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Original poster

How did you know your house was 'the one'

111 replies

sillysocks22 · 15/03/2023 10:50

Just that really - about to offer on a house, it's strange as this house has been on the market for ages. I disregarded it originally as something about the look of it I didn't like. We went to view yesterday and we were set on offering afterwards as something about the house gave us a good feeling. After a nights sleep I'm having second thoughts. I wasn't bowled over in amazement with how much I loved it which is what I was hoping I'd feel when we saw 'the one' but we could see it has lots of potential & the area is perfect. I feel like even if our offer is accepted I probably won't stop trawling right move just in case something better comes up. Is that normal or do you think it means it's not the one for us?

OP posts:
greenacrylicpaint · 15/03/2023 11:35

head - never heart alone

would the property work for you for the next 5 years or so. both size and budget wise.

price - location - size

mightymam · 15/03/2023 11:36

(Plus also because it's close to a park (for the little ones) and a tube station (for work) and walkable to town)

CoffeeWithCheese · 15/03/2023 11:44

I spotted this place on Right Move - DH didn't like the look of it - it's got a long paneled hallway which doesn't photograph well, but I'd seen the quarry tiles and wood paneling and thought "ooooh nice and childproofish". He was a bit reluctant when I booked a viewing but once we'd seen it - that was it, it just worked better than anything else we saw for what we needed.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/03/2023 11:45

Because I already rented it. Looked at other houses but none ticked every box like the one I was already living in.

CoffeeWithCheese · 15/03/2023 11:48

Toddlerteaplease · 15/03/2023 11:45

Because I already rented it. Looked at other houses but none ticked every box like the one I was already living in.

House we owned before this one we had rented a house 3 doors down and liked the street so bought one that was up for sale - needed to move this time because we'd outgrown it - but I do miss my lovely nextdoor neighbour

GrouchyKiwi · 15/03/2023 11:51

It met most of our requirements. Initially we said no because the garden felt too small, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, so we went back and the garden wasn't as bad as we remembered.

It has a lot of issues, but I'm still glad we bought it. Once we've fixed the problems it will be amazing.

GemmaEatsGrapes · 15/03/2023 11:53

It ticked all the boxes on our wish list and then some. Some things would need to be changed and we knew that on first viewing. We came out and talked about where we would put the Christmas tree and that the cost of the house would blow our renovation/redecoration budget. We were looking for a 4 bed detached house with an integral garage to possibly convert into a playroom, this was that but with a double garage so cost more than all the other 4 beds with a single garage. Hence blowing our decoration budget on buying it.

Yes there are some things we cannot change like the size of the en-suite but that is a small price to pay for the most amazing house for us. We have been here over a decade, no regrets.

Babdoc · 15/03/2023 11:53

I just knew. It was the third house we viewed, but I knew before we even arrived in the village to see it. Sixth sense, whatever, it was “our house” from the minute I saw the estate agent’s particulars and photo. The house chose us, I think, rather than the reverse!
I have lived in it for 40 years now, and it has grown with my family and been extended as required. The location was perfect- 200 yards from the village school and shop, 20 yards from the bus stop, easy access to two cities via dual carriageway. Large garden, 4 beds, ch, garage. DH died 31 years ago, but I have always felt safe here as a single parent, and all my lovely memories of DH are here.

GandhiDeclaredWarOnYou · 15/03/2023 11:58

The first house: walked in and felt instantly at home. Loved that wee house despite its many downsides.

This house: didn’t particularly like it but it had all the rooms we needed, a large garden, was in an area we very much liked and we decided everything we disliked about it was fixable. The unchangeable bits (location, orientation, plot size) we’re all good.

It took us a long time, but I love it now.

CleaningOutMyCloset · 15/03/2023 12:03

It 'felt' right..

Didn't have all the 'must haves' but I love it still and the initial excitement I had when we first bought, I still get when I drive home and walk through the door

Kazzyhoward · 15/03/2023 12:04

For us, it was the best of a bad bunch really. It was back in the 90s and a lot (if not most) of the properties in our price range and preferred location were pretty dire, mostly old people whose homes were neglected and pretty run down, needing extensive work, i.e. rewiring, replumbing, central heating, structural cracks, etc.

We knew the area well, and there was a particular "modern" 70s estate which we hated from the look of it and automatically discounted any houses for sale there. We went for a viewing nearby one Saturday morning, and the viewer casually mentioned her next viewing was on that estate straight after ours and she had time between appointments if we wanted to follow her and have a quick look around. We had nothing better to do, so we did. It certainly wasn't a "wow" love at first sight house, but as we looked around, we realised it would be an "OK" house as it was "move in-able" even though it needed work, could be done over the longer term, and the layout, room sizes, etc would work for us.

So we ended up buying it, and that was 26 years ago, and we're still there, and it will probably continue to be our "forever" home, now that we've renovated it to our standards/preferences.

honeyandbutterontoast · 15/03/2023 12:12

Mine was definitely “the one” in the budget I was looking for. I knew I wanted it as soon as I walked through the door. Ended up paying well over asking price and didn’t view any other property.

It was a gut feeling that I’ve only had once before when buying a house, it just felt comforting being here.

ToddlerTerror · 15/03/2023 12:16

I've never had that 'love' moment with a house. I make my decisions on if it ticks the boxes for my current requirements and if so, I offer and make it a home by decorating.
I didn't love my current home when I viewed it but it was the only thing available in the area that ticked the boxes. We did a full renovation and I now love it!

