House Buying Anxiety and Concerns

RegionalGal

We put an offer in a house back in December. We viewed it once and made the offer. The house had come up in a specific area and road we wanted and just couldn’t believe our luck. The estate agent explained the was a queue of viewers and this, our dream home, was ours.

We’ve been elated - planning on how we’ll put our stamp on it and being generally chuffed that this house landed in our lap at the right time. We offered a little under Asking price and a touch more than we had hoped to pay.

A delay in getting the survey done (vendor delayed this as was getting a new boiler installed and Christmas closures) meant that survey was finally done NYE. This came back as house was mortgageable at the price we have offered although work and updates needed.

I went back to view again this week with my parents who were excited to see it and have had a bit of a shock. It needs more work than I remember (vendor has smoked in there for years, there has been a pipe leaking onto the side of the house which is now sorted but discovered by paint not drying, general state of the place much dirtier and shabbier than I remember and the list of jobs we will need to do has grown somewhat...I do realise these are things I should have identified earlier) and I’m really concerned about the neighbour. TheIr dog barked the whole time we were outside (dog was inside) and their house/garden looked Unkempt - full of beer cans etc.

We are in such close proximity to next door that I am now terrified we are doing the right thing and having a major anxiety episode. Because of this anxiety I can’t tell if it’s my ‘intuition’ that this is a bad / overpriced purchase and that we should walk away or if this is completely normal for a first time buyer.

I should be thrilled and excited and instead I’m lying awake terrified. This has been the case since I went to re-re-view the house.

I’m posting this for a couple of reasons: your similar experiences and outcomes, to help me rationalise fears, to help me find some questions to ask myself to perhaps lead to a sensible decision.

The stage we are at: full mortgage offer has been given to me and solicitor and I am literally about to pay solicitor to conduct their searches. No contract has yet been drawn up.

I await your wisdom and help - thank you.

warby68

Bless you

You viewed it with a rosy glow of excitement and now those rosy shades are off.

This is a choice only you can make with your budget largely setting the tone for what type of house and location you can actually get. However in isolation, a smoker's house and warning signs re neighbours and I wouldn't entertain it. Sorry.

As to your question about intuition or FTB nerves,when you have very specific reasons for concern, its neither. Its very real stuff to decide about.

(fellow insomniac ? )

RegionalGal

Thank you. Yes shades well off!
The fact the vendor has smoked is I suppose the least of my concerns - new carpets, some replastering (that’s needed anyway) and lots of fresh paint and new blinds etc should put end to that. I guess it just requires a bit more attention than I thought.

The house next door - I hear you. Is it something I can control though? We can never know who we might get next door. We don’t have the budget for a detached place in a ‘high end’ area (not that that means you are free from challenging neighbours) but at what point would you walk away from a house because of it?

I wish I could have some clarity In my mind but this darn anxiety envelopes my sensible head.

Thank you again for your reply - it’s really appreciated.

warby68

Just be aware ingrained smoke can be much harder, nigh on impossible, to eradicate than you think.

Neighbours? You are right but here you seem to be considering what looks like a certain bad neighbour from Day 1 against the future possibility of one. The second option has better odds. I wouldn't settle for an 'almost certain' bad neighbour now against the vague possibility of one in future.

The other question is how much other property is there for sale within your budget and area? That will also dictate how much you compromise.

If you have anxiety then yes it will be hard, but the issues you have raised are perfectly valid for someone without anxiety.

Your second post reads like you want to blame your anxiety rather than cold hard facts. The facts are enough to put me off with no added layers. However if you are having to compromise a lot to even get a house then what are biggies for me might be less so for you.

I'm sure you'll get some other views in the morning.

AnotherJoe

What Warby said in both posts , these aren't the usual FTB nerves but genuine concerns. Especially the neighbour. Imagine being there and dog barking all day long at weekends.
Yes you can rationalise you might get bad neighbours anywhere but why move in somewhere you know you will have one?
I think you have a chance to dodge a bullet here, don't miss it, pull out

warby68

Just seen this thread is actually on the mortgage board

It might be better in the house buying section for more responses.

Could it be moved?