Wrong choice?

[thegirlwhouk]

I'll try to keep it short. I'm currently 6 months pregnant. DS due in October. DH has a new job which I'm really grateful for as we will be moving away from London back towards our families.

We have sold our house (offer accepted) and have spent the past 3 weekends in our new home town looking for a house to live in. I'm looking for a gorgeous family home which ticks all the boxes that we can stay in for at least 5 years.

Turns out this perfect house doesn't exist (who'd have thought it!!!). Not many houses on the market and certainly none done exactly to our tastes which require very little work. I'm keen not to do work with baby on the way. It's just all added stress and we've only recently finished refurbishing our current place. Not sure I fancy doing it all again...

The way I see it, we have a few options.

1. Buy something cheaper and do it up and just accept that work will need to be done to make it right for us. This takes time and stress, not sure I wan't to do this with a new baby.

1. Rent for a year. This is expensive because rental is more than our mortgage and it's money we don't get back. However, removes a lot of stress and means we have time to find the perfect place.

1. Keep on looking, which involves spending time travelling up at weekends etc. If we don't find the 'perfect' house then move in with parents until we do. This would obviously have to be short term (less than 6 months) and could mean we end up taking baby 'home' to their house. Can't unpack all our stuff etc...

What would you do? AIBU to want a house that needs no/little work? Am I biting off my nose to spite my face? After all, putting effort in now could be the only way we get our 'perfect' home. Would it really be that bad having building work with a baby?

Option 3 for me

Personally I would try to do option 1 but knowing my luck I'd end up with option 3.

There's no way I'd take on a doer upper with a baby on the way.

Personally I'd look to rent for 6 months if it were this area because I know the difference between renting a done house and a mortgage plus cost of doing up a house isn't that different.

Plus I know that before Christmas it becomes more of a buyers market so better deals can be had, added to that I know I can negotiate a far better deal if I'm not in a chain.

Option 3. If you have solid family relationships and everyone is on board.

Maybe you are just being a bit too fussy in wanting everything to your exact standards?

Are there any new builds in the area?

I am in the same situation and am temporarily living with parents. It's not ideal, but it does mean we are where we want to be in terms of looking for a house.

The only thing we are struggling with is there is not much on the market. Or at least we never hear from estate agents (anyone like to tell me what exactly they do?).

Option 4: look somewhere else?

I'd rent for now. You'd be in a strong position to offer & buy when you find the perfect place.

I'd widen your search area and then option 3.

Option 1. I can live in organised chaos though.

I would rent for a year. My dsis did this with a new baby. They rented a new build which was easy to clean, low maintenance. They then moved to a dream house which needed lots of work, were very glad to have waited a year.

You describe the homes as not being "exactly to your tastes" which doesn't sound like it's a major, urgent work. Is that the case?

If so, why not consider buying somewhere that could become your perfect home but delay doing the work? If it's minor issues like the decor not being to your taste or a kitchen that isn't particular modern/in your chosen style (but is fully working and has everything you need), why not live with it for a year or two and get the work done later?

greeneggsandjam : I fear you might be right :-(

Don't want to widen the search area much, as it's big enough and we've chosen it for lots of specific reasons. I'd rather have a not perfect house in the perfect location.

Can't look elsewhere either as the town we have chosen works for both families and DH's two offices (he'll travel between the two).

More people than I thought are suggesting option 3... I guess it probably wouldn't be that bad? We're both in our 30's though. Never picture myself moving back 'home'.

Useful opinions so far tho, thanks!!

I would rent in the area you want to live in whilst looking for a property.

I would not like option 3 because I would not like to take my baby home to my or dp parents house. We were in a similar position 3 years ago when I was pregnant with dc1 and wanted take my baby home where it was just dp baby and me. (Luckily a house actually came up)
For me not option 1 buying a house is expensive and imagine if you did buy a house you didn't really want then up pops on rightmove a perfect house!
Also being in rented puts you in good position when making offers on houses means you can move quickly.

Option 1 for me. If you have the money, you could get a decent amount done between now and October. Get the nursery and kitchen done up first so you have some nice spaces but baby willbe so little you may not notice the disruption so much.

Depends on the extent of the work that would need doing - are you talking major extensions, or just new kitchen, bathroom etc?
Personally, I think it would be easier to have the work done when the baby is tiny and doesn't need to move around, than with an older baby/toddler who is in to everything ( having recently had a major extension done on the house with a toddler - would never do it again - left us hardly any space for her to roam freely)

What are the prices like? If you rent for a year will you be priced out or forced to get something smaller?

I imagine building work is awful with a baby but much worse with a toddler.

Number one rule of house buying you will have to compromise. No one finds their perfect place for the perfect price in this market. So the question is do you compromise now or after living with your parents for 6 months.
Also... often people wildly overestimate the amount of work/costs involved in renovations....
If it was me I'd go for the most space I could afford in the address/area I wanted and would let extension's renovations wait a bit.....

I would rent for 6 months/a year if you can possibly afford it. That way you get to know the area very well and you will be in a super-strong position to snap up your dream house the moment it goes on the market.

But just one thing - have you checked out the school situation? Primary and secondary too.

Option3 SO much depends on what space they have, and how you all get on - difficult for us to know how that would work out for you.

Option 2 sounds better than Option1 to me - I wouldn't want to be 'doing up' a house with a newborn.

That said - I like Option 4 best - compromise a bit more.

I'd go for option 2 then wait for the right place to come up.

I couldn't live with my family though - that would be a no brainer for me.

We rented then got a doer upper with a toddler. We had an overlap of a couple of weeks where I painted her room and a reception room. We then had a child gate on the reception room and kept her in there.

We had to move out when the heating and electrics were put in though. And there were a few incidents - usually involving wet paint and exposed carpet grippers.

Yes we have checked out schools - hence our small(ish) area :-) We know it's the area for us.

Renting seems sensible in so many ways but not in others. It would cost us around £1,500 a month instead of £1,000 in mortgage. Thats about £18k over the course of the year, which is then money we can't put into the new house when we find it.

With regards to renovation, mostly kitchen, bathroom & carpets etc. Nothing structural really.

We're in a really strong buying position anyway. Our buyers are ready to go and chain free.

Hettie you are right... just need to work out what to compromise on!

I really wouldn't move in with family, especially with no fixed term in sight. You could be in exactly the same position in 6 months' time, and relationships will be getting strained. Especially with a new baby and the gps you're not living with who will feel they're missing out.

I think you're being unrealistic in thinking you're going to find the ideal property in only 3 weeks of looking. There won't be anything that ticks all the boxes. Even if it's got a brand new kitchen, bathroom and carpets, they won't be to your taste.

I'd go with something in a pleasant location, as big as possible and put up with the decor for a bit. Doesn't take long to change a bathroom or the carpets. Kitchen a bit trickier but still doable with a young baby.

Rather than waste the money renting, just buy something not perfect and use that money to get it sorted quickly.