Buyers remorse...tell me it's normal

[DavetheCat2001]

I've been reading back on old threads about this, it does seem to be 'a thing', but I am slightly freaking out about us moving into our new house this coming Friday.

Canned version of events: it has taken over 4 months to get here, lost a set of buyers on our place, lost a solicitor along the way, had financial issues etc..won't go into detail as not really relevant, but we REALLY wanted this house and finally exchanged last week.

Went in there yesterday morning with the kids to measure the windows for blinds, and as soon as I walked in it felt cold, dark and gloomy. It's Edwardian, and it's been empty for over a year and not loved, it's a project house and in my head could be beautiful but the truth is we are stretching ourselves to our absolute limit financially, and will have nothing left over after completion.

OH is going to do a lot of work himself (when he can fit it in working FT), and we save for things as we go.

It was such a beautiful sunny day yesterday, but walking in there was like going into a musty cave. Both DC's were bickering and youngest had a meltdown when she saw the room we were thinking of for her..stomped around the house on raw floorboards making a racket and saying she hated it etc..

OH and I have been bickering too..think the stress has got to us, and best of all it appears that the vendor has for some reason since the last time we saw the house (mid April) ripped down the fusebox in the hallway, leaving us with no working plug sockets in the house???!!?

We couldn't test the grotty oven that is being left and so as it stands we move in on Friday into a house we cannot plug in our fridge/cook anything/heat etc...fucking nightmare.

Obviously we raised this with the EA on Saturday, but in his typical fashion he never came back to us despite saying he was going to contact the vendor immediately to find out what he is doing.

So tomorrow morning we get onto our solicitor to let them know...vendor has to make good and I have said there is no way I am moving into that house on Friday with my kids if no electricity, FFS.

That would put us in breach of contract with our buyers I'm guessing, so the whole thing is a nightmare.

Came back to our light, bright flat yesterday and just wanted to cry. Been here 14 years, had my kids here and made this place lovely.

I don't want to go..what were we thinking??? We need more space for sure with 2 growing DC's (5 and 8), and I thought I loved the house but I don't think I do anymore. Rang my mum for advice and wise words and she said I was the same when I bought our current flat as it was a state too, and I apparently spent many weekends back at her house as didn't want to be here either!

Can anyone please just bring me down and reassure me that this will pass and it will all be ok?

Packers come in on Thursday to pack us up, and we have a cleaning co booked to go into the house on Thursday too to deep clean it as it is minging....obviously they cannot do this if no bloody power in the house!!

Auuugh..just want to crawl under my duvet and it all to go away.

@ravenshope it’s amazing living by the sea. I’ve lived here for 8 years now and it still feels special. Good luck with your move x

Pics of the garden before and after!

That is a million times better! Wow, well done. You are making big progress.

Get Green Thumb or similar out to treat the lawn this summer for you and get it looking lovely and green.

Thanks @BlueSkiesLies

I'm feeling a bit meh about the place again..it's real swings and roundabouts. It may be because we got a guy to paint our front door for us, which I was really looking forward to in terms of having one 'nice' thing done to make the house feel more like our own.

He's made a shit job of it..not 100% his fault..the door is really old and gnarly, but he hasn't paid much attention to the detail and it looks blobby and rushed. OH reckons he'll have a go at sorting it 'at some point' but I just wanted it done.

Also the work we had planned to do in the front room has had to be pushed back to September due to funds...again I was looking forward to just having one 'done' room.

I am aware that I sound like a spoilt brat and I will rise again no doubt. Just impatient!

@DavetheCat2001 that’s a bit rubbish of the painter, any chance that he could come back & redo it? Or failing that rub down & a good quality undercoat followed by doing topcoats yourselves.
You don’t sound spoilt at all, it’s just hard when you want to get stuff done & make it feel more like your home ikwym onwards n upwards💐

Thanks for understanding @dontcallmelen.

His boss came and had a look at it earlier, and did say whilst getting a door of that age that has been knocked around so much looking good is a tall order, the painter should have taken more care and time over it.

