Knowing when to move home and when to settle isn’t always easy. Part of you may constantly think you can do better – but what if you’ve found your forever home already? Below are a few signs that you may already be living in your forever home and that you should stop pining for something greater.
You love the local area
A great location is hard to replicate. This could include anything from stunning views to a fun and supportive community. You may be able to find somewhere even better or you may be able to move to a new home in the same area. But if this isn’t likely to be possible, you should consider whether it’s worth sacrificing for a new home.
There’s still room to grow
If you’ve got a growing family and you’re running out of space, you may inevitably have to upsize to keep your home comfortable. However, if you’ve still got spare rooms to convert and space to extend upon, it may not be necessary to consider somewhere bigger. Additional space is a luxury that’s hard to come by and it could be worth making the most of what you have first.
It’s retirement-friendly
Some homes may be suitable for your everyday life in your current state of health, but may no longer be appropriate if you start developing mobility issues. In most properties, you may have the option to eventually make modifications (such as adding a stairlift or walk-in shower) if you need. However, if such modifications aren’t possible, you may want to prepare to eventually move in retirement.
You’ve invested in beautiful bespoke furniture
Spent lots of money on an amazing fitted wardrobe for your bedroom? Or perhaps you’ve chosen a custom sofa that perfectly fits the dimensions of your living room? Unless you’re able to find a new home with exactly the same dimensions (which is unlikely), you won’t be able to take this bespoke furniture with you. The very fact that you’ve already customized your furnishings around your home could be a sign that you’ve already committed long-term to your current home.
There are warm memories everywhere that you cannot take with you
There could be warm memories ingrained into the structure of your current home that you cannot take with you. This could include kids’ height charts on walls, fireplaces where you hang stockings each christmas or trees that you planted in memory of loved ones. If these home features continue to provide comfort, it could be a sign that you’re better staying put.
You can imagine handing it down to your kids
If you would love your kids to inherit your home (and they want to inherit it), then clearly moving may not be the right decision. This could be particularly the case if you’ve already written a will and left it to them. You can always hire an estate lawyer to change your will if you decide to move elsewhere, but you should consider whether your kids will still want to move in or whether it will simply be a home for them to sell.
You’ve looked at other properties but nothing is ticking all the boxes
Already been looking at other properties? If you keep finding fault with other homes, it could be a sign that the perfect home you need isn’t out there – you may already be living in it. Your current home may have issues that other properties can solve, but they could also be missing features that your current home has, and it may not be worth the trade-off.