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Original poster

Did/should you hold out for the 'dream' house ?

38 replies

Redpolkadotpot · 21/08/2014 00:20

Just wondering everyone's experiences here on whether you waited for your 'dream' house to come along or just settled for something that ticked 80% of boxes?
When I say dream home, I mean something that is best for your budget of course!
We've looked for 4 months now, it's starting to wear thin. We've seen 2 that we just loved as soon as we stepped foot nearby, but both fell through for different reasons.
My husband is being more practical and thinks we should just settle for something we like, I'm still holding out but wondering if I'm being a princess about it all....

OP posts:
juneybean · 21/08/2014 00:22

I feel like I settled for one that was going to be financially a good deal (it's already in positive equity before I've moved in...)

It's a stable house, in a good area that I could see myself living in forever.

But it's not the location I wanted.

AlpacaMyBags · 21/08/2014 00:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

arna · 21/08/2014 00:26

Our current home is our 4th and most likely the one that we'll stay in until the dc leave home. We house hunted for 12+ months until it came on the market before waiting another 4 months for probate to come through. Fortunately, we were already in rented accommodation having already sold our previous house so were able to pounce and fend off all the other interested buyers.

arna · 21/08/2014 00:30

We had months of being fed up and started viewing in other less prime locations but remember the adage - good things come to those who wait!

minkah · 21/08/2014 03:13

I remember being told by an estate agent when I was buying my first place, with buying a house, if you can get a 7 out of 10 on your wish list, you're doing well.

It seems to be true.

dawnlight · 21/08/2014 04:11

After buying the 80% house, I couldn't really settle and couldn't stop house hunting. 4 years later I found the perfect house and moved quick. We've been here 5 years now and can't see us ever moving again.

Procrastinatingpeacock · 21/08/2014 08:02

We have just bought our first home. It's not our dream home right now, but it has the potential to be about a 9/10 once we've done all the work on it that we have planned.
On paper we should have been able to afford a 9/10 but they just weren't coming on the market. So for us the compromise was to buy something cheaper and use our surplus funds to do it up. Looking back at some of the 7/10 houses that we looked round and seriously considered compromising on I am very glad we did it this way.

comebackstrong · 21/08/2014 08:08

I have lived in my house for 5 years - I love it - but I knew when we bought it that we would eventually move to a bigger house, so in that 5 years I have looked on the rightmove website just to see what comes up. I can honestly say in 5 years only 2 houses came up that ticked all my boxes and I viewed them both. One was not what it was cracked up to be in the flesh and the other we lost out on.

I tell my husband all the time that our next move just does not seem to be out there…unless of course we can double our budget!!!

This is why I don't think I would risk selling this house and go into rented as I just don't think my dream house would miraculously turn up.

LondonGirl83 · 21/08/2014 08:21

Only thing I compromised on was garden size which was inevitable for my desired location. It's not my forever home but it's what we'd need now and is perfect for us at this stage.

deepbluetr · 21/08/2014 08:23

I think you are unlikely to have your dream house unless you are extremely rich. I have owned 4 houses and all all them have been 80 90% right, in terms of location, size, cost etc.

I have just moved this week to a house I love, but again it has downsides.
The house is large and a great neighbourhood, but no shops within easy walking distance and kids have to get a bus (free) to school.

BlinkingHeck · 21/08/2014 08:38

My dream house is a period property in a small town by the sea.

I live in a 1980's detached 'box' of a house in an ex mining town. But I love it. It was cheap bought at the right time last year before things started going up in our area. It is very practical downstairs WC, utility room, 4 bed ensuite, deceptively sized garden and backs onto school playing fields.

Around the time we were buying a rather grand Edwardian semi came on the market in the same town. We didn't even go and look at it. But that sort of house would be my dream house.

But I'm happy here it's not my dream house but I couldn't afford my dream house!

dawnlight · 21/08/2014 08:49

I suppose it does depend a lot on what your dream house is. My 'dream' house is actually quite modest. 3bed semi. But it was the location, garden size, and scope for development that clinched it for us. It was the first one that ticked all the boxes. I've never thought of it as a dream house (as that one would have turrets and a swimming pool) but it is our 'forever' house.

Spindelina · 21/08/2014 08:53

We were always up for a bit of DIY, but ended up with a massive project that will (eventually) be our dream house.

Merel · 21/08/2014 09:05

I didn't have the money for a dream home unfortunately, but I did have a loose set of criteria that happily I was able to meet. The list was something like this:

Decent size shed/garage to serve as a workshop for the OH
Potential to expand should we decide to do so
Large garden
Not overlooked (too much)
In an area that was not too built up
In an area that doesn't have high crime levels

We were able to tick all the above boxes with the house we found, although it does need a fair amount of TLC. The only thing we compromised on is that the bathroom is quite small, but we could do something about that if we saved up to extend.

