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Original poster

New House regret

45 replies

Poiuyl · 25/02/2023 06:47

Bought 'dream' home, had a few doubts along the way but what I was looking for was very niche and really needed to move out of the previous house. Got the keys Monday.

So, the vendors lied. A lot. There's a shared access point at the very bottom of the 'garden' (1 acre away) that the vendor said was rarely used.

It's in use 4/5 times a day. Users of it can see into our garden, albeit from a distance, which makes it feel exposed and not private.

Also a public footpath runs along the bottom border - again this was 'never used' but I've seen several walkers and they'll cut across our garden to the road.

The house is a lot darker than I anticipated. I asked about light and vendor said once the sun moves around then the house is very very light and it's just the time of day we were viewing, another lie of course.

There are very large trees blocking light, vendor said neighbours were lovely and planning to remove them - We had a brief meet with them yesterday and they are definitely not lovely and although I wasn't going to bring the trees up so soon (wanted to forge a good relationship first) the first thing they said was 'don't think we're cutting anything down like the last idiots wanted'.

They didn't clean the house whatsoever, it's filthy, I know this is fixable but it's really affected how I feel about it. They left junk filling the sheds.

Yet they took everything out the house and walls, everything - coat hooks, fitted wardrobes leaving patches of carpet missing, nails out the wall leaving dozens of holes and they've damaged the plaster in several places.

Also now they've moved furniture I can see what was hidden - like paper blue tacked to walls to cover holes, damaged flooring, broken tiles etc etc.

Good points: stunning, really stunning, location and views. House is huge, and has potential to be beautiful with TLC, lots of paint and new flooring. Total 1.5 acres of land so lots of space.

Will the bad points become less so?

OP posts:
Roselilly36 · 25/02/2023 07:05

I takes time to settle in a new property OP, so give it some time, and do what you can to make it yours, so it starts to feel like home.

With regards to the shared access & public footpath, nothing you can do about these things, your solicitor would have made you aware of these I am sure.

The vendors were wrong to take away fitted items, what did the form they filled in say regarding these fixtures?

It is very disappointing to move into somewhere that isn’t clean, sorry you had to deal with that.

Try to focus on the positives about the property. Good luck in your new home.

starpatch · 25/02/2023 07:10

I agree when I first moved there were some things that bothered me that seemed so big at the time- now I struggle to remember them and they are really not an issue.

CatherinedeBourgh · 25/02/2023 07:14

I agree with starpatch about getting used to some things.

With regards to the footpath and shared access, if they are at the far side of the garden, can you not plant a hedge in front of them to screen them from your garden?

Candymay · 25/02/2023 07:15

Try not to worry. The house sounds lovely and everything you mention is fixable. It’s normal to feel as you do though. It’s going to be great!

Longwhiskers · 25/02/2023 07:18

It will take time. Think of the satisfaction you will feel after all your hard work turns it into a really beautiful home. Can you put a fence at the boundary of the shared access point so not cutting people off but so you can’t see them?

RunTowardsTheLight · 25/02/2023 07:19

I think that once you've cleaned the place (I agree you shouldn't have to do this) and sorted out some of the DIY issues you'll feel much happier about it.

Anotherschooldilemma · 25/02/2023 07:24

For the privacy piece, I dont think someone being able to see your garden from a distance 4-5 times a day is a big issue.

With the walkers, why are they cutting across your garden? I'm not quite grasping what you mean here.

How far back is the house off the road? Do you have a front and back garden?

We're on a 2 acre site and had to take away hedgerow at the front but the house is still set back from the road a fair distance.

The house being filthy must have really been off putting. Hopefully you have time to give it a good clean out. Once done you will hopefully feel more positive.

Cobrastar · 25/02/2023 07:26

Sounds like an amazing house once you have put your stamp on it!

Get some bushes planted down the bottom or you can pop up a high fence and bushes.

Shame the previous owners lied so much but in a year or two I think it will be beautiful

Pipsquiggle · 25/02/2023 07:27

Shared access and public footpath should have come up in the searches. For the footpath you might need to put up a fence /hedging so they are not coming through your garden.

They are CF for taking fitted furniture - are they mentioned in the fixtures and fittings? If they are I would ask for compensation via your solicitor - wardrobes and carpets are expensive.

A lot of the other stuff mentioned can be fixed.

The location and setting sounds stunning and it has the bones of a good house

WineThief · 25/02/2023 07:29

Definitely plant a hedge or put up a fence where the footpath is, this is what most people do who have them on their land.
A couple of signs indicating where it is, and what is private, could help too. Most footpath users would want to avoid any intrusion.

I'm sure the house is going to be stunning. After all, it's still winter; the amount of light in the house will only increase through the spring and summer. And don't underestimate the power of bright bulbs!

sorcerersapprentice · 25/02/2023 07:30

In these situations, I try and do u-turns with my thoughts- try and flip the negatives to positives

i.e. they've stripped out the fitted wardrobes so they've done half the work for you on refurbishing the room - you've got a blank canvas

The walls are bad, so you have to plaster them now. It'll be a much easier job now than later when you're fully settled in

It's not clean, so you must deep clean the house now to your own satisfaction

1.5 acres is a big garden, so if there are walkers at the bottom of it they should be a long way from the house.

It's hard, I know

I would probably write down the negatives on one side of paper - then put the counter thinking on the other side. Break it down into manageable chunks and imagine it in 6 months time.

It does sound like it's got the potential to be lovely

mumyes · 25/02/2023 07:32

Sorry OP, but I think you're super naive if you took their word for stuff & didn't check properly.

