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Property/DIY

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

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Original poster

Oh no I knew this would happen

55 replies

noddyholder · 02/06/2008 16:07

We have been in rented waiting to buy and had an offer accepted 2 weeks ago real bargain nice house lovely road etc.Now the house i really loved but we couldn't afford has slashed it price by loads and we could afford it.Something tells me to be satisfied but don't want to regret it.

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ListersSister · 02/06/2008 16:45

Oh Noddy, book a viewing and go for it. If it is what yu want you can apologise profusely and buy a lovely bunch of flowers for the people selling the other house.

Yes, you would be letting them down, but if they are normal people, while it would piss them of, they would understand... You on the other hand would be bloody ecstatic!

I think I might know the house you are talking about btw - has it been on the market a while, but now about 30K less than it was, and is if I said I drive UP past it most days would I be on the right lines ?

Original poster

noddyholder · 02/06/2008 16:47

yes i think thats it!

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GrapefruitMoon · 02/06/2008 16:53

noddyholder, who's to say house 1 wouldn't fall through anyway?

When we were last buying, we had an offer on a house but the owners weren't accepting any offers until they knew for sure they could get the house they wanted

We were first in line however, but I still kept looking at property details, etc. Went to see another house which we decided we preferred due to it's size. So withdrew from house 1, went ahead with house 2, then as we were about to exchange the owners of house 2 decided they didn't want to move after all

So ended up moving into current house, which was a lot cheaper than the first two (though needed lots of work). I have no regrets because if we had had moved to house 2 we would be living on the other side of town, kids would be at a different school, would have totally different set of friends, etc...

ListersSister · 02/06/2008 16:56

There aren't that many houses round here with a studio and I do keep a very close eye on the market!

Where is the other house, then I can play devil's advocate! Seriously, the dream house location is good, no hassle for parking. Quick walk to 5W and easy access out of Brighton. Isn't the garden a bit of a pita though? Sorry, maybe this isn't helping!

Original poster

noddyholder · 02/06/2008 17:00

lister dp hates the garden and i have been looking closely at it again.The thing is house 1 is a student let victorian terrace needs lots of work but nice road and garden.Students are moving out is 2-3 weeks and landlord lives in another town so unlikely to fall through.House 1 is nearer town but house 2 has studio for dp drums.Am going to view both again i think.Dp wants to stick with house 1 i think.

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Original poster

noddyholder · 02/06/2008 17:01

other house in r'hill area.

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ListersSister · 02/06/2008 17:09

Why does DP want house 1? Is it because it is sorted and he doesn't want to back out or because he prefers it? If he prefers it, why?

Closer to town is good - I use the car much more than when I lived nr LR Stn. But, that does tend to mean parking probs, which do get annoying on a daily basis. Victorian terrace very nice - orginal features and all that. But this one is semi detached, no? Better feeling of space?

Could it be that a survey could throw up problems with either of them? I am thinking here about physical location of house 2. Does house 1 feel like a home since it has been student let? Do you want to do lots more work again?

If it were me, I would do back to back viewings and if I really couldn't decide because they had different but equivalent merits (including status) , then I would go for whichever was cleapest. However, I expect that if you do do back to back viewings, one will emerge a winner...

ListersSister · 02/06/2008 17:12

Hmm, R'h area - parking is dire! Friends living there want to move up here, they are seriously fed up with it. Close to town though - little need for car unless you really hate the bus!

Phone the agents and get booked in with both!

Flamesparrow · 02/06/2008 17:15

IS DP getting that you are serious yet?

(Relationship break up clinic... sounds fun )

Original poster

noddyholder · 02/06/2008 17:15

ok house one is more our style and is cheaper.{by a fair bit} I ahve always had a thing about house 2 so thats why im in a quandary.House 1 is end terrace so feels spacious too and has high ceilings etc but does need masses of work although so does house 2 in terms of decor but not so much knocking down etc.Dp also thinks with my heart the steps are too much for me and the other house is on the level.Am all over the place tbh i think it is the fact that prices have really started to fall and i suppose this could keep happening!I am going to view house 2 again tomorrow

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lalalonglegs · 02/06/2008 17:20

It might not be as great as you remember it . But as far as I can make out it's win-win - both houses bargains, you like both - just a question of deciding which one and possibly soothing dp. Why is he so upset?

ListersSister · 02/06/2008 17:24

Right, so you need to sit down with DP and really talk it through. It is not just about the house if your health is involved. House 1 will be a struggle with lots of work needing to be done, but when it is done, it's done. The parking could be an ongoing issue. House 2 will always be up the hill and is not exactly on a level plot itself.

