I managed to save around £15K stamp duty. But, I pay £50K extra because of my mistake.

[JaniceEnglish]

I just brought a house in South East England, after we sell our apartment in London. I managed to save around £15K stamp duty. But, We pay £50K extra because of our mistake. We view the property online. After moved-in we found the roof leak. The boiler is not working well. The plumbers ask us to replace pipes in the wall as well. The pictures look lovely on the Zoopla. We don't have this issue with our apartment in London.

I feel regret now. And now, my company needs me to back to the office at least three days a week. And my husband needs to be back five days a week from September onward. The train fare is expensive.

We have a big garden. My husband asks me to do the gardening once a month because I can work from home two days a week, this makes me mad.

We might plan to move back to London and get a flat.

Does anyone fell into the same trap? Should I stay or move back to London.

I actually cannot believe so many people made rash decisions and planned their lives around working from home in such an uncertain situation.

Not sure what to say. You didn't seriously buy a house without physically seeing it did you?

That sounds really stressful, did your survey fail to highlight these issues?

This is just bizarre. Why on earth did you not clarify what your work situations and train fares were going to be before buying a house?!
And did you not get a survey done?

Did you have a survey done before buying? Weren’t any of these issues picked up then?

If the homebuyer's survey didn't show the problem with the roof, can you get any of the money back off the surveyor's company?

What a strange thing to do, both buying a hour without seeing it and assuming you would be working from home for the foreseeable.

Sounds like an expensive mistake. Never buy a house in haste eh?

@nocoolnamesleft

If the homebuyer's survey didn't show the problem with the roof, can you get any of the money back off the surveyor's company?

The leak only starts one month after we moved it. Can I still get the money back? We have been working from home for many months and we thought we only need to back to the office once a month.

Well durr!

What exactly did you expect?

The garden to maintain itself? That photos online are substitute for viewing a property in person / getting a proper survey? Assuming that working from home would be permanent without checking and seeing if commuting, if needed was viable?

I keep hearing stories of people who have moved in the last year away from cities / work place and then complain about how unfair / awful it is when they only have themselves to blame for failing to engage their brains and think it through fully.

I honestly can give any sympathy for anyone who feels 'trapped' by their own lack of inability to think about day to day practicality in life and instead had their head up in cloud cuckoo land and lived in fantasy land until reality bites.

Seriously? There's lack of planning, and then there's pathological failure to do the most basic of forward thinking. This sounds like the latter. A garden does tend to need gardening. If you move out of London but your jobs are still there, then trains are not free. Then there's this thing called a survey, which is specifically designed to flag up expensive building faults before you buy.

On the other hand, this might all be a load of total bollocks. I rather hope the latter!

@CrouchEndTiger12

I actually cannot believe so many people made rash decisions and planned their lives around working from home in such an uncertain situation.

Not sure what to say. You didn't seriously buy a house without physically seeing it did you?

A few months ago, most of the house was just in a day. We pay extra to buy this because the photos look promising and we try to outbid another buyer.

Caveat emptor

Blimey, these replies are a bit harsh!

OP, I would give it a year before you decide to make any more big changes.

Talk to your DH about the gardening - suggest you do it together at the weekend.

Find ways to reduce your outgoings so you can afford the train tickets. Change energy supplier, mobile phone provider, ditch any luxuries, sell a few things on eBay.

A few months ago, most of the house was just in a day. We pay extra to buy this because the photos look promising and we try to outbid another buyer.

You blew £50 extra just to beat another buyer (who may not even exist) because houses were selling so quick on the premise that 'the photos looked promising' and then didn't get a survey to check if the photos were more than promising?

Really?

Ok then.

Down here in Devon, I know of people who’ve bought big houses with absolutely no idea of the running costs - and are now being told by their companies that they’re going to be paid in line with their Exeter/Plymouth/Bristol offices rather than their big London salaries. I find it insane that people have taken these huge expensive life decisions without basic due diligence.

@RedToothBrush

A few months ago, most of the house was just in a day. We pay extra to buy this because the photos look promising and we try to outbid another buyer.

You blew £50 extra just to beat another buyer (who may not even exist) because houses were selling so quick on the premise that 'the photos looked promising' and then didn't get a survey to check if the photos were more than promising?

Really?

Ok then.

Actually just £30K extra. And £20K is the repair and solicitor fees (we need them to complete the work before the full stamp duty holiday ended)

@Devondonkey

Down here in Devon, I know of people who’ve bought big houses with absolutely no idea of the running costs - and are now being told by their companies that they’re going to be paid in line with their Exeter/Plymouth/Bristol offices rather than their big London salaries. I find it insane that people have taken these huge expensive life decisions without basic due diligence.

I honestly don't think the big wfh revolution will happen.

Surely people don't expect to be paid a london wage when they don't live or work there anymore.

There are so many threads from women wanting their husband out of the house

@CrouchEndTiger12

I actually cannot believe so many people made rash decisions and planned their lives around working from home in such an uncertain situation.

Not sure what to say. You didn't seriously buy a house without physically seeing it did you?

I know at least one person who also bought a house without seeing it during lockdown

Go back to London.

I am not sure why you thought you weren't going back to the office. While lots of people aren't, you can't just assume you are staying home.

Didn't either of you wonder 'what if?' And you aren't alone in this. Plenty of people did this.

You also bought a house with a lovely big garden. Someone needs to maintain that. Who wanted the big garden? That person should do the main bit. If you both wanted it, then you both should maintain it.

These things happen in houses, something get picked up on surveys some don't. Its hard to tell without you spending more.

But even the commute would have me going back to London. Never mind the huge garden that no one wants to look after

Settles in.

You have been unlucky.

You should be able to sell your house to someone else though.

Ask an estate agent round to value it.

@Chunkymenrock

Bought not brought, surely?

Are you for real?

I’ve been looking around for sympathy for you OP
But I’m afraid I can’t find any