Anyone regret a house purchase?

[Babytalkobsession]

Hi,

We exchanged contracts today but instead of the usual excitement (this is our 3rd move) we feel apprehensive and doubt we've made the right choice...

The house we're selling is a lovely 3 bed Victorian terrace, amenities in walking distance and just about walkable into city centre. Downsides are busy road, no garden (just a stepped yard), a layout that doesn't work for us with a toddler, a kitchen that needs replacing & layout alterations and we needed an extra bedroom as DH works from home. We sold well, making a bit of money in the sale.

We're clear that we needed to sell as those negatives are significant. But worry we've made the wrong choice with new place...

Newhouse is out of city in rural village, good school, same commute to work (15 mins), open plan family space leading out to an AMAZING garden. It's also got space to side so scope to extend in future and out in a garden office thing. But...the bedrooms are small, theres not really a proper master, there's a good few steps up to the house, no driveway and just a few niggles that we wish we'd noticed. Also worried how we'll adapt to rural location! This is the biggest concern. There's just a nagging feeling we've made a mistake and will lose out.

Gah! Is this just cold feet / the unknown? Another positive is that mortgage is low (deliberate didn't stretch ourselves as dc2 is on the cards)

Not sure what I'm asking really, just wanted to share

I've done that, I sold in a very nice area but a small house to a big house in a nice area but not as nice as previous one, what sold it to us was the green in front for our kids to play on, I thought my children would play there safely and I would be able to see them, problem is the kids made friends around from us so never on green, house had tiny garden so no room to extend. We waited 2 years till eldest started sencondary and then we bought near his school so that he could walk, I love this area as it's very quiet but kids are quiet bored as no friends yet but it's early days, and we have a huge garden to build whatever we wish, kids also get to have a trampoline which is a bonus. At least you didn't pay too much in case you want to move again in a few years, this moving lark can get addictive.

I think it comes down to putting a positive spin on anything really. So instead of thinking this house has no storage, you think where I can I put storage?

I personally think children's bedrooms are for sleeping in or relaxing in, not playing in. So we inherited a conservatory at the last house and made it into a playroom, when we moved here we converted the double garage and made a massive playroom with a 4m run of storage to hide everything from toys to coats and shoes.

I always look at a house with a what can I do to make it mine attitude. Move in and start working out how to improve it. And remember the positives. No house is perfect.

I think it's perfectly normal to have a degree of apprehension, yours is just quite high on that scale. If it helps, just think that if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't need to be something that's permanent, you can always move again in worst case scenario, although I'm sure you'll be fine and enjoy your new home.

I made a very similar move several months ago. I moved from a charming period house close to transport/amenities to a modest town house in suburbs. Like you, we did not stretched with the mortgage on purpose. To sell the old house was probably the right decision, but I am still doubtful if the one I bought is right for us and the main drawback is a suburban location. However the reasons we chose this one are right (good secondary school being the driving factor) I will stay as long as I have to and will make the best out of it. Don't panic - it gets easier as the time passes. You will get used. I am sure you chose for good reasons.

My bet is that it is cold feet / the unknown. Is it a very different sort of move to your earlier ones?

We've recently made a very similar move from a small Edwardian terrace with tiny garden and hideous parking issues in an amazing location slap bang the middle of beautiful little city.

We're now just under 15 mins away on the edge of a tiny village. Two of our new bedrooms are small too but this is more than compensated for by the living space, which includes a playroom, the huge garden and outbuildings. I love love love it. The space, the views, the wildlife, the village fairs, everything. And I was so apprehensive I felt quite sick.

Your village has a school and presumably a nursery available locally. These factors are really important and when you need them because you will find other Mums. Is there a toddler club? You and your child will enjoy the garden. You don't have to extend if you find it is not for you.

I am not sure I should have lived in my tiny village, however. No shop, no school, dreadful neighbours, no pub! Fabulous walks for the dog and a house and garden that most people would die for. If you can establish yourself in the village and feel you belong, you will be fine. If you have horrid neighbours and don't fit in, move. But give it a go because your child/children may want a town life when they are older. Best of luck.

I have done this. Totally regretted the decision to purchase. Over time it gets easier and I do have moments where I am totally in love with the house (when it's recently cleaned, sun shining etc etc).

As time passes, you find that modifications/furnishings you add make you warm to the house.

I will still move at some point in the near future, but I am pleasantly surprised at how long I have lasted here.

