Should we extend or move? The big dilemma...

It’s a question that comes up time and time again - often when I’m sat across a kitchen table, in a house that holds both comfort and frustration.

Do we extend and make this house work better for us? Or do we pack up and start fresh somewhere new?

There’s rarely an easy answer. And honestly, that’s okay. These kinds of decisions are never just about bricks and floorplans, they’re about how you live now, and how you want to live next.

Extending can be a wonderful option. It lets you stay in the place that already feels like home - the street where your kids scoot up and down the pavement, the neighbours who water your plants when you’re away, the garden you’ve watched blossom over the years. You get to hold on to all of that, and still create the space your family needs: a kitchen that fits everyone in at once, maybe a quiet office you’ve been dreaming of, a spare bedroom or simply breathing room as the kids grow taller than you.

But then... there’s the other path.

Sometimes, no matter how many sketches or ideas you throw at it, a house just can’t stretch far enough. Or maybe your needs have changed in a way that makes a different kind of home feel more right. A fresh start can be incredibly energising - new spaces, new routines, maybe even a new pace of life. When the compromise list keeps getting longer, and your heart skips a beat when you scroll through Rightmove listings in that village you love... well, that says something.

I’ve seen both journeys, and walked them with families at all stages. Sometimes the answer becomes obvious halfway through a conversation. Other times it takes weeks (or months!) of sitting with the pros and cons, imagining mornings in both versions of your future.

Here’s what I always come back to: Your home should support your life, not the other way around.

So if you’re hovering in that in-between space, unsure which way to lean, know that you’re not alone. It’s a big decision, and it deserves time, thought, and a few honest chats (with tea and biscuits or over a pub lunch).

Whatever you choose, whether to stay and extend or remodel, or to go and begin again, it should feel like a step toward a life that works better for you. That’s the real goal. Not perfect, just right for you.