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Original poster

Anyone bought somewhere they didn't love? How did you feel about it long term?

38 replies

Orange80 · 18/05/2017 19:31

After much dithering and wondering if buying in London now is such a good idea, we've had an offer accepted on a flat.

The flat is an interim place, a next step type place, rather than a "forever home". The trouble is, I don't love it. It's not huge and it's leasehold. It's in the right place and is big enough for now, that's why we offered. And we got a good price for it.

But I just don't love it.

I'm considering pulling out of my offer (it's a new build so I'd be letting down a developer with still more to shift rather than one person - which would make me feel very slightly less guilty) and my offer was only accepted yesterday.

But - if I pull out - I just don't think there's much out there better for the money.

I've never bought anywhere I don't love though!

Because I don't love it, I really need for it to work as an investment and it's leasehold so that bothers me.

Did anyone buy the practical choice that gave them no emotion? And how did you feel about it later?

OP posts:

namechangedtoday15 · 18/05/2017 19:35

We did, but slightly different in that it ticked all the boxes but didn't make my heart sing (as Kirstie says). And it had potential.

I've said this quite a few times on MN that I love the life the house gave us - location / neighboutr

namechangedtoday15 · 18/05/2017 19:38

Sorry don't know what happened there.

Yes to location / neighbours / schools etc etc, but never loved the house itself if you see what I mean. But we've been here 7 years now (its our forever house following an extension etc) and I do love living here - but there are aspects of the house itself that I'd still change.

2ducks2ducklings · 18/05/2017 19:42

I'm living this now. The house is bigger, cheaper and a very good investment. But I am really unhappy here right now. Granted, we're living in it while we're renovating and I'm a hormonal wreck which may be tainting my view slightly. I have to keep telling my self that it'll be lovely when it's done and I'll either fall in love with it, or we'll sell it and move on.

JigglyTuff · 18/05/2017 19:43

I totally did that with my last place in London. I didn't like the flat - it was dull and soulless but it was in an area that was becoming (a lot) more expensive, had great travel connections and was well proportioned.

I lived there for quite a long time and made a lot of money when I sold it which was my intention.

I will be carried out of this house in a box :)

Original poster

Orange80 · 18/05/2017 19:48

namechange - yes we're the same. We'd be buying it fornschools and location. But unlike yours, we can't extend as it's a new build. So tricky! Sounds like you made the right choice though!

2ducks - I bet it'll be lovely when you've renovated though!

jiggly - yeah we'd be relying on it growing in value. But I have a feeling I'll want out too quickly! But we can't afford the perfect space in our perfect location. Arg! Are you still london?

OP posts:

Lonecatwithkitten · 18/05/2017 19:49

I didn't love my current house it ticked every practical box. 10 months I now love the house because it gave me the life I wanted.

DeliciouslyHella · 18/05/2017 19:53

Yes, our first home was very much like this. It was in an okay town, nice area, ticked all of the boxes. But I didn't love it and neither did DH. We sold it 2.5 years later for a significant profit and bought a house we really love.

If you're using it as a way of getting up the ladder, do it.

CotswoldStrife · 18/05/2017 20:01

We rented a house (due to relocation, DH's job) that we would never have bought - and then bought it a few years later! It's not as good as the one we left our dream house by any means but it is in a good area for schools and the value has rocketed which we weren't expecting at all!

I still wish that we hadn't moved, but as a house it's been a good one and we are in a nice area with nice neighbours which is fab. For the schools aspect, we need to be here for at least another year - I don't think our daughter wants to move again so we'll see what happens then.

smu06set · 18/05/2017 20:02

As a new build, arent you paying developer premium? So its value wont increase in the same way as older houses?

yomellamoHelly · 18/05/2017 20:06

Current one. Have changed it an awful lot and still have a lot of plans. Will be lovely in the end (7 years in), but still miss previous house (though my head knows we'd outgrown it).

JigglyTuff · 18/05/2017 20:22

No, I'm not Orange. But the property price differential between London and where I now live has been really helpful

Original poster

Orange80 · 18/05/2017 20:29

smu06 - we put in an absurd offer, thinking they'd never take it, and they did. (A 20% discount - we're chain free and the development is finished and they just want to get rid. But that makes me a little hesitant too!)

Wish we could buy a period place though, but we can't afford one in our part of London.

OP posts:

monsieurpoirot · 18/05/2017 20:38

I haven't loved either of the houses we've owned :( For me it needs character charm to fall in love. Each house I've completely redesigned, have enjoyed living there, it has been the right location, gardens have been great... But my next move I'm only going to buy a house I love! I've never wanted to settle in either of my other homes (although lived there 7 and 8 years very happily :) )

Bluntness100 · 18/05/2017 20:40

Yes I've done this and never really loved anywhere until this place. I never grew to love them either, they became home, but I had no emotion on selling. I never really understood loving your home, but then I loved this house from the moment I saw it and I still love it three years later andi suspect I always will. So now I understand it.

