Anyone sold a house less than a year after buying it?

[CityDweller]

We did a 'big move' 5 months ago - completely new area, completely different type of lifestyle (from small flat in a city to large house in a village). We regret it. We love the house, but we can't get used to having to get in the car to get anywhere and we're struggling to meet likeminded people locally, despite making lots of effort to get involved with local things and groups. We have small children, and while that's usually an easy way to meet other people and make new friends, we're not finding that the case where we live.

So, we're thinking of cutting our losses and putting it on the market. Has anyone bought and sold in such a short time frame? Did it work out? We're prepared to take a bit of a financial hit - figuring life is too short to live somewhere we don't feel at home. But I'm worried about a knee-jerk, rebound reaction and making another mistake in moving so soon.

Thanks again for all the input. I think I'll get some valuations after Easter to see where we stand. I feel sick at the thought of moving again, and we really don't know where to move to... God, what a mess...

Citydweller I'm sorry it hasn't worked out for you. Am in similar position and it's v scary as you worry you will make anther mistake again plus if you have no definite location which pulls you it makes it much tougher.

I presume you have visited some other areas which are contenders and written a pros and cons list plus worked out what are your essentials and desirables - though saying that, we've done all this and still going round in circles! If you ca pinpoint why you originally moved and what you thought you would get from it, and what the actual reality is and what you are now missing that may help you choose a better area next time.

I would say if you feel in your gut it's not right, that won't change and if you need to get school place I'd move sooner rather than later.

I've grown to feel like where I live is ok but I don't feel at home here still after 2 years and we will be moving. We did give it some time but the thought of being here for another few years just makes me feel so sad so that's the deciding factor. There will obviously be drawbacks - we are going to have less space and I angst over not giving our kids that countryside freedom but then I think of all the positives.

It's such a stressful thing moving and I feel for you as we are going through the same. It's also hard when others move out and rave about it being wonderful as it does go a bit against the grain to not like where you move to. Times like this it is helpful to know you are not alone!

Btw we sold ours and have gone into rented as we still didn't know what to do but knew that being in rented would mean we could move quickly when we do. But that was also down to timings as we are having another baby so didn't want the stress of buying and selling and thought would be easier to declarer with just one kid! It wasn't as stressful as we thought and we made money too. Are you in SE? You may surprise yourself and not lose out.

We moved just before DD was born & it wasn't until she started school & I started seeing other parents on a regular basis (I did drop off 3x a week & pick up 2x as well as a birthday party most weekends) that I began to feel settled & build up a proper friendships. This led to a couple of other things and I now feel as though I know a decent cross section of the community and have finally met some like minded people who I feel get me.

We didn't lose money on our move but didn't make any - the market improved slightly and we just about covered our moving costs.
But I would have done it even if we had lost money as it was so important to me that I felt settled and in it for the long term with school fast approaching.
Absolutely no regrets and I am still walking round our new house and new town and feeling palpable relief that we bit the bullet and made the move.

Gosh! Are you me?

Same situation pretty much, we moved 18 months ago and an agent is booked for valuation in two weeks. Don't know if it'll work and we may make a loss but life's too short!

Just to add: we regretted almost instantly and the feeling grew stronger despite everyone telling us to give it some time.

We did meet nice people eventually but still doesn't feel right. If we HAD to stay we probably could make an OK life here but we feel we'd be happier if we moved.

Follow your gut instinct!

We moved not very far at all but doubled mortgage and had a unit reaction tbh/ only after 18 months and when sc started school dos it click and now I love it/ feel involved
You'll be focusing on the rose tinted part of old life rather than the 'we don't have enough space/ this Area is dodgy/ school huge' etc
Also I wonder if there is an Inbetween ie rather than go back to what you did before is there a better connected village etc
I'd write a list of what you miss, and what you wanted from move, and then cross over eg now realise you need walking distance to X y Z, direct train to a b c, online shops covered by ...

Thanks for all the responses. It's good to hear we're not the only ones to be in this situation.

