We need your help deciding what we do next | + House tour | Frugal | Homeschooling mama of 3 | 🏡

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Joel and I can't decide what to do next when it comes to houses, mortgages and moving so we need your help and input to help make these decision!
We are a homeschooling family of 5 living in a 3 bedroom, ex-council house in England. We are trying to decide what we do out of these 3 options:-
stay put, just do the work need and focus on becoming mortgage free
do an extension that will double our overall mortgage but we will get a large 4 bedroom home perfect for our family size and if we ever have more kids in the future. However we won't be able to overpay the mortgage easily if at all.
Move house
Watch the video and let me know what you think we should do!!!
For move frugal content:-
80 meals for £20
• 80 MEALS FOR £20 ($23)...
Mortgage breakdown
• Plans to become mortga...
DIY Kitchen Reno
• Frugal DIY Kitchen Ren...
Please give this a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE if you liked this and for more Frugal living tips and tricks!

[@ItsMe-co4bj]

Pay off the mortgage, stash the cash and re-evaluate in 5 years time 👍 I know this is the boring option but it’s the quickest way from now to dream future. Trust me ! I highly recommend it 😊

[@HGDesignsCrochet]

This 💖

[@lindsaycahoon672]

Also this but do a few wee updates to make it comfortable

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Reading the comments is making me realise how much I'm letting lifestyle creep take over! 💛💛💛

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Reading the comments is making me realise how much I'm letting lifestyle creep take over! 💛💛💛

[@annasutherland9101]

Yes, lifestyle creep! Hard to resist it, but living through a extension like that was a nightmare for us with young kids on site. Endless dust. Honestly, was very stressful. Nowadays online we seem surrounded by people who have bigger better homes, better cars etc., but you have bought your own home young, and you have the chance to be mortgage free young, you are ahead of the game in so many ways, wish I had been as savvy. Kids are hard on a home! I'd hold off on new carpets until youngest is older. Can you declutter any stuff? Less stuff = need less storage, less to clean. Also makes my house feel more spacious, better for my children with sensory processing difficulties too I think. Do you watch Joshua Becker? 0:03 0:03

[@janicegagnon2294]

In listening to the things you like about the home and the location, and the concessions in moving to a new home that may not be your forever home; I think the extension makes the most sense and will increase the value of your home for when you transition to a home with land. The increase in the percentage of the budget for housing will come back to you and you are so mindful that you will make it work

[@daniellao3324]

Hi Amelia, I definitely agree with everyone else. Do the extension! As a side note, I was wondering if you could do a video at some point on how you typically spend your time as a family? I have 2 under 3 at the moment and we are planning to home school them. I also cook almost everything from scratch and have followed Dave Ramsay for ever. It's always exciting to find a fellow Brit who listens to him! Anyways I find that between housework and cooking I just never have time left for anything else. Would be encouraging to hear how you do it all and if you do or don't have any spare time left after all the priorities are taken care of. Love your videos 😊

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Oh my goodness!!! Hi and wow go you! Firstly I would say you are in a very different stage of life to me just because of the age of your children! It's hard to get anything done with kids that age so you sound like you're doing amazing! I was not this far ahead when mine was that young! I would say the routine I'm currently in has taken YEARS to perfect. You'll see that in 2-3 years all things will start to really change and get so much easier for you once you are out the baby/ toddler age! (Plus if you choose to have more it gets easier as the older kids then want to help out/play with the younger!) At this stage all I would encourage is that you try get the kids to 'help out' in the kitchen as much as possible (won't make it easier short term but deffo will long term) and then get them used to "book work" which for you I would say just 5-10 mins of sitting at the table with them colouring/doing hand writing sheets and getting them used to the action of it. Kids art hub on KZbin have toddler teach you how to draw tutorials and I found that's a great start to get the kiddos used to try and actually draw something to look how it should 😂. You're doing great and remember life comes in all different seasons! 💛💛💛

[@kristenbrett8103]

I’d do the extension and do it now!

