Where do I begin!
Backstory
DH and I sold our house last September because it was unsuitable (too small, too old and so was so expensive to heat during cost of living crisis), and we were able to live temporarily in my Dad’s caravan while we looked for somewhere else to buy. We did then move on to other temporary accommodation which was nicer for us and our 2 DD’s! Anyway, we were almost close to completing on a little bungalow that we both liked, and without going into all the complicated details of the sale, we had to pull out. The seller wanted us to complete next week although there was some issues with the property’s boundaries and septic tank, our solicitor proposed the 23rd of this month, the seller then said no way and proposed the 16th or he’s putting it back on the market, our solicitor wouldn’t be able to meet that target so we said we’ll have to pull out. The estate agent comes back and said as long as we exchange on the 16th, we can have until the end of the month to complete. We just said we needed the weekend to think about it (it was 5pm on Friday and we’d spent the whole day back and forth), but they said he needed an answer that moment. So we pulled out (our solicitor did advise that it seems dodgy he is eager to exchange before us being able to survey the tank, especially after the next door neighbour of the property had informed us that the field where the tank is has flooded a few times).
Anyway!!
So there are no other suitable properties on the market within a 16 mile radius that we are looking at. We do live rurally next to the coast so popular with air bnb’s etc. so properties in our budget are scarce.
Rental properties are also scarce! But we have found one for £1100 per month. DH and I are thinking of going for it, use our money from the sale of our house to clear our loan, put some money in our DD’s savings and invest the rest which is only around £8k (we did have a big loan and we also will have to pay solicitor fees and mortgage advisor for the no go house!) But we were thinking of a fresh start, no £400 a month loan payment, a bit more financial freedom with a disposable income of around £1400 after all monthly outgoings including groceries and fuel over estimates. Whereas if we had bought the bungalow we would maybe have half of that left in disposable income each month. And the houses also needed doing up with a new kitchen etc.
where the parent’s and in-laws interfering comes in-
DH is 36, I am 33. We have 2 DD’s, 1 who is 6yo and the other 11 months.
My Mum wants me to buy her house (which we are currently in now) for a very good price BUT my brother would give me a lot of grief (already had done when I mentioned before that she wanted me to buy), he said I should buy it for market value less 20%. Anyway, I don’t want the house because it’s on the same land as my Mum and we don’t have a good relationship really. The house would also need new windows and doors (front door or side patio doors don’t open!), so only the back door is in use! All the appliances are 20+ years old so would need to replace those and have a new shower fitted. The house is full of wood louse walking around the carpets 🤢 and there’s a dog across the road who barks at 11pm and wakes DD’s up! And it’s only a 2 bed anyway and has no garden! But my Mum calls me stupid for paying £1100 a month in rent, although that is pretty standard these days anyway.
My Dad just really liked this bungalow we were supposed to go for, so did we, but it just seemed risky with all the issues and we would be penny pinching for a few years anyway.
In-laws want us to buy somewhere near them. Does not understand why we won’t consider this bungalow down the road from them even though it’s DH’s friend’s mum’s house where he has spent many evenings drinking as a teenager and feels like it’ll always be his “friend’s” house. And it needs some money spending on it anyway since the layout is crazy. In-laws say they will give us money to buy somewhere else (within a mile or less of them) to do it up although when they have borrowed money to him in the past they have always made him feel guilty about it. There are 2 potentials near them (in their eyes) but obviously we’ve already considered them because we’re on Zoopla and Rightmove every single day!
AIBU to want to tell everyone to leave us be and that we’ve made our decision and just want an easy stress-free life for the next 3 years before we look to buy again. Hopefully we’ll have saved as much as possible every month so in 3 years time we are in the position to start searching again. Of course buying would be better than renting in the long run but we’ve been so stressed these past years with house purchases we just want a break for a while and enjoy our DD’s without stressing!
First purchase was 2017 - a new build that had a lot of issues that we managed to sell back to the developers.
Second was a rush buy because houses were being snapped within a week just after covid! WFH moving by the sea etc. we were never happy there and put it back on the market within a year, also sold at a loss because the “boom” had ended and the cost of living crisis and high interest rates started!! (hence why we don’t want to just buy anywhere).
Please tell me I’m doing the right thing for my family because DH’s and my mental health has been at an all time low recently.