TBH, from what you said, you can look at it the other way, not that you might chose the wrong one, but that you have two right ones to choose from .

Off to cook tea now. Hope you sleep tonight!

Original poster

noddyholder · 02/06/2008 17:36

I think dp just wants to get on plus he really likes house one.He is willing to listen but i am going to look at what you both say and consider it win win!I love a project so thats fine but do need to consider my health and house 2 being on a hill with lots of steps up to front door.

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ListersSister · 02/06/2008 23:01

Hope you've had a good talk about it this eve Noddy. Let us know what you think after your viewing tomorrow

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/06/2008 08:38

We talked and talked and have decided to buy neither!House 2 is a no because of the garden even though i love the house and once doubts were in my mind about house 1 thre was no turning back so back to the drawing board!We are going to look again in oct/nov but like you lister i can't resist a sneaky look .Dp agrees we need to pull out and spoke to a finance type old frioend last night who said now is the worst time to buy and after all the renovating and saving we have done we should get a house we love rather than an ok house

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mellyonion · 03/06/2008 10:26

oh noddy!

i think that when you find the perfect house for you, you just KNOW it...maybe neither house had your name on it, and so its just as well to wait eh???

this must be really wearing on you...its hard work trying to find the right house?

chin up, and let us know when you do find your new proper home.

Original poster

noddyholder · 03/06/2008 10:45

thanks for listening to me moan!I think after 10 yrs of renovating and selling for other peoples benefit we are terrified of not getting the right 'home'.As soon as I admitted i didn't love house 1 dp said no he has told them today and i have told solicitors so can sleep tonight.

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ListersSister · 03/06/2008 23:56

Noddy - what a shake up! I suppose it is in line with your original plan to wait a while longer.
It is so hard though, when you know you need to 'keep an eye' on the market, and then rightmove keep wafting lovely houses under your nose. Tis hard to resist!
Ideally what and where would you like for your 'right home'?
54 properties came on the market in the last 24 hrs in B&H - that is a lot compared wth recent weeks. Interesting times ahead...

Original poster

noddyholder · 04/06/2008 08:07

I am really open to location and type of house just want a bargain so we can stick to the mortgage free dream!

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lalalonglegs · 04/06/2008 09:45

Do you think you went off them because they were going for knockdown prices? I only ask because during 2005 dip when everyone said boom was over, friend who was living in rented kept putting in offers on series of houses which were all accepted. Each and every time she immediately decided she didn't like them partly because there was no real struggle to get them. She wrote a piece about the phenomenon called "Confessions of a Property Slut" here

Oliveoil · 04/06/2008 09:55

we have an offer on our house atm and I am of the mindset that is it not sold until I have handed over the keys and the money is in my bank

ANYTHING could cause a sale to fail through so do not feel guilty or whatever about pulling out of house 1, if they are upset then it is their own fault for building their own hopes up!

re buying a house with steps, think of bringing shopping in and climbing up them, it would drive you mad (or would me)

if you are not going to buy either, you need to make a wish list with dh - best area, no. of bedrooms, space for drums (!), etc etc, then you can do a poncy excel sheet like me and give the property marks out of 10 for each thing

then you find the one you want OR work out what you will compromise on and what is a deal breaker

Original poster

noddyholder · 04/06/2008 11:17

I am liking property slut that is def me!I defintiely like both and would live in both but its just that there are many more available to us than there were last year and I have a bit of an entrepreneurial streak that i can't quite lose!When what is available to you keeps changing its harder i think.We have a xmas deadline now for various reasons Went to look at dream house this am and steps are ok and add to the look of the house.But I am going to wait now until after the summer hols

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Original poster

noddyholder · 07/06/2008 18:35

OK went to have a really thorough look at dream house with dp today.Checked it out and we both now love it but it is on the egde of a big wood would that put you off?It is maintained by the council and doesn't really affect the house.The couple has slashed the price as they are getting a divorce and are desperate to sell.I go between being desperate for a bargain and waiting or just buying a home and getting settled.Bloody hell i just get worse!

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MABS · 08/06/2008 18:20

Nodders, where is it (ish)? only just saw this and am trying to keep up! what's todays verdict?

Original poster

noddyholder · 08/06/2008 18:29

There is a little road north of fiveways backs the woods and has only 4 houses very nice but the woods are a worry tbh re insurance etc.We just can't find anywhere.May have to wait untilm the summer is over and we can really see whats happwening locally as everytime we find somewhere we see womewhere else a lot cheaper and better.AAAaagh!How are things with you?

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