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Original poster

How many properties did you look at before buying?

44 replies

LillianGish · 30/09/2015 19:14

We're hoping to buy a new property - just sold the old one and in a rental so pretty much ready to go when we find what we want. We've probably looked at 12 so far and I've found one I like, but was talking to someone today who said she'd looked at 130 before she took the plunge. It's just that feeling that once we sign on the dotted line what if the perfect property drops into my inbox? No right answer to this of course, but wondered how many properties others had looked at before settling on the one they finally bought? Words of wisdom please wise Mumsnetters.

OP posts:

Titsywoo · 30/09/2015 19:17

About 8 I think. 130 is madness!

Jeffreythegiraffe · 30/09/2015 19:35

At least 5 that I can think of, off the top of my head.

130 is crazy and sounds unwilling to compromise.

RingDownRingUp · 30/09/2015 19:36

Rejected a handful of other possibles by driving by.

SmellTheGlove · 30/09/2015 19:38

Last time, 1! (But lots online and needed to be in school catchment so not much choice in our price range and middle of crazy market). This time, 5. It depends a lot on how flexible you can be and what are non negotiables. I've bought 3 times in the sane area so now the housing stock pretty well. Also, if you are selling and buying at the same time sometimes your hand is forced as you might lose your buyer!

Pico2 · 30/09/2015 19:41

About 20 over 2 years. By then we had a baby and were desperate to move. It must depend on the market you are looking at and how much you want to move.

PotteringAlong · 30/09/2015 19:43

No second viewing.

the time before that it was 3, all on the same day.

Salmiak · 30/09/2015 19:43

About 7 viewings, 4 of them turned out to be teeny tiny- the estate agents stretched all the photos of the rooms, 2 just didn't feel right and the one I bought was perfect on the viewing, perfect on the second viewing, is still perfect now and will probably still be perfect for us in 15 years.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 30/09/2015 19:51

I loved the first one we saw.

Went to look at about five others as we felt we should. Bought the first.

Jeffreythegiraffe · 30/09/2015 19:53

Potentially there's always something's going to come up that you would have liked as well. But you either accept that it's going to happen or you just stop looking at rightmove!

CityDweller · 30/09/2015 19:55

With our current house: 1. Or at least, it was the first one we saw. We then looked at three others (in a completely different area), mostly to confirm that the first one and the area it was in was the right decision. And we then spent another few months thinking about it very carefully, doing research into the local area (it's a 'big move'), etc, before putting in an offer.

With our previous flat: 1. (Ditto above situation, first one we saw then looked at a few others to confirm gut instinct)

With the flat before that: 1. (Ditto above)

TheGreenNinja · 30/09/2015 19:59

Hmm, about 30-40 I'd guess.
But in my defence we changed search area completely half way through, and had two purchases fall through before we finally managed to buy. Now in my dream home though, absolutely love it.
A friend of mine looked at around 100, they are insanely picky though.

Tarzanlovesgaby · 30/09/2015 20:04

about 10.
looked at loads more on websites but only viewed the ones that suited us (3 double bedrooms, chain free...)

Original poster

LillianGish · 30/09/2015 20:24

Thank you so much for all the replies. Making me feel much better! Going for another viewing on Saturday - the third! Liked it the first time, took the kids who also liked it taking DH back for a second viewing. Such a huge investment - won't be moving again in a hurry. Haven't really seen anything else I like in our price range. It's still not perfect, but I don't think anything is! I think we may just have to take the plunge - never mind if something better comes along, what if someone else buys it and I don't see anything better?! Thanks for helping clarify my thinking.

OP posts:

lostindubai · 30/09/2015 20:28

This time three, last time one. We had also sold and didn't want to keep our buyers waiting too long. Plus there wasn't much available in our price range in the area we wanted. Who has the time to look at 100+ houses?! We have jobs and a dc!

RNBrie · 30/09/2015 20:30

Wanted a house in a specific area, there were three on the market. Chose the one we liked best.