If we do extend, then I think the house will be dreamy enough for me to stay for a long time.

msfreud · 21/08/2014 09:16

Completing next week on what's not my dream house but ticks a lot of boxes. I know it won't be my forever house either, but it's a step up from a flat into a house. In a competitive London market I had put offers in on 3 other houses before it and lost out, one of those houses was more of a dream house (although in the wrong location).
In the end I decided there are a lot of things that can be changed easily (i.e. horrible carpets will go and be replaced by wooden floors, bathroom will be retiled) and the rest are to some extent out of my price range anyway. I would like to be 5 minutes closer to the station, have a downstairs toilet and a larger garden but in the area I'm buying those would add at least another £50k if not more to the asking price. I was also desperate to move (have horrible neighbours!) and didn't want to wait for ages.

Preciousbane · 21/08/2014 09:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MagnificentMaleficent · 21/08/2014 09:32

First house me and DH bought was his dream house but not mine, I didn't think it was big enough - I was right as we now have 3 DC Grin.

However it turned out to be the perfect house for the time we were there, great location for schooling, lovely garden for DC close to all their friends. But not big enough and road a bit busy.

Have now moved to our "dream" house but for me this meant min 4 beds, room for a lounge, dining room and play room and a quieter road, oh and in a good secondary catchment. It's more modern than I would choose, I don't like the driveway, and it's not as pretty as others we saw. Also the fourth bedroom is small, and there is only one bathroom. However the space we have for the price we paid was more important.

I did see my absolute dream house which would have been perfect for two children, but decided it was ore important to keep hold of DC3 than get my perfect house Wink

I think a lot depends on whether you are a heart over head type person.

MillyMollyMandy78 · 21/08/2014 09:41

We moved into our dream home in June. If you know exactly what you want, hold out. We wanted something very specific, in a certain area, that does not come up for sale very often at all. We have been looking/ waiting for 3-4 years. It was frustrating at times but completely worth it as now we have everything we could ever have wished for. Both so happy and have a completely different way of life now (aiming at self-sufficiency, have a couple of acres in the countryside). Some things are worth the wait!

Medibeagle · 21/08/2014 09:51

We bought the perfect house, then my idea of a perfect house changed and we moved!

comebackstrong · 21/08/2014 09:58

I live in a London Borough. If I was willing to cross that M25 I could afford a dream home. I just think that ultimately location has to be high up there on the list. I don't think in the future my teenage children would appreciate being in a picturesque village. I am always thinking of what would suit them.

sleepyhead · 21/08/2014 10:00

We realised early on in the process that we couldn't afford our dream home at the moment.
We're in a 70%er I'd say, but I kept my Rightmove alert going so have seen what's come on the market in the year since we started looking - not one property that is better or as good as where we've ended up (for the money we had), so I actually feel really lucky that we got this place.

If you can afford to wait and know that your budget would get you the 100% place then fine, but we would have blown a lot of extra money on rent by now and still be looking.

minkah · 21/08/2014 10:33

For me, a dream house isn't even in the reckoning, if it isn't in the 'dream location'... It's just a nice house but not my dream house..if it's on a noisy road or in the middle of nowhere, it ain't my dream house!

I guess I only have a dream home, then, not a dream house. If I cat walk to post a letter and buy a pint of milk, it's not my dream home.

Location, location, location! I've got friends who live in country towns, so pretty, but they have houses on busy roads.. Not desirable at all.

Quiet location but close to amenities is my dream location, the property itself is extendable, decoratable, etc.

TooMuchRain · 21/08/2014 10:59

We had been keeping an eye on the market for about 18 months and realised that we just couldn't get everything we wanted for our budget so in the end the compromise was that we have the house & garden we wanted, in the area we wanted, but with a busy road. We're very happy with the choice but also considered compromising on pretty much all the other aspects (as long as there was only one per house!) - in the end something has to give.

PacificDogwood · 21/08/2014 11:04

I think it depends on what your 'dream' house is.

We opted for lots of space, can walk to everything (shops, school, nursery, my job etc), but are in the sticks (not much in the way of cutting edge culture going on) and have a smaller garden than I'd ideally like.
I love my house and sometimes still cannot believe that I have a house with stained glass and fire places and parquet flooring, so although it maybe did not tick 100% of the boxes, it is somehow my dream house Smile

I used to have a tick list for my dream boy when I was a teenager: dark hair and blue eyes and a motorcycle seem to have featured highly on that list. DH does not tick any of those boxes, yet still seem to be my dream man, somehow.

So, love what you've got, rather than hope to get what you think you love Wink

minkah · 21/08/2014 11:19

Well said PDWood!

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