Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you had to buy a house again

149 replies

labamba007 · 15/01/2025 18:24

Okay cheekily putting this here for traffic, but if you had to buy a house again what would/wouldn't you do this time round?

I've never actually bought a house before and I've just had a mortgage agreed in principle. So I'd love to ask, if you were/are going to buy a house again, what would you do differently or what were you pleased you did right the first time?

Thank you! 🙏

OP posts:
usernamesaretoohardtothinkof · 15/01/2025 20:36

Interesting how many people have said they wouldn’t buy a north-facing house again.

I would never buy a south-facing house again. Completely overrated and I got very sick of having to keep the curtains shut while WFH.

Our second and current house is north-facing and we much prefer it! So my advice is don’t fall for other people’s idea of what you should want - as PP mentioned, other people’s criteria may not be yours.

Feelingstrange2 · 15/01/2025 20:40

I'd not buy in a conservation area or AONB. We've never been listed but for the same reason I'd avoid listed property. Needing planning to sneeze gets tiring.

I'd not buy so far away from a hospital. There are probably times of your life it doesn't matter but its been difficult for us when pregnant, when kids were young and ill, and now with my elderly father living with us. Next time I'll live closer!

I'd buy somewhere that actually has some public transport.

I'd buy somewhere relatively flat (not on mount ararat like we do now)

Think that's all!

Original poster
labamba007 · 15/01/2025 20:43

I'm reading every single one and it's gold thank you so much!

OP posts:
HappyMamma2023 · 15/01/2025 20:44

We moved to a village which has a nice community feel in 2021. The only downsides we have are the garden has hedges to 3 sides and my husband seems to have to cut the hedges every weekend in peak summer. And the houses to both sides have yappy dogs and would let them bark for ages, but after a few polite text messages and knocks on the door they got the picture. Whilst we were deciding on the area we visited the it a lot and did local walks and also tried passing the house at different times of day to check parking etc. Good luck!

LeavesOnTrees · 15/01/2025 20:44

Do not underestimate the cost of renovation work. Estate agents will under value how much it will all cost, especially when they say things like 'oh you could just move the kitchen over there and open up here...'

Definitely buy in the best area you can afford

aCatCalledFawkes · 15/01/2025 20:47

I would never get talked in to again to buy a house that looks like it needs little work when it needed a metric ton of underlying stuff doing to it. I brought him out when we split and the only saving grace was I didn't have to do the work with him as he would of been a nightmare on top of it all but it cost me thousands.

HappyMamma2023 · 15/01/2025 20:50

Our first house we bought the previous owners had done a lot of bad DIY. The shower tray was on an angle and leaked and the kitchen cupboards fell off the wall and ripped out the under unit lights which they'd just plastered over. So I'd def recommend 2 x viewings, first viewing and then a 2nd viewing to check the details/things you may have missed. And once the survey had been done you can use ot to haggle and knock some money off.

sophi1995 · 15/01/2025 20:52

The first thing I loved about our house the first day I came to view it was the long tree lined driveway leading in to it. It looked absolutely beautiful in summertime. I didn't really think about how much work it would be keeping on top of all those leaves in autumn and how dark it would be in winter. It wouldn't have stopped me buying the house but I would say to try to consider how different seasons will affect the house/garden.

MammaTo · 15/01/2025 20:55

I wish we’d of taken our time to find a house in a better location. I would like to have more amenities within walking distance, we still have cafes and shops but none that are nice when you fancy a little walk of a Sunday morning. We’ve got really good schools and public transport but that’s about it

coldcallerbaiter · 15/01/2025 20:55

If you want a big detached house, then you might be fine with a middle quality/popularity area. If it has off street parking and set back, secure walled or gates etc you won’t know what’s going on or not after dark on the street anyway.

ZeldaFighter · 15/01/2025 20:56

Don't buy a house near a 40mph road unless you would enjoy living near Silverstone! My only but rather unchangeable problem with my house!