JustBeingJuliet · 30/09/2015 21:26

I knew I wanted it before I even walked in the door!

SwedishEdith · 30/09/2015 21:30

We offered on the first house. Didn't get it in the end but I would have been happy with it if we had. Then saw about another 8 and offered (and lost out again) on one of those. 130 just means you're losing sight of why you want to move and are paralysed by the reality of doing it - there's no such thing as the perfect house.

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 30/09/2015 21:40

This time two, previous time four (and on both occasions we were looking across a handful of counties), but there tend not to be very many of the style of house we like

Previously we've only viewed one - but that was because the year before we'd missed out on an almost identical neighbouring house (one of only three that were built in the 1880s in that area), so we knew it would be 'the one'.......and we only viewed the upper floors as there was a tenant in the ground floor that wouldn't allow access!

wowfudge · 30/09/2015 21:51

Ooh - I think it was five each time. First time around I crossed some off the list after driving past - it was in the early days of the Internet when the local paper was the first place to look.

For this house, we'd been planning and looking online for a couple of months and I saw this house and realised it was a good buy and a house we would like. Viewed five on the same day and bought the first one, despite the filth.

Seeing 130 houses is crackers - they must be viewing things they know aren't right or unable to see beyond someone else's decor and belongings or wanting to move into their dream home without doing any work. Or they don't really want to move.

sleepyelectricsheep · 30/09/2015 22:18

I looked at 30 the first time and I thought that was a lot! 100+ is not something to aim for, not at all!

The second time round, we looked at about 15 or so I think.

The difference between the second and the first time buying for me, was that the second time I was much more aware that it wasn't a place I was buying forever, just for the next several years. I felt less pressure to find the perfect place, and was more interested in buying a place that suited us for a number of practical reasons. I was more hung up on it being "perfect" the first time.

You don't need to find the "perfect" place. You will make it yours by living there, and somewhere you really like is brilliant. Unless you never plan to move again, you have plenty of time to find your "perfect" place in the future. Best not to let a really good place which you will enjoy living in, slip through your fingers in the meantime IMO.

mysteryfairy · 30/09/2015 22:20

First time buy - street of brand new houses, think we looked in a couple to pick best plot

When we moved we bought the second house we viewed.

Sold that to buy a specific house on seeing it up for sale.

Put that on market 10 years later to buy dream house we spotted, but then missed out on. Didn't look at anything else. When our house sold and we no longer had a house in mind the estate agent sent us to view a house they had been instructed on but hadn't yet photographed or listed. We bought it. Been here 18 months, still get Rightmove alerts for everything in our large rural postcode and only one house has come close to comparing for me.

130 houses! All those poor vendors tidying up and getting their hopes up for a time waster! I'm surprised estate agents kept booking viewings for her.

pinkje · 30/09/2015 22:22

We looked at 5; one was a derelict building, one wasn't on the market but they had heard we might be interested. We were looking over a period of about 6 months and got the one that scored the highest on our 'would be nice to have' list.

I knew it was the house for me when I drove past one day and thought I had seen a 'Under Offer' banner across the For Sale sign. I was so sad. Went back later and saw it wasn't - it had been a trick of the light - but it made me realise how much I wanted it.

StandoutMop · 30/09/2015 22:26

First time, maybe 15. Bought with heart not head and regret it now.

Second time an insane number, 50 maybe. Offered on 2 because we thought we should, but missed out. Third one we offered one we loved and got.

This time, 22. Budget and area were limited so viewed everything. Offered and got the one. Not planning on moving again (touch wood etc).

Groovee · 30/09/2015 22:34

With our first home, 2 then we saw a show house and bought one on the estate which wasn't where we had planned.

This house we had viewed every house that came on the market. Maybe about 20 before this one.

Mintyy · 30/09/2015 22:38

We only looked at the house we are living in now. So ... 1.

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