Marigold4
Well-Known Member
Having to make a decision on moving house by Monday and need some help thinking this through!
We've got about 24 hrs to make a decision to sell or not to sell our house. Can you help me weigh up the decision.
We've had an offer accepted on a nearby house with a field and have got two really good offers for our house. Just trying to think the move through. Our own house is lovely and finished but now the kids are grown up we don't use the whole house and it feels a bit empty. We rent a field next door and have built our own stables (American barn style) in our garden. The roof leaks and we need to spend money on re-roofing. Field is 4 acres, loam, well-draining but I have to lead the horses from stables to field across a busy footpath - in summer there can be 50 people a day. There is a sycamore tree on one side that means I can't use some of the field and spend the autumn weeks picking up seeds and worrying about it. The people who own the tree won't hear of taking it down. Field has a bindweed problem. It has electricity and water. Can't see the horses from the house. I have a mobile shelter but other than that there's not much natural shelter or shade. I've no reason to think that the person renting to me would take the field away but they could. I have access to a bridleway but have to ride through a busy village square to access it. Cars from the local school and pub sometimes make it difficult to get my lorry out as they park on the keep clear sign at the end of our lane. We have busy holiday lets on two sides.
New house needs LOTS of work but we're both looking forward to a project as we are winding down work-wise. We would make enough money from our sale to do it up properly. It is smaller and cosier. It's a much quieter location (a hamlet of 4 houses) rather than the current full-on village setting. There are brick-built stables (American barn style) but in need of work. There is a door from the house into the stables so I wouldn't have to go outside in the cold and rain when they are in! There are other outhouses and a 3.7 acre field. It is loam and well draining. No sycamores. Water but no electrics although this could be sorted, I think. needs re-fencing. Field can be seen from the house. It is surrounded by hedges with another hedge down the middle. Trees on one side (mostly hazel and ash) provide shade. I can move my mobile shelter there. However, I would have to lead the horses across and along a narrow track (a journey of about 60 feet) to get from field to stable. The track is quieter than the footpath but there would be the odd car from the neighbours and if the horses play up and get away they could end up on a road if they took off down the track (unlikely but possible). Access to a whole network of bridleways. I would own the field. Near the same village so still in touch with same friends.
Would you move? Is the upheaval worth it? I guess it's down to how much do I value the security of owning my own field after renting 3 different fields for 20+ years. Would the dangers of crossing the track put you off? But no more sycamore dangers.
We've got about 24 hrs to make a decision to sell or not to sell our house. Can you help me weigh up the decision.
We've had an offer accepted on a nearby house with a field and have got two really good offers for our house. Just trying to think the move through. Our own house is lovely and finished but now the kids are grown up we don't use the whole house and it feels a bit empty. We rent a field next door and have built our own stables (American barn style) in our garden. The roof leaks and we need to spend money on re-roofing. Field is 4 acres, loam, well-draining but I have to lead the horses from stables to field across a busy footpath - in summer there can be 50 people a day. There is a sycamore tree on one side that means I can't use some of the field and spend the autumn weeks picking up seeds and worrying about it. The people who own the tree won't hear of taking it down. Field has a bindweed problem. It has electricity and water. Can't see the horses from the house. I have a mobile shelter but other than that there's not much natural shelter or shade. I've no reason to think that the person renting to me would take the field away but they could. I have access to a bridleway but have to ride through a busy village square to access it. Cars from the local school and pub sometimes make it difficult to get my lorry out as they park on the keep clear sign at the end of our lane. We have busy holiday lets on two sides.
New house needs LOTS of work but we're both looking forward to a project as we are winding down work-wise. We would make enough money from our sale to do it up properly. It is smaller and cosier. It's a much quieter location (a hamlet of 4 houses) rather than the current full-on village setting. There are brick-built stables (American barn style) but in need of work. There is a door from the house into the stables so I wouldn't have to go outside in the cold and rain when they are in! There are other outhouses and a 3.7 acre field. It is loam and well draining. No sycamores. Water but no electrics although this could be sorted, I think. needs re-fencing. Field can be seen from the house. It is surrounded by hedges with another hedge down the middle. Trees on one side (mostly hazel and ash) provide shade. I can move my mobile shelter there. However, I would have to lead the horses across and along a narrow track (a journey of about 60 feet) to get from field to stable. The track is quieter than the footpath but there would be the odd car from the neighbours and if the horses play up and get away they could end up on a road if they took off down the track (unlikely but possible). Access to a whole network of bridleways. I would own the field. Near the same village so still in touch with same friends.
Would you move? Is the upheaval worth it? I guess it's down to how much do I value the security of owning my own field after renting 3 different fields for 20+ years. Would the dangers of crossing the track put you off? But no more sycamore dangers.