Other than that, work out what you want but remember life is never simple and prepare for difficult decisions.

DisforDarkChocolate · 15/01/2025 20:58

One house - I wished we'd stretched the budget for a far nicer area.

House two - checked for internal noise, and not picked a house where next doors stairs were against our living room wall.

House three - nothing so far, loving this house.

ZeldaFighter · 15/01/2025 20:59

Also my dad is a quantity surveyor and he said look at your floor space. He said you can always redecorate but it's a lot harder to move the walls on a small house!

Mumlaplomb · 15/01/2025 20:59

Location location location !! Buy in the nicest area you can afford with the good transport links and schools. You can change a house but you can’t change the area!

PourMeABrose · 15/01/2025 21:05

Chill out about the tiny what-ifs.

We lost a house we would have loved by being freaked out about no building regs for an extension, solar panel contracts, planning permission queries. The seller backed out because of all our queries.

I have to walk past what would have been my dream house most days. I’m sure the eventual buyer was a lot more chilled out.

Bellyblueboy · 15/01/2025 21:06

the house I have now is perfect - wouldn’t do anything differently. Well, I would write down the names all neighbors who introduced themselves so I am not embarrassed by constantly forgetting their names😂

the house before - I wouldn’t have bought because of shared driveway, tint overlooked garden
and very, very close neighbours.

PourMeABrose · 15/01/2025 21:06

P.s we could have just got an indemnity policy on two of the queries and taken a view on the third.

YourNimbleOchrePoster · 15/01/2025 21:07

I would never buy a house near a busy road again.

usernamesaretoohardtothinkof · 15/01/2025 21:07

PourMeABrose · 15/01/2025 21:05

Chill out about the tiny what-ifs.

We lost a house we would have loved by being freaked out about no building regs for an extension, solar panel contracts, planning permission queries. The seller backed out because of all our queries.

I have to walk past what would have been my dream house most days. I’m sure the eventual buyer was a lot more chilled out.

Solar panel contracts are not a tiny thing though!

PourMeABrose · 15/01/2025 21:09

usernamesaretoohardtothinkof · 15/01/2025 21:07

Solar panel contracts are not a tiny thing though!

Edited
Show quote history

Not as big a deal as losing my dream home though.

MidnightMeltdown · 15/01/2025 21:14

usernamesaretoohardtothinkof · 15/01/2025 20:36

Interesting how many people have said they wouldn’t buy a north-facing house again.

I would never buy a south-facing house again. Completely overrated and I got very sick of having to keep the curtains shut while WFH.

Our second and current house is north-facing and we much prefer it! So my advice is don’t fall for other people’s idea of what you should want - as PP mentioned, other people’s criteria may not be yours.

Edited

Agreed. I bought a north facing house intentionally because I wanted a south facing garden. I would never buy a house with a north facing garden unless it was extremely long.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 15/01/2025 21:15

Test everything, heating, lights, dishwasher... the whole caboodle.
If I was young again, buy the most expensive house u can. We bought what we could afford on one income ... mistake.
Been retired 5 years, just bought our mist expensive and biggest house ever, 4 bed 3 bath ... love it as fabulous community, location, house has some issues but nothing major.

LittleGreenDuck · 15/01/2025 21:16

When making an offer, stipulate that it is subject to the property being taken off the market. As a FTB I neglected to do this. Cost us another £2000 (20 years ago) to match the offer made by a subsequent viewer.

Butterfly292828 · 15/01/2025 21:20

As not near a pub!

BurntBroccoli · 15/01/2025 21:20

Check the searches over yourself as solicitors can miss things like a previous mining subsidence claim.

Check that the neighbours don't have an informal right of way over your back garden.

Check the heating and all the taps work.

If it's near a school, check the parking at school drop off and pick up. If they have a nursery what time does this open as you may get car door slamming at 7am and engines running outside.