Anyone who has lived in a home or area they dislike/hate...how did it affect you?

[GratefulBUTUnhappy]

If you have ever bought/rented a home only to find out you hate it, or the area, or the road, can you please tell me how this impacted you, mentally and physically?

Long story short, we ended up homeless (me and 2 children) after leaving our home of almost a decade when the LL told me she was selling, only to then put it back on the rental market at 112%, increase. I bought a house using a government scheme and 5% deposit gifted to me. I bought this house because my offer was accepted and we were desperate, I was sharing rooms and beds with the kids. It's 15 minutes drive to my youngest school, and another 15 mins to my eldest school. Our old home was next door to the school, with a bus service to the other school. The house had so many issues, sewage leaking, black mould. I have spent all my money fixing it, and it still needs a lot of work but I cant afford anymore. We are now also out of catchment for my youngest secondary school, where his brother and all his friends go. He has AuADHD and his relationships with friends has been a hard won battle.

I am neurotic, stressed, anxious, sad, angry, jealous, resentful. I'm worried I will stay this way, and pinning my hopes on moving is stupid. For example, I get so anxious and angry driving now or parking near the house because our road is literally used as a race track.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? And did moving improve your health and wellbeing? It's a lot to carry completely alone.

Anyone?

I'm interested to hear some replies to this as I'm in a similar situation. We bought our house and was only going to be here for a few years and been here longer than intended.
I'm not keen on the area. Neighbours are lovely but there has been clear drug dealings outside our house. Not something I want my children growing up around.
We have so much work to do on the house we can't just sell it like it is, hence why we are still here. Also haven't got the money.
Yes it's affected my mental health a lot. I dream of moving away all the time. I know I should be grateful as others are in a worse situation but I just want to go somewhere better.

What is stopping you moving op?

We all make mistakes and buy a duffer of one sort or another. Housing is an expensive mistake, but you e probably learned so much from the experience that you’ll choose much more wisely next time.

There’s no perfect house - there’s always something that’s an issue. But if it were an option to move into the secondary catchment area, it might offset other compromises.

First home - one bed flat, inconsiderate heavy footed upstairs neighbours caused sleep deprivation, awful neglectful and negligent Labour council freeholder plus subsidence - had nervous breakdown

second home - mid terraced cottage. Weird layout but livable until NDN went nuts during covid and made life hell for both sides. Ended up on beta blockers.

third home - detached and in a lovely village - heaven

It makes me very depressed. House is dark except for high summer. Garden doesn't get a speck of sun 5 months of the year. Horrible neighbours, grotty ex council estate.
I try desperately to keep on top of reporting problems but the council are limited in what they can do and the housing association don't care. Local councillors haven't had any luck either. I don't risk taking my car out in the evenings as I won't be able to park it again. Walking is scary since they turned the streetlights down. There is no community at all.
I feel the house was doomed from day 1 when my neighbour was a shit to me.

old house - spent 16 years in it & never liked it. It made me depressed and needed work doing and didn’t want to spend it. Thought we’d be stuck forever. Moved 2 years ago and love it - feel “free”
and like a weight had been lifted and whilst me only moved 15 mins away (house is actually smaller but more expensive) but still a positive for us. Bought it when we shouldn’t have and none of us particularly liked it but never thought we’d get stuck in it

Thank you everyone, I'm really sorry to hear about the situations you've been in, but thankful I'm not alone. The world can be so scary, it's exhausting not to have a safe space, or calm space to call home. Did you all feel a weight lifted once you moved? Even if the place was smaller, or mortgage more money, did it make a big difference?

I just don't want to be the person I've become. On the day we moved in, there was black mould all over the bathroom and water seeping into the floors, so I had to get a new bathroom, and now I am neurotic about making sure the whole room is wiped down after showers. I have much less showers now because I'm scared. I constantly check the ceilings. I hate cutting the grass or sorting the garden because of the speed of the cars going by.

@GooseyGandalfi haven't moved because i have zero savings left, I'm in £1k of credit card debt, and because the house needed so much work. Also, i am petrified. I had such a bad experience buying this place. I've had the house valued, and it has gone up, but I'd need to full amount for the deposit.

“Did you all feel a weight lifted once you moved? Even if the place was smaller, or mortgage more money, did it make a big difference?”

Yes, mortgage increased from £600 (interest only) to £2k (repayment) and will prob go to £2.8k once 63 month fixed rate ends, but it has been life changing.

We used to waste so much money going out to avoid being at home, so we don’t feel the net mortgage increased costs now that we love being home so stay in most of the time.