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Original poster

Just had an offer accepted, but have found another house I prefer! What to do?

33 replies

hackneybird · 25/07/2012 10:55

We had an offer accepted on a property on Monday (we are moving from Stoke Newington to Walthamstow). The house is the right size and in the right area, but it needs a lot of cosmetic updating so we would need to spend another 20k on it.

Another house in the next street has just come back onto the market (their chain collapsed yesterday as their buyer's buyer pulled out), and I quickly popped in to have a look at it. It would be 5-10k more expensive but it has had all the work done already - it's gorgeous and I love it. It's a bit smaller downstairs but it has a bigger garden - a big plus for me as we have a very energetic 2.5yo son. I am seriously considering making an offer on it.

Would it be really bad form to pull out of the first house if we are successful with an offer on the second?

I know that it is not a great thing to do for all concerned, but:

a. I want to buy a house I feel strongly about, this is a big move for us as we are leaving an area we love in order to move to a new part of town.
b. it's a busy and competitive market so the first house would probably sell again quickly.
c. If we are going to pull out I would rather do it now, before survey etc. is done, and waste more of anyone's time.

thoughts?

OP posts:
redlac · 25/07/2012 10:59

I wouldn't TBH, your son won't be 2.5 forever and when he is a teenage you will want that extra space downstairs. And yes a lot of the work has been done but if you do the work in the original house you can do it to your taste rather than someone elses

redlac · 25/07/2012 11:00

*teenager

Blu · 25/07/2012 11:01

An offer is an offer - it won't make the vendor's day, but you need to do what suits you best financially and lifestyle wise. Every single vendor and buyer knows that things can change at any point up until exchange. I have lost a buyer in 2 out of the 3 sales I have been through. 2 in one case, and then found a new one.

Just do it as quickly as possible before money gets spent.

ThisWeekonFancyPuffin · 25/07/2012 11:02

You shouldn't buy a house on the basis that you would feel bad about pulling out.

If you love the second house then go for it. Just make sure that you let vendors of first house know ASAP.

Good luck Smile

OlympicRelay · 25/07/2012 11:02

If no one has spent anything on the first house, then I can't see the problem in a fast moving market.

Blu · 25/07/2012 11:09

Go and see the second house again.

Check which direction the sun hits it in comparison the the first house - will you get sun in the garden? Check the neighbours and near neighbours - what do their houses look like? Go past both houses late in the evening -how does the vibe feel? How does the parking compare, if that is an issue?

You may move again before teendom hits - or assess both houses for the possibility of a loft conversion.

If you really wnat the second house, go for it.

Good luck!

Original poster
hackneybird · 25/07/2012 11:09

It's so difficult, I am really in a quandary. redlac that is such a good point about needing the extra space in later years (although I can see us moving again in eight years time due to the whole secondary school thing).

House 1 has two reception rooms downstairs, whilst house 2 has one reception and a kitchen/breakfast room.

If we went for house 1, we could have one of the receptions as the nice chilled room for the grown ups and the second as the play room for the small ones.

Hmmmm......

OP posts:
EugenesAxe · 25/07/2012 11:13

No he won't be 2.5 forever... but I know plenty of early teens who also love larking about in gardens. Ten years is a long time to wait to feel the benefit of the extra downstairs space... a lot may change by then and you might be thinking about moving again anyway. Is the second house really that much smaller?

I agree with Puffin TBH... although consider this will give you bad housemove karma Wink

Original poster
hackneybird · 25/07/2012 11:14

First house has west facing garden, second has east facing garden. The streets are VERY close together.

I spent the evening wandering around the roads last night and it all felt nice, a good atmosphere. In both cases the houses on either side were really nicely done up. Parking on both streets the same. Both houses have had loft conversions with en suite bathrooms.

House 1 has all the chimney breasts and fireplaces taken away which I think is sad, although of course makes the rooms bigger.

House 2 has them all intact.

OP posts:
Original poster
hackneybird · 25/07/2012 11:16

I think we would feel benefit of downstairs space quite early on actually - it's always nice for little ones to have an extra playroom to muck about in.

OP posts:
ThisWeekonFancyPuffin · 25/07/2012 11:23

The reason I know you shouldn't buy a house out of guilt at withdrawing is that I did Hmm My house is lovely and I'm happy finally after 4 years but it was a bitter pill to swallow in the early days.

