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Original poster

So, did you go with your heart or your head when you chose your home?

39 replies

KitKat1985 · 21/08/2017 18:00

Just asking out of curiosity as much as anything else. Grin We're on the market currently and have looked at a few places in our price range in the location we want to buy in (trying not to get to set on anything though until we have a buyer). A couple of the houses we've looked at have 'ticked all the boxes' but we just haven't felt that enthusiastic about. And a couple of places haven't really ticked all of the boxes (no second toilet / bathroom, or need work etc) but we just liked them more. The practical side of me thinks we should go with something that meets as many of our needs / wants as possible, and the other part of me thinks since we're committing so much financially and emotionally into this, it should be somewhere we love. So did you buy with heart or head?

OP posts:
mooneypie · 21/08/2017 18:14

First 2 houses totally head. Ticked all our boxes. Very easy to sell on. We are currently buying our 'forever' home and this time I have allowed myself to follow my heart. It doesn't have 3 significant things on our list and is definitely a risk if we ever need to sell again. I'm so excited about moving there though and we'll find solutions to the missing requirements- I hope!!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 21/08/2017 18:15

I go with my heart then dh does the whole practical side of things so it evens out.

Mummaofboys · 21/08/2017 18:19

Both, if you don't love it you won't enjoy living there but if it doesn't tick the majority of boxes you also won't enjoy living there. I think it has to be a compromise on both accounts. I wanted a four bed home minimum I didn't look at any three beds just I case I fell for one.

topcat2014 · 21/08/2017 18:21

I took ten minutes to buy my house, and one viewing. Still happy in it 13 years later.

I love watching Location Location, but always laugh at the 'picky' ones who want the full works for tiny money.

EssentialHummus · 21/08/2017 18:31

Without meaning to sound wanky, both times I've bought the properties were a near-perfect mix of head and heart. If push came to shove I'd go with head though - I think the day to day practicalities are the most important thing.

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 21/08/2017 18:40

Oh gosh I love a bit of 'Location, Location, Location' too topcat2014. It's because of the wisdom of Kirsty and Phil I know we need to compromise on something as it's very unlikely we will get everything we want.

OP posts:
Batteriesallgone · 21/08/2017 18:42

My criteria for houses is simple, 1) do I love it and 2) do I think we can add considerable value / it will go up in value in the next five years due to location becoming more desirable.

We've moved a few times always making a profit. But I've loved every single one of the places we've lived. Been very lucky.

I guess it's 60% heart 40% head.

Changednamejustincase · 21/08/2017 18:46

Previous 2 properties were head purchases. This one was heart. Still really love it. I couldn't wait to move out of the other 2 after a while.

sparechange · 21/08/2017 18:49

They are one and the same for me... I can't fall in love with somewhere unless it ticks all our boxes

We really overstretched ourselves to buy our most recent place though, so that was arguably a 'heart' purchase, although part of the reason I loved it so much was how practical it all was

namechangedtoday15 · 21/08/2017 19:29

Head. Knew we were looking for a forever house but didn't have the budget in the location we wanted. So we had to go with the "head" (location, potential, good investment) and believe that one day it would be the "heart" house too. I definitely did not love it and it was tough knowing that i' d have to live with for quite a few years.

7 years on and I love it.

user1499786242 · 21/08/2017 20:22

HEART

'Head house' was near my parents house, but quite small and just abit meh
Would have great sell value, popular area etc

'Heart house' is in a different part of the country and a different life style but the most beautiful house I've ever seen
Wouldn't be able to get anything even remotely as amazing where the other house was!
Viewed it thinking it was going to be a no
Put in an offer after a few minutes
We just knew

It does have everything we want though, just not in the location we thought we would choose!

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 21/08/2017 20:34

I think there's probably some truth in that head and heart are inter-twinned to some extent. I don't think I could love something that was completely impractical, but I do have a soft spot for properties that are a bit quirky or have a bit of character.

My current house is a 'head' house. It was 3 years old when we moved in. It's practical, but like most new builds it's a bit soul-less and I don't love it if I'm honest.

