Having doubts after offer accepted

danlightbulb

I didn't sleep that well last night. Finding it hard to make a decision.

My original search was for a 'normal' house. 3 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, 2 reception rooms & kitchen downstairs, reasonable garden, garage for workshop/storage/bikes, driveway.

This bungalow, is detached (which is positive and I didn't expect to be able to afford a detached), and it can have 3 bedrooms and 1 reception room, or it could have 2 reception rooms and 2 bedrooms. It does have a nice garden, and it does have a large garage/workshop at the back. It kind of has potential for offroad parking (not really what I would define as a traditional driveway), depending on whether you count the back access as one or conversion of the frontage.

So its not really ticking all the boxes I had. So on one hand I am unsure, and on the other hand I realise it has good features also.

Fundamentally if it was a 2 storey on the same plot I'd probably not be having doubts. Or if it was definitively a 3 bed 2 reception room house, then it would be identical to a 2 storey in terms of space.

My mom keeps saying that the house is big. I'm not seeing it. To me it is the same as any 1 reception room 3 bedroom, single bathroom house.

Are there too many compromises here, despite the benefit of having a detached house? I'm struggling to see the flexibility that was purported to come with a bungalow - its is nothing more than trading off reception rooms for bedrooms.

oldernonethewiser

If there are too many compromises, for you, then do not proceed.


If you are happy to compromise then carry on.

laptop80

Bluntly speaking, probably best if you just pull out now before you waste any more of the vendor's time. A "buyer" who gets the property taken off the market but doesn't even know if they want it (or even a bungalow at all) is a seller's worst nightmare. Tbh I'd be absolutely raging if I was selling and saw you dithering about your ideal of an upstairs bathroom and bedrooms on this thread.

danlightbulb

laptop80 wrote: »

Bluntly speaking, probably best if you just pull out now before you waste any more of the vendor's time. A "buyer" who gets the property taken off the market but doesn't even know if they want it (or even a bungalow at all) is a seller's worst nightmare. Tbh I'd be absolutely raging if I was selling and saw you dithering about your ideal of an upstairs bathroom and bedrooms on this thread.

I understand what youre saying. This problem is created both by my uncertainty but also a lack of choice in the market. Every house I have bid on I have felt pressure because you don't get time to properly consider it or see multiple suitable properties. There is still absolutely nothing that comes close to this house when considering what it does offer for the money. So whilst I am having doubts, there is nothing better.

seradane

danlightbulb wrote: »

Are there too many compromises here, despite the benefit of having a detached house? I'm struggling to see the flexibility that was purported to come with a bungalow - its is nothing more than trading off reception rooms for bedrooms.

But wasn't that what you wanted in the first place? From your other thread:

As a single male, with hobbies, I would prefer to have a reasonable amount of downstairs room rather than many bedrooms.

You wanted more reception rooms. With a bungalow you can use one as a bedroom and have three reception rooms if you want, without having to make any changes to the floor layout...

NewShadow

danlightbulb wrote: »

I understand what youre saying. This problem is created both by my uncertainty but also a lack of choice in the market. Every house I have bid on I have felt pressure because you don't get time to properly consider it or see multiple suitable properties. There is still absolutely nothing that comes close to this house when considering what it does offer for the money. So whilst I am having doubts, there is nothing better.

I'm sorry, but I disagree - I don't know about you, but I'm a single FTB who was burned by an ex when I was first considering buying a house 6 years ago - I've spent the last couple of years, while I was re-saving my deposit, watching the market for the area I wanted to buy - that's tons of potential 'suitable properties' that I can use as a benchmark for viewings.

That means I've a good idea what I'm looking for in a property/what's important to me; what types of properties come up; how quickly; and what's a 'good' property/price for the area I'm looking...

That means - when I saw a house I liked - I didn't need to second guess... I knew if it could meet my must have/nice to have; I knew if it was at what felt like the right price for the area/potential in the property.

I think you did too... go back and look at what you wrote about this property when you first viewed it - why did you write that if the very things that appealed to you are now the things you're trying to say are problems?

Remember:

danlightbulb wrote: »

I viewed the second bungalow tonight.

Its pretty decent. High ceilings in all the rooms, good sized rooms. Kitchen isn't as narrow as it looks in the photos and has a reasonable utility area at the back. Perfectly useable.