Interesting what you say almostenglish about knowing right away. We did too. I was hoping the 'we've made an awful mistake' feeling would go away, but it hasn't. But DH are looking on the experience as a positive one, in a way. Because I think we had to try this type of 'lifestyle'/ village to know that it's not for us, otherwise we would always have wondered/ hankered after it. It's made us realise what we do want (e.g. that being able to walk to stuff and have decent public transport is more important than a big garden).

Current plan is to get house valued soon and probably put it on the market over the summer, and to move before the autumn/winter - either buying somewhere else or just renting for a bit. That way we at least get to enjoy the house and garden over the best months of the year. But the thought of another winter here fills me with utter dread... I have been suffering health issues since we moved here that are being exacerbated by the house and location and I think we'll give that as the reason for moving, as that's really not a lie.

Thats great news - you have a plan - you are looking at options. You must feel relieved.

We moved six months ago and I still don't know if I adore our house. I see it as a stepping stone. Like someone else said, doesn't help moving at the time of year we did (didn't get in until October). Limits what you can do and you don't get to enjoy being outside.

Be prepared that if you do go to sell it, people will want to know why you're moving after such a short time. If our house had only been lived in for six months I would think there was something wrong with it that you don't find out about until you move in.

CityDweller - at least it sounds as though you are moving forward and have accepted you need to get out. I can totally identify with the 'not knowing where to go to/fear of making another mistake' aspect though. I think that's part of what's keeping us from biting the bullet in our own situation that and the fact our house needs so much work and wouldn't sell quickly in its current condition

We've tried a few options location-wise previously and none seem to be just right - I seriously think it's a 'grass is always greener' thing - suburban v rural v semi-rural......we actually chose here because it felt as though there was more to do, now we both feel it's a bit 'something or nothing'! Otoh, I certainly wouldn't want to go back to the city I'm originally from and know DH would hate that too as he had a bit of a breakdown caused by stressful job etc a few years back.

DH always says that I want the best of both worlds - peaceful country walks with Liberty round the corner! We have a grown up DS that lives in Brighton and we both hate the fact it's a 4hr + drive to get to visit. I love being by the sea which is many miles away from where we are currently, but don't fancy moving to Brighton itself.

We just wasted a whole morning debating what we should do.......

I really hope you have more luck than me in selecting the right location next time

18 months ago I could have written your post. We had moved to a rural village three hundred miles away and couldn't settle. I missed my friends, family and work. And desperately missed London. So we went on holiday to get perspective, talked it through, and decided to stop talking sell and move back. This was 6 months after moving in. We priced low to sell and three months later we were renting back in the town we had moved from. Took us another three months to find a house to buy but now we live three miles from where we started off. I appreciate everything I have every day because I now know how much it matters to me. We lost a lot of money.. We certainly couldn't buy our old house back.. But in the end our quality of life and happiness was more important than sticking it out in a house and an area where we couldn't settle.

Sympathies! We haven't made the move from London yet and are wondering whether to. But the fear of making a mistake id stopping us.

If any consolation, it's not the end of the world for children to move schools. Not ideal for sure, but if that's what has to happen then it'll be ok.

Yes - moved up to a large (ish) 4 bed from a 2 bed semi and a couple of months later decided to get divorced.
Had started decorating it (down to bare plaster in few rooms & had just put in a new ensuite and fitted bedroom furniture) and ended up decorating every single room in the house before putting it back on the market.
Thankfully, we sold it for £50K more than we bought it for after all the effort (that was largely due to prices rising though and we did spend a good £20K on the house).
I would give your move 2 years (unless you really can't stand it) - it may take you that long to adjust to the new way of living/meet people you get on with. Friends of ours did a big move - hated it - thought about coming back. They were advised to wait 2 years and are now still there 5 years on and loving it.

I hated our last house. Not the house itself but the area it was in. I insisted we move and now we both love our new house and location.

