- is this acceptable?

We have a nice flat in West London (Ladbroke Grove/White City area), where I've lived for nearly 4 years. I used to share with a good friend, who then moved out to live with his girlfriend. Then my girlfriend moved in with me, and we decided to stay in the flat so got a new flatmate through Spareroom. She's pretty quiet, keeps to herself mostly, hardly ever uses the living room, pays her rent on time, etc.

Its a great flat - big front room, big kitchen, nice area, good landlord, nice park nearby, etc. Its the first place I've lived since leaving home that I think of as my home - nicely decorated, all that jazz.

So! Now we're engaged (thinly veiled etc) and the missus reckons we should move out and get our own place, which I agree with in principle. Makes sense to be living alone as an engaged/married couple.

But! All the flats I've seen in our budget range (currently paying around £1000/month inc bills (rent on the 2-bed flat is £1430/month), willing to go up to £1200 or so for the right place) are nowhere near as nice as where we are now. Tiny little living rooms, 'open plan' reception/kitchens with barely enough work surface to put a chopping board down, shitty looking bathrooms, ex-council blocks of flats, etc. All very dis-heartening.

Basically I guess my question is - is it better to take a gamble and leave a nice flat just to have somewhere to call our own, even if it is more expensive and in a less nice area, and not as big etc?

Personally I'm leaning towards no - I appreciate a nice flat and know that its stupid to let one go when you have one, plus I hate the hassle of going to viewings after work and packing and unpacking and changing all the bills and all that other crap. Plus I don't really mind having a quiet flatmate. My fiancee on the other hand it seems would rather take the risk and move just to have somewhere to call our own.

HALP, advice, etc!

:)