Too much detail about houses

I don't want to jinx the whole thing, but as we haven't spoken to a lot of you, I figured that you might want to know about the impending, hopefully, move. Maybe if I blog about it then it will have to happen!

So, after 12 years, we have got up the energy to consider moving out of South Bank. We deserve some sort of medal for that - after three houses on the same road, its hard to break the habit!

But after much deliberating we realised that we were never going to be able to afford a house in South Bank with a third bedroom (for Nimmy to live in for a bit), a garage (for the boat to live in in the winter), a dining room (so Nathaniel learns table manners) and a garden (for me to live in!). But we love South Bank! We love being 7 mins cycle and 15 mins walk from the centre of town. We love being down the road from the marvellous butcher and baker. We love having the open space of the racecourse on our doorstep. We love being 5 mins walk from countryside and sheep in fields. We love being so close to the river and to Rowntree Park. We love having several different, pleasant walks into town. We love living so close to loads of our friends. But its time to be adventurous!

So the new (I feel I need to put "hopefully" after every mention of it!) house, is in Holgate, a whole 25 minutes walk from where we presently are. Here is a pretty map to show you. Pink splodge is South Bank, blue is Holgate.


It's much more suburban and much less terracy. It's a bit scary in that way. But it has advantages. We can have a big garden. We are 1 minutes walk from Hob Moor (a giant bit of moorland where cows graze and there are grasses to run in, trees to climb, streams to bridge and dog walkers to annoy - loads of photos and nice maps and stuff at friendsofhobmoor.org.uk). We are 3 minutes from West Bank park which has mainly the same advantages as Rowntree Park (minus the zip line) but the added advantage of much better, thicker woods with little glades and picnic benches. We can live on a quiet road where you could ride your bike if you were 7. We are still only 7 mins cycle or 15 mins walk from town even though the route is less pleasant. And we can have a house with space and not be mortgaged up to the eyeballs.

So its not too bad. Here is my justification of moving to suburbia - all the green bits are bits of open space that we like to use. The arrows point to the rough location of our houses:
South Bank


Holgate

Could be a whole lot worse!

And the house. Well. I swore I'd never live in 70s suburban hell, but things change... It has big windows, and a study and sun room and out-house as well as a living room and dining room. It has three sensible bedrooms and the potential to extend and create a fourth. It has a garden. A south facing, open aspect garden with grass and trees. Trees!! Its pretty cool!

It does need a little DIY. Well, a lot if you are not fond of 70s patterned carpets, brown walls and faux-brick fire surrounds. But I am chosing to delude myself that we will enjoy the whole DIY process this time! Either that or all of you will have to come and stay and scrape, paper and paint a wall each!

But the garden. Did I mention south-facing and open-aspect? Let me mention it again!

Just keep all your fingers and toes crossed for us.