Wait for "dream house" or just buy now

inatdeepend

Just need a bit of perspective. Have seen quite a few houses over the past few weeks in my chosen location. All have plusses and minuses, none that are "perfect" but a couple I could see myself living in.

I don't know what to do really. I don't think I'm being massively choosy or whether the whole "dream house" thing even really exists, but equally I don't want to just settle for something and then not really be happy and comfortable.

One vendor has been in touch to see whether I'm interested in making an offer before she heads off on holiday for a month. I know she is really desperate to sell and would probably take a good offer (I'm only viewing in 4 months) and the house is nice, but I wasn't blown away. It ticks most of the important boxes (not overlooked, quiet area, detached). I could see myself living there, just think after a few years I wouldn't be happy.

Any advice / perspective from people, particularly those who have been in similar position?

SG27

It took me two years of searching to find the house I bought. Family members were telling me what I was looking for didn't exist. But it did and I bought it also a bonus was the longer I waited the bigger my deposit got so I was in no real rush to settle for something I wasn't 100% sure of.

Cat2011

I came at it from the other side. I found my "dream" home and it then fell through. I was gutted. I then found two more "dream" homes, both of which I couldn't buy. Eventually found a reasonable home, which I am happy with and have now completed on. It's a flat that will do, I plan on living here two years and then will probably move on. I spent 6 months looking, til an offer was accepted.

Depends what sort of property you're looking for really. Is this something to live in for a few years, where maybe it doesn't quite have to be a dream. Or is this a forever and ever home? In which case it needs to be perfect. Although do remember that you can change a lot with a property to make it perfect!

The market is going to be getting pretty quiet now, maybe keep looking til maybe May next year (and keep saving the deposit!). I scoured the net everyday, but only saw a property I was serious about, about once a month.

trailingspouse

I'm in my 18th house - some of them have been dream houses, some of them most definitely haven't. It's hard to leave a dream house - I think I've done it twice now.

However - the dream changes. What was a dream house when I was first married would have been impossible with 2 kids. The one I'm in at the moment, with loads of room for visiting kids and grandkids, will probably not be so perfect when I can't manage the three sets of stairs.

Make a shopping list, prioritise what you need, and then very clinically make a short list of properties. Then then throw it away and buy with your heart.

moneyistooshorttomention

I guess it depends largely on how near or far the amount of money you have available is to what a dream house would cost for you.

With my last house and this one both being in the £150k-£200k price bracket on the one hand (as that's the level I can manage to pay), but my dream houses come in the £450,000-£600,0000 price bracket I'm clearly not very likely to be able to have a "dream house" or one remotely like it, so its finding the best I can manage within the price bracket I'm in and feeling pretty resigned to not being able to have a "dream house" and trying to make the best of what I've got. Just keeping up the positive thinking and thinking "Someone has to get the lottery wins and big premium bond wins and if that's me - I shall put in a bid the next day on the one I've got my eye on, even though I've not seen it".

Guess that's just how things are for many of us and life could be a lot worse...

Is there a very big gap between what you want and what you can afford?

inatdeepend

Well thanks for all the replies, all really useful to hear.

To be honest I don't even really know what specifically my "dream home" would be, but certainly the main things I want are within my price range. I work away a lot, so I don't actually want somewhere huge and unmanageable, and when I'm working at home I want somewhere quiet. Bit of a garden, room for guests to stay, garage to lock car away in when I'm away. Pretty much all the houses I've seen all tick those boxes, but I dunno, I don't just "feel" anything about them. Liveable and suit my purposes, but I don't want to get a couple of years down the line and really regret my decision.

I guess I just need to choose the best of the bunch and get on with it - the thought of waiting another year or two before finding someone fills me with more dread than just getting on and getting somewhere and getting on the ladder!

mymuk

I'm buying a place that ticks various boxes but I wouldn't call it a "dream house" - I don't think such places exist at an affordable level for the vast majority of us. Like the search for a "dream partner" I think it's often a better idea to look at yourself honestly and change yourself rather than chasing dreams in the outside world.

LandyAndy

I haven't bought many houses (4 in 35 years). The first one was very much 'what I could afford'. With the other three I have known they were the places for me within a few seconds of walking into them. I think I'd be wary now of buying a house that didn't give me that feeling.