Looking back, although I loved my cottage, it was tiny. Just one teeny tiny living room and even smaller kitchen. Upstairs was exactly the same with a tiny bathroom. It was so pretty though and sometimes I wake up and think I'm still there and get upset when I realise I'm not (how sad am I?!). However it was damp, and we couldn't cure it no matter how much we tried, when we were selling it it was empty and we had to leave the heating on full blast just to stop it getting worse. On moving day I cried and cried and cried :'(
However I have to say, although I look at our present house from the outside and cringe, inside it's perfect. I have rooms, lots of them! Lots of light, two loos, dishwasher (couldn't fit one in before), somewhere to put the computer, 2 double bedrooms etc etc. It was a dump when we bought it as it was all we could afford in the village we live in and we're slowly doing it up.
My OH and I look in people's windows at night (our village is full of tiny terrace cottages) and although they look cosy and sweet we're not tempted to downsize yet. Ideally we'd like a big old house, but that's out of our price range. Maybe once our son's left home (he's only 6 so a bit of a wait yet!) we'll get our cottage dream back......
Kathryn xx