Buying a house you don't love - anyone got experiences to share?

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We're currently renting, and we've been looking for a house to buy for a few months, but none yet have felt like "the one".

We need to apply for DS' primary school place in window September - mid-January so we really do have to get on with this, and really we're hoping to have a purchase in progress by the end of the month so that we've got some breathing space for a slow transaction.

So - it looks like I'm going to have to go into this purchase (whatever it turns out to be) with my head, not my heart, which I've not done before. DH is much more open to this fact than I am, but obviously this has to be a joint decision so I can't just expect to leave it to him!!

Anyone got experience of buying a house you don't love, and if so how long did it take for it to feel like home?

I didn't love my last house. Like a lot of PPs have said, we bought it because it ticked lots of boxes - potential to extend, ability to put our own stamp on it, and much bigger than others in the same price bracket. However, it was on a busy road and needed a lot of work. When we moved, I regretted it for a good few months. However, once we'd renovated it it became home and I really liked it. We had 6 very happy years there and it's where both my children were born.

We've since moved to our forever home (which I love), but the last house (whilst not perfect) was the right decision for us at the time.

Good luck in your search OP.

If your location is due to the school please don't just go by the Ofstead rating, visit the schools before you completely rule them out. Ofstead ratings go up and down what is outstanding now may not be in six months / teachers move on to different schools. I dislike ofstead ratings and hated that all the terms leading up to the test my children were being trained in how to take a test rather than learning/ enjoying school.

I'm in a similar situation to @Kewcumber - the house I'm buying I passed up at the first viewing because I was being a bit unrealistic about what I could achieve given why I was moving (so that I can pay off the mortgage and plan to cut my working hours and retire in the next year or so).

I don't love it, no, but I have given alot of thought to how I can make it somewhere that is safe, secure, comfortable and clearly has my stamp on it.

This is such an interesting question. We have just put an offer in on a place we would never have considered when we started looking. But 6 or so months later the way I feel has changed totally, I just want to get out of where we are for so many reasons. It's a sellers market where we are, so very little coming on at higher and higher prices. In these circumstances I've had to lower my ambitions.

I bought a house I didn’t love as it was in an area I adored and my budget would normally only buy a flat in that area. I don’t mind being in the house to be in that area but it’s not my forever home

Bought ours, was far from perfect but extendable. We lived with it a while then when we both got new jobs we did a lovely extension that transformed downstairs. Would love to do the loft but don’t need it. It’s gone from adequate to love it.

I bought a house I didn't love.. it is a Victorian house which was a complete dump when I bought it. I thought I would just do it up and sell it. 8 years on I'm still here and now love it. The street neighbours are just amazing and now that it's all done up it is just perfect for me.

We didn't love our house - it was the best of what was available at the time. I still don't 100% love it, but we have improved it with our various paint options and eventually new bathroom.

I do hang my nose over rightmove a lot hoping to find something that I love, but houses are expensive in my town and I've never seen anything I like more or better that I can afford.

But life is fine here, I think I'll hang out another 6-10 years then get something else in a cheaper area when the kids have left school.