How do you know which house to buy?

[buckingfrolicks]

I'm v lucky, in some ways, and am able to buy a house for me (left my DP 3 months ago).

How the hell do you know which one you want?

I've seen 8 so far and my head is spinning, I can see myself in this one and that one ...

Then I put an offer in on one, I loved (most of) it when I was in it: then I had it rejected, they want some more ok fine I could go up that 5k, but now I'm thinking well do I really want to live there?! I feel so confused. Without things like schools and commutes to worry about anymore, this area just offers too much choice.

So, how did you choose your home?

I could imagine Christmas in it.

It’s like falling in love.
A really excited deep knowing. It might not tick all the boxes, but it feels right.

Think about what you must have. These things will be quite dull - transport and schools related, usually.

Then see as many houses within your price range which meet these criteria as you can. Don't ignore things because you don't fancy them on the internet, some of the ones with the least promising photos will be fab.

Then with one of them you'll get a 'this is special' feeling, and there's your house.

At least that's the way I've done it!

View the ones that have the most important requirements on your list, such as location and price. Don’t reject any on the basis of internet pictures. Then it’s a gut feeling, you can imagine yourself there the moment you step through the door. As others have said ‘love’.
There’s always a compromise, but usually small things that can be overcome.

Its definitely weird. The house we are buying was about the 14th one we viewed. We'd actually viewed the one right next door, and I didnt feel anything for that one. This one was a bit different in layout but it honestly was just a complete feeling of calm when we went in, in fact just as I knocked on the door before even going in I just knew it was the house for us. Totally trust your gut.

I second the gut feeling. We bought our first house because it made sense, it was a good investment, brilliant location, we didn't fall in love with it but it ticked all the boxes. We never really fell in love with the place though and 4,5 years on we have just bought our second house. I thought people exaggerate when they say 'you just know' but when we walked into this house I burst into tears in the hallway, before I have even seen the rest of and said to my DH can we please just buy it. Luckily he felt the same (minus the tears:) ). This was about the 15th house we have viewed and actually the one we did not plan to view at all based on it's Rightmove listing but it just happened to be next to another one we liked the look of and we thought might as well. If you have time view as many as you can, soon you will have a better opinion of what you want and what you like. My friend viewed a whooping 80 houses before they bought one and now nearly 10 years on they are as in love with their property as they were when they first saw it.

The house we chose ticked less of our boxes that other houses we viewed. It was not in the town we originally wanted to be in and the layout seemed problematic. But it had enough bedrooms and I wanted to live in it as soon as I walked in. We have been there for a few years and I still get an excited feeling when I go home. I have never regretted buying it. I now prefer the location we are in to the one we thought we wanted. I think house love is more subjective than a list of must haves. You get a good feeling or you don't. You can still buy a house that just meets your requirements and doesn't excite you. You can always move in the future. You don't have to pick the house you will live in until the end of your days.

Wow that's so helpful!

I did love bits of the house I put an offer on, but all sorts of doubts came in immediately after I made the call.

I'll keep looking.

It's that elusive "feels like home" feeling I guess.

Sensible stuff like number of bedrooms, location in relation to work, bus routes, ease of cleaning I could imagine throwing some really good parties there

It's a feeling. I had t for my flat and for the house I am now in. Even though it missed two of the key things on my wish list!

I think its a combination of the practical - is it big enough, by work / schools etc, combined with loving it - which for us is character and age. This time it was the first one we viewed.

I could imagine Christmas in it

ah so it’s not just me!

It’s like falling in love.
A really excited deep knowing. It might not tick all the boxes, but it feels right

My house didn't tick a single box. The only reason I viewed it was because it was in the place I wanted to live but couldn't possibly afford. It was a probate sale & on at a ridiculously low price. I went to view it purely for the location and to rule it out (wrongly) assuming it needed a ton of work done. Despite having not one thing on my must have list I knew the second I walked in that this was the one.

Agree it is a gut feeling you can have when you walk into a house ,I was fortunate it was in a great location, with good schools and shops , 20 years on still love it!

ok I've fallen in love.

It doesn't tick all the boxes (no conservatory... smaller rooms... no dedicated parking) but the location ... swoon. The garden... bliss. The ambience, the silence...

The overwhelming urge to kill anyone who dares think that this might ever be their house!

Have put in an offer.

Now realise that I'll be paying a fortune in fees that I had not budgeted for but I don't care!