from home, so that is why we need space. We were just talking about how diffrent our needs would be if h had a "regular job" and the kids went to "regular school."

 

Also, there are now 2 other homes in the running! Goin to see both today! YAY!:)

[snickelfritz]

For us, that meant living on the other side of the city......

 

While it can be inconvenient to drive to our old activities, in some cases we have found newer activities that are closer. In other cases, I just lump as much as I can. I get my dayplanner out when I am scheduling next year's activities and put as much as I can into 1 trip. If there's a gap between activities, we take a picnic and hit a park or library and just take an afternoon out.

 

Our yard is pretty tiny, but our great neighborhood helps make up for that (neighborhood park, pool, and splash pad.) That means someone else gets to take care of the pool and large area mowing. We have lots of young families and, for some reason, lots of police officers who bring their cars home at night.

 

The big space indoors means that we have a dedicated play/school room. When the weather is yucky, we have room to jump around and do an exercise video.

 

In the end, you have to decide what is best for your family. But, I would try my hardest to find something in between. Hopefully the 2 new houses will give you what you need.

[Dobela]

Thanks, Momto2ns....:grouphug: Needed that one.

 

Yes, DH works prt of the time from home, so that is why we need space. We were just talking about how diffrent our needs would be if h had a "regular job" and the kids went to "regular school."

 

Also, there are now 2 other homes in the running! Goin to see both today! YAY!:)

If my DH was workig from home, I would want the larger house, especially with 2 small children. They are not going to be quiet. You dont' want to be stressed about the noise and daddy working. If you are looking to stay in a home long term, then I would also chose the one that has the capacity to grow with the family. If it is too small now when you move in, it will just shrink smaller as the kids age.

[Mommyof4ks]

Option 1! The neighborhood is paramount for me, and we take all of the space we can get lol.

[WishboneDawn]

We made that choice 2 months ago and went for A with no regrets. Driving time can be a bit of a pain the odd time but honestly, we spend most of our time at home so why wouldn't we go for the house that offered our family the most?

[Mom22ns]

Thanks, Momto2ns....:grouphug: Needed that one.

 

Also, there are now 2 other homes in the running! Goin to see both today! YAY!:)

 

:grouphug: You are welcome! Good luck today.

[chaik76]

Option a) hubby (and deep down me too) feels it is a step up

option b) hubby (and deep down me too) feels it is a step down

 

We would continue to go to same activities, not find new ones.

 

Kiddos would still have own rooms no matter what.

 

Main concern is dh works nights and we may not be able to be quiet enough in house B. :confused:

House A, without a doubt.

[Rosy]

No regrets, especially from DH.

 

When we looked into buying this time around, we really hoped to shorten our commute. DHs commute was half an hour, and most of our activities as well as shopping were 20-30 min. away (though we had a Target 5 min. away and a couple grocery stores just a little further).

 

When we started looking, I pushed for the neighborhood 5 min. from DHs work. He completely refused--the neighborhoods were pretty awful (and I'm not talking about appearances, I mean safety, how well the homes were maintained--things that would affect resale). The homes a little further were all on busy roads, had no yard, too small, bad neighborhoods, etc. etc.

 

We widened our parameters and found a fixer just over 20 min. from everything we do that was the size we wanted, the price we wanted, the WOW neighborhood, etc. I know that if we'd bought one of the closer in houses, I wouldn't have been happy there long term. DH definitely has that "little piece of heaven" feeling, he wouldn't have had the same sense of satisfaction with a different house.

[caitlinsmom]

I have choice B (well with a small commute issue) and it drives me nuts! :) I would in seconds pic choice A if I could. :)

 

Good luck with the other options you are checking.

[hferguson10]

I would choose option B. I've had more space and less space. You figure it out, but I really get worn out being in the car a whole lot. The drive to the kids activities would drive me crazy.:)

[Valerie in Chicago]

I would go with A.

 

What parts of St. Louis are we talking here? (I grew up there, my family still lives there)

 

One of my brothers lives in St. Albans. He's a long drive from everything, but has the house that he & his wife will be in until they are old and frail. It's an amazing place, and they are thrilled with the decision to this day. They run their own company out of the house. My nephew attends Priory HS, so if anything, he's the one with the commute! :D

 

Another brother lives in Columbia, IL. Same situation -- bit of a drive, but a neat area, so it's worth it. (he works at busch stadium, so it's not that bad of a drive, really)

 

I live in the city and love all of the conveniences. However, after the last several winters -- the most recent of which will. not. end. -- I can squarely say that Space Is Good!! Space Is Really, Really Good! And besides, summers in St. Louis can sometimes trap you indoors now and then too.

 

Maybe you could consolidate activities and do several in a day or two?

 

But yeah, I'd go with A. Definitely.

 

Good luck, and let us know!

:001_smile: