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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To go for the first home we view?

34 replies

lowkeywhy12 · 18/03/2023 22:04

New build, area is good and equally convenient for both our works but totally unfamiliar. We know people who live in the village and everyone unanimously vouches for it but we’ve only ever really passed through on visits. Well connected area, lovely views, cul de sac, south facing garden and lovely 3 bed house. The price is very good as it’s under the discounted market value scheme (we would own the freehold, only caveat being we’d have to sell the house if/when we move on to another first time buyer). Wouldn’t be moving far from family as my parents are in the middle of our current rented house and this new development, ten mins drive from both.

Conflicting advice on the web saying now isn’t the time to buy a house, but equally every month we are lining landlord’s pocket with money we will never see again - and rent is going up in two weeks quite considerably.

I am overly cautious because it feels like huge change (area wise) however we couldn’t afford to buy the same standard house in the area where we are renting. Just no way. No new developments set for our immediate area either so would mean an older house and I would be worried about affording Reno/repairs

Viewing tomorrow. It would be a medium term home for sure, 5-10 years at least so not a decision to make in haste but equally we’re keen to put down roots and make a home before we bring DC into the equation and wondering if location is that much of a dealbreaker….

OP posts:
SnackSizeRaisin · 18/03/2023 22:09

If you view and like it, go for it. There's no point wasting time viewing more unless you want to. On the other hand once you actually see the place you may not like it as much so go with an open mind and be mentally prepared to view more if need be.

Original poster
lowkeywhy12 · 18/03/2023 22:23

@SnackSizeRaisin very true. People seem to be under the impression you can’t know what you like until you’ve viewed a few… but if we mess about for weeks on end these houses will be gone!

OP posts:
ChocAuVin · 18/03/2023 22:24

I bought the first house I viewed. 3 years ago now and I LOVE it. If you like it, go for it!

PetitPorpoise · 18/03/2023 22:28

We bought the first house we viewed. It was a bit of an anti climax having saved for so long; I was excited to start viewing. But when I walked into this house we both felt very strongly about it immediately.

It's a bit of a labour of love but I have never ever regretted this decision and never saw a house that I wish we had bought, despite being addicted to RightMove (because I am a nosey cow).

WombatBombat · 18/03/2023 22:32

We did, still here four years on. It was also a new build which we didn’t think we’d ever go for, but location, floor plan and price was right.

Not having to do anything to it was a godsend with Covid not long after we moved in, then having a baby. We wouldn’t have managed to do any work to a fixer upper.

mynameiscalypso · 18/03/2023 22:34

Last two houses we've bought have both been the first, and in one case, only houses we saw. If it works, it works. By the time we actually get to see houses, we've normally worked out what we do and don't want and done enough research that we have a good idea of the market.

CrackingCrackling · 18/03/2023 23:05

Currently living in first house i viewed. Tbf i did see other houses after as waiting for offer to be accepted which took ages as the couple were divorcing.

hexagon123 · 18/03/2023 23:07

You've viewed hundreds of houses. .. online

Original poster
lowkeywhy12 · 19/03/2023 07:11

That’s true @mynameiscalypso

OP posts:
DilemmaDelilah · 19/03/2023 07:50

We bought the only house we viewed, simply because it ticked all the boxes and was affordable. Kitchen big enough for two to work in, 2 bathrooms, parking, open ground beside and behind for the cats. It wasn't my dream house but we could never have afforded my dream house and, most importantly at the time, it is really difficult to find a house near open ground where we live. We've been here 12 years and have improved it since and I love it. Not planning on moving ever.

smellyflowers · 19/03/2023 07:52

If you like it go for it.

BCBird · 19/03/2023 07:55

I would say to view a few IRL. The last thing you want to say is,'what if'. Also visit the area several different times a day.

RNBrie · 19/03/2023 07:57

We bought the first house we viewed as well! I saw two more the same day but that just confirmed the first house was the best. I also saw a few more after we'd had an offer accepted on the first one, really just to confirm it was the best house for us available in our area.

