I'm a bit stuck! What would you do?

Grandmafrench some super sound advice here . I would do exactly this . A very wise lady .

If you only planned to be in your present place for three to five years, what was your intention to do next at that time?
You don't want to move back to your home town, you say you love your house and where you live, so why the urgency to move?
I have the feeling you need to be needed but realise the long-term consequences if you should move back nearer to your mother. If you have no other ties you could see your mother say once a fortnight, during the summer and see how that works, but I think you would be foolish to sell up and move from a place you say you love.

Hello 👋 Daisy! I can see that you are a good daughter and you want to support your Mum. However, you say that you love your house and local life, plus the housing market is slow, so this isn't the best time to move.

How would you feel about driving through to your Mum's e.g. on a Sunday evening and staying over for one or two nights, perhaps once a fortnight? Perhaps you could take her shopping and schedule appointments/ workmen on those days, so that you can support her and your brother practically in short bursts, but still keep your lovely home and local lifestyle?

Wishing you well whatever you decide.

While I agree it is a good idea to take time and reflect, I personally dont think its a good idea to base life decisions on the (possible) needs of someone else.
Live your life for yourself.

Thank you for the advice....giving me time to step back and just see how things pan out. No rush atm.
will meet up with Mum more regularly when she can fit me in ;-) and hopefully we will work it out.

If you want to move then you should do so, and you don’t need to live in the town you grew up in, there must be lots of towns or villages within a certain radius not 2 hours away but perhaps a more doable 1 hour away. But if you don’t want to move and are just doing it to be near your mother would think of other options first, depends how active your mother is, and if she has serious health difficulties perhaps look at care in the home. Your brother is a separate issue and could also need options to help with his problems. Moving home to live somewhere you don’t like doesn’t sound like a great idea.

Are grandchildren on the cards?

We know that life changes for everyone, all the time, and we often face situations which are unplanned. You say you had a 3/5 year plan when you moved away to be near a Daughter who is now married and has her own life.

You say you love your current home and local life then also that it used to be wonderful ...... but not so much now?

Your feel that since your Dad passed away, your Mum now needs more support and you'd like to see her more regularly since she also cares for your diabetic (and depressed) brother. But you don't want to move back to where you grew up.

Any future plans or ideas for your Mum will undoubtedly feature your Brother. Is he likely to influence or pour cold water on future plans if they are to involve him? Will this cause stress and uncertainty for your Mother since she doesn't have the clear run that you do?

IMO I feel that since you are so uncertain as to what to do for the best at present, it would be best to do nothing. Not now. Take the freedom from work this summer and think carefully about your own future wants and needs. Maybe make a list setting out what is going to make you happy. Reflect on whether you do actually want to move or whether your concerns for your Mum are affecting your judgment.

You say she's two hours away. So why not, with the benefit of some free time and longer days, make a plan to visit her regularly. Say, every two weeks. Go and stay and see how 'it' makes you feel, how she feels and how you think she is coping. She may be perfectly happy where she is at present but it may be that she could happily be the one to move (along with your Brother?) to somewhere nearer you. That might make you feel less responsible or guilty that you're not helping her more.

Take the time whilst you have the time. It would be sad for you to literally make a wrong move which you come to regret.