'Not used much' means different things to different people.

Everyone covers marks with furniture!

Some more general advice - you sound like you've a stunning house, try & look at things more positively, and be thankful for what you got.

And plant some screening for the footpath etc

Persipan · 25/02/2023 07:33

There's always a massive laundry list of things a house needs doing, when you first arrive. It can feel quite overwhelming, but it's because you're seeing it all at once rather than it being one of those weird background things you know you need to get around to sorting out but you're just used to and none of it feels particularly urgent. It will be okay. You don't need to sort everything out right away, and you can make it lovely.

Ohyeahwaitaminute · 25/02/2023 07:33

Concentrate on the fact that you have obviously got a house in a fabulous location.
Everything else can be sorted with a bit of time, money and elbow grease.

WineThief · 25/02/2023 07:34

The junk left in the shed must surely be in breach of the vacant possession clause of the contract? And did the fixtures & fittings schedule say they would remove built-in furniture?

It seems like you definitely have reason to obtain some financial compensation for breach of contract here.

category12 · 25/02/2023 07:40

You'll feel better when it's clean and you've started making it nice. I remember well the awful feeling tho, moving into somewhere that was a mess.

As pps have said, look into fencing or planting to give you privacy from the right of way and footpath.

0o0o0o0 · 25/02/2023 07:44

Put one of those skinny wire and wood post fences down the end of the garden to keep the walkers in place and plant loads of shrubs in front so you don't see them.

Original poster
Poiuyl · 25/02/2023 07:44

You're all amazing for your replies, thank you so much.

Just being told these feelings are normal is hugely reassuring.

Yes 100% I was naive believing the vendor, I admit I wanted to believe her and I'd have never lied/hidden issues as that's not me.

Can definitely install some nice looking screening at the bottom, and you're right it all, mostly, is fixable. Just time and saving.

I've contacted my solicitor RE the junk left and fitted stuff removed, he's contacted their solicitor but had no reply yet, and he's warned me it can cost more to proceed with claiming so it may not be worth it.

They were old/dated anyway so I'm not entirely gutted, as you say @sorcerersapprentice I need to flip my thinking here!

Looking at the sun hitting the hills in the distance from the kitchen window, and a sparrowhawk just landed on a wooden plinth 10 feet away - I need to focus on this and how lucky I am.

God it's just been so stressful, I'm never moving again!

OP posts:
0o0o0o0 · 25/02/2023 07:45

As for the neighbours trees, you can trim what hangs over. And remember, we're only in February yet. The house will get a lot lighter in the summer.

Lcb123 · 25/02/2023 07:45

Sorry but why would you believe anything a vendor says? We sold last year and whilst careful not to outright lie, I was frugal with the truth particularly concerning neighbours! Therefore would never trust anything a vendor says.
you could try and get compensation if they said they wouldn’t take wardrobes etc but honestly it’s prob not worth the cost of pursuing it

Wherehaveallthepopchipsgone · 25/02/2023 07:49

Can I join you OP? We've just moved and they have stripped everything out plus left a load of stuff in the garage that they are selling online and people keep popping round for! The whole place is in a much worse state of repair that was apparent from viewing (all radiators need replacing/mice nibbling in cubboards/smell under floorboards/everything creaks!)

But.... it's got great bones and is structurally sound and in the perfect area for us so we are staying positive 😆 we will both look back in 6 months and know we made the right decision. Do a little at a time to make it into your home and it will be great in no time!

PandasAreUseless · 25/02/2023 07:50

Never trust a vendor OP.
When we bought our last house, I swung by about 10 times through the buying process - at different times of day, on different days, and even managed to catch a bank holiday (just to check the neighbours weren't party animals!)
The sellers wouldn't have known - I was lurking over the road in the shadows!

Napmum · 25/02/2023 07:53

Surprise multiplies other emotions, and you have had a few big shocks.

There are some great practical suggestions that will help. And I would definitely speak to the solicitor about what you can get compensation for. I know we had to sign a form saying what we were taking and not, also that we were cleaning and clearing various bits. Normally, I wouldn't hold people to the cleaning and clearing sheds bit in this case since they took out fitted wardrobes it is probably worth it. If you win some cash off them, you'll feel a bit better.

Get lots of mirrors that helps bring I more light. And consider some clever LED lighting so that if feels mote naturally bright than it is. LEDs are extremely energy efficient, so not expensive and not too bad for the planet

Muu · 25/02/2023 07:53

I think it’s normal to get an unsettled feeling when you first move in.

i bought a similar place and the vendors told me a particularly big porkie about having fixed something significant and expensive (they hadn’t…) and it was a horrible feeling. Also the house was filthy, they left a ton of junk etc.

I think most of what you mentioned is fixable in time or you’ll get used to it and it won’t feel like a big deal.

the more things you fix, the better you feel. The moment I got new flooring sorted I felt a hell of a lot better for some reason.

also put some of your pictures up on the wall. That has always made me feel better when I’ve just moved house.

Beautifulcoconuts · 25/02/2023 07:53

OP I struggle with moving and I just want to let you know that

  1. you'll likely grow to love it and settle in
  2. if you don't, you can put it back on the market after a few months. We did this and the mortgage lenders involved just wanted a quick reason why. I painted and did some basic DIY, found a buyer straight away and we broke even with legal costs etc... Our new house was perfect from Day 1! 😊 (our buyers sent me a message after they moved in saying it's their dream house & they absolutely adore it!)

Its not ideal but can be done!