House Buying Regret

Iamred

Hi,
Last year me and my husband bought our first home... and now I hate it. Am I just being silly or am I not alone in this sort of feeling.

We've been renting the same flat for four years so It may just be the change but tbh I think we've made a big mistake here.

We went through a lot of emotional turmoil in the purchasing process including arguments with in-laws, delays, mortgage companies arguing with our legal team and more.

The day we got the keys and walked in for the first time, my heart sank. Its small, dark and creaky. Every new noise made me jump and I was so scared of everything.

The previous owners broke the light fitting in the bathroom.
The radiator in the living room began leaking in the very first week.
The boiler randomly looses pressure.
The shower room has major issues with condensation because there is no ventilation at all.
The back door isn't fitted properly and the droughts are maddening.
There is evidence that the previous owners used to grow cannabis in the attic.
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF OUR BEDROOM.
and finally... The roof has begun leaking in both the main house and kitchen extension. :mad:

I hate it and I want to leave. Please tell me I'm not the only one to feel this way after having bought a house.

marksoton

Two words i'm afraid...

Due diligence....

Iamred

Hi Marksoton, I'm aware of that and we did have the top level survey done. Unfortunately pretty much all of these problems are things that are easily hidden or a surveyor cannot actually look at (i.e. they can't go up on the roof etc)

Tbh I was expecting issues as no house is without them. I think I just got so emotionally wrapped up with the sale all the issues have dragged me down. i was looking to see if I was the only one this had happened to.

Has this ever happened to you?

fairy_lights

Iamred wrote: »

The previous owners broke the light fitting in the bathroom.
The radiator in the living room began leaking in the very first week.
The boiler randomly looses pressure.
The shower room has major issues with condensation because there is no ventilation at all.
The back door isn't fitted properly and the droughts are maddening.
There is evidence that the previous owners used to grow cannabis in the attic.
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF OUR BEDROOM.
and finally... The roof has begun leaking in both the main house and kitchen extension.

Some of those issues are easy enough to fix, are you and your partner any good at DIY? Do you have any savings to spend doing work on the house?
It takes time to make a house in to a home so I don't think it's that unusual to feel some buyers remorse. I bought my first home last year and when we walked in for the first time my heart did sink a bit - the walls and carpets were all filthy and stained, which we hadn't noticed when viewing because the previous owners strategically placed furniture covered it up.
It was nothing major really but I think when you've been renting for years it's easy to have really high expectations about what your first owned property will be like.
We painted the walls and will re-carpet later in the year and all those flaws doesn't seem like such a big issue now we've started to tackle them. Obviously you've got a lot more work to do but you'll get there, you just need to crack on with it really and just focus on how nice the house will be in a year or so's time.

buglawton

Look on the bright side, you have an extended house with a large loft and gas central heating. All good for long term house value. Everything you listed is fixable. Anything that's seriously expensive to sort out - like a new boiler or expensive roof work - you can likely get a long term low interest loan for, go to your mortgage lender first.

skint_chick

You're not, I spent about 3 hours crying after I got the keys to my house thinking it would never feel like home and I would always hate it. I've been here over 9 years now.

Iamred wrote: »

The previous owners broke the light fitting in the bathroom.
The radiator in the living room began leaking in the very first week.
The boiler randomly looses pressure.
The shower room has major issues with condensation because there is no ventilation at all.
The back door isn't fitted properly and the droughts are maddening.
There is evidence that the previous owners used to grow cannabis in the attic.
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF OUR BEDROOM.
and finally... The roof has begun leaking in both the main house and kitchen extension. :mad:

Light fitting should be easily replaced, a new light should cost around £10-40 depending on what you want to get, this might even be something you can change yourself with the power off at the fuse box if it's a straightforward light.
Leaky radiator might just need some joint tightening with a spanner, check everything is secure first
Boiler losing pressure is because air is getting in somewhere - first step is to get a radiator key (£1-3 in diy stores) when the heating is off bleed all the radiators with an old cloth to hand to catch any spills. If this doesn't work call a plumber
Shower room you can get a fan/ventilation fitted depending on the type this could cost a couple of hundred quid
Back door - you can buy draught excluders from DIY store, or get a handyman to realign it (£50ish)
Give the attic a good airing, vacuum and don't think about it again
Is there a reason for the hole in your bedroom? What size is it? Could you fill it in yourself with a piece of wood then sand around it and mix the wood shavings with some glue and fill any little gaps
For the roof get a roofer to come and take a look, maybe some tiles have slipped in the recent storm or are chipped - can you see the kitchen extension with a ladder? Usually any gaps/broken bits are obvious, roof tiles are about £1 each at a builders merchants and the kitchen extension you might be able to fix yourself if the damage to the felt underneath isn't serious if not then get some quotes


I think the most important thing to remember is that if you can't fix larger problems getting some quotes will at least help you to figure out how you can fix things. It's better to know you need x amount of money and time to resolve stuff than to be listing things in a panic. All of the things I've suggested you have a look at there's you tube videos on with detailed instructions to follow

Iamred

Hi Fairylights, thank you for the pep talk.

