Did buying your house turn out to be good in the long run?

[sorryIdidntmeanto]

I looked for my house for so long. It felt so weird buying it, as it has no curb appeal. But it is very practical, with 4 double bedrooms, parking, a garage etc. I so hoped I wouldn't regret it.
Many years later, I am sitting in it now, just so happy we went for it. I don't care that it is not pretty. Once inside, it is just great, and I am so comfortable here.
Did yours work out?

I bought a flat with no curb appeal but a great deal of space, storage and a private garden. Sold it 12 years later for nearly double what I paid for it (despite it still having no curb appeal) so it worked out very well! I loved that flat but unfortunately I had a family and outgrew it (it was a 1-bed).

Buying is nearly always better. Once you have paid it off. (Overpay if possible) It is free to live in. Bonus.

Yes. But there have been ups and downs over the years with building works nearby, bad neighbours, frustrations with a less than ideal location and frustrations that it's not as together as we'd like. That big extension we wanted will probably never be done now.

But we've also lovely neighbours, and we bought big enough so we didn't need to move when we had a family. COVID era was great with a garden and nearby green space. Slowly we have made the house better than when we bought it and owning had been cheaper than renting. We can see the end of the mortgage, which in the current employment market takes a lot of stress off.

It did. It's grown with us and meets all our needs.

Yes, similar 4 bed detached, has some compromises but the layout is so practical and spacious

Only the second house I viewed, in an area I didnt know that many people raised an eyebrow at, and the only house I've bought...

...23 years later it was still a good decision. Weirdly there are many minor irritants about the house, but what it does give me is invaluable.

I really didn’t love the house we are in, and nearly didn’t buy it, it’s a new build and the ground floor is a bit dark and the rooms not quite the right size. But the area was perfect and we could move straight away and it’s much bigger than our previous house that was feeling too small as the kids grew. So we bit the bullet and I’m so glad, we bought in 2019, nothing of a similar size came on the market in our village for another 2 years, we had space when it really made a difference in lockdown and the benefits of it massively outweigh the lack of character it has. It’s got a drive and we can charge an EV and have solar, which dramatically reduces our monthly bills. I think this is the longest I’ve lived in the same house in my life. It’s perfect for at least the next decade. Very grateful for it.

Ours was the best that was available at the time that we could afford

it’s certainly not pretty on the outside but is is my home and the practicality just makes life so easy

Its a small 2 bed flat we bought in north London z3 in 2019 and we had our son here last year. I dont know what we would have done in maternity without the 1282 mortgage. We paid 1k per month from 2019 to 2024 and we overpaid 30k on top of that (but only when we were able to afford to).

It is in a lovely leafy part and there is a German speaking playgroup nearby, plus lots of baby activities/classes. I can commute to baby Mandarin class. Its in catchment for outstanding schools. But it is a modest 1930s style second floor flat though tbh carrying him up in the carrier /letting dh lug the pram up has been one of the easier parts of being a parent! Storage isn't great though we do have a loft (just need the time to sort out and put the stuff up there).

Been in ours nearly 40 years now and we reinvent it every so often! Latest was 15 years ago with a barn style kitchen and new porch added. Opened up a few walls and it’s more or less perfect now. It was a long streak of a house when we bought it, but it’s now wider and a much better garden layout. I’d never ever buy a house that wasn’t attractive in some way. We are fairly tucked away, but I have to like its kerb appeal!

I live in a typical 1960’s detached 4 bed box, the facade is pants. But, it has big windows, semi open plan diner/lounge that’s 30 feet long, plus another 10 feet into the attached conservatory. 4 double bedrooms, decent sized bathroom and downstairs loo. An integral garage, drive, garden to front and back, and the most wonderful neighbours.

it was a doer upper, we couldn’t afford it otherwise. Bought it in 2013 for £200,000, now worth £400,000. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else 🤗