to feel gutted that I've lost half a million pounds

[pollyisntere]

I sold my normal house in a scruffy part of London 10 years ago to move to Wales. I made a bit but not that much. I've just seen that it sold 5 months ago for half a million more than I got for it. I feel like such an idiot, that would have been half a million tax free. Gutted:(

[Bowlersarm]

I think the op is taking it seriously! (Wrongly, mind you). Therefore we are allowed to, too.

[BoredChurch]

Blimey MrsRat. I would have taken a while forever to get over that. . You still did really well though.

[DamnBamboo]

No, it's not all I've never known (not sure why you think that) and I no longer live there.
But visiting a big city where people have neither the time nor inclination to sink, it not exactly the same as it being a toilet though is it.

Been to parts of Manchester or Hull recently? Not sure why London is worse.

[DamnBamboo]

to speak not sink!
isnot

Good god. One glass of wine and I become keyboard happy

[FightOrFlight]

"I'm still laughing at fight-or-flights brad Pitt disclosure!!"

Well I'm glad you think it's funny Chaise, it's been traumatic for me. If only I'd know that 10 years later I could have made half a million in a divorce settlement from that floppy-haired, pigeon-chested man-girl. I'm gutted. I'm seeking legal advice about how to sue Angelina Jolie for retrospective damages.

Of course I haven't mentioned this to my DH, Johnny Depp.

[maddening]

At least you haven't lost - my house is worth less than we paid and we can't move though desperately want to. Count your blessings!

[Violettatrump]

Give me Wales above London any day.

[KirjavaTheCat]

You can't miss what was never yours. If you'd sold it just last year I'd get it, but ten years is an awfully long time.

[TitchyThings]

Have a good whinge OP, you're entitled to. Life's bloody annoying at times.

[Gruntfuttock]

MuttonCadet "But you've had 10 years in Wales, that's got to be worth £50k a year."

Precisely. It's my dream to live in Wales, but it's never going to happen. I think you're very lucky.

[TheWindowDonkey]

Do you own your house outright OP? If so be very, very happy. I'm gutted that we have been one step behind house ownership (in an area we'd like to live) for the last 12 years. We may never own. If you do you are blessed.

[expatinscotland]

'I really was close to getting the half a million sad'

Really close? You sold it ten years ago.

[SuedeEffectPochette]

Do you smoke OP? If not, work out how much money you have saved by not smoking! I similarly "lost" half a million selling in London when i shouldn't have. You just have to Let it Go though don't you?!

[Caff2]

In 2002 as a council tenant for two years, I was offered right to buy. I wish I had, I didn't as I felt social housing was important. Noone else did - the next tenant bought the flat and sold it for £175k!!!that much! What a fuck up on my part!

I looked on zoopla - the flat in Leamington sold for

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

What Bowlersarm said.
Much sympathy op. We left the smoke (fuelled, I now realise, by my pnd), and live with the knowledge that we would have been mortgage free in a gaff worth about £2mil, had we decided to either stay, or hold on to the place and rent out.
So many other ways we were stupid as well. But you can only work with what you've got; some people are canny or have good sources of advice, some blunder through making decisions for good or bad and living with them. C'est la vie!
And I live with the fact that the DCs would have fared better had we stayed as well
Join the club

[Caff2]

So actually, being a good person and when I could afford private rents and so forth and stopping reliance on the state made me poorer - well. it's hard to be liberal when you're struggling.

[Caff2]

I was so liberal, I didn't take advantage - now I'm bad as I didn't help my children! How bloody ridiculous!

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

Erm are you on the right thread? Hate to think of all that rage going to waste!

[maninawomansworld]

500k vs 10 years living in London....

I think you got the better end of it !

[fromparistoberlin73]

Where in London ? Nosy

Had you kept the house you might have driven back on the m4 to fix boiler and got killed in a car crash

It's all fate baby

[Andante57]

I'd much rather live in Wales than London.

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

London is lovely < sighs >.
But fair point re. the boiler/car crash!

[Kewcumber]

Did you buy somewhere in Wales? Because if you did it wouldn't have been tax free it would have been subject to capital gains tax (with some letting relief) whilst you let it.

You also have found there were periods of tenants who were a hassle, gaps in tenancy meaning you had to pay the mortgage with no income coming in.

Presumably you weighed all of this up and took the decision that it was too much hassle.

How that you have had 10 hassle free years you want to profit as well but without the actual hassle. Its like wanting to be paid for a job without actually doing the work.

What if it had gone wrong and the market had crashed last year and mortgage rates had shot up like the 80's

Would you have been on here moaning about how you are virtually bankrupt and can't get rid of the property because of the negative equity and you still have to pay the mortgage which is 50% higher than you were expecting.

You can't expect the rewards without actually taking the risks!

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

[LuluJakey1]

My PIL have some friends who sold a house in Fulham for £750,000 6 years ago and it has just sold for £2,000,000.
They don't mind- the house they bought in Yorkshire when they sold it, cost £195,000 then and would cost about £230,000 now and it is the same size as their London house and in a lovely bit of countryside, not almost on Fulham Rd.