follow your head of your heart?

cookie_monster_2

some people may know my story... buying an older property and vendor is pushing us to exchange without giving us time to investigate problems that the surveyor highlighted.


we have now decided to look elsewhere and have found a newer property, only a couple of years old. it's significantly cheaper and we're thinking what the hell for a first house why not.


the problem for me is there was no love at first sight for me for the new one - there was for the old one. the old one pulls on my heart strings and the new one is functional, pretty and practical but there's something about that 120 year old house that just makes me smile BUT fills me with fear too.


any thoughts?

cookie_monster_2

follow your hear or your heart... oops

cookie_monster_2

Head or heart? seriously what is wrong with me... the stress and pressure of this house buying business, I think.

bouicca21

I'm drawn to older properties too, but in reality I am buying a mid 1960s flat. The flat is ok, not wonderful but ok. An older property would cost more to buy and need a lot of maintenance. It would be in an up and coming area that doesn't have a lot in the way of shops, restaurants etc. The flat has a garden, is in a good location for transport,a walk away from restaurants, coffee shops and one stop on the train from a major shopping centre. So all sorts of boxes ticked apart from 'looks delicious' and 'has high ceilings and big rooms'. Plus there is a maintenance company who take care of things like the odd slipped tile on the roof.

You need to think long and hard. How long would you stay in the place? How much is it going to cost to do whatever is necessary and on top of that whatever you actually want. Which property will be easiest to sell in the future? Which will hold its value best? Buying a place to live in is both a commercial transaction and an emotional one. It's all about compromises and what is important to you. But the last thing you need - unless you are totally prepared for it - is a money pit.

conradmum

Unless you're in a rush to move I would carry on looking. Otherwise you risk living in the new property always seeing the disadvantages and wishing you'd found somewhere with more character.

El_Torro

If you prefer the older house then I'd dig deeper into the issues highlighted in the survey before exchanging. If the seller decides to pull out because of this then so be it. I wouldn't let him pressure me into buying before understanding what the issues are.

Personally if the newer house is significantly cheaper then I don't see why you wouldn't go for that, considering you'll also be paying a lot less on maintenance. Still, the heart wants what it wants I guess.

Jitterbug123

My father bought the house I grew up in because he fell in love with it. However, even to this day, he says he should have followed his head. Although he still loves the house.

It needs work doing on it all the time, and always will. It's also listed so he's not allowed to get double glazing, etc.

Personally, I'd say go with your head, having seen how difficult it can be living in an older house.

Jason74

Nobody can really tell you what is right for you unfortunately. Personally, I had this dillema previously, followed my heart, and regretted it (I actually ended up with not moving in the end, when the "head choice" would have been a perfectly good outcome). So for me, I'd always make the hard headed choice if I was in that situation again.

But, that doesn't mean that's the right choice for you. You say that the old house "makes you smile", and that's a big thing. My Mum lives in a similarly aged property, and has exactly the same reaction to it (and that house was a major project to bring up to scratch).

For me, I want somewhere that's comfortable, in nice surroundings, and has the amount of space I need to live as I would like. That's it. So the extra pull of a "character" house is less for me than it would be for many. If the chraracter thing is a bigger issue for you, then perhaps you'd never really be happy in a modern "box".

In any event though, the one thing I personally wouldn't do, is exchange without investigating the problems listed by the surveyor. If the vendor is pushing you to do that, it suggests to me that he has something to hide.

SuzieSue

I would only buy an older property if I could do a lot of the work needed myself or if I was rich otherwise it will become a money pit.

Yes, it's nice to show off your character cottage to all your admiring friends, but you're the one who has to live in it if it is draughty and you're the one who has to spend the money when it needs re-wiring etc.

Errata

Follow your heart if you will live in the house for the next 50 years, otherwise follow your head. Plenty of fish in the sea.

botchjob

It obviously HAS to be a head decision but there’s no reason that it can’t be driven by your heart. It depends on the specifics of the survey but a great number of first time buyers become terrified at reports which, to a nervous eye, makes every property sound like a money pit. You have to read between the lines. Mostly, if a house has stood for 120 years, the chances are that it will stand for quite a few more.

Obviously if it needs a new roof/electrics/plumbing urgently then you need to be able to have the budget to do that. But if the pointing is a bit crumbly, there’s the odd damp patch, and other assorted general ailments associated with any house of that age, then don’t get too freaked out by it. And that’s a head decision, not a heart one.