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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Please come and slap me before I offer on expensive house in bad area

22 replies

CrasterKipper · 10/09/2021 09:27

We've been looking for ages. Bloody AGES. Almost nothing coming on the market, have viewed only a handful over the past year. DH is outrageously, horribly fussy. I am less so, given I'm due our next baby any day and there's nowhere for it to sleep

We saw a house last weekend that was a wildcard and we both love it - not our usual style but we could picture ourselves there.
It is the first thing that DH has actually liked in this whole process. It's unfortunately just in a location that is further from family, a harder commute (albeit that will be 2/3 days max) and moving our DS out of his excellent school to a school we don't really know much about.

The house is also quite expensive for the area because of the current pressure on the market - a few years ago it would have been so much cheaper and would have hung around for ages, this time it is selling in a week and goes to a closing date today.

We could get an offer in, our solicitor is ready to go, but it's madness isn't it?

The location isn't right for us.
The location isn't right for us.
The location isn't right for us...

But the house... Aargh!

OP posts:

sarahb083 · 10/09/2021 11:07

Do you REALLY love it or do you love the idea of finally being able to move? Do you think you would have loved it if you'd seen it last year?

If it's your forever home, price is less important, but if you'll move again in a few years, you could easily end up in negative equity.

Is it a bad area, or just a new area? A bad area won't necessarily change - lots of areas have been 'up and coming' for decades!

Sounds like it isn't right for you, but I do understand the frustration!

Post a link?

Gettingonabitnow · 10/09/2021 11:08

DONT DO IT!!!! I’m currently sat in a house I fucking hate because I panic bought.

TheVanguardSix · 10/09/2021 11:10

To be honest, I'd hold off. The location isn't right for you. Enough said. Location matters a great deal. As the years go by, the house takes second place to location.

Rainbowqueeen · 10/09/2021 11:11

Try a different approach in the area you want to stay in. Letterbox drop potential houses saying you live in the area, love it and are looking for your forever home there. I have a friend who sold her house that way.

You are buying more than a house you are also buying in to a location and if it has so many negatives then this is not right. Family work and school are huge parts of our lives.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 10/09/2021 11:12

How does your D'S feel about potentially moving schools (and about the house)? Not that that's a deciding factor, but it's relevant I think.
What are transport links like?

I suppose the biggest risk in the current market is that you could end up compromising on both house AND location, out of sheer desperation.

No slap from me, sorry!

NoSquirrels · 10/09/2021 11:14

Don’t buy the house.

Have a proper cards down conversation with your DH about absolute priorities and compromise.

Do the non-negotiable and nice to have lists and refer to them on every single viewing.

Don’t go see houses in areas you don’t like!

Gingernaut · 10/09/2021 11:15

Irritating though they are, that pair on Channel 4 are right.

The three biggest concerns when buying a property are

Location
Location
Location.

Don't do it.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 10/09/2021 11:17

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

fruitbrewhaha · 10/09/2021 11:28

Well I don't think you should get caught up in the "it would have been cheaper two years ago" because that will be the same for all property now.

You could find out more about the school, then it wouldn't be a school you know nothing about.

You need to work out which is more important, location vs house.

Are there the types of property you like in the area you want to live in? This is important. IE a detached 4 bed in the town centre maybe doesn't exist, or a period thatched cottage in a certain town where the houses are all Georgian, a 4 bed cottage where all the cottages are 2 or 3 bed, a period property with a garage and off street parking where all the old houses didn't make space for cars etc. If the house you really want exists where you want it at the price you can afford (because that one 4 bed cottages with the garage and parking for 4 cars will go for a premium) then keep looking and wait for it to come on the market. Otherwise you need to work out if staying in your desired location is worth it for a house you don't love.

8Sense8 · 10/09/2021 11:32

I think you'll regret it. It sounds like a panic buy tbh.

Carboncheque · 10/09/2021 11:45

It is further from family

a harder commute

moving our DS out of his excellent school to a school we don't really know much about

quite expensive for the area

Location, location, location.
To me, it sounds like the right house in the wrong area. Don’t do it.

’DH is outrageously, horribly fussy’

That ^ sounds like the real problem. You’re desperate to have more room for the new baby and this is the only one your DH has found acceptable. Your DH needs to get a grip (or be sent to Kirsty and Phil.) His expectations don’t meet your budget and/or reality. He needs to compromise.

BrilliantBetty · 10/09/2021 11:51

I bought the best house (a beautiful house) on the worst street, not so long ago.

It wasn't a mistake as such, but it just wasn't right. It wasn't what I needed and I came to resent it after a while.

New house, worst house on a lovely street. Perfect location. House is a compromise, but improvements can be made! We can make the house better. In the other house, we couldn't make the location better.

Don't do it.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 10/09/2021 15:39

Don’t buy the house! It sounds so totally wrong for you I can’t even understand why you went to see it. Do you have a list of requirements that are necessary or would be nice?

user1471538283 · 10/09/2021 15:41

I panic bought our last house. The location was great but I didnt have a good feeling about the house. It turned into the worst 17 months of my life.

Please do not buy it. Something will come along.

Newgirls · 10/09/2021 15:43

Does he really need to change school? Can you share lift taking?

That’s the only part of this that will make your lives tricky. Can you try and school run and see?

Original poster

CrasterKipper · 10/09/2021 15:52

Thanks all. Needed a kick on the bum this morning as was having a slight wobble. The closing date was 12 noon today so it's been sold by now to someone who is hopefully delighted with the house and the location.

I think it has been the first house DH and I could actually picture ourselves living in and that was appealing, especially to me as I'm more panicked about the house situation than he is.

I had bullied him into viewing it because I wanted to open his eyes to a different style of house - it's a converted 70s build that has been modernised and extended, the sort of thing he normally never consider (he's all about period properties). I wanted to get him inside to see if his mind could be changed and that worked. A little too well!

We sat down today and made a list of things we'd compromise on and how many compromises we'd be prepare to make. I think we realised that location/proximity to family and quiet/privacy are our top priorities rather than the size and style of house. So that was helpful and going forward we'll be more picky about the situation of the house and less about the aesthetic.

OP posts:

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 10/09/2021 17:17

That's progress! Any chance of a link? I'm nosey about houses anyway, but I'm with your DH on period properties so intrigued to see what turned his head!

PuntasticUsername · 11/09/2021 08:48

I'm glad you didn't go for this one. It sounds like it would have been wrong for your family.

Look at this experience as proof of concept: you finally did find a house you both liked, and you persuaded DH to look outside his usual preferences. The fact you've found one house, proves that you will find another. There's always another house!

Appreciate with being heavily pregnant you aren't feeling like you have the luxury of time right now, but the right house will come. It absolutely will.

Starseeking · 11/09/2021 09:15

Good job you didn't go for it OP, so many compromises on what you actually want would have meant you would come to dislike the place as location really couldn't be changed! I hope you find somewhere soon.

Original poster

CrasterKipper · 11/09/2021 09:50

Thank you. You're all totally right - another one will come along at the right time in the right place for us.

OP posts:

BarkingUpTheWrongRoseBush · 11/09/2021 10:09

We nearly bought a house,a nice house, because it was the only one my dh had shown any interest in. It wasn’t right. We are now in a better house for us. The good thing though was that it. Like with you, made us talk about what we wanted.

DeadHouseBounce · 12/09/2021 22:19

@Gettingonabitnow

DONT DO IT!!!! I’m currently sat in a house I fucking hate because I panic bought.

Great advice, especially in a market that can turn at the drop of a hat.

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