[@lindsaycahoon672]

I wouldn't do anything big. U have lots of space...close up one of those living room doors.. giving you more living room space ..living room is perfect as u have a playroom. Redo the kitchen, minus that breakfast bar but lots more cupboard space ( then put table in middle of kitchen) or big kitchen island that 5 people can sit round and no table. Do your downstairs shower room to your liking. Tumble dryer is fine. Redo up stairs carpet, buy a smaller master bed, bunk beds for younger boys and oldest in box room. All toys downstairs in playroom. Lots of storage throughout. No need to move,,,your wasting your time and money ❤xx

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Thank you! This is really helpful! 💛

[@krystinetaylor7286]

Hi..some great ideas in the comments that are helping me also. If you decided to ‘make do’ and pay off mortgage would you consider turning the play room into a downstairs master bedroom for the 3 of you. This would leave 3 bedrooms upstairs with more room for toys etc. This would depend whether you feel comfortable sleeping downstairs while kids are upstairs etc. We have 3 good sized bedrooms upstairs and had 2 reception rooms downstairs. When I was expecting baby number 4 we decided to move into the reception room at the bottom of stairs and we are happy in there with our now 10 month old. It just means if anyone wakes you are going upstairs to sort or sleep beside etc but that’s ok for more space for everyone. We are trying to pay off our mortgage earlier 😀

[@ameliasfrugallife]

This is for sure been something we were thinking of doing (and actually something I loved the idea of) however the room is a lot smaller than it looks and with door placements fitting a normal double can be tricky let alone our super king (which we aren't willing to downsize from 😂) and there wouldn't be space for any storage. We have said it could become one of the boys rooms when they are older and don't mind being at the back of the house. 💛

[@lindastone9385]

Hi Amelia! Lots of things to consider. Firstly , as an ex council house, I agree about a ceiling on the value. However, you do have big garden. We have lived in our home for 36 years. It wasn't our first choice, however we have made it work. Location, with children, was superb. We had enough room to extend ( twice) and build a cabin for mother in law to live in. We have a big garden too. And no new kitchen, just doors and work surfaces. However, we are now about to sell up, move to another part of the country ( to be near the grandkids) and have a new adventure. Was our home our dream home? No. But we made it work and paid off the mortgage early. Location is in important. Wishing you all the best in your decision making. Ps bagels looking good!!

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Thank you! This is all really helpful! 💛💛💛

[@carolinebenwell7625]

The extension sounds perfect. ❤

[@rowanlouden3580]

i'm team extension and it sounds like you are leaning that way too. that would also most likely increase the value of your home too for when you eventually do decide to sell in the future.

[@IamAlwaysWaiting]

As a Homeschooler mum of 4 who lives in a small two up two door terrace house, you actually have a lot of space. We only have a small living room and a kitchen with no garden or scope to extend, so what you have in my opinion is very good. You have scope to extend and space to cope with doing the extention around home education and working from home.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Wow! You're doing amazing! Yes reading through the comments is definitely giving me lots of perspective! And seems I'm letting lifestyle creep take over! 💛💛💛

[@IamAlwaysWaiting]

@@ameliasfrugallife honestly it is very hard but we are grateful for a home. We are similiar in the belief of no debt. I would rather stay in this small uneqiupped home rather than have any debt. Amazingly the old lady who owned my house before raised 8 children in it. I remind myself of that when I feel we are like sardines in a can lol. I'd do with the extention but even with that I wouldn't start until I had most of the money. I wish you all the best for your family. X

[@deidrecampbell9454]

Do the extension. The way your talking about it sounds to me like that’s the direction you’re leaning towards awayway in your heart of hearts.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Honestly I go back and forth about 20 times a day😂. I love the idea of how it would look but feel like I'm not ready to give up the land dream just yet. Thanks sooo much for your input! 💛

[@deidrecampbell9454]

@@ameliasfrugallife perhaps it’s that your house is feeling tired and so the idea of an extension seems quite appealing. I wonder if what’s needed is a spruce up (new kitchen, wet room, carpets, customised storage, repaint etc) to breathe new life into your home and make it feel fresh and new again. That would be a much cheaper option than full on extension and still keep you on track with your financial goals. I know repainting our lounge and getting new sofas made a huge difference to how our home felt.

