How did you feel after having an offer accepted?

KateLiana27

I was very happy and excited and told everyone we had just "bought" a house. Ah, the glorious innocence of the FTB

Sit down and think carefully about what is bothering you. Nerves are normal and appropriate - a third of sales fall through and there are a huge number of hurdles to get through before you can call the house your own, if you ever will. It's sensible not to get too attached too soon. Plus there is the delayed gratification of nothing actually changing once a sale has been agreed - your life situation won't actually be changing for a good few months, so really, what is there to be that excited about?

That said, remorse is not a good thing. Do you think you have overpaid? Something about the house is bothering you? You feel you could do better? That it was just the thrill of the chase that was sustaining your interest in the house? If so, I'd think seriously about pulling out. Buying a house in these times is an uncertain financial decision and you have to love the house for this to be worthwhile.

Davesnave

The excitement of the chase is over. You've been looking since 2007, so scanning Rightmove has become a way of life; a fantasy world, where you go in search of the 'perfect and forever house.' I know, I've been there too.

Now, you're thinking, "Is that all there is?"

The answer for most of us is, "Yes!"

You'll get used to it.......:)

Nod

I got the keys for my new house on friday and am over the moon with it.:j

I was a second time buyer and had a horrible experience with the first house - damp, electrics, boiler etc. I took a £7k loss on it (which is a lot on a 65k house).

I'd reitterate the worries that others have mentioned - what if the house falls down? What it it has all the problems of the last house? What if we can't pay the mortgage? Is the mortgage to big to still have a social life? etc etc

Most of these problems can be checked by having a proper survey done plus insurance once bought.

Some worries are only natural but if it's more than this then maybe it's not the one or the time isn't right. I went from being overjoyed one minute to utter panic the next right up to walking in the door on friday. Well actually when it looked like the water wasn't getting hot the panic returned (but it was fine). Absolutely love my new house.

Buying with someone else adds to the rollacoaster of emotions too! As happy as i am with my other half, there's still that worry of 'what if he runs off and leaves me with the big mortgage'!

dizziblonde

How did I feel?

Utter. Terror.

Mortgages and the possibility of owning a house suddenly sounded like a real scary thought and the idea of actually being a grown up... ewww.

Fast forward a year and we have all of the above - and I decided the grown up bit was an optional recommendation I was free to ignore selectively

twirlypinky

I don't think i would feel exctied. Only two things in this game would, firstly getting a decent offer on our house, that would please me greatly, and then actually being given the keys in the new place - i can't wait for that day!

ajfy2k

1st House:
Offer expected end of June-2011, was really excited, told friend and family that I had bought house, put a deposit down on a kitchen (stupid idea but its was an ex-display and the deposit was only £160 so not to much lost), started getting quotes in for work that needed doing, spent a small different specialist on surveys, then the valuation/full structural survey finally came back nearly a month later (avoid Abbey/Santander if you can, they are so slow) and turns out the house was falling down :-(

2nd House:
Offer expected beginning of this month, cant say I'm excited yet, don't thing I will be until I sign on the dotted line, and definitely am not spending any money this time until its mine. Fortunately its a nearly new house so its probably not going to need to full raft of specialist surveys.

Just want somewhere to live now!!!

firsttimetom

Thank you all for your replies - I think I have been fretting over nothing really.

It perhaps boils down to a house we previous tried to purchase - the survey identified major work (floorboards above the cellar would rotten through and would need replacing - Kitchen, dining room and lounge). The EA thought the vendor would knock the cost of the work off, but he didn't so we pulled out (we lost about £1700 - 700 for survey, 500 mortgage app fees and 500 in solicitors fees).

I know we lost more than we would of done without the survey, but it was still a big pill to swallow.

I don't think the price is an issue, as like i said, it is below the house sold for in 2001, so I think we have got a fairly good deal.

devotee

I don't get excited as sooo much can go wrong in the chain, so until completion I'm really a zombie!

geoffky

I was on edge the whole time as the house we got was a steal and we and the sellers agree a 28day completion..We never did see the wife or kids who lived there as they were divorcing and were weeks away from repo but had a lot of equity in it having bought it new 12 years previous..It ended up taking six months and they managed to bat away the repo.

I put in a very low offer but one i considered fair and the sellers who did after all except the offer felt a bit screwed over and let it be know by their actions they felt this way by taking stupid little things away including long term plants, light dimmers , blinds that only fitted our massive windows and also the sky dish and front door bell.
and a massive bunch of keys with no labels:o

If you pay the right price for your house then you will have left some room in the deal that you should not be worrying if you have paid too much..if you have doubts you have paid too much then you have..It is so important to get your price right otherwise the doubts creep in and the gloss falls off the purchase which should be a very exciting time..

One thing i had not factored in was how much things cost as the house we bought was immaculate but it was not our designs and we spent 2.5k getting it painted inside and a few more on carpets then a whole lot more and more getting it how we wanted..total over 20k we seriously underestimated this amount but we did leave the other house with just the clothes on our back and a lawnmower and tv..skipped the rest..

Riq

I just felt old. This is my first house, I'd been able to move wherever I wanted if I wished. I had London dreams but now I'm stuck in Manchester with this house.

But I love it now so it'll pass once you get the keys!