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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. 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:

MeltorPeltor · 22/08/2017 12:22

Sort of both!

Our compromise was area. We lived in town X, but both grew up on the right hand side of it, out in the sticks.

In order to be able to get the house we would like we have moved out to the sticks on the left hand side.

For work reasons X has to be easily accessible so we moved from right, met in the middle and moved to the left. Country dancing if you like! :D

freelancedolly · 22/08/2017 19:50

Definitely my heart. After viewing the house I've just bought, I came out and promptly told everyone 'uh-oh.. I've fallen in love with a house and when that happens I move heaven and earth to make it work'. Which I did.

We're now in, and I'm glad. There are some niggly things about it - which I think there would be in any house - and because I love it, they're not bothering me as much as they would otherwise.

Loopytiles · 22/08/2017 19:52

Neither: I didn't want any of our houses but gave into DH! Who used both head and heart.

Has worked out pretty well, but I regret compromising on location for more space.

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 22/08/2017 20:15

Thank you for your replies. I think on the balance of everything we should probably be leaning more towards a 'head house' than a 'heart' one, although I think we need to at least like it even if we don't love it. I think it would be different if our girls were older, but they are currently only 2 (nearly 3) and 9 months old, so I think really we need to prioritise the 'boring' stuff like distance from the primary school, and living space etc over lovely features and pretty gardens as this point. Maybe we can focus on heart on our next house.

OP posts:

AnnabelleLecter · 22/08/2017 22:29

Last one was head and we never really loved it but the garden was beautiful at least.
This one was love at first sight for both me and DH. Million times better than the last.
So heart wins.

Snowglobes · 22/08/2017 22:40

We are about to exchange on a house (probably tomorrow) and it's definitely NOT heart. We've been looking for a year and want this location so are compromising massively - it requires work but not priced as such but after a year of expensive renting we need to buy. Our last house needed TONS of work doing to it but was gorgeous and most definitely heart - my head was fretting the 2 or so years it took to do up. Shame we had to relocate! This house will never be gorgeous BUT it will be 'nice' and gives the kids the independence we want etc etc. It's very hard moving for a 'head' decision! Hard to be excited. But it will be fine.

Titsywoo · 22/08/2017 22:43

Head for me. I've fallen in love with it over time anyway. We chose something in the right location with enough space to make all the changes we needed (large kitchen/diner etc) and it's ended up being much better than I could have hoped for :)

Bluntness100 · 22/08/2017 22:49

I've done them both and heart wins. When you fall in love with it, you tend to always feel that way. If you don't fall in love with it, you probably never will.

Coming home to somewhere you love, is very different to coming home to someplace you bought because it was the best option, no matter how you pretty it up . Your home is important, being as happy there as you can be is something that will always improve your quality of life.

Bezm · 22/08/2017 22:58

After living in our first home for 20 years, which I loved, my husband told me he hated living where we did and wanted to move back to our home town. Swore I would NEVER go back! I felt I couldn't refuse to move. TBH I didn't think we would sell ours at the price we needed, but sold within 2 days to first viewer!
We found a smaller house in our home town, but in an amazing area. I cried in secret for the first month! Had enough money left over from the sale to renovate and one year on we now have a beautiful home with everything we want, log burner, new kitchen and bathroom, new flooring and decor throughout. Now feel we made absolutely the right decision and are very very happy! My grown up girls, who both hated the new house and told us we were mad to downsize, now love it too.

flutterworc · 22/08/2017 23:06

Heart, undoubtedly. It made little financial sense for us to move when we did, but we fell in love and knew that as it was our 'forever' home, whatever the monetary fallout was, it would be pennies over a lifetime. Been here a year now and still love it every day.

freelancedolly · 23/08/2017 09:43

Just to say KitKat that going with my heart doesn't necessarily mean, for me, putting aesthetics over practicality. I think it means having already assumed the most important practicalities FIRST, and then after that, it's about whether or not you just fall in love with a place as soon as you walk through the door. For me it's a sense of the property's 'integrity' (feeling solid, well proportioned, generally cared for over the years) and whether or not it has good natural light, good features, etc.

Bluntness100 · 23/08/2017 09:46

I'd also say you shouldn't view houses you can't live in, if they don't work location or size wise don't view them. Then you won't fall in love with something completely impractical.

I'd also say I think heart and head is somewhat entwined too, it's hard to fall in love with something totally unfeasible unless you're off viewing houses out of your reach for whatever reason.

Knope2020 · 23/08/2017 09:48

Head; we moved for our dcs schools and to be nearer my family - I'm glad we did...my dad died 18 months after we moved.
Also;
It's in a desirable location
It needed minimal work
Plenty of room for our growing dc
Large garden for dh
I think as the kids grow up and leave (if they ever do!!) there are ways we can alter it for us. A room for me...make the bathroom larger etc.
We prob won't 😁 but it's nice to have the option!

fussychica · 23/08/2017 11:05

Head. On returning to the UK it was the only detached property we could afford in such a nice location. It didn't meet a number of my wants but 6 years later it's turned out to be a very happy place to live.

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