[@TracyOwen-y9t]

I would extend if you are happy with the area. As you will pay a fortune in mortgage and moving fees. Looks a lovely home 😊

[@HGDesignsCrochet]

Hey Amelia, I see how much you want the extension. I understand. We are in a similar position, with a much smaller ex-housing association home. Hand on heart, hold on to that 2% mortgage rate and pay off the mortgage. By extending now you will inevitably have more interest and therefore more debt to pay off in the long run. With the way things keep rising it might mean that you need to return to work part time in order to become mortgage free. Map out on a spreadsheet how much extra you will pay in interest and that might deter you from the extension plans for now. Yes you may need a new roof but paying out for an entire extension means you are paying soooo much more then you need to right now. Also, the upheaval of the extension would be a lot for a family who are home 24/7. You may need to consider moving out for a few months which is more additional costs. So albeit not what you want to hear right now, stay true to the main goal and clear of the current mortgage and then reassess. Amelia that purchased the shared ownership house would be shouting at you not to do it, you will have a bigger mortgage then when you first brought a home! Don't send yourself to jail, pass go and collect !200!😅 For the bedroom situation consider moving your eldest into the smallest room. And then challenge yourself to find a way to sub divide the room your eldest vacates into two for your younger children. OR move you and hubby into the middle room and subdivide the bigger room. Get the carpets changed as well, and then be content and focused. It's not your ideal but it will meet all your needs and buy you the time to clear the mortgage. And then you will be in the strongest position to secure your forever home.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Yes! Thank you this is very helpful and sooo much thinking is needed!!! 💛💛💛

[@DebtFree_WithMe]

I would extend if you like the area you live in. Your house is a really good size, big garden etc and it would add a lot of value to your house. We extended last year (single storey) which added an extra bedroom, bathroom and garage. It cost £20K (my husband is a builder so did most of it himself) and has added £50K value to our house. Good luck with whatever you decide xx

[@longmaysherain]

I would do the extension if you are happy with the area you’re in - we’re currently in the process of moving to *hopefully* our forever home from a 2 bed flat and I can honestly say I don’t want to experience this ever again if I can help it 😅😵‍💫 good to have options to think over though 👍

[@EmmaHolland-dy4zk]

I would definitely do the extension, it would add value and would cost less than moving once you factor into solicitors fees etc. I doubt you would find somewhere with that sized garden.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Yes definitely cheaper than moving. And although it will add value it won't be enough to make the full amount that we spent on the extension back so we would still lose money if we decided to sell afterwards.💛 Thanks so much for your input.

[@cloe2777]

I would move you can get a bigger property. You might have to move either in the area or currently live in or move further away it doesn’t have to be ages away but maybe close by? Or extend? But before you extend and maybe to bring some extra money and space in I’d do a good declutter and sell the items you don’t want either at a car boot sale or online. Anyways I wish you all the best for you and you’re family which ever decision you make it will be the best and right one for you and your family x

[@cloe2777]

Definitely get onto rightmove and start looking. But before you start looking take off stamp duty, moving costs and estate agents fees. Good luck x

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Yes been looking at Rightmove now for a good year 😂. Unfortunately we don't ideally want to move far from our current location because of our kids clubs and friends (one child is very sensitive to change and wouldn't handle starting a new). Which is frustrating as if we were willing to move 30-40 miles out then we could get a lot more for our money.

[@janice-ann7157]

Hi Amelia, I'd stay and do the extension. There's no way I'd give up that fixed interest rate. It would be amazing if you could repay the mortgage before that runs out ❤

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Here's the thing, if we did the extension then that means we wouldn't be able to repay it before the fixed rate runs out because we would be spending that money on the new mortgage monthly payments. Thanks so much for your input! 💛

[@janice-ann7157]

@ameliasfrugallife oh i see! I'm in Ireland and while interest rates are not good, I think you guys have it a lot worse. It's very hard to know what to do in these situations! Xx

[@HGDesignsCrochet]

@@ameliasfrugallifehold onto the fixed rate and pay it off. That's the biggest gift you can give your family. The space will come later 💖

[@EcoEva]

I’d have the extension done too. You might move & find you don’t like it as much as this house. Maybe you could save a little by finding 2nd hand kitchen and bathroom on gumtree. We got a solid wood kitchen that way. It was fun making it all fit & it looked good.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

You're a genius! I've been looking for second hand kitchens on Facebook but GUMTREE!!! Yes! I should have thought about that. You've given me lots to think about!!! 💛💛💛

[@suzieh3744]

I would extension

[@anelleroux4882]

I agree with other viewers, do the extension.

