u/Infamous-Pear4593

I'm looking for some outside perspective because my husband and I are struggling with a housing decision.

We're a family of 5 with kids ages 12, 7, and 3. We currently live in our starter home that we bought in 2016. It's about 1,400 sq ft with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. The layout is great, we've made a lot of interior upgrades over the years, and I genuinely love our house.

Financially, it's hard to beat. Our mortgage payment is only $780/month, we owe about $88k, and the house is worth at least $250k. We also have a 3.5% interest rate that I hate the thought of giving up. My husband earns about $190k per year, and I stay home with our 3-year-old, so we have the income to afford a larger house. However, because our housing costs are so low, we're able to save a significant amount of money each month and live very comfortably.

Our situation is that my 12-year-old son has his own small bedroom, while our 7- and 3-year-old daughters share a room. We don't have a basement, but we do have a large front yard and backyard.
My husband wants to move to a larger home. We could afford it, but I keep coming back to the fact that we'd be trading a very comfortable financial situation for more house.

The biggest thing weighing on me is the kids. I worry that I'm limiting them by keeping them in a smaller home. My son is getting older, and I wonder if he'll want friends over more often. Sometimes I feel like I'm the one avoiding having people over because our house is much smaller than many of our friends' homes. I grew up in a 5,000+ sq ft house, and my parents still live there, so I know part of me is comparing our situation to what I grew up with.
At the same time, I truly love our home. We could potentially add an addition in the future if we needed more space, but my husband would rather move than renovate.

For those who have older kids or have been in a similar situation:
Did your kids care about the size of your house?
Did staying in a smaller home help your family financially in ways that were worth it?
If you moved to a bigger house, was it worth the extra cost?
Would you stay put, add on later, or move?

I feel torn between wanting to maximize our family's financial future and wanting to give my kids the space and lifestyle that a larger home might provide. Sometimes I wonder if I'm holding onto a great financial situation, or if I'm letting my own attachment to the house keep us from making a move that would benefit our family.

I'm looking for some outside perspective because my husband and I are struggling with a housing decision.

We're a family of 5 with kids ages 12, 7, and 3. We currently live in our starter home that we bought in 2016. It's about 1,400 sq ft with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. The layout is great, we've made a lot of interior upgrades over the years, and I genuinely love our house.

Financially, it's hard to beat. Our mortgage payment is only $780/month, we owe about $88k, and the house is worth at least $250k. We also have a 3.5% interest rate that I hate the thought of giving up. My husband earns about $190k per year, and I stay home with our 3-year-old, so we have the income to afford a larger house. However, because our housing costs are so low, we're able to save a significant amount of money each month and live very comfortably.

Our situation is that my 12-year-old son has his own small bedroom, while our 7- and 3-year-old daughters share a room. We don't have a basement, but we do have a large front yard and backyard.
My husband wants to move to a larger home. We could afford it, but I keep coming back to the fact that we'd be trading a very comfortable financial situation for more house.

The biggest thing weighing on me is the kids. I worry that I'm limiting them by keeping them in a smaller home. My son is getting older, and I wonder if he'll want friends over more often. Sometimes I feel like I'm the one avoiding having people over because our house is much smaller than many of our friends' homes. I grew up in a 5,000+ sq ft house, and my parents still live there, so I know part of me is comparing our situation to what I grew up with.
At the same time, I truly love our home. We could potentially add an addition in the future if we needed more space, but my husband would rather move than renovate.

For those who have older kids or have been in a similar situation:
Did your kids care about the size of your house?
Did staying in a smaller home help your family financially in ways that were worth it?
If you moved to a bigger house, was it worth the extra cost?
Would you stay put, add on later, or move?

I feel torn between wanting to maximize our family's financial future and wanting to give my kids the space and lifestyle that a larger home might provide. Sometimes I wonder if I'm holding onto a great financial situation, or if I'm letting my own attachment to the house keep us from making a move that would benefit our family.