Hit me with your horror stories as well as your tales of success, please!
I'm seriously considering spending my (rather measly) house deposit I've saved on a doer-upper in the North East. I've been priced out of most other regions, and can only afford a decent-sized house with garden in the less naice parts of the NE. I've especially been priced out of London/SE where my office is located (but I work mostly remote anyway).
I'm extremely lucky that my boyfriend keeps suggesting I live with him in his newly-purchased flat in the same region and I can go back and forth doing up the garden (which I would LOVE doing) and doing up the house (I have a relative who can offer advice about this as they're doing their own renovation currently, nearly all DIY). I'd rather not live full-time in my boyfriend's flat and certainly not permanently as it has no outside space.
Our idea is that I'd spend a few years doing it up, loving the extra space and garden, setting up my community projects, hopefully still having my full-time job, and when my boyfriend has paid off most of his short-term mortgage (in about 4-7 years time) and my doer-upper has appreciated in value (hopefully) then we can get a larger place together.
I know the region pretty well from having rented there years ago, though a lot of the areas will be new to me and likely not as naice as the places I've spaffed all my money on in rentals up til now. Are there any words of wisdom for me? Anything is better than spending £££s on rent currently? TIA!