LividNC · 15/03/2023 12:20

I've had that feeling twice.

I've immediately offered asking price and knew for a fact I HAD to buy it.

Sadly, I'm getting un-wed and have sold current dream house. Looking for somewhere smaller and half the price, and my choice now is between head-houses not heart-houses.

I have accepted I'll have to buy a head-house for now and can buy my third heart-house at some point in the future when my life isn't up in the air.

SallyWD · 15/03/2023 12:22

People say when you see the one, you'll just know. I don't think that's true. We bought a house 2 years ago and the first time I saw it, I liked it but wasn't madly in love it. I didn't think it was "the one".
We then saw many other houses but there was always an issue with them (often the price!). After a couple of months I remembered the house and thought about our list of criteria. It actually ticked every single box! So we went to see it again and this time I just knew it was our future home.
We've been here 2 years and absolutely love it. I feel so at peace here, so comfortable. Everyone loves it. I can't believe I didn't realise the first time we saw it.
I'd advise you to think about why you want to move and what you were looking for in your new house. Does this house tick all the boxes? There's always a compromise but it should be a fairly minor one.

Ladyofthesea · 15/03/2023 12:22

Walked in, felt like : here's home! Offered the asking price within 30 minutes, in a country where if it's accepted you have three days to change your mind or you're buying it (or paying 10% fee for dicking them around if you don't).

That was almost 5 years ago, and I still absolutely love our house. Staying here until I die.

WalkAwaySugarbear · 15/03/2023 12:25

I could see though the woodchip and old bathroom and kitchen. Loved the street, room sizes, location and away from the busy road we'd lived on for 16yrs.

BritInAus · 15/03/2023 12:29

My house wasn't 'the one' and didn't give me any fluttery feelings. But, it ticked every box on our list (3 bedrooms, utility room, lots of living space, lots of garden space) and the location was perfect, and in the catchment for a wonderful school. The place has absolutely no character at all and I miss my last home with lovely period features (which was also tiny, up a steep flight of stairs and no garden).

If I wanted to find a house that was 'the one' in the same area, I'd be looking at minimum triple the price.

I think unless you're spending big big money, there's always compromise.

Try to look at it unemotionally - what are your criteria? Does it meet all/most of them? What improvements need doing? Are they difficult / costly etc?

VictoriaBun · 15/03/2023 12:29

We wanted to move to our holiday area and had the main town as the place to be.
Looked for a good 18 months put an offer on on house but a higher one was accepted.
Then came across a village around 6/8 miles away from the ' only place I'll move to if we're moving ' and realised it made better sense to buy there.

DoorstoManual · 15/03/2023 12:43

@ Babdoc

The house chose us I totally get this.

We were moving north/south and had set our budget, it was going to be a long process as there was headhunting involved and the US.

At the same time I was being asked to agree to turning down a headhunt that would have seen me going home.

I rang estate agents and asked for details for everything so I could get an overview in the price range they sent a small forest of paper (yes I am that old. )Grin

They sent loads, but this one was actively talking to me.

It was then removed from the market, we came here for a weekend house hunt and just as we were leaving the estate agents DH said to me Oh look DTM there is your house, details tucked away on a high shelf.

We viewed, I walked in the front door and said to DH that is where the Christmas tree is going, he groaned and guffawed and said Oh God I don’t have a chance do I ?

We went back for a second viewing and in the box room I said to DH this is where our baby will sleep.

We had been trying for ten years, more on than off, nothing wrong just unexplained infertility, I was four months pregnant when we moved in and then due to cardiac problems I was unable to have another.

This house didn’t so much talk to me, as yell, this is it, don’t let me go.

cymylog · 15/03/2023 12:47

We've only bought couple of houses and it was driven by criteria and price and once we hit those it's usually been down to one and then getting the offer accepted. F

However this current house we did fall in love with after the viewing and moving in - we did think the small size of garden would be an issue and size of some of the rooms but honestly the layout is great and just works for us.

midgemadgemodge · 15/03/2023 12:56

Saw 6 houses - all the houses we could afford in the area

Put them in an order

We both had the same one at the top of the list

Sunriseinwonderland · 15/03/2023 12:56

It was the only one I could afford in the village I wanted to live in that wasn't a complete renovation job.
Not my dream house but near enough.
Its a three bed terraced 90's house with everything I need and more, I would have loved an old cottage but you have to just be realistic.
I have made 60k on it in 2 years by having the artex plastered over, changing the woodwork from brown to white, tiling the downstairs loo from floor to ceiling, closing off the very ugly stairs in the living room with a stud wall and returning the two beds back into three and decorating.
No massive jobs.
I've also found out they are putting back the railway station direct to London (I'm in Somerset) which will make house prices in this village rocket and they have opened an artisan restaurant and bakery so my initial small investment has really made me a lot of money.
Its not just about the house, it's the area, transport, and so on.

Sanch1 · 15/03/2023 12:57

I just knew. It was everything I didnt want! Hated the layout from the rightmove plans, needed extending to give us what we needed, decorating throughout, new kitchen, bathroom, the list goes. But I just knew as soon as I was in the hallway that it was the one. Its been the same with all the houses I've bought. Heart wins for me (as long as you have time/money to correct anything).

anythinginapinch · 15/03/2023 13:02

Loved the photos on line. Walked in - and boom! Made an offer as I walked up the path leaving the house. Offer accepted in 10 mins. Job done. Adore adore adore my house