Unfortunately my husband is comically awful at DIY. I barely trust him to help with flat-pack furniture. :-)
Luckily we do have some savings and they will cover most of the stuff that needs doing asap.

I guess it just doesn't feel like home... and I'm not sure it will

[Deleted User]

I'm sure it's very common to feel like this - how many of us can afford the peaceful, well-appointed and looked-after place of our dreams?

I certainly wondered a lot of times if I had made the right decision as FTB, after various plumbing, heating, and electrical issues. The area I could afford to buy in was a step down from what I could get as a lodger or renter too too. Owning your own home gets really built up as this amazing experience that's all about choosing paint and shopping for furniture, full of the joys of 'my own flat!'; but for me is mainly fixing problems, spending money I don't have and worrying about things. I do have a security I didn't have before, and am 'on the ladder' and paying off my mortgage and I fully appreciate it's a privilege that's out of reach to a lot of people.

To begin with I was jumpy as well, and I think this will fade in time as you get used to the noises of the house. Also if it's echoey, this will increase the noise perception so get curtains up and rugs down asap. If you are sitting in silence, external sounds it will seem louder, so I would put the tv or radio on.

Good luck with all the plumbing, building and so on!

Iamred

buglawton - Our loft is unfinished. Half boards with obvious signs of certain activity. I honestly don't think it will add any value but it shouldn't detract value. Ours is a small 1900's house the extention is the kitchen and its tiny. Thank you for trying to cheer me up though.

skint_chick - I'm glad I'm not the only one who reacted that way. a lot of things are getting fixed asap, hopefully by summer all will be well. Regarding the hole in the bedroom floor, it looks like a large piece of furniture was dropped, corner first. I think just replacing the boards may be the only way around it.

DaftyDuck

Oh, it happens to me.

Every.
Single.
Time...

I sold the last place - 3 days from marketing to asking price accepted. Beautiful condition, new gas CH, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, and carpeting throughout, double glazed, warm, dry and comfortable. Sold in 3 days because it was practically perfect in every way.... Garden shone, fruit in bounteous quantity on completion day...

Here I now sit in my new purchase, a draughty, smelly heap, with central heating that clunks, floors that slope (more when you stand in a corner), cracked glazing in the windows and one shower that sort-of works. If we are lucky. Oh, and there are four plants in the garden in total (! Dave... FOUR!), the field has flooded, the asbestos water tank in the attic won't fit through the hatch, and there's rot on the skirting. Oh, and we had a bill for over £3,600 for tree felling (well, trees felled themselves over the road) in the first week. Oh, and i have a flat tyre from a nail amongst all the crud left on the drive. Oh, and there's a mysterious smell on the landing...

Need I go on?

But, winter 2009 in that last, perfect house I've now sold? No CH or electricity, as they were both being done (great timing there, Dafty, snow blowing from front door to back), the balcony had collapsed, and Gas Safe had failed the instal. Oh, and the greenhouse collapsed, and the garage wall was unsafe. Oh, and the roof leaked.

Here, we have barn owls and marsh harriers within a hundred metres... I see them from the kitchen window. I will fix the glass in the windows, and get that water tank out somehow. The smell will improve as the carpets get chucked, the shower will work (probably) until the new CH is fitted, and the bathroom I will then fit myself... followed by a stunning shower for the en suite... Oh, and all the other nightmares will slowly be fixed, and the house will be perfect. Foolishly, I will probably sell it soon after, and join you in the doldrums....

I always go through a stage of buyer's remorse. Especially since I normally buy in winter, and winter is s0dding miserable.

Light fitting in the bathroom.... £20 max, Argos have cheap ones in their sale...
The radiator in the living room ... swap it yourself for £30 - £120... off to the "In My Home" Forum with you...
The boiler randomly looses pressure.... get it serviced and checked.
The shower room has major issues with condensation because there is no ventilation at all.... so fit some yourself (HUBBY!!!! Do it now or sleep on the sofa!).
The back door isn't fitted properly and the droughts are maddening.... I could do with a drought... prevent the floods and mean I can take an evening off ditch-digging!
There is evidence that the previous owners used to grow cannabis in the attic. Great! Any left? It'll help with the depression!
THERE IS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF OUR BEDROOM.... FIX IT WIV A PLANK!!!
The roof has begun leaking ... OK... Take up religion, and pray for a really long drought! Then fix it too!


It's buyer's remorse. It's only you and I that suffer. Nobody else ever has; they always buy a perfect house, at a bargain price, find the sellers left it perfectly clean, right down to cleaning the gutters out.... Now, pass some of that attic smelly stuff, cheer up, and let's start fixing our wrecks up!

Oh, and send hubby over to the DIY section here, or DIYnot website. No nookie until he's had a lookee...

I still have barn owls in the evening, and marsh harriers during the day, even if my roof leaks. I'l still have them when the roof is fixed too!

Iamred

DaftyDuck - Thank you for making me smile. I needed that. Unfortunately my husband is inept at DIY. I guess that leaves it up to me.