We currently live in a house well over 100 years old. We are near a local park in an ok neighborhood. What we like best about our house is the old time charm but it has some major quirks whats that can not be fixed or remodeled due to structure issues. PLUS - we are not living in the school district our children attend and have about a 15 mintue drive both ways each day.
We are getting to the time in our lives financially where we are going to chooce between getting a newer house within the district our kids attend or buy a cabin/lake house.
If you had the option - would you choose newer house (lets say sq ft and rooms remain the same as original) or a cabin/lake-house?
Thanks everyone. Side note - the drive is not our main concern - it's not being close to ANY of our kids friends. We currently live where there are either apartments (old homes converted) or retired people - so there are no other kids around. And our house is structurally sound, it's just the type of structure and what we want to remodel that can't be done, Unless we want a wing of our house to hang over the driveway of our neighbor :) I too am leaning towards a newer house. I know that 15 minutes is not a lot of time - but like 1 mom mentioned about being a taxi. I have to drive back and forth 4 times a day for my oldest son. (take to school in AM, come home, pick up from school, come home, take to sports practice 2 1/2hr later, come home, pick up from sports 2 1/2 hrs later, come home) - and this is everyday! I can't imagine how this schedule will be when my yougest starts school. :)
Thanks everyone.
Newer house! While I like the charm of old places I hate the quirks that come with them.
Way down the road when you have saved again - do the lake house.
Cabin/lake house - I think instantly of all those family memories you will create now. A house is a house to a certain extent and they all have their quirks for whatever reason. I don't think a 15 minute commute for the children one way is bad but then again I'm a Houstonian and driving is part of our daily lives.
You won't find a new house with old-time charm. If the charm means a lot to you (it would to me!), keep the house. Fifteen minutes isn't unreasonable for driving. If it were an hour, it would be another matter.
If you would really make use of a vacation house, I'd say go for it. Make sure you'd get your money's worth out of it, though.
New house. I would be afraid to live in an older house with structure damage that cannot be fixed or remodeled. Sounds financially draining.
I love old houses but I'd still get the newer house closer to school. As my kids got older, they had more activites at school, after school, close to school, at friends' houses near school. Sometimes it felt like I spent my life in the car driving round and round the city burning gas and not getting anywhere.
15 minutes is not that far to drive but if I could, I'd find a newer house within walking distance to school. It gives kids alot of freedom to come and go, stay late at school, meet friends to do homework etc. Then I'd save the money I would have spent on gas and home repairs (and upkeep on a vacation house) and rent a cabin at the lake.
CABIN/LAKE HOUSE HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!
That is my husband and I's dream so I'm partial lol
I would say the house closer to your kids school. Children benefit so much from being able to walk to and from school, and it is so great if kids can live in the same neighbourhood as their friends.
I'm not a fan of cabins, because you are then stuck going to the same place every vacation. Where I live there are hundreds of beautiful lakes, and I would hate to be tied down to just one of them. It is also a whole other house to maintain, another lawn to mow, etc.
I would choose the newer house. Especially if your commute is shorter with the new house. It gets tiring and a pain to have to drive further every day. Even if it is just 15 mins.
Later you could get the lake house. Or rent one in the meantime.
In the end its what feels best for you, and your family :) What does your husband and kids say?
if you find a house you LOVE in the school district you want, it might be worth it. but a 15 minute drive isn't that bad and kids aren't in school forever. that alone wouldn't warrant a move for me.
but i do love vacation.
:) khairete
S.
Easy.
Cabin/Lake house!
