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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

House buying - how quickly did you know?

51 replies

nikkylou · 16/05/2018 22:47

We're looking at buying houses. We saw one yesterday. We haven't viewed very many in the grand scheme of things anyway (but lots on rightmove!).

How quickly did you know it was the right one?

The one we have seen is very different from the rest, and we haven't actually seen anything else like it - its a four year old new build coach house!

I love it buy so scared I've not considered everything.

OP posts:

User02 · 17/05/2018 01:18

I am still waiting to know that I really want a house that is for sale. I have viewed a few but none that have totally grabbed my attention. If you have seen a house and you want it jump in with both feet

steff13 · 17/05/2018 01:24

We'd looked at several. Our realtor called me and said there was a house coming into the market the next day that she thought might be perfect and we could see it immediately. My husband was at work, but I went ahead to see it. The moment I walked in the door I told the realtor I wanted to schedule another viewing for him to come see it. It just felt like a happy home.

Original poster

nikkylou · 17/05/2018 09:54

Just called this morning. Someone else has got there first . It did seem really popular!

Hopefully, something even better will come along.

OP posts:

Nomad86 · 17/05/2018 10:03

We bought an old wreck of a house as first time buyers that needed tens of thousands spending on it. We both loved it instantly bit didn't want to pressure the other into taking on a huge project. We talked on the way back to the station and had decided on it by the time we got there.

OrchidInTheSun · 17/05/2018 10:06

I walked into my house and nearly cried because I loved it so much. Still do

PaperTrain · 17/05/2018 10:07

Sorry if you've missed out, but there will be others.

I think people get too caught up in the idea of 'the' house and a 'forever house' (I hate that term). If you find something that suits you practically now and for a few years it will give you time to realise what you absolutely want/need, should you choose to move again.

DP and I are on our second house and bought it as a long-term prospect (it needs a lot of work but great potential). I completely disregarded it on initial Rightmove search but viewed it because it had the basics - rooms, parking, not new - that we wanted. I love it but am still sentimental for old house and still have my head turned by others I see for sale!

EmiliaAirheart · 17/05/2018 10:11

An alternative view - not everyone falls in love as soon as they cross the threshold. Also completely normal! I saw about ten houses before I bought mine, about half were definite nos and the other half were all perfectly nice places where I could’ve been just as happy - albeit in slightly different ways. I don’t regret where I chose, but not would I have been devestated if we hadn’t got it. So if you don’t feel fluttery or ‘know’ as soon as you go in, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not the one for you.

ikeepaforkinmypurse · 17/05/2018 10:15

I know pretty much from walking through the front door, then spend time to think about the positive or negatives but really the decision in your head is made immediately. It does help when you have a firm list of what you won't compromise on - school catchment, parking etc.

Thanks to internet, I wouldn't go to view a house I wouldn't consider buying on paper - seeing it in real life confirms it or not if the add has forgotten something, or the photos been too optimistic.

ToadOfSadness · 17/05/2018 10:46

My second house - I wanted it when I saw it from the outside so called the agent the next day. I viewed it once and bought it.

Next house, same thing.

Had a couple I didn't care for at all, then the next one was a rental and the feeling was back, saw it, viewed it, moved in. Didn't want to leave.

Hate the one I am in now but there was nothing else to buy at the time.

BarbarianMum · 17/05/2018 10:52

Both times by the end of the first viewing. Not from the details at all, it was just the "feel" of the property/the area. Still a good idea to arrange a second viewing, but emotion aside for it, and go armed with a list of questions/things to check out. As well as the houses I bought I have also fallen in love with a couple that also felt right but were not right for us due to a varity of other issues (space, amount of work needing doing, local schools).

gabsdot · 17/05/2018 10:57

We bought the first house we saw. We knew the woman who was selling it and so we were the only people who viewed it.
We went to see 3 other houses for comparison purposes but preferred ours.

Sillyjelly · 17/05/2018 11:23

We loved ours from rightmove - arranged to see 2 others as well for the sake of appearing sensible but barely considered them as we wanted 'our' house.

Had some anxiety during the buying process as didn't feel we'd looked properly, but no regrets thankfully!

HellenaHandbasket · 17/05/2018 11:34

Before even viewing with this one. Even though on paper it is too small, I spotted it from the road and told my mum k wanted something like this. Then saw it was for sale, but on phoning it was under offer. A few months later the sale fell through, but the price was too high. When it came down a bit I viewed, and it was love. Old woodchip everywhere, polystyrene ceiling tiles, no driveway etc etc but it felt like our home. Brought DH to look, he was a bit more reticent as the kitchen was small, one too few bedrooms etc but could see what appealed to me.

