Would you buy a house where the couple are divorcing?

[KitschinSynch]

I currently looking at a nice affordable local house but have heard the couple are splitting up. I know I am probably being a bit of a wuss, but it makes me uneasy. I want a happy house!

How important is a houses history to you...

It wouldnt bother me in the slightest. People are only adding to the couples woes by holding their situation against the house.

Some houses do have a bad atmosphere - but that is always because of their physical features, light, space etc. I do believe that a house that was physically dark/cramped etc could make the inhabitants stressed and possible worsen their chances of working out relationship issues if they had them. I have been in very oppressive houses. But you would have noticed these things about the house itself, the divorce is irrelevant. There is no way that a couple being unhappy and arguing in a house that was otherwise fine could affect the house in any way. I am shocked to be honest!

Our house was bought off a divorcing couple. We love it and have been here 11 years. It's a happy family home. When we got the keys, though, we did think "oh my god" as without furniture the blue/grey carpets seemed dirty and smelly, there was woodchip everywhere, it was February so no heating on, and it had got dark early. Made the whole house seem dreary an unloved. With new carpets and paint and nice curtains up it soon changed, and as it's south facing on a sunny day half the house is filled with sunlight.

You only need to worry about the arguing amongst themselves that divorcing vendors might do, not about any emotional vibes. That's stuff and nonsense!

Mind you, I would think twice about knowingly buying a house where a murder had taken place or a tragic accident. That would creep me out a fair bit.

I bought off a couple going through a terrible divorce - we got the house ridiculously cheap (for SW London): I reckon they had said to each other, "First offer we get, we're outta here". It was a pain when they tried to insist we dealt with each of them separately, and it was a pain when we spent six hours hiding upstairs on the day of the move, comforting their sobbing children as they screamed at each other in the kitchen. But otherwise, no problem. My house isn't the most beautiful, but I've always thought it had a lovely atmosphere - I'm never scared to be here by myself, it feels really friendly.

When househunting, I did go to see one house where there were no printed details - EA said that the wife had put the house on the market because she was planning to leave the husband, but he didn't know yet! I thought, this can only get mucky, and walked away.

Oh yes, other down point was that the couple had been on housework strike for lord knows how long - the place was FILTHY.

I think a feeling for a house has little to do with what is happening there in a short period of its history. A divorce won't change the feeling on its own, feeling is deeply personal and everyone gets something different. What doyou feel when you walk in? My house is the lightest feeling home I've ever been in. It's had 3 deaths and 2 divorces that I know of (one was mine) yet it still feels like a happy home. No idea why. After my divorce (in terrible circumstances documented here somewhere) I left. 5 years later I'm back and couldn't be happier - and neither could my dc who rode that train with me. Don't worry about the "list" a house has, concentrate on the feel it gives you.