Aside from decor, condition seems pretty good. Recent boiler, decent kitchen units, no damp or mould anywhere, perfectly functional bathroom with shower cubicle but there is room to put a shower bath in instead.

Structurally brickwork all looks in good condition. Windows are a mix of upvc and wood/aluminium combo, not as thick as modern double glazing units, all look to be in good condition though.

External garage is a prefab construction but looks solid, plenty of storage.

I would say the layout and condition is better than the first bungalow. Nothing would need immediately doing and I could just focus on getting some furniture and just doing the decoration. However it has noticeably less space inside, being a 2 bed and with the other one having that large rear living room extension.

Unfortunately I'm also not keen on the steepness and narrowness of the side driveway. I'd fit my car on but it would be quite awkward to get into and off the driveway onto that main road.

Either you're ready to buy a property, or your not - but that indecision it's not a fault of this property and it's not fair to make the seller of this property pay for your unwillingness to commit before making an offer...

You basically have three options:

- Proceed and accept this is a good property;
- Withdraw and spend more time looking at the market until you're ready mentally to 'proceed' with something;
- Dither around and get an ulcer...

IMO - that last option sucks for everyone.

To quote 'Do or Do Not - there is no Try...' :cool:

laptop80

danlightbulb wrote: »

I understand what youre saying. This problem is created both by my uncertainty but also a lack of choice in the market. Every house I have bid on I have felt pressure because you don't get time to properly consider it or see multiple suitable properties. There is still absolutely nothing that comes close to this house when considering what it does offer for the money. So whilst I am having doubts, there is nothing better.

That's life. We had one viewing on our current property before we bought it because 3 offers went in straight away and it went to best and final offer the same day. If in the unlikely event you find the absolute perfect property then others will be jumping on it too. The issues you've got with the property seem like non-issues to me, but it sounds like you've talked yourself out of it.

Crashy_Time

danlightbulb wrote: »

I didn't sleep that well last night. Finding it hard to make a decision.

My original search was for a 'normal' house. 3 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, 2 reception rooms & kitchen downstairs, reasonable garden, garage for workshop/storage/bikes, driveway.

This bungalow, is detached (which is positive and I didn't expect to be able to afford a detached), and it can have 3 bedrooms and 1 reception room, or it could have 2 reception rooms and 2 bedrooms. It does have a nice garden, and it does have a large garage/workshop at the back. It kind of has potential for offroad parking (not really what I would define as a traditional driveway), depending on whether you count the back access as one or conversion of the frontage.

So its not really ticking all the boxes I had. So on one hand I am unsure, and on the other hand I realise it has good features also.

Fundamentally if it was a 2 storey on the same plot I'd probably not be having doubts. Or if it was definitively a 3 bed 2 reception room house, then it would be identical to a 2 storey in terms of space.

My mom keeps saying that the house is big. I'm not seeing it. To me it is the same as any 1 reception room 3 bedroom, single bathroom house.

Are there too many compromises here, despite the benefit of having a detached house? I'm struggling to see the flexibility that was purported to come with a bungalow - its is nothing more than trading off reception rooms for bedrooms.

Yes, too many compromises. As a distraction exercise why not check out how much this house sold for 5,10, maybe 20 years ago and then check how much local wages have increased (or not) in the same time period, that should get you focusing on the sort of value (or not) that you are getting. As other posters have said the parking/access will probably be an issue to potential buyers if you
want to sell, but if you really want it try to get it for a lower price IMO.

Crashy_Time

Relax for while and do more research IMO, from what you have said so far you are not going to be happy in this house weeks after buying let alone decades.

https://www.propertylog.net/

https://www.plumplot.co.uk/

isplumm

Hi

We bought our 1st house back in 1997 - 3 bed semis were selling so quick that they came on the market and were sold the same day.

So because we were working during the week, we missed out on numerous properties as we couldn't get to see them.

The house we eventually bought went on the market at midday Tuesday, we saw it at 6pm, made an offer at 9:00 Wednesday and was ours by midday Wednesday - bloody fast!

Never realised garden was an odd shape, because it was pitch dark & pouring with rain, so only looked out of window! :rotfl:

Mark