If it helps, I have a dd who was 6 months when we moved, the appealing thing about my house was the massive lounge and equally large full brick conservatory which was used a dining/play room. The drawback was a small kitchen. To be totally honest I would swap my conservatory for a large kitchen any day. Dd plays in the front room and I couldn't wouldn't leave her in another room to play.

ThisWeekonFancyPuffin · 25/07/2012 11:25

What I mean is that I thought a large kitchen didn't matter but nowe that dd is bigger she wants to do baking etc and everything is much harder as everything is such close quarters.

Does that make sense?

Blu · 25/07/2012 11:29

Would the second reception be used as a dining room, thiough? Is there room to eat in the kitchen in the first house?

We moved from houses with 2 receptions and then a knocked through reception in to a house with one reception and a big 'family room' kitchen, and didn't miss the additional reception at all.

Imagine your days living ion both houses - especially with the planned alterations done to the first one.

Original poster
hackneybird · 25/07/2012 12:05

The first house has an ok sized kitchen (10'7 × 8'6 (3.23m × 2.59m)), but you couldn't eat in there.

I like the idea of the kitchen/breakfast room in the second house as it will be easier to supervise my DS while I cook, plus he's getting to the stage where he likes to do baking etc. so that would def make it easier.

OP posts:
CarlaBruni · 25/07/2012 12:21

Go for house 2. It's the one you're not making any excuses or explanations for. And we have a house with a chimney breast removed and I hate having no fireplace

TheCokeMachine · 25/07/2012 12:56

Have you checked school catchments for both - in some parts of Walthamstow the catchment is less than 0.2 miles. I'm assuming that you're looking between the Village and Wood St. One street can make a massive difference.

Also, as you said, the market here is very competitive - your offer may not be accepted. Would you care if you lost the first house now?

Original poster
hackneybird · 25/07/2012 13:23

Yes coke, that's right. Both houses are .2 miles from desired school, admissions told me yesterday that the cut off point for that school was .395 miles.

I don't think I would be massively devastated about losing the first house now to be honest. The amount of work it needs really bothers me. The lack of fireplaces also.

OP posts:
MadBusLady · 25/07/2012 13:28

If it makes any difference, removed chimneybreasts could potentially become a bit of a pain at survey stage, and then again when you sell. Our last house had had the chimneybreast in the front room taken out years ago, and of course there was no certification for it, but apparently that whole side of the house should have been underpinned or something when it was done Shock

OlympicRelay · 25/07/2012 13:32

I know someone who after buying a house with removed chimney breasts, took out the built in wardrobe in the bedroom to find the top of the breast unsupported, be carefull removal was done properly.

DontmindifIdo · 25/07/2012 13:37

Go for house 2 - you will never see the vendors you are letting down again, why would you sacrifice your quality of life for your family who you do care about for the next decade in order to slightly improve the quality of life for complete strangers who you will never speak to again?

TheCokeMachine · 25/07/2012 13:47

I think you know the answer then, if you don't really care about losing house 1 then it's not for you.

Oh and there is no way I'd want the builders in with small children running about.

Good luck :)

Original poster
hackneybird · 25/07/2012 14:20

Madbus are removed chimney breasts supposed to have certification? Yikes.

OP posts:
YoulllaughAboutItOneDay · 25/07/2012 14:22

hackneybird - yes, because they might be part of what is holding up the house!

comelywench · 25/07/2012 14:30

wow, I'm not sure what you should do, but I'm mighty glad we're up in Scotland. I would hate all the uncertainty of a chain and the have I/haven't I sold it thing.

I do agree that if your going to pull out it needs to be ASAP to minimise the inconvenience to others.

Scary stuff this house buying!

MadBusLady · 25/07/2012 18:11

hackneybird Our house was similar to the one Olympicrelay mentions - chimney breast removed in the downstairs front room but still in situ (with original fireplace and all) in the front bedroom above it.

Obviously it hadn't fallen down, and showed no signs of doing so, but we were a bit Shock when it came up with our buyer. Our own solicitor hadn't raised it when we bought. Mind you, that was Manchester which is basically built on sand, everyone is taking a bit of a chance there!