Thanks everyone. I have to keep reminding myself of all the reasons we went for it in the first place, and all the reasons we weren't happy In our current home. Our two previous moves were easy, and just needed to satisfy me and Dh... I think it's harder now because a lot of our reasons are school / child related! The new village has a couple of nurseries, a primary & secondary, post office, restaurant, park and a couple of pubs. The house also comes with chickens! So DS will be in his element.

I think once kids are grown DH and I will go back to into the town (small city). The village is only 5 miles from the city anyway so not exactly middle of no where.

It'll be fine I need to stop procrastinating and get packing!!

Yes I do!

when I went to view the house I loved it but I was a little concerned about the state of the house next door. I was told there was an elderly woman that lived there that that died recently and that the son was doing it up so I decided to take a chance as the rest of the street were owned houses, no housing association or council owned properties etc and properties in that particular area were sought after and selling fast.

anyway that story turned out to be a flatout lie, the son wasn't doing up the house he rented it out to his ex who has his children and lives there with her new partner. neither of them work, their kids run absolute riot up and down the street all day every day in the holidays then all evening and weekend during term time. Last night they were throwing a football at the windows of the house opposite, the son verbally abused my OH and his son when he came to my house last night for no reason.

the mum and partner either stay in the house all day and smoke cannabis which somehow seeps into my house, and they don't seem to be able to hold a conversation without shouting and swearing aswell as shouting and swearing at the kids, slamming doors and when her eldest son comes to visit every other weekend he sits out the front with his girlfriend and has the stereo on full blast with offensive rap music on.

they leave mountains of toys and old matresses, fridges, freezers out of the front because they wont pay anyone to take it away.

if her kids are playing at the other end of the street she stands outside my house and screams (whilst swearing) at them to come home, that usually lasts for about ten minutes.

she has ten cats, all of which use my garden as a toilet and jump on my extension roof in through my windows into my house.

council aren't interested in the slightest because other residents have complained for well over a year.

I wont say anything to these people im trying to keep them on my side as much as possible because any fall out could potentially make things worse as at the moment they arent doing these things to wind me up its just the way they are so if I got on the wrong side I imagine they could be far worse and then I'd have a nightmare trying to sell (more so than I would anyway!)

so yes, in short I do regret!

Firstly I want to say I think you'll be fine OP - it does sound as though it's just initial cold feet and as you're not far from your previous location you are still within reach of everything you are used to. I'm sure you'll settle into your new life in the country, especially with chickens to care for, very soon!

We, otoh, moved eight months ago from a tiny Wiltshire village (we're both originally from Hampshire cities) to a much larger village that is on the outskirts of a city in the West Midlands. It's just the two of us - and our two dogs - as DS has left home and lives with his GF on the south coast. Our previous house was a large-ish (although a considerable downsize from the family home we sold in 2007) period property with third of an acre garden complete with stream, but as I don't drive it felt very remote....the nearest town was three miles away but unwalkable due to the lack of footpaths. We also had huge issues with traffic noise/house shaking which was one of the main reasons we sold up.

Therefore we thought the much larger village (we have five/six coffee shops within fifteen minutes walk) and proximity of the city would be better suited to our needs - socialising, shopping etc - but in reality the city is a shit hole and the way of life here seems completely alien to what we are used to. In short it's just too far away from 'home'.

Our new house is really lovely - a very attractive detached period property with good size garden that is much safer for our dogs without the stream - but that doesn't alter the fact we both hate living here. We've tried to make friends and have some nice neighbours, but eight months on we miss home (southern England) and DS like crazy.

Unfortunately prices here are quite stagnant and our place needs lots of work. We're currently trying to decide whether doing the work will guarantee being able to sell quickly - but it's not unheard of here for houses (even the naicer ones) to take five years to shift - or whether to cut our losses and take a hit in order to move on much more quickly......

It's hard when children come along and your needs change. DH and I sold a great flat in a fantastic part of a big city, which we adored - loads of culture, bars, restaurants and friends on our doorstep.

But it was totally impractical with a small child. And now we have 2, we've just bought a very sensible family home in a big village. It was an entirely practical decision - if it was just DH and I, we would never have bought in this location or this house.

Having been here 4 months or so, we really do love it now. It has been the right decision in our new family circumstances, and we have the space we need now and potential for the future.

I definitely felt a sense of nostalgia for our former carefree life, but circumstances are different so even if we still lived in our old flat and city, we just wouldn't be able to enjoy it in the same way anyway.

Good luck with your move.