The other homes served their purpose. I wasn't desperate to leave, but not tied to staying either, This house I love and it's a very different feeling.

Thingvellir · 18/05/2017 20:44

Our London place, I didn't love it, the building was fugly but it had the space we needed, a large outside space (roof terrace) and was in the right location. I made it lovely inside and we were---- happy there.

We've now moved to our forever home - I'm so happy here and love being in our final destination and can decorate how I want, DC are happy with space and garden etc but I miss the convenience and ease of living in central London. I HATE my commute

You can't have it all I guess!

coldcanary · 18/05/2017 20:44

Our first house. We needed a place of our own, limited funds and this house popped up. Objectively it's a lovely house. Big enough, nice garden, a bit of a noisy area but nothing major, needed a lot doing to it but we managed.
Thing is I never felt totally happy there, if there was a fault I could quietly find it and dwell on it, I never properly relax and feel comfortable in it.
When we looked at a move the house I'm sat in now was the first one we looked at and I Loved It despite looking at about 5 others afterwards. I still do

Popalina · 18/05/2017 20:52

The house we have just renovated, we bought 8 years ago, not because we loved it but because it was the worst house in the best area and had potential. It was a sensible move financially and geographically. It's a nice house now, in a GREAT location but in a way, the positive thing about not loving it is that I feel freer to move if we need to in the future (ie for jobs or education). At the moment, it is SO brilliantly located for everything we need. I don't need to get in the car at all if I don't want to.

It ticks all the boxes for now but it's only bricks and mortar after all. The 'home' bit is the people who live it in I think.

OlafLovesAnna · 18/05/2017 20:56

We bought a very 'meh', too small house as it was all we could afford in the location we wanted (schools, nice village, community).

2 years later we had spent a few thousand £££ re doing kitchen and bathroom but due to property prices rising in the area we had made £50,000 on our tiny but face lifted house and bought a bigger very tatty ex rental across the road which we're slowly tidying up.

In summary, I didn't love the first house but I could see it would get me into the area we wanted and would be a stepping stone to something that suited us better.

phoria · 18/05/2017 21:01

don't do it! seriously. i bought a place recently thinking i was being sensible about what i could afford and there was nothing better out there. several places popped up in my price bracket as soon as i exchanged that looked much better.

i thought actually going through with the sale would make me more committed to the flat but i was wrong. i had the same doubts i had before but now i owned the bloody thing.

the london market is cooling. you're in a very strong position as a buyer. your perfect house is out there. you just need to be patient. better to buy the right one rather than the wrong one and have to sell up in 2 years (which i'm planning on doing).

Original poster

Orange80 · 18/05/2017 21:41

I keep wondering if the market is cooling in london. The fact that the developer took our cheeky offer makes me wonder if they know something I don't...

But at the same time am worried this flat is our last chance to buy in the perfect spot (even if it isn't a perfect flat)...

Confusing!

OP posts:

RandomMess · 18/05/2017 21:52

Eek, I've not loved any of my homes however it kind of became more insignificant than I thought it would.

My home is where my family is and the house really didn't matter that much - I was very surprised to find that out tbh.

phoria · 18/05/2017 22:06

OP, i think a lot of people are scared to buy at the moment which means the fact that you're willing to is a big plus. i do actually think now is a good time to buy as there's more room for negotiating and getting a discount but as i've learned it needs to be for a place you love. the economic/political situation is so uncertain right now. it needs to be a place you'd be happy to live in for at least 5 years to ride out any dips.

i was like you. so unsure and i couldn't make up my mind. listen to your instincts!

Thingvellir · 18/05/2017 22:09

Phoria is right I think. We sold/bought during Brexit. There was a marked dip in the market and we gained hugely on our purchase. Potentially you stand to get a great deal buying just now, as long as you have time to ride out the dip

dotandstripe · 18/05/2017 22:10

Really like the house but the area is shit. Can't wait to move away.

It was the typical London problem of wanting a house rather than a flat and only being able to afford in a zone 4 area that is pretty horrible. Been here for 3 years and looking into leaving London completely next year for much better quality of life.

Original poster

Orange80 · 18/05/2017 22:32

dotandstripe - lots of my friends did the same as you: went for a house further out in zone 3 or 4 rather than a flat in the area they love. At first they were very positive about it and kept telling me to do the same. Then this weekend one of my friends confessed that she wished she'd bought a flat in her preferred spot and not a house where she did. Most of the rest who went to the same neighbourhood are looking to leave london altogether now (the schools aren't so good there). It's so hard to know what to do! London is just insanely expensive.

phoria - my gut is telling me to buy something I love that I can also afford so I don't sweat what happens to prices. But my head is telling me that this place is such a great price and another as cheap might not come up! Arg I don't know!

OP posts:

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