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Original poster

Will we ever find a house we can afford and like?

29 replies

mrspink27 · 02/09/2006 00:05

Another evening is slipping away, dh now gone to bed, I am left very frustrated, despondent and generally cross. Can't find a house we can afford or that is in the right area and fulfils our criteria, desperate to move, have spent another evening searching countless websites.... AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

Just needed to rant slightly.... anyone else been through this? and come out the other side?

OP posts:
Auntymandy · 02/09/2006 00:07

suddenly one will pop up!!!!
We looked for a bit thought we would never find one, near schools enough room right price etc, then we found the one we have now.

expatinscotland · 02/09/2006 00:10

I'm past it. I'd just like a place to rent w/outside space that's in a decent area. Or even the middle of nowhere. What the hell? We have licenses, we can drive.

I'd gladly be a laird's tenant to rent a decent house.

Original poster
mrspink27 · 02/09/2006 00:11

just soooooo fed up with the search, every weekend dh packs us into the car and we go for yet another drive around the chosen area, to no avail. Tomorrow he wants us to visit a new area away from all friends and family, but where he grew up to see if we can find anything... just utterly down about the whole business.

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Auntymandy · 02/09/2006 00:12

where ar eyou looking?

Original poster
mrspink27 · 02/09/2006 00:17

obviously something that doesnt exist!Initially the search started to be nearer the dd's school, but now we are just trying to find a house we like! We both would like a lot more space inside and out, something measured in acres (.3, .5 etc) not feet (although try getting that through to estate agents!) which is either reasonably priced with a bit of work or updating needed, or something that we could move into and do nothing but obviously more expensive. Not an exec house, because it isnt 'us' although I know lots of people would jump at the chance, 4 bed rural/semi rural or even a building plot just nothing out there for us it seems.

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Original poster
mrspink27 · 02/09/2006 00:18

oops! misread that! read it as what are you looking for!

We are looking in Sussex (West and East) and tomorrow we are off to Suffolk/Essex/Cambridgeshire. Has to be an easy commute for DH to London without a season ticket which is gold plated!

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twinsetandpearls · 02/09/2006 00:34

We went through this when looking to buy, we decided on a house that was a compromise and we both were not sure about. I was then walking down a road one day and thought wouldn't it be lovely to live on this road and called in the estate agents and they had a house for sale that was just out of budget but we knocked them down to the top of our budget. Keep persevering.

twinsetandpearls · 02/09/2006 00:34

But it must be far harder in the south east, property is dirt cheap up here in comparison.

magicfarawaytree · 02/09/2006 00:42

can you negotiate a better mortgage - it is a stressful. we had same problem but managed to get a mortgage not based on salary. at bit like a commercial mortgage it works out at about 150% of salary. husband negotiated it with bank - and no we are not on fantastic salaries but the upside of the house we were buying once renovated meant that the bank had a secure investment. it got us a house with good bones and a fantastic garden - a few renovation nightmares down the line its still the best house we saw.

Imafairy · 02/09/2006 00:49

In the same position, so only here to share hugs and frustrations....
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Good luck

Original poster
mrspink27 · 02/09/2006 08:04

Thanks all for your words of encouragement.
Magicfarawaytree - as it is we are stretching ourselves to jump up to a higher bracket and getting money from both sets of parents. We are VERY lucky to be able to do this, which makes it even more frustrating that we cant find somewhere!

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LIZS · 02/09/2006 08:07

Same situation here.

Dottydot · 02/09/2006 09:18

Same here. I need to earn about £10K more a year to be able to afford the house we want. We haven't put ours on the market because there's nothing we want that we can afford. Have decided to wait until the new year and have also started applying for jobs that are £10K more (well, you can but hope...).

Tinker · 02/09/2006 09:28

Same here as well. Don't know how far we should stretch ourselves really - to the max??

Sunnysideup · 02/09/2006 10:10

might you lower your requirements a teeeeeensy bit in order to get to the chosen area? They do say it's about location location etc; better by far in my view to be in the place you want to be, but in a slightly smaller house, than to not be in the area at all.

we find that since we've moved, our quality of life is soooo different, and we love being where we are. With kids you are out and about so much, and making use of the local facilities and area, that to me that matters even a little bit more than the dream house. We had to get to our area due to school catchment deadline, so we rented for a while and have just bought a house now; it was also v useful renting in the area as it gave us an even better understanding of the area and where we wanted to be.

do you think there's any room for compromise?

I would recommend it; we've gone from a 3 bed detached to a 2 bed cottage and we couldn't be happier.

SueW · 02/09/2006 10:21

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

shrub · 02/09/2006 10:22

go for worst house on best street, if there are none for sale make a hundred handwritten cards and post them explaining your situation ie. are in no chain, funds ready and see what happens. or just wander up and down chosen street and get talking to people to see if anyone is thinking of selling (i have known of 2 people who managed to find their house this way). by the time some of the good ones get on the website they could be sale agreed. i would put an advert in paper on even on lamposts in the road you want. could you convert to an interest only mortgage temporarily while your stretched and then switch to repayment once its more affordable?

Original poster
mrspink27 · 02/09/2006 23:06

Back from Suffolk and 'quelle surprise' no joy!
Although I have to say I am secretly relieved as the thought of uprooting to a totally new area fills me with dread, esp as the dd's have so much contact with 2 sets of cousins and grandparents.
we have an interest only mortgage as it is!
our requirements are narrowing and shrinking before our eyes... but still nothing we like!
The search goes on!

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wrinklytum · 02/09/2006 23:31

Hope you find something soon.Living up north prices are cheaper here.The housing market has gone crackers hasnt it.I bought my first house after uni for a tiny 22 grand!!!Wish Id known how things would go as would have bought several!!!!Good luck with your house hunting.

themoon66 · 03/09/2006 01:00

Why do you need Acres?? Are you a farmer or something?? And, has anyone ever noticed that the 'perfect' houses are aways just that one bracket above what you can afford?

milward · 03/09/2006 01:05

Go to all the agents, put an ad in the local paper, put letters through the doors of houses you like, think what is the most important aspect for you and what you can compromise on. Good luck!

LIZS · 03/09/2006 11:06

So would you buy a house that is probably only 2/3 the size you want but could be extended, even if it is at the very top of your price range and the smallest house on good street ?

LaDiDaDi · 03/09/2006 12:55

Go on Location, Location, Location. At least you will meet Phil and Kirsty. Kirsty may be mumsnetter.

LaDiDaDi · 03/09/2006 13:11

On a more helpful note, we looked for ages and saw plenty that were ok, ie fitted our requirements on paper but just weren't nice enough to make us part with our cash! Then we found this house which we both love. Dp wasn't keen to look at it at first because he thought it would be just the same as some others of a similar style that we had viewed but actually the extension made it loads bigger, lighter and nicer. So I suppose what I'm saying is to keep looking at places even if the initial appearance on the website is that it wouldn't be what you are looking for you.

Original poster
mrspink27 · 03/09/2006 14:15

themoon66, no not farmer! but wanting to have enough land for chickens, veg patch, few fruit trees,greenhouse/polytunnel, maybe a pig! PLus we already have 2 dogs, 2cats and 2 dds. Which is why an 'exec' home is not really right for us. Went to a corker today... overlooked in every room and couldnt open the blinds on one end of the conservatory because you looked straight into the kitchen of the house next door!
LIZS - are you looking in the same area or relocating?

We would consider moving to a smaller house with potential to extend but if we went to the top top end of our budget there's no money left to do the work, depends on the price really!

Have made appointments to view 2 more tomorrow which might be better in reality than on the web.

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