Getting a good 'feeling' about a property

[DavetheCat2001]

OH and I are starting the process of trying to upsize from a 3 bedroom Victorian maisonette in SE London, to a 3 bedroomed house.

The area we live in has seen prices rocket in the last couple of years, unsurprising as we are surrounded by already gentrified areas that a lot of people are struggling to afford now. As a result, the price of a fairly ordinary 3 bed terrace is anywhere from an eye watering 750k up to silly money+, so we are going to be very stretched and I don't want to make a very costly mistake!

My son is in reception at the local primary school, and is very settled there so we are looking in a specific area, narrowing it down even further.

Last night we went to view a 1930's house on the next street to us, which isn't on the market yet but we managed to get a first viewing on. On paper it was ideal, good street, near the school for DS and walkable to DD's childminder. Looked nice enough on the outside, and the garden was a good size, but apart from that I just wasn't 'feeling' it when we went in.

I can't really put my finger on it. There was nothing wrong with it, it was a bit shabby in places but nothing a bit of cosmetic work couldn't fix, and it had a loft that could be converted (subject to PP) which was another box ticked, but I just left thinking if I lived there, I'd not like it much. I was quite disappointed that I didn't like it more.

Got back to our maisonette and the 'homely' feeling was back + the feeling of space which I attribute to our high ceilings. The house just felt pokey even though the sq footage was obviously bigger, and there just was something about it I didn't like. Obviously I know that having your own things around you and making a house a home makes a massive difference, but I just couldn't picture our stuff/us in there.

OH doesn't really understand this, despite also having his reservations about the house - one being an electricity sub-station at the bottom of the garden, which I'm not keen on either. He is more head led than heart, but I just wondered if anyone here knows what I mean when I say I just wasn't feeling it?

Trouble is, we can't afford to be too picky as houses come up so rarely that are anywhere near what we can afford, so should the head and things like location rule?

Has anyone bought a house that on paper was ok, but regretted it after moving in? Is this gut feeling thing a purely female thing?

Sorry for the ramble!

the 'feeling' is fair enough; I worked on the basis that if I looked up and down the street and thought 'I wish it was that one over there for sale', the one I was looking at wasn't for me.

the substation issues are noise (which you won't hear over the racket of London) and that they aren't the prettiest things, but plants can cover that up from your garden. Because it is cool to be ignorant about science, it can affect resale from the tin-hat brigade, but otherwise not a problem if there are no wayleaves etc.

When we moved to this house, it was the only suitably large enough one for sale in the area. The area and size of house were the priorities. We thought it would do for a couple of years and then we'd find something that we preferred the look of.

We are just about to make that move - 27 years later! I do think the right 'feeling' about a house is important, but it depends on how much you need to move.

I'm a believer in houses having a good feeling (or not)

When we were looking for a two up two down years ago, we saw two identical houses a few doors apart. One had the most horrible feeling and I wouldnt have lived in it for snything; we bought the other one. The bad feeling one had a quick turnover of people living there, I'm sure it was just an unfriendly house.

Having said that, unless its a severe reaction, it would probably be fine once you've got all your own stuff in it.

If you have a three bedroomed maisonette that you like, why are you looking for a three bedroomed house in the same area? Would it not make more sense to stay where you are and avoid the Stress?

Our 2nd house was a new build off plan. It never felt like home for the 12 years we lived there. We vowed to ever after go by gut feel and 2 subsequent moves have borne this out.

I think the "feeling" is important provided you have met your other criteria.

I am normally a really emotional person but was in a similar position when we bought our current house. We desperately wanted to stay in the area (also had DC in reception) but houses that we could afford in an expensive area were few and far between.

It was also a 1930s semi - slightly bigger than average - lived in by the old lady who had died in it for 40+years. But the location was amazing, the space was good, the garden was great, and whilst it was a massive stretch, it was do-able.

I didn't love it, there are prettier houses on the street, I didn't get the feeling, but I knew it ticked all our boxes. I think if I'd have waited for the "feeling", we'd have missed it and even been priced out as prices were rising quickly.

6 years later and I love it. Absolutely. Haven't done very much to it (about to start an extension) but its wonderful. Neighbours, location, schools, just everything about it (other than the house itself) is perfect. A house is just that - its how you live your lives and what you make of it that makes it into a (happy) home.

I didn't love our current house, but it's very much my home now.

The noise from the substation would give me pause for thought - can you visit at a quiet hour to see if it's an issue or not?

I recently viewed a house which was my dream house, the gut feeling was there. Unfortunately, I missed out by a week to put an offer. So I know now what is gut feeling. Nothing else I viewed had this gut feeling so now I am going by square footage and pleasantness of the garden. Recently viewed 3 bed affordable semi which although perfect on paper, had such an overlooked, industrial garden that it was a definite no.

Oops... except it wasn't as we missed out on it. 4 years later i still think about it! Ended up going with a house that had a reasonably good vibe, doesn't yet feel like my spiritual home but tbf I think wjether you will have any budget to make changes is a factor. Just doing a few bits to this house is making me feel more settled.

Ooh I'm really messing this up! First bit of post is meant to say I viewed a house 4 years ago and the second I walked in I knew it was 'the one'.

If you have a three bedroomed maisonette that you like, why are you looking for a three bedroomed house in the same area? Would it not make more sense to stay where you are and avoid the Stress?

Various reasons. We are on the top floor, and although we do have a strip of garden, it is completely child unfriendly and accessed down a really steep flight of stairs from the kitchen. I get nervous with friends going down the steps, let alone small children!
I want a ground floor where you can just open the doors onto a garden so the kids can run in and out, we can watch them from the kitchen and know they aren't going to break their necks (hopefully!)
Also when I say 3 bedroomed house, I mean something that also has potential to extend either up into the loft, or out to the back so an extra bedroom can be added.

Apparently another house on the same road is coming onto the market soonish so the agent is going to get us a viewing. Maybe I'll feel better about that one.

I also really feel for my poor neighbour in the downstairs maisonette as my 2 thunder up and down our hallway. Much as we try to minimise them doing this and take them out lots, it's really hard to keep little kids quiet, and although our neighbour is utterly lovely about it all, I can't help worry that at some point he'll move and we'll get someone less easy going and understanding living below us.

Feeling needs to be there for me. Also think about secondary schools, it'll come round faster than you think!