Our modest 3-bedroom Edwardian terrace house was becoming just that little bit too snug for our growing family. When we moved in there was comfortably enough room for the two of us, and more. As our life evolved and circumstances changed, so did our home – we knocked walls down, expanded into the attic and made creative use of every nook and cranny so that we could live as comfortably as possible, as 2 eventually became 3 then 4. A small rear yard for bins became enveloped in a trampoline – a hand me down from our neighbours 2 doors down who similarly outgrew their modest mid terrace and set off to 'move and improve' 2 years prior.
After 15 years we had grown attached - so many memories, key life events experienced, and amazing times both as ourselves and shared with family and friends. We’d invested so much of us making our house our home, and whilst a house is ultimately just bricks and mortar, wood and slate, they often become so much more. Over time they seem to absorb the soul of the occupants, essentially becoming integral to the family. Whilst centrally located for our lives with a great local park on the doorstep, convenient bus routes to the big city, we were becoming claustrophobic, hemmed into our 4 walls – the lack of connection to ‘a garden’, inconvenience of the ‘school run’, a bedroom just too small to fit a proper bed for our growing lad nor sufficient to accommodate my daughter’s seemingly endlessly breeding cuddly toys, and certainly not big enough to swing her fluffy cats! All these little issues, and more were compounding, so the decision was made. We’d exhausted 'improve' so we had to 'move' – but where?
Episode 2 ‘Where and What’ will follow next month… stay tuned!
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