How to get over buyer's remorse?

Elfbert wrote: »

I was going to suggest a bit of a decorating party with some friends.

Even if you're not all great at actual paint-or-wallpaper decorating, you could put up some fun things, nice lampshades, a few pictures, even some silly bunting or fairy lights, and drink wine/tea and have a laugh. Picture frames are cheap in Ikea and online, your friends can bring around some pictures of you all and you can stick them all in a box-frame or something.

I agree that doing a little inexpensive decorating will help. One thing I noticed when I bought my first place is that it took me a long time to get out of the tenant's mindset of thinking I couldn't change things. I used freecycle and other online local groups to source items as well as local charity furniture stores. It did start to make me feel at home and also part of the community.

It's very common for people who move from rented to their own place to have regrets, after all, in the short term it's often a lot cheaper to rent. I bet you couldn't afford to buy the place you were renting, could you? So now you're in a smaller place, maybe not on the high street, with higher bills, more "unknowns", which is part of the problem.

As others have said... Think long term. It's your own place, you'll be paying 5-10k off your mortgage every year, stay there for afew years then move on up!

Tidy the place up, invite some friends over for a flat warming, it'll feel more like home once you've got memories of friends laughing in the kitchen :-)

Where in London have you bought, roughly?

We had serious buyers remorse when we moved into our current home. We came from a huge, immaculate house to what was a poorly used ex rental place. It was filthy, walls had holes in them, white goods had been kicked in, bathrooms didn't work. The first time DH tried to take a shower, the shower head fell off ! I was in bits, it seemed such an insurmountable job to get this place into anywhere near of a habitable state.

Splash a bit of paint on the walls to make your new flat more like home. Colours are such personal things: the master in our new home had bright red walls & carpet, a colour I dislike intensely. Even though the proper refurb was coming later, we painted everything white & I immediately felt so much better. Three years on, the house is unrecognizable, and is now definitely our home.

Take some time to wander around your new neighbourhood. Your last one was familiar to you, so (assuming it's safe) go for a wander and find the places you used to love going to. If it's an "up & coming" area, it could be fun to find that new coffee shop before anyone else does !

After throwing up a bit of paint & familiarising yourself with the area, start to plan how you're going to make your flat your home. It'll sound obvious to many, but start with the fundamentals first (wiring/heating/plumbing/windows/doors/kitchen/bathroom) & get those right then move on to the final touches: new flooring, walls & general decoration. It's a great feeling to open up the front door to your home and step into somewhere where it's entirely decorated to your taste.

We rented for years before buying. Even moving between rentals gives you a sinking feeling, you are moving from a place that you've called home to a place that is a little bit alien. When you are renting, you tend not to worry about repairs etc., they are , after all, not your problem. Once you have your own place, every creaking floorboard, every gurgle from the radiators, every sound of the wind whistling on the windows sends you into a bit of a panic. That's one side of it.
Another thing is that all your kitchen stuff, pots, pans and plates seem to be in the wrong place. I used to curse at constantly going to the wrong cupboard in the kitchen or the wrong drawer in the living room. Everything is different!
We moved in at the beginning of May, so five months now. I am finally looking forward to putting my key in the front door and walking in to my new home. We have done lots of painting and decorating, no big stuff (only a new front door) and it now looks like ours, not the previous owners.
I can almost guarantee you'll feel better in a few months. It's nearly time to get your Christmas tree up and invite a few friends round, that should make it feel more like home.
Cheer up.

needhouseadvice wrote: »

Would it be crazy to sell after 2 years? Or rent it out?

Like you I bought somewhere in a quiet place (cos of work) with nothing going on, before I even moved in I was planning on renting it out so i could rent somewhere in the city centre..madness!

It's all fine now, there must be a reason you wanted to buy where you've bought so it will most likely all come together eventually and you can continue with whatever your plan is!