Buying the least worst option - anyone got positive stories to share with me?

[Thatsnotmypenguin]

We've been looking for a house for a few months, and have arrived at a shortlist of three. Tonight we are supposed to be choosing one and drafting up an offer tomorrow, ready for Monday morning. Trouble is, I'm not really in love with any of them, and none is in my first-choice location (where we can't find anything we can afford on sale at the moment which isn't a hovel).

We have to move - DS needs a school application to be in by mid-January, and I'd rather not leave it any later than we already have - and DH says he would be happy with any of them, so it looks like I'll be sealing my own fate here.

Does anyone have a really positive, comforting story about buying a house you weren't sure of, which turned out to be your wonderful family home? I could do with a bit of moral support here.

To give you an idea of why you should only buy now, if you are sure the house is the place for you:

June RICS report

"The outlook for the next three months remains broadly
unchanged, with sales expectations turning slightly more
positive and price expectations remaining negative albeit less
so. The longer term 12 month outlook deteriorated, with price
expectations falling further into negative territory and sales
expectations broadly flat after rising the previous month.

So basically, the people who value houses for individuals and mortgage companies believe prices will fall over both the next 3 month, and 12 month periods.

I have never fallen in love with a house, and can't really understand the fact some people do. I do however live in my forever house. And it was my forever house when I bought it, and I knew it was that because it ticked the boxes. I do however say think with your head here, and it's not sounding like you are doing so.

I also think it does depend where you live. My area is not london but house prices still going up and up. Due to lack of supply.

I also sold my mil house today for more than I thought was realistic. She died last september, probate Jan, on market feb completed today - should have been a couple of weeks ago but buyers muppett solicitor caused some delays. Things are still selling if they are the right price, and some prices are going up,

It's hard - some people are good at making rational, measured decisions, others like me do need to feel the love before shelling out a ridiculous amount of money with a promise of an utterly stupid amount of it still to come for god knows how many years.

There is a very unhelpful stand-off between buyers and vendors going on around here, I think. Things appear to be selling if they are priced well to start with, if not then staying on the market for 12 months plus seems to be normal now.

Hard one...

Our previous house was our 'heart' house. A two bed Victorian semi. I loved that house, it oozed character and charm.
But we eventually outgrew it. There was no room to extend and the area was not the nicest so extending would not make financial sense either as there was a definate price ceiling in the area.

So we sold up. Was a wrench. We bought the 'head' house. Nicer location, three beds, drive, garage etc. We have been here 2 years next month. I no longer dislike it. I no longer pine for our previous home. But I don't love it. It is a convenient house, in an area with good schools, and it will sell relatively easily when we come to sell. But I don't love it. I don't feel that sense of 'ahhh I am home' I had in our previous home.

If I were you, I would rent and wait for the 'heart' house to come up. But only if it makes financial sense for your family to do so.