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Original poster

Did you have wobbles about the house you bought? is it normal to have doubts?

13 replies

Levantine · 01/03/2012 18:29

The house that we are buying, we are buying in a big hurry. It ticks all the boxes, it is extendable, great location, but the rooms are small and it is a bit of a compromise

I don't love it but I do quite like it. DH feels the same but just wants to get settled.

I need to stop looking at rightmove don't I

Or should we pull out? No harm done as the sellers are a company, not a person

OP posts:
BirdyArms · 01/03/2012 18:48

I have just exchanged on a house and am having similar thoughts. We can't move until we sell our existing house so we don't know when that is going to be and I think that is what has made my initial excitement wear off. I am hoping that it is normal - I was more excited when we bought our current home but that was our first house and so probably always going to be more exciting.

oreocrumbs · 01/03/2012 19:20

I think its normal, its scary at the best of times but in the economic climate I think we are all more wary of what we are taking on.

Is there a reason you are buying "a bit of a compromise"? Would you rather be buying something else?

noddyholder · 01/03/2012 19:23

Stop looking at rightmove if you manage it can you come and teach me! I am the same about to withdraw my bid on a house tomorrow as I can't cope with the feeling I may be settling and it is a home we are after not a project!

PineappleBed · 01/03/2012 19:25

Personally I think the wobble is totally normal. I had it with my first house and have just had it about the house I'm buying at the moment. Did the wobble start when you had to hand all of your money in the world over to your solicitor?

Do stop looking on rightmove as they never look like the do on there in reality anyway.

I also find that buying or renting the first few weeks are up and down with "I love it" "I hate it" so don't worry if you move in and do like my friend who sat on the floor and cried her eyes out thinking it was a massive mistake - she loves it now.

And you can always sell and move in the future.

PinkSpottyBag · 01/03/2012 19:33

Sorry I am going against the tide on this one.....why are you potentialy buying it if the strongest feeling is you do quite like it? If you are planning on being there for a few years extending in that time and then selling on ok but if you are going to be there for longer will you not resent it and regret it?

Is there anything that you have viewed previously and it's now back on the market or reduced or woth another look at?

Vickles · 01/03/2012 21:25

Yes.. I wobbled and we're in now, 6 months on.. and I'm still wobbling, off and on.

I miss our old house.. but, I'm not very good with change....

I have lived here and haven't put 'my' stamp on it yet... as lovely as it is, and we are very happy here.. I'm desperate to make it 'mine'.

I know that in a few months, I'll feel 100% home.. and 100% happy.

Barely any 4 bedroom houses come up in this area, in our budget.. so, we rushed in and snapped it up.. as we were planning on renting for a while.
But, this came on - and we got it..

No regrets... but, there were compromises

semi-detached
no garage
no off-road parking (but, not a problem - i always get outside the house)
smaller garden (sniff)
longer shaped lounge
loft conversion (so kids are on the level below us, not 100% ideal with young kids, but will reaping the rewards when they're a bit older!)

but.. the area is amazing... really lovely and my daughter got into the amazing school around the corner... got her in the school first - then found this house. perfik... everything just fell into place.... but, still pine for my old big detached huge garden house (but, was in a much lesser area).

i wish you well with everything... you're only ever tied in - until you exchange.. so, keep looking at rightmove until then.... you never know.

can you knock a few walls about?
change your furniture - get new stuff?

there is ALWAYS compromise when buying a house... if i could just pick up my old house and drop it here!!!! but.... no balloons from 'up' here!
xxx

Original poster
Levantine · 01/03/2012 22:42

Thanks all
I went this evening on my own to have a walk around and looked at the outside of another house that has just come on that is bigger. It's the size thats my main worry. The first one would be fine, but DH is going to look at the other one tomorrow. Unfortunately I will be away. It has a workshop in the garden which is his absolute dream so if we can get it I think we will go for it. Oh my gawd though, the stress!

OP posts:
echt · 02/03/2012 05:11

We had to buy in a great hurry; view to moving in, in 30 days (these things work differently in Australia). It bothered DH more than me, as I'd liked the house, and he had to get to like it.

We both felt wobbly about it, as it felt a bit forced, but love the place now, though if anyone had said how do you fancy living in an 80s house we'd have sniggered, as they're hardly marketed as coveted gems. Their time will come, though.

I think what happens to make the wobbles is that anything about the house that's less than ideal become magnified by the need to make the decision.

Oh, and stop looking at right move:o

Rhubarbgarden · 02/03/2012 07:22

I had huge wobbles about this place. It wasn't what we thought we were looking for at all; we were shopping for a two bed flat in central London when we saw this place, a four bedroom Victorian villa in a crappy area further out, in need of huge amounts of work. We put in a silly offer not expecting it to be accepted, and when they did we were a bit Shock. I remember collecting the keys and standing in the living room that hadn't been touched for 50 years, thinking 'oh my god what the hell have we done'. Then we met a neighbour who said 'oh that place has huge problems hasn't it, I hope you got it for a good price' which made me panic even more, and then a week after moving in we got burgled. It took me ages to settle, and I really missed my old cosy little flat in an area I loved. But I love this house now. And now we are trying to move to a better area, it's really hard because other houses just don't compare, and I fully expect to have wobbles all over again. I think house buying is such a big decision with such a big impact on your life, it would be a bit odd to breeze through it without any doubting moments.

That said, if this other place you've now found is better and ticks more boxes, then yes I would pull out of the first sale!

DorisVinyard · 02/03/2012 07:39

Don't do it. It's horrid living in a house that you're a bit 'meh' with.

MarjorieAntrobus · 02/03/2012 08:13

I'm in agreement with Doris. Been there, done that. We had to choose a house quickly, and the house was in the right catchment, in budget and the right size. We bought with our heads not our hearts. Lived in it for eight long years....

My wiser self would have rented for six months to see whether the right thing came along. Back then I didn't realise that was an option.

Original poster
Levantine · 06/03/2012 14:12

update

DH viewed the second house, loved it, I saw it a few days later and our offer was accepted.

The first house turned out to have difficult legal issues and the vendor wasn't giving our solicitor the assurances she was asking for so just as well we found somewhere else

OP posts:
Rhubarbgarden · 06/03/2012 16:46

Perfect. Hope it all goes through smoothly for you.

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