Build or buy a house? Children already 13/15 years old...

Neighbors, friends, clubs, etc.

Friendships in the social environment age along with you, children are and remain one generation younger than you are. That helps in the long run, and if at least once at Christmas you are pushed somewhere in a wheelchair and can watch your great-grandchildren open presents. I think many people from the "I don't need nuisances" faction will still regret enough in old age that their great social environment then also sits alone in a wheelchair in front of the TV and no more sophisticated adult-only garden parties take place... "Cheers"

But on the topic, without children I wouldn’t know why I should build. I myself rarely play in the sandbox or football in the garden. Then I would rather spend that money on traveling a lot and sitting in nature in constantly different places all over the world, instead of in my own garden. The lasting value of a house is also useless without heirs; you can't take the house with you to the grave.

I would recommend to the OP to build, it’s by no means too late!

Then I would rather spend that money traveling a lot and sitting in nature at constantly different places all over the world, instead of in my own garden. The lasting value of a house is of no use without heirs either, you can’t take the house to the grave.

If you rent, however, you really don’t have much more left either.

I think many from the "I don't need pests" faction will regret enough in old age that their great social environment then also just sits alone in a wheelchair in front of the TV and no more sophisticated adult-only garden parties take place... "Cheers"

You often don’t get to choose your fate... as if pests. I’m happy that my new neighbor has gotten a little belly over the winter and is expecting her second.

in the sandbox or playing soccer in the garden. Then I would rather spend the money on lots of travel and sit in nature in constantly different places around the world instead of in my own garden. The lasting values of a house are no use without heirs either, you can't take the house to the grave.

I decided to have no children and buy my own house at 30. Built again at 45. According to my father’s genes, I could healthy(ish and crystal ball) enjoy the garden at 80. That would be 50 years of happiness in my own home with a garden - and no children. Should I have stayed in an apartment?

I like being in my garden and also enjoy living in my own house, whether with or without children. Children are only in the garden occasionally during the first few years, after that they don’t even come near it. My husband and I have been and are much more often in the garden than the children. Owning a house does not necessarily mean that you can’t have nice vacations. Likewise, as a tenant you don’t necessarily have so much money left that you can take several great vacations every year.

Best regards
Sabine

So it's not like tenants have loads of money left over compared to homeowners. Especially not nowadays. Having children doesn't protect you from loneliness either. My husband's grandmother - he hadn't been there for 14 years - just died lonely in the nursing home. None of her children wanted to have her at their own home. I last saw my family in 2012, and I don’t count my father because he’s not really family. By the way, father has 5 children, but none want to see him anymore; he’ll probably die lonely too. That there is conflict or indifference in families is more common than you think. The elderly in nursing homes often don’t see their children for months (mom once worked there and reports this). Yes, you can’t take your house to the grave, and I don’t feel like leaving it to anyone either. So you just have to sell it at the right time and spend the money precisely. That’s how we’ll do it anyway. My family line ends with me, and I’m absolutely okay with that. At least I can say that no child had to suffer because of me, unlike my (completely unsuitable) parents, who thought they were doing better than their parents but actually made things worse.

We will probably build. I'm just not entirely sure about the size.