God I loved that house. We out grew it after three DC and took ages to find anything else, we've ended up in a house that ticks all the boxes on paper but I'll never love it like I loved our first house.

Peridot1 · 19/03/2023 07:57

We did very similar to you years ago with the first house we bought together. We were moving from London. Looked at a new build development in the area we wanted which worked for commuting. I said I wasn’t sure we should buy the first house we viewed but DH said he’d rather buy the first house we viewed than look at numerous house and then end up buying the first house we viewed. It was also planned to be for 5-10 years. Worked well although we ended up moving overseas and rented it out for years.

The only thing I would be wary of with the house you are viewing is the constraint on having to sell to first time buyers. I’m not sure I understand that but.

reelcat · 19/03/2023 08:24

Having to resell to first time buyers would be a massive red flag for me. Without that caveat I would have said go for it!

user1471548941 · 19/03/2023 08:29

Bought the first house I ever viewed. Wasn’t reallllllly planning to buy but it came up for sale and I’d seen it a few years previously and thought “I’d love to buy that house one day”, so I did.

Also bought the second house I’d ever viewed… 5 years later now with added DH. We’d looked a lot on Rightmove, to get a good idea of what we were after and could afford and were planning to start looking in 6months-1 year. Up popped something that only had 1 compromise on the house which was workable, was in a HUGELY in demand location and was £100k less than we thought we’d be spending. We offered within 30 mine of getting home from the viewing.

CatOnTheChair · 19/03/2023 08:41

I would be very wary of the caveat about only selling to first time buyers. That seriously reduces your ability to resell, and will restrict any value increase.

We only looked at one house when we bought this - but had looked at 100s on rightmove, and knew it was the sort of size that only came up once or twice a year.

Lcb123 · 19/03/2023 08:46

If it meets your criteria I wouldn’t worry about it being first one. As FTB it’s not a bad time to buy - interest rates are not “high” they have returned to historically average. Unfortunate but they’ve been to low. As long as you could sit out if house prices drop which sounds like you could. We’re buying at the moment, second house for us but we sold our first flat last year.

Calmdown14 · 19/03/2023 09:00

I was buying my house before I ever stepped foot in it.

But I wanted to stay in the village we were in where gardens are small because it's coastal and built round a steep hill. This one is ex council so the garden is huge and in exactly the right place.
Our budget meant that other than ex local authority we wouldn't get 3 bedrooms.

Your requirements also sound quite specific and like there are not going to be millions of options to choose from. I think this makes a big difference. If you can have your pick of 50 different 4 bed detached then you can be fussy about ground floor layout, garden orientation and all the smaller details.

But if you are never going to have that range of choice recognising that something ticks as many of your boxes as you are ever going to get is absolutely sensible.

YouBetYourBippy · 19/03/2023 09:05

Selling houses can be hard. I really wouldn't consider buying a house if my potential market was limited to only a small group of customers. That would be a total deal breaker for me.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 19/03/2023 09:12

For everyone saying that thenFTB clause is restrictive, surely this is the factor which makes it affordable to this FTB.

people complain about social housing being sold , and then complain that a ‘get on the ladder’ scheme comes with restrictions. 🤷🏼

thimblewomble879 · 19/03/2023 09:19

I bought the first house. I had a list of must haves and nice to haves. This ticked. Early every box so I went for it.
Some people view dozens and just can't make a decision

PhoenixAuntie · 19/03/2023 09:27

We looked at 20 houses before we settled on this house, been here 24 years. If it feels right then It’s right. The issue with most of the houses we discounted was often the environment round them and not the actual house.

Good luck.

RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 19/03/2023 09:30

Weve been in this house for nearly two years and it was the only house we viewed

the previous house we lived in for 20 years and again it was the only house we viewed

its worked for us, as long as you are happy with the house you are looking at and it ticks most/all your boxes then i don’t think it matters

SeasonFinale · 19/03/2023 09:33

Hell No to buying a property with that resell restriction on it.

Why would anyone agree to that?