I would always prioritise area over house as houses can be tweaked. Moving again is the right thing if you are suffering that much. Doesn't matter if you lose money as wellbeing is worth more than money particularly in the long term.
I'd put your house on market fairly soon - next month or two. And perhaps write a list of all the things you wanted to escape from in the city and all the things that are missing from your current location and that might help you see what you are looking for. It might be that living in the centre of a town works for you - with countryside around the corner but a bit of hustle and bustle. Good luck!

It's good that you have a plan now. Like others said, draw up a list of what you miss and what you think you can't live without.

Just to say to the "you'll get used to it camp", I might be the case but it really depends on how you feel deep down. When we moved from London I thought WTF have we done at first and cried pretty much every day for 2 weeks (I was pregnant mind you). The difference was that DH loved it and kept coming home raving about everything. I gradually, but very quickly, say a couple of months started to feel better because I met two like minded people at playgroup. From there it all grew and I ended up loving it.

We then moved to the current location with no fear because it's not that far do it didn't feel like we were severing ourselves from our world. Still it's far enough to make us long for the other place where all our friends are.

The difference between the two moves is that DH hates it too - we both cried every day the first week (and no one was pregnant), I feel sick when I drive past DC previous school and the idea of living here for the rest of my life gives me the creeps.

I hope we won't lose money, actually I hope we will make a bit but even if we make a loss, we've gained the knowledge that this is not for us and that we are different people to who we thought we were.

Good luck, I'll keep my fingers closer for you!

Oh so glad I'm not alone, but sorry for everyone else going through this. We know what we want, it's finding it that's hard! I fear our perfect place doesn't exist, so it's a case of working out what we can compromise on. Right now it's between the eminently not sensible place that we are really drawn to or the more sensible place(s) that we're not excited about. Some exploring to be done over the coming months...

I moved back to the UK from abroad when dd was 3. It was 18 months until she started school. Those 18 months were hard because I only met one person I got to know through her nursery (private nursery slightly out of our area because I was working and the very local pre-schools were not and are not set up for working parents) and that person lived in a different town from us. However, once she started school, I started to meet local parents and now I feel much more connected with where we live.

I do think that if you feel it would be financially unviable to move back, then don't despair, because things will definitely improve once your dc start school - you have to join in with the parents' things at the school though, and while that is pretty dire to start with, eventually you will start to like the other people!

Hi i know this initial post is old but just wondering what happened we moved only 2 weeks ago to a place we are very familiar with only 10 minutes up the motorway from where we lived buy ive cried every day since im so sad an miserable i cant settle an really hate the thought that this could be our home for the forseeable future, i wish we had never moved wish i could turn back the clock an never sell or if we did then move i same area im so depressed an just hate it couldnt fault the house brand new but i just want to go home

You poor thing. Do you have all your old/treasured stuff unpacked yet? If everything feels unfamilar it doesn't help.

We are due to move soon to a smaller place as our children have grown. I'm not sure if it's going to be right for us. The bonus is that we will have money to do it up to our taste. I am scared I will spend this money and still think it's too small.

Hello - it's the OP here (with a different username). So funny to see this thread resuscitated. We stuck it out and it did get better. The first 6 months was the worst (but it was also winter, which made it harder). Once Spring sprang everything got a lot easier. We still don't love the village/ location and will ultimately move on, but that desperate misery of the first few months did go away. Hang in there! Give it at least a year is my advice.

I replied to the initial thread too, and for me it didn’t get better. I lasted three years and eventually decided life is too short to be miserable.

I’m currently renting in a busy town with lots going on and I love it! I haven’t looked back since I moved earlier this year, no regrets whatsoever.

I do think you need to give it six months though. Some people say you’re not properly settled for at least the first couple of years.

Closetlibrarian amazing to hear your update. I also commented a couple of times on the original thread. Looks like you have been there 3 years now - what will be your next move - back to the city? Or a just different village in roughly same area - or something totally different?

From your initial post what issues were resolved or you adapted to - and what ones are still an issue? Are you enjoying any of the new lifestyle at all?