TO MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE - THAT IS THE QUESTION...

Oh, goodness. What a decision we've been going back and forth on. After living here for several years, our family has begun to outgrow our house. Don't get me wrong - I know that many people live with bigger families in smaller spaces than ours, but for us, the space just doesn't work anymore. This is one of those places where the wheelchair causes a bit of an obstacle - it's hard for me to take advantage of any extra space that the average Joe could create by adding shelving, bunking beds, etc. Everything in my "world" has to be at a lower height, and we're running out of floor space. Not that I mind sharing part of our living room with Caroline's million-plus toys, but it's starting to get a little out-of-control! Also, our limited-size lawn is on a slope, which makes it kind of difficult for me to take advantage of that outside space. Things that I have loved about my house are now beginning to drive me nuts. Steve, too. I guess that's a sign we need some kind of change.

Recently, Steve and I began talking to builders to get an idea as to whether it would be smart to add on. We love our neighborhood, love the people, love the location and its proximity to DC, Bethesda, Rockville, and Silver Spring, where it seems like most of our life happens these days. We also know that we have to add up as opposed to out because of the sight lines on our property. Of course, that adds money to any sort of project, not only in the way of an elevator but also rent to move out while they pop the top, changing the main floor plan, etc. We're getting lots of good information from this whole process, but it has also made us consider the prospect of moving.

Of course, that opens up another can of worms for us - we have very particular needs and wants, and we feel like if we take that next step to another house, it should be somewhere that can grow with us a bit more. The tricky part with trying to find a someplace that's bigger in our immediate area is that the prices are high, and that's no fun for anyone. Moving further away from the city is less convenient, but definitely a bit less expensive and you can get more bang for our buck. We've been using a site called Trulia to search, which is really cool because it incorporates Google Maps so that you can get an aerial view of the properties we're looking at to get an idea of the size of the property. Homes Database has also been a big help, and has filled in the gaps that Trulia occasionally leaves. For financial information, we've been using a tool at Mortgage-Calc to help us know what we can afford. That's been a big help as we consider all our options.

I know that we'd be just fine if we moved - even if we left the immediate area for another town closeby. Life would adjust, we'd find new routes to get around, and I'm sure we'd settle in quickly. It's still such a big decision, though. There's also that emotional side of me who's attached to where we live for all the memories we've created in it - moving in to our first house and becoming actual adults, the first holiday we hosted, bringing our daughter home... Nonetheless, the practical side of me says that, no matter what, we need to move forward and some sort of change is in order. Anyways, thanks for listening to me ramble on. I'll keep you posted!