Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Help! House buying worries while RAF husband is deployed

11 replies

CatPerson99 · 04/01/2020 07:44

Help! Apologies for the long post but I’m hoping for some advice! We have recently accepted an offer on a house and made an offer on another property. I was a bit unsure when we viewed it. The location is perfect and the house looks really pretty from the street with lots of kerb appeal. It’s an old cottage though so we paid for a survey which showed a problem with the roof and that it needed to be replastered with lime plaster to help with a significant damp problem. The windows will also need replacing. The vendor accepted an offer 20k below the asking price and said he would not go any lower no matter what any survey said. The layout is awkward upstairs too (have to go through one of the bedrooms to reach another). We haven’t yet paid for searches, and I’m seriously thinking of backing out. I took my 19 year old son for a second viewing (it is 4 hours away!) but Im still not sure. The added complication is that my husband deployed for 6 months at the beginning if Dec and isnt back until June although he will have R and R in March. I’m seriously thinking of backing out, but if we do that will mean I’ll need to keep looking to sort out a new place without hubbie seeing it, or wait until he comes back. He’s worried about being out of the housing market, and that we won’t find another place that we like. We are in a married quarter just now so won’t be homeless if we sell one without having another. I’m so worried and anxious about it all - Im not sleeping and I’ve spent most of Christmas in tears over it. The house we are selling was a bit of a mistake, and I don’t want to rush into the wrong thing. I feel very alone and havent got anyone to talk to about this. Any advice would be really gratefully received, please.

OP posts:
Pipstelle · 04/01/2020 07:49

Back out. I'd only move forward with a straightforward house and this one isn't. The work may end up being extensive and you're 4 hours away. It's madness. There's no harm in being out of the market for a few months while you find the right house. You'll be a stronger buyer without something to sell anyway.

TW2013 · 04/01/2020 08:00

If it is an old property it probably will need more maintenance over the years than a newer one, it might be worth getting some quotes for the work to see how much the remedial work would be.

With the bedrooms what is the plan in terms of who will be living there and where everyone will sleep. If the walk through room would be for your 19yr old who is off to university and you just have one other 17yr old son then it might work. If you have 5 children of mixed ages and it is a 3 bed house it would be more challenging. Is there any way of dividing the rooms at all? Or using a downstairs room as a bedroom. How long until your dh will be out of the army and needing somewhere permanent?

TW2013 · 04/01/2020 08:01

Oh and also if you are this unsure now it probably isn't a good sign.

FurryMuzzle · 04/01/2020 08:01

Yep what pipstelle said.

It's not worth this level of stress so back out, take some time to regroup and look for something you know is right - and is simpler to live in.

lovelyupnorth · 04/01/2020 08:09

In your situation. I’d sell yours and back out of the other one. And either rent for 6 months - 1 year in the area you are looking at moving too or stay in the married quarters till he comes back and both start looking then. The housing markets not going to go nuts in the next year or two so being out of it will make little difference.

For reference we sold a year ago and are just looking at buying now waiting to find the right location.

CatPerson99 · 04/01/2020 08:24

Thanks all. I think we do need to back out, and it definitely isn’t worth this level of upset! I think because I’m by myself at the moment I’m over-thinking ( aka catastrophising!) everything, but thanks so much for your support! Need to stop weeping now and pull myself together!

OP posts:
FurryMuzzle · 04/01/2020 10:29

Yep. It's easy for worries to take on a life of their own when you're dealing with them by yourself. This need not be such a biggie I think xx

MarieG10 · 04/01/2020 10:37

Back out. Not worth it. And having a bedroom accessed via another is a nightmare and means reconfiguration which will be significant and maybe not possible

MsPepperPotts · 04/01/2020 10:56

This type of property will always have a damp problem.
The roof problem could be hundreds or most probably thousands of pounds and as soon as you start doing works of any type to very old houses it just uncovers more work to be rectified.
Back out and look for something that is newer/low maintenance or can be moved straight into without any work.
If you don't need to move straightaway sell the one you have then you can take more time looking and finding something more suitable.

isseywith4vampirecats · 04/01/2020 12:03

I too would pull out as you are in married quarters you aren't in any desperate rush to find alternative accomodation so I would sell your house put the money in say an isa where it will gain some interest and just before your husband comes home line up some viewings then, the house weve bought needs doing up but we have had not a single doubt about buying it

scaryteacher · 04/01/2020 12:46

If your in MQs stay put, as you are not homeless and there is no rush.

A bedroom accessed through another can work...we let ds have both of those, one for his bedroom and one for his 'study' (or day cabin!).

What is the ultimate plan? Is the new house one you'll live in and your dh will weekend to, or is to keep a toe hold in the market, or is it where you will retire to when he leaves the RAF? If it's to keep a toe hold in the market and rent it out, then buy something suitable for rental, and buy your ideal place when he retires.

Deep breath; I used to end up dealing with all the crap when dh was off somewhere under the ocean. It sucks at times.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page