Hi Reddit,

I’m looking for outside perspectives on a big life decision that feels both financially rational and emotionally difficult.

About us

• Married couple, both 39
• One child (1 year old), considering having one more soon due to age
• Living in Copenhagen, Denmark

Current situation

Housing

• Owner-occupied apartment in Copenhagen in a new, very attractive area
• Bought as a new development for ~$1.35M USD (2022), moved in late 2023
• Current market value (2025): ~$2.0–2.1M USD
• Remaining mortgage: ~$600k USD
• Interest rate: ~4.5%
• Monthly housing fee: ~$1,400 USD
• Mortgage interest tax-deductible (~33% effective)
• Sale would be tax-free (primary residence)
• Agent fee: ~$15k USD
• Net equity after mortgage & fees: ~$1.4–1.5M USD
• We genuinely love the apartment and area (8.5/10)

Cash

• ~$80k USD

Work & income

• My husband has a low-stress government job in law
  • Very family-friendly
  • Enjoys it and plans to keep working
  • His income covers our basic living costs, but we’d need ~$1,500/month extra to live comfortably
• I own an e-commerce business
  • High stress, long hours
  • Increasingly hard to compete with large players
  • Currently close to break-even
  • ~$550k USD in equity
  • Could potentially sell for ~$800k USD (uncertain)

Since having a child, I’ve realized I strongly want less stress and more time with my family.

The option we’re considering

• Sell the apartment while the real estate market is hot
• Possibly also sell my business
• Move into a rental apartment
  • ~$2,800 USD/month
  • Clearly not as nice than our current home (maybe 6/10), but fine
• End up with ~$1.5–2.3M USD in liquid capital
  • Most of it tax-free
  • Company equity would be taxed when spent, but low taxes on the first ~$20k/year could cover our monthly shortfall
• This would allow me to step away from high-stress work for several years and focus on raising our kids
• Long-term goal: invest the capital and downshift (barista-FIRE style)

Why this feels hard

• We love our home and didn’t expect to want to leave it
• At the same time, our kids will only be small once
• On paper, selling seems to buy freedom, time, and peace of mind
• Emotionally, selling feels risky — especially when all our peers are buying real estate, not selling
• Moving into a clearly not as nice rental feels like a step backward, even if the math looks fantastic

My question

If you were in our position:

• Would you sell the apartment (and possibly the business) to buy time, flexibility, and lower stress?
• Or would you keep the apartment, sell the business, and continue living there — accepting higher ongoing costs in exchange for staying put, but missing the opportunity to invest ~$1.5M in the stock market?
• How would you weigh the value of time with young children against the emotional and financial value of staying in a home you love?
• Do you see selling a primary residence in a hot market as smart risk reduction — or as giving up a valuable long-term asset too early?
• Is this decision mostly emotional fear of “stepping down” in housing quality, or are there financial risks we may be underestimating?

I know tax rules in Denmark differ from the US, and I’m not looking for tax advice — I’m mostly interested in perspective.

Is this a no-brainer that just feels scary?
Or am I underestimating the value of staying in a home we love?

I know this is a very privileged situation, and I’m grateful for it. I’m genuinely looking for blind spots and outside viewpoints.

Thanks in advance.