Five Clues That Your Home No Longer Fits Your Lifestyle

The problem with property is that our lives tend to change year after year, but our homes stay the same. This can mean that over time, a house that once seemed perfect is no longer a fit, and can actually leave us feeling quite unhappy. If you’re undecided between renovating and moving, here are a few things to consider in regards to your current situation.

You’re unhappy with the area

When you rent or buy a house, it’s not just the property you’re investing in. Essentially it’s the entire area, since it’s something you have to live with and deal with every day. There are lots of reasons you might be unhappy with the area you live in. Maybe it’s becoming more rife with crime and you feel unsafe. Perhaps there are no good local amenities, or the businesses you used to use have closed down or changed. It might be too busy, or perhaps a large road, train track or airport nearby bothers you. Since you can’t change the area, if you’re unhappy then your only option would be to move.

You’re running out of space

Your home might have been the perfect size when you first moved in. Perhaps back then it was just you and your partner, but over the years you’ve had children and added pets to your family. You might have started working from home so need a room for your office, or even have started caring for an elderly or unwell family member. Either way, a lack of space is always going to be a problem. In some cases, extending could be the answer, a single or double story extension could give you more living space and potentially an extra bedroom and bathroom upstairs. If you can’t extend outwards, you have the option to extend into the loft or down into the basement. You could even consider a garden room, these are fully insulated and act as a normal room but are put up in the garden. Ideal as a home office, guest room or hobby room. If renovating isn’t an option, moving home and looking for a new property is the only way to go. If you want this to be your permanent home, consider how your space needs might change in the future. For example if you want to have more children, an extra room is no bad thing.

Your garden is the wrong size

If you love entertaining in the summer than you’ll want to have a good sized garden at home. Something with enough space for a table and chairs, and perhaps some lawn for the children to play on. If you have kids and pets, space for them to run around and burn off some steam is useful, so if your garden is only small then chances are you’re just ‘making do.’ Or perhaps you have the opposite problem, maybe you don’t use your outdoor space much and have a massive garden that you’re unable to maintain. If you’re disabled or just not much of a gardener than it can be difficult to keep up with. It might not be the main reason you choose to move, but when you do, bear the size of the garden in mind.

Your commute is too long

Have you changed jobs since you moved into your home? Or perhaps your office relocated, either way, you could now be spending more time on your commute than you once did. It might even just be a case that you’re getting fed up with it, standing on trains and long bus journeys every day can take their toll. If you want to be closer to work then it could be worth moving house, have a look at see what kind of places are available nearer to your workplace.

You’re paying too much money

Finally, money matters in life. Whether or not you like it, we need money to be able to survive and live the way we want. Chances are your biggest expense is what you pay for your home, whether it’s the rent or mortgage. Your financial situation might have changed since you moved in, and if you’re now struggling or not left with much else after paying it then it could be worth going somewhere cheaper. You might even find something you like more, and be able to free up a significant chunk of money in your budget.