Anyone else regret big ticket items in their home?

[Mum8929]

DH and I bought some new couches recently and really regret our decision to get recliners. These sofas were quite expensive and can’t return, we also regret some blinds we got and wish we’d opted for shutters in our lounge. I guess I just wonder if it’s normal to have these regrets and if anyone else feels they have regretted some big items they bought for their house?

This is why I like IKEA. My sofa has new foam and new covers but is essentially the same basic one from IKEA. I guess I try to avoid big ticket items having big tickets. My Kitchen Aid was in clearance as incomplete for example (we just bought the missing part for £5) and was a tiny fraction of its original price.

No. We think very carefully before any large purchase. No regrets for anything we got as a LOT of time and effort is put into planning.

And alsp, no, because we facebook marketplace buy almost everything.

When buying a sofa I go to every single sofa shop imaginable. When you sit down make sure the seat bit comes out enough to support your whole top leg ( most of them don’t). I did the same with my garden furniture. Enough support for your neck as well. I love my recliner and the two end seats are heated it’s bliss. But it took me 2 years to choose. I didn’t have a carpet on the stairs for about 10 years because I couldn’t choose one and didn’t have a bathroom for five years ( had two shower rooms) until I found exactly what I wanted. I paid £6,000 for Amtico flooring 30 years ago, best investment ever, still looks brand new and I still love it. Don’t buy things rashly.

Yep, regret the exercise bike.... DH wanted one , I said it would be quite an expensive clothes horse.

It is.

I love my recliners, I’m not getting it either.

Samsung ‘Frame’ TV for my bedroom. The idea was to surround it with other ‘art’ so it didn’t look like a giant television on the wall … I’ve never surrounded it with other art it’s just a giant tv on the wall ….

Yes! We turned our boys bedroom from 1x single bed and a cotbed into an IKEA Kura bunk bed (another mattress underneath) and I so wish I'd not. Two small toddler beds would have been so much nicer! But I'm two mattresses and a bed frame in now 😞

Only expensive thing I’ve regretted is my last car, which I bought, had to throw loads of money at and then sold for thousands less….. I might as well have just burnt the money!

It's not so much a regret, as not needed. We moved house last year, our new house has wooden floor in the kitchen. Our old washing machine shook, the whole floor. My partner said it was our machine, I wasn't so sure. Fast forward to December last year, we decided to get a new washing machine.
Yep you guessed it, it still rattle the house when on spin, so it wasn't our old Machine, I have a £300 I told you so, sat in the kitchen, however it does have a bigger drum, but dings like the microwave when finished.

Not a really big ticket item but my worst recently was an air fryer. Totally unsuitable for me and had to give it to a rich friend. I did put it on Gumtree but no offers. Sigh!

@Doyouthinktheyknow I bought a too firm mattress too - made my hips hurt lying on it. I've bought a panda topper and it has transformed it. Lovely now

I regretted our first house for a really long time if that counts?! We were broke for such a long time, then we had twins maybe a bit earlier than we were counting - and to be fair we weren't exactly counting on two at the same time!

Everything else I try and take a kind of zen, Marie Kondo approach - it was the right thing to buy at the time, even if I hate it now. I do regret the thousands we spent on home improvements to a cowboy who did a shit job that two years later we're still fixing. But other than that, not much.

Having had buyers remorse before, when we did a big build we used an interior designer. Best money we spent.

Good thread OP.

I bought made to measure blinds for three kitchen windows before the kitchen went in.
Bought crockery, kitchen towels etc to match but decided to go with a different colour kitchen in the end..... stupid mistake.

Bought white cotton bedding for a two bedroom cottage. Went crazy and now have 10 pairs of all frilly duvet covers & bedsheets, 22 pillow cases and 5 bedspreads.

Made to measure curtains for one of the bedrooms and livingroom are thinly spread. Can't even remember if I researched or let the curtain people do as they chose.

Had a friend with a discount card at a furniture shop, yep, went in like a bull at China shop and bought things not suitable for the cottage.

Got rid of a couple of good quality items to make way for the discounted ones but wish I hadn't.

Truffle Sofa from Loaf which DH loves but it's so low!! Have to rake a deep breath and hold on for dear life every single time I get up from it.

A garden table which is metal... why!!!
Had always wanted a wooden one but last minute panic in the sales.

My new upgrade phone. Does all sorts of fancy without the option to do basic stuff like I had in my old one.

Too many mirrors.

Too many cushions and covers.

Too many bath towels and mats.

Have everything now but we're still 5 months away from moving in, so needn't have rushed.

Mostly bity but does add up, so much water money.

Fucking hell

Get a Panda mattress topper-will change your life.

Yeh we have this (previous owner put in) and I hate sitting at the island. My gran has an island that has that plastic feel to it and I love sitting there as do many others. It's always a crowded island of folk :) ours is a lay down area for our stuff...

I also don't like our sofas we bought for 5k :(

It is a Relyon pocketsprung mattress. It is around 20 years old now and still incredibly comfortable despite rarely remembering to turn it in the early years, as DD1 likes to tell me frequently and guests always comment on it (DD1 has the bigger room and double bed on the understanding she's on the airbed on her sister's floor when we have guests). I couldn't tell you the model unfortunately without finding the label (DD is fast asleep on it), although it has likely been rebranded since.
The first awful mattress we bought for the bigger kingsize frame was also a Relyon, but an entry level job. It couldn't have been more different from the standard double, higher range model we were used to. We even tried a topper to improve things, to no avail. The marginally-more-comfortable-but-sweaty one we currently have is an Eve. I would not recommend either of these.

My late DM swore by Relyon and kitted out her B&B with their mattresses. Again, the guests always commented on the beds' comfort in the reviews. I remember her talking about getting very helpful advice from their customer services, so this might be an option to get you matched to your perfect mattress? I just had a quick Google, and the higher end Kingsize look to be around £2.8k ATM, to give you a rough figure.

Kat256M as above 🙂

I have recliners which I loved to start but they've not worn well tbh. Next time I'll be getting a big squishy lounging sofa.

@Morgysmum we managed to turn off the beep on our washing machine eventually, with the help of multiple YouTube videos.

My kitchen I'd waited so long for. Went with a high end local firm. Layout is wrong, cabinetry is chipped and poor quality. I so regret not going for an IKEA one which would have lasted so much longer.
I desperately want a new kitchen but am scared to mention it to DH. Kitchen is now 10 years old and I'm hoping we might upgrade in the next couple of years, but would need a big cash win of some sort 😪

Don't spend time in a mattress that doesn't suit your needs. How long have you had it as often get 30 or 60 nights and can return. You lose money but could replace with softer alternative. Wrong mattress is soo not worth it.

No. We don’t jump in to big purchases. We take our time and if in doubt we don’t. Most expensive buys have been great.