[@KimKearney-t4v]

I would do the extension ( in fact we did) we became mortgage free but it took a further 9 years. Listening to you, you want the extension. It’s an investment in your life and family. That way, even If you never get the dream duck pond and land, you still have a forever home.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Thank you! I mean the dream is land but I do love the idea of a lovely internal home too!!! 💛

[@NatalieBatchelor-y3e]

It sounds like you’ve already made your mind up as to the extension it is the logical option, are there any properties locally that have extended that you could look at even on paper as to ceiling prices for your area etc - maybe speak with a local estate agent to see what they think. Either way you’re looking at having your incur substantial costs so to pay out for something that only fits the bill short term isn’t necessarily a good option - my only other point would be as to living in the property whilst extending is this something that you could do with homeschool and working from home ? If you think yes then I’d definitely say go for it

[@patbor3143]

For me extension or stay in the house as it is and pay the mortgage.Boys are getting bigger and in couple of years they will not need a playroom, as they will be spending more time in their bedroom or with their friends away from house and maybe your daughter could have room in the old playroom? We live in smaller house than yours,(3 bedroom mid terrace) with small garden, but 2 kids only so they both have their own rooms, sometimes i think that for now it would be nice to have bigger house with separate dinning room, but I know that kids grow fast, and once they are teenage age or leave the house we would not need bigger house than this we have now. So we decided that if we will be able to safe enough we would rather go travelling with them ...What your husband and what your boys think? Would they rather move out and have a bigger house?im sure whatever you decide if is going to be the best decision for your family in your situation ❤.

[@sylviesaunders117]

Your house is lived in.Not messy.Your current home isnt working for you.An extension would add to the value of your home but there would be upheaval and living with mess while the work is being carried out You could look for a place which ticks your boxes.Moving would be a lot of work and even more upheaval.Only you can decide what will be the best solution.Maybe you need to wait until you are absolutely sure what it is you want.Either way it is going to be costly so you dont want to make a mistake.

[@ameliasfrugallife]

Yes we wouldn't make a decision until we were as close to 100% as possible. Thanks so much for your input! 💛

[@Elliecatify]

I think 30k is very optimistic for all that work, prices on building materials are going up weekly. However it's cheaper than moving! Duck ponds are not all they're cracked up to be, ducks are filthy animals, the amount of poo is insane!!! If you like the area you live in and can live there for many more years, i would do the extension and enjoy the house. Your garden is amazing, and very rare nowadays!

[@lucy_martina]

How many years left until you can become mortgage free, if you do stay in the house and only do the work that is needed? You mentioned that you would like a bigger house with more land, however that isn't possible right now. Would that be a possibility if you continue saving while you pay off your current mortgage? It would mean dealing with what you currently have for now, but if you could get your forever home sooner, would it be worth it? Otherwise I would say to do the extension. If you move now it would mean compromising on things, whether that is location or space, and you would probably still feel the need to change things. This way you would get a close to what you can get to your dream home, without going massively overbudget

[@ameliasfrugallife]

This is pretty much what's been going round my head over and over again. We would be mortgage free in 4-7 years depending on what internal work we took on and the final price of it all and not doing the extension. And land is the biggest dream but in our area it'll be close to £1M to get anything similar to what we want in our area and I don't see that on the cards even if we become mortgage free early. And also my eldest would be 14+ in 4 years and would feel like I've wasted his childhood holding out for a dream that might never come, if that makes sense? But thank you! This is very helpful! 💛

[@lucy_martina]

I think you've answered your own question there. It seems like you want a lovely spacious home for your family and kids to grow up in. I know being mortgage free asap is important but you also want to enjoy where you spend most of your time. The dream of owning land can always be in the future once your kids have moved out and you can perhaps move to a cheaper area. Good luck with whatever you both decide to do!

[@sarahmoore985]

If you home educate and your husband works from home is it possible to move to a cheaper part of the country to facilitate your dream of owning a property with land or do you have other ties that are stopping you relocating?