We have been here 3 years now and love it more every day. It still needs stuff doing, and will need an extension one day due to surprise 3rd baby but it is part of the family. It had only ever been owned by one family before us, who had it from new as a farm labourer's cottage over 100 yrs ago, 2 generations of kids were born here.

Badgerloco · 18/05/2018 17:29

The feeling is real. We’d been looking for a three bed semi near the sea in good condition, but didn’t get the feeling for any that we viewed. Have just had an offer accepted on a three bed bungalow, that needs total refurb throughout, 5 miles away in the countryside. Am excited and terrified in equal measure. It has the potential to be a forever home even if it takes a good few years to get it into shape.

Redglitter · 18/05/2018 17:42

My house was on Rightmove for a ridiculously low price considering the area - turned out it was a private sale - the photos on RM weren't great. I couldn't afford the area and had resigned myself to looking further afield. I presumed the house needed loads of work needing done because of the price but decided to view it just to cross it off the list.

It ticked none of the boxes as far as what I was looking for apart from the location. Turned out it needed NOTHING done to it, it was a low price for a quick sale. The minute I walked into the hall I was smiling and had a good feeling. By the time I'd seen one room I knew I wanted it. Loved it more each room I saw. Got home phoned the EA straight away and put in an offer.

I could just see myself living in it from the moment I stepped foot in it

Redglitter · 18/05/2018 17:43

*it was a probate sale not a private sale 🙄

OddestSock · 18/05/2018 17:51

We fell in love with one but didn’t get it. We bought another place a year later which isn’t so lovely, but it works, and was also a lot cheaper. The first one would have been a forever home, but it would have stretched us to our limits financially. The place we bought & live in now works well for us & I do like it. I just don’t live it like I did the first place.

We looked at around 20 houses all in.

papayasareyum · 18/05/2018 17:59

as soon as I saw it on right-move! I knew we’d struggle to find anything as good or as large in that area for the money and I was right. We’re still here thirteen years later and very happy!

ShowOfHands · 18/05/2018 18:00

First house we bought was a head decision. We could afford it and it ticked the boxes. We were v happy there though and I was never in a position to be picky.

This house was different. We were looking round lots of houses, I liked nothing and the EA told us that they had a house coming to market in the next month and pointed it out to us. Even from the outside, I wanted it. The vendor rejected our offer (offered before it even got to market) and we were in the process of buying elsewhere- a house I didn't like tbh but needed to move quickly - when it all collapsed and the original house was back on the market too. We offered immediately and exchanged 6 weeks later.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 18/05/2018 18:03

I've bought three houses. Each time it was the first - and only one - I looked at. Go for it.

FairyDogMother11 · 18/05/2018 18:14

I knew as soon as we walked through the door. It was the first house we viewed, I went on to view 11 more and we bought the first one we saw. We both felt the same about it and decided no matter how many more we looked at, nothing would match up.

carrielou2007 · 18/05/2018 18:22

I viewed quite a few houses that on paper had everything I wanted, were beautifully decorated but I just felt ‘meh’ about when viewing. A house in my ideal road came up for sale which looked idea and wasn’t really thinking much based on the previous viewing reactions. Everything I wanted, a really good price as the sellers had found a house they wanted and only wanted to move if they could get that house so priced their house for a quick sale. I Literally walked in and started shaking, burst into tears when I got to the kitchen diner . My ex viewed it with me as he’s a painter and decorator and he was hissing at me to pull myself together and get my poker face on. Couldn’t believe it could be mine, we moved in a week before Christmas and still pinching myself. I love it, my kiddies love as does our new puppy

sausagedogsmakechipolatas · 18/05/2018 19:14

We bought our current house at a time when properties were selling within hours of being marketed. We’d seen this one on RM but discounted it for several reasons, but a few months on really wanted to just get on with it so made an offer. Never did get that feeling about it though!
There have been lots of times I’d have cheerfully burned it down (lots of stuff needed doing, even more so than we knew about when we decided to offer) and we outgrew it as soon as our first baby arrived but it’s ultimately it’s been our home for over a decade so although it might not have been a heartfelt choice it did what we needed at the time.

House we’re currently buying is perfect for us and we feel very lucky to be able to buy it - definitely a case of the right house for us coming to market at exactly the right time. A few months earlier and we wouldn’t have got a mortgage as our deposit savings weren’t enough, a few months later and we’d have compromised on something else.

Carolynnnna · 18/05/2018 19:16

I bought the second house I ever viewed and am still living there 15 years on and love it. Considering an extension though!

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 18/05/2018 19:21

We had a new build house and there was a house type on the development that I loved, but it was too expensive there. We discovered that the same developer was building in a cheaper area, we went to look at the show home, found we could afford it and sold ours.

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