I think OH is keen not to have him back again to try and make it good for fear of it getting worse, so we'll just have to make do for now. I've ordered a new letterbox cover and numbers for the door, so hopefully once that is on there it will look better.

We bought a house that our surveyor friend had kindly suggested we didn't unless we wanted a LOT of work. The day we exchanged I walked into this sad neglected wreck that hadn't been lived in for about five years and thought, oh my God, what have we done? I was overwhelmed with a sense of utter dread.

Several grand of builders later, and some ongoing work on the roof, and hours of us filling cracks and painting walls, and new carpets etc and it looks utterly amazing. You will get there, and you'll probably love the house all the more for the effort you've put in.

Thanks @GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman...stories like that really give me hope.

Finally feeling like our bedroom is coming together, although the ceiling needs to cone down at some point as it is bowing quite badly 😳

Didn't you say you lived in a flat before, OP? Where have you got all the furniture from

I lived in a 3 bed maisonette! I am a furniture junkie, and we had stuff everywhere.

The chaise longue and white wardrobe are new purchases.

It is so nice to have the space for all my stuff now.

@DavetheCat2001 love love the bedroom looking brilliant, I have been after a chaise longue for ages little bit jealous of your lovely one😍
Am also after a small single Edwardian/Victorian wardrobe for the spare room as have a beautiful chest of drawers that’s crying out for a pretty wardrobe to match.

Bedroom is looking great!

I have floorboard envy!

It's yucky laminate sadly...will be having the original boards downstairs stripped and varnished though.

Carpet upstairs (eventually!)

Aah! But it looks good in the photos!

@Sparadrap thanks. can't wait.
Davethecat your bedroom looks lovely. Beautiful chaise longue and quilt/bedspread.
When I move I'm planning to put down vinyl flooring as supposed to be better than laminate and mark less.
Space for my stuff will be amazing as moving from two rooms rented to three bedroom house!

Not sure if anyone still reading but made a start on stripping the hideous anaglypta wallpaper in the hallway. It's bloody everywhere!!

I have to say it was incredibly satisfying! There is lining paper underneath, which is sticky and horrible to steam off, but again it was strangely enjoyable!!

Loads to do, but feeling pleased with myself for making a start.

I'm still reading!

Well done, stripping wallpaper is a bloody nightmare especially in this heat. Such a big improvement though.

Ahh @DavetheCat2001 well done on getting starting on the angylypta!! It is my enemy at the moment. We are working on the living room and hall as the we have column rads to be installed on walls there, so most urgent to get done first.

OP are your ceilings lathe and plaster? If so plasterers nnow recommend boarding the filings and pulling up into hoists rather than pulling down and making a mess. My dad done his 16 years ago and all good as new, we have just done our and very happy.

If it's lathe and plaster. It's usually the plaster coming away from the lathe but the joists etc are still straight that's why it can be pulled up easily. Hope that helps.

I sympathise as we are currently doing a massive project

Boarding the ceilings **

Sounds like you’re starting to like the house Dave, even though there’s still loads to do, but it’s been 6 weeks now since you moved in ? So you’ll get there.

Love the chaise loung.. where did you get it from ?

@WBWIFE that's interesting.. the ceilings are lathe and plaster and OH is wanting to pull the bedroom one down as it is in a poor state.

I would much prefer that he didn't have to do that, plus bringing the ceiling down risks destroying the lovely cornicing 😬. I might suggest we get a builders advice first as it would certainly save a load if hassle/ mess.

How are things going with you?

@Nothingmuch I am definitely feeling more love for the house now, although it still doesn't feel like 'home' IFKWIM.

I do feel though that with every change we make, even just stripping off that horrible anaglpta paper, it becomes more 'ours'.

I am aware of how very lucky we are though as houses don't come up often round here, and when they do they are usually 'done' and go for about £200k more than we paid 😳

Been here 5 weeks now.. time is flying.

.. I got the chaise on EBay