Did you 'love' your house the minute you walked in?

[cupcake78]

House hunting and can't find anything I 'love' but one or two I could live in. We have a budget and I don't think I will find anything I love within the budget as I've been spoilt growing up.

Did you wait for the love to happen or will I be waiting forever?

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

No. I knew I really liked it when I saw the view, but I was nervous about the small size of the third bedroom and kitchen.

It was a good choice, best of the ones we could afford, and the location we wanted.

[WhenDidIDisappear]

No. But I love it now. We would never have been able to afford what we wanted back then. We've now extended and completely remodelled.

It suits is down to the ground.

[RosesOnTheWane]

Yes. Loved the 'feel' of it. Even though it was a complete wreck at the time and full of tenants smoking weed and a lot of mess.

Still LOVE it despite the damp and the spiders

[RosesOnTheWane]

Reading that, maybe it was the fumes that made me feel that way...

[Pancakeflipper]

No, in fact we hadn't bothered to view it and only did after the one we were buying fell through.

Everything about it was wrong.

But once inside it had potential. And there was a feeling of warmth.

And we finally extended and altered it the other year and although still work to do, it's our home. It's a happy house.

[CatAmongThePigeons]

I walked in and knew I loved it, DH loved it a little too, so we had to offer on it. I love coming home, it's lovely.

[Rooners]

I think I can say that I've 'known' with all the houses I've rented since 1997. That's four. I just knew each time after looking at in some cases only a few, and in some cases hundreds? or approaching a hundred maybe, others.

This time we are buying. It was a little bit different as there was a proper commitment involved, therefore, and also financial input from my wider family so I had to approach it from a POV of what would be acceptable to them too.

I found it within about a month of looking. I'd missed another one that I absolutely loved - just missed it as I didn't know my budget till it had just gone under offer - and was gutted, but found something nearby and it's almost better in some ways. Though I still feel sad about the one we missed. I think this one is better from my family's point of view. We all had to love it or at least like it.

But I do love it. And I knew immediately it was 'for us'. Mainly the street, the location and just the feel of it inside together with a hefty sprinkling of similar-sized-family to us, similar taste in decoration and so on.

Before I have gone for projects often in a very very poor condition and I didn't want my children to be living in a building site again. This one is far more liveable in. But it still is somewhere I feel connected to, I feel it was a gift to us from the universe. And looking around now, still, while we wait to exchange, I can't see anywhere better. Which is good

[PatsysPyjamas]

This one, yes, loved it before I saw it in real life! But we had been looking for ages and I had seen others I really really liked too. DH was much fussier and made us hold out for something better. I am glad we waited now, but I probably would have been quite happy with a few of the other houses (and we were on a very tight budget too).

Our first house was bought in a very different, fast-moving market - I didn't love it, I could just afford it and nobody else had bought it yet.

[Happiestinwellybobs]

I loved the feel of mine - but didn't love the 3 shades of green bathroom suite, floral carpet everywhere and poky kitchen. Ten years on with a big downstairs extension, I love my house. Whilst I would like more than the 2 1/2 bedrooms we have, I can't see us ever leaving here. I love the location and I love my neighbours

[MerylStrop]

Yes, even before I got through the door.

However, following my heart may have been folly, its Listed, old, draughty, hard to keep clean......etc.....Had to do loads to it though

[WoodBurnerBabe]

Yes, as soon as I saw the estate agents details, I knew it would be my house. Was the strangest 'pull' in my brain, almost like an electric shock. We lost it to other buyers twice, had two other properties ourselves fall through, ended up with my inlaws - but my instinct was correct and I will be leaving here backwards in a box.

[Rooners]

Patsys - me too! I found an email I'd sent the agents through Rightmove on the day it came onto the market, saying 'please contact me on Monday as we're very interested in making an offer on this property'!

I was quite shocked with myself when I saw that but I guess I knew from the pictures that it was going to tick most of the boxes.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

Yes. Oh was talking all the way through the drive home and all I could see was me in the front room with the wood burner, and being on the decking next to the canal. Love it.

[Rooners]

Wow, Woodburner. That's incredible I love that sort of thing and I know exactly what you mean. I've felt like that about a few of the rented ones but sadly, you can't stay in rental for ever as it belongs to someone else.

I hope I can be as happy with this one we're buying. It's a bit like a marriage or something, or at least it feels like that to me.

I don't think I could buy somewhere I didn't feel was 'mine'. Why would you want to live in a house you don't like, when you can get so much pleasure from walking into one you love?

[Skrifa]

No. I hate the flat, the flats, the area, everything- it's high rise and the council don't sort a single thing out. But we've made it a home and I've grown to like it and be proud of how it looks (on the inside).

[noisytoys]

No it was the 1 flat we could afford with an extra bedroom so it had to do. I still don't love it but I love the people in it and that's good enough for me

[Sharingeverything]

No I refused to get out of the car when we pulled up outside and viewed it 3 times before DH convinced me to buy it. Love it now it's my forever home, unfortunately our circumstances have changed we can't afford to stay here forever anymore, I'll be very sad when the time comes to leave.

[SuckItAndSee]

yes. I am normally a head over heart person, but i just knew that this was My House. I felt properly relaxed and at home even when all the previous owner's things were still in situ. we couldn't really afford it but they accepted a cheeky offer.

now I wish they hadn't as keeping up with the running repairs on this crumbly old place are slowing killing me.

[WoodBurnerBabe]

We've been here 4 years nearly and there is still a lot to do, but it is slowly fulfilling the potential I saw.

[Gluezilla]

Yes!
We were about to buy another house but they mucked about so much.
I saw a house in the paper and went to see it and BAM .
It was my house ,it was perfect even down to the roses in the garden.
DH didn't set foot in it or see it until it was the day of moving( he was working abroad)
He trusted me to buy the right house and... he loves it !!
When we moved in he said it was his perfect house

[Panzee]

No. But it was a 3 bed terrace, well built, good area and cheap, so we went for it.

Nearly 10 years later and although I want to move it's only to a lottery house. All other houses I look at on the estate agent websites are missing something, eg a garden or a good area to live.

[Hanginggardenofboobylon]

No, but it was the best space in offer for the money in the best location. There are still things I actively dislike about the house but saying that we are very happy here and can't see us moving as the space and layout really suits our life.

[Lizzylou]

Loved it from Rightmove description, then when pulled up on drive, loved the view and position. Walked through door and was already formulating offer in my head. Dh was same. And we both could tell we were smitten.
Last house, didn't love the house, loved location, bought off plan from small developer.
House before that almost wept when I first saw it I loved it so much. I was an absolute mess when we moved out (which was the right thing to do, was on a busy main road).
Very emotional house buyer, me

[Minion]

I'm not in ours yet as we are waiting for the sellers to buy their place, but we'd viewed plenty of other large, 1930s styles, fell in love with one, didn't get it.
This one was the last of 3 on a day and one I wasn't terribly bothered about.
That all changed the moment I walked through the door. It felt like home.
Offered full asking price an hour later and can't wait yo move in.
It doesn't look like anything I thought I'd ever go for, which is odd but nice.

[TheGreatHunt]

Yes my god yes.

Not any more though.

We bought with our hearts and regret it. (well I do)