OP posts:
Allgirlskidsanddogs · 21/08/2017 20:51

Neither, I get a feeling and just know, usually within the first 15 seconds of entering.

Ecureuil · 21/08/2017 20:55

Both. And also didn't have to compromise on anything, as I had realistic expectations to start with. I knew what we could get with our money, so looked at the houses that best matched our criteria within that. Actually went around £50k under budget and the house is the perfect mix of heart and head.

5rivers7hills · 21/08/2017 21:42

Head. It was the best thing I could afford.

Ticjed he boxes - east to get to work and to the City. Close to friends. Area that is gentriftying (apparently). Parking. Garden. Space.

Things I don't like are the area itself really (nothing wrong but not as nice as living in super central zone 1) and that it is quite a boxy house but i was £50k off the equivalent size period house. I've renovated some rooms and now it's much nicer and it has fab potential to sort the downstairs layout and go into the loft in the future.

Now I really love it. The outside space has changed my life.

reetgood · 21/08/2017 21:54

Both head and heart. We had a small budget and therefore were really specific about area. Wanted a garden and two beds at least. Not a full refurb but would consider some updating and delayed maintenance. Transport routes, shops.

It took us a year! The house had a good 'feel' but it didn't wow us. It's a really ordinary sixties semi detached. But I feel very affectionate towards it. I like to fettle it up and bring out the comfortable and welcoming small family home that was underneath the many mystifying choices by the vendor. I also feel immense glee at us having grabbed a bargain, we got well under market price. So it wasn't love at first sight but we have developed strong heart feelings :)

TattyCat · 22/08/2017 00:53

A mix of head and heart, but heart would have won anyway, if that makes sense! We loved the place. Fairly uninhabitable for a few months until we could clean it (fettle it!! - good old Yorkshire expression there!) enough to live in prior to renovating, but since then have realised its real potential, so that's where the head bit came in!

We LOVE this house. It's tiny tiny tiny, but we are fortunate enough to have storage space elsewhere in our workshop, for now. We're renovating/building/landscaping/everything and it'll take years, but we have a bit of a 'wow' every time we open the front door!

Buckinghambae · 22/08/2017 06:20

Till now, always head.

We completed yesterday on a total heart house. Probably over priced, not great connectivity and some issues with it that means we are unlikely to make a profit on it. But walking into it last night was lovely!

FunSpunge · 22/08/2017 07:10

@namechangedtoday15 I needed to read a post like yours!

We are in the process of buying a "head" house and its reassuring that people have learnt to love theirs

We have a lot of work ahead of us to make it my "heart" house Confused

JT05 · 22/08/2017 07:54

Always heart, except the last one was a 'head' house. Strangely, stayed there many years brining up our family. It was a 'head house' because it suited family life so well.
When we sold it last year, for a small 'heart' cottage, we didn't look back once!

madameweasel · 22/08/2017 07:57

This house was definitely head. We needed to move so didn't have the luxury of time, and we've moved to an expensive area so just had to get the best combination of location and property size we could afford. I'm not sure we'll ever truly love it, but each time we remove one of the bizarre "features" the previous owners put in, I like it more and more!

senua · 22/08/2017 09:20

You need a bit of both, a house with potential.
It would be awful to live in a 'head' house that was fully done up and needed nothing more doing to it. It would be equally awful to live in a money pit 'heart' house.
What you want is a house that ticks major boxes but has scope for you to imprint your own wishlist on it.

It's like when you see a brand new kitchen that you don't really like. You can't justify ripping it out and almost wish they hadn't done it; you wish that they had left you a blank canvas instead.

You need to distinguish between must-haves and nice-to-haves.

flowery · 22/08/2017 09:23

Heart. It's a total eye-watering money pit but I love it.

scaryteacher · 22/08/2017 12:04

Heart for all three so far. The next one, once we are back in UK, and have lived in the last heart house for 5 years or so, will be a head purchase, as it will be our last move, and will have to do us from age late 50s/mid 60s to coffins.

Misstomrs · 22/08/2017 12:19

Heart on location, head on house. You can make an unloved or unattractive house into anything you want. You can't move it. Love where you live, you can remodel the house.