Am I crazy to consider buying a house in a new city I haven't lived in?

Unicorn_cottage

@nora_nora & @MovingForwards replies are really interesting. @bp5678 what are your concerns? It all depends on your personality type. What you are suggesting would fill some people with utter dread. I moved to Bristol albeit with my partner (who I had been with for maybe a year) and bought straight off the bat. I bought knowing I had wanted to live here for years and that the house would go up in value. You are not crazy no but a lot depends on where you are proposing to move to. If you like it etc then why not?! Would you regret it if you didn't make the move? Can you say where you are thinking of moving to? I have lived in most major cities in England so am no stranger to moving about!

MovingForwards

@Unicorn_cottage it was about 2 months after my first visit I did my move, I had never been up here before and only ever seen photos. I left everything I came up with, did that another two times before packing what I could and driving up. It just felt right and like home, for the first time ever.
Same as when I saw the photos for the property I purchased, I knew it was the one. 

Life is too short to be indecisive.

BrownTrout

Where is it your planning on moving to?

Unicorn_cottage

MovingForwards said:

@Unicorn_cottage it was about 2 months after my first visit I did my move, I had never been up here before and only ever seen photos. I left everything I came up with, did that another two times before packing what I could and driving up. It just felt right and like home, for the first time ever.
Same as when I saw the photos for the property I purchased, I knew it was the one. 

Life is too short to be indecisive.

I know your journey well @MovingForwards . At the end of the day some people will think you and I are crazy but is not our concern. Personally for me if I had hit a bump in the road then I would of moved again. In fact I am moving again not because of a wrong decision but because my partner wants to return to the North East to be near her parents and other family. 

MovingForwards

@Unicorn_cottage I had the 'look' from people when I said I was moving after my first visit, but then after moving the same people 'saw' how different I was and said it's clear I did the right thing.

Good luck with your move, I'm sure you will make that home too 😁

lady1964

Possibly crazy but then I must be crazy because I did just that at the beginning of the year. We bought a house 200 miles from where we had lived for 27 years, we’d only been to the town once, on our second visit, we made our offer on the house. Admittedly we have family about 40 minutes away but they’re a busy young family so we don’t see them during the week, generally at weekends. Our situation is that my DH is still working in our previous town whilst awaiting a job move so he’s only with me at weekends. I’ve just secured a job but in all honesty, I haven’t minded being by myself. I love where I live, it’s very different from my previous location but I’m massively glad I made the move.

Unicorn_cottage

I really want to know where you are trying to move too!

hazyjo

I moved around 40 miles to the Essex coast to a town I'd only researched. We stayed here a few times, I knew the streets like the back of my hand and ended up with prob less than 20 streets I'd consider (in my budget). Airbnb hosts can give helpful info. I found out about a couple of streets being cut throughs and busier than adjacent ones.

Also compromised on size to get in the best street I could afford.

Join every single local FB group. You'll find out every bit of news and gossip there. If there's ongoing problems in a road or park, you'll know about it.

Google the street name you're interested in. Add words like "antisocial behaviour" and "complaints".

Visit at night too if staying nearby.

Many will say rent first, but that's not for me. I've moved many times, often to places I don't really know.

Sounds like you're doing all you can for now.

Good luck.

coachman12

No questions yet about : is this a first time buy or do you have a house to sell ? what happens to your job in present area ? is there a particular reason for choosing the city you have chosen ? have you thought of other cities, as you've only been to the chosen city twice ? are you looking to find a city for reasons of lower prices than where you live now or do you wish to change your whole direction of life ?
Too many unknowns for me to post replies such as those I've already seen on this thread?

[Deleted User]

I’ve moved cities a few times and I’ve rented before buying in each one.  In my latest move I’ve gone overseas so I don’t have much choice about renting unless I can afford to buy outright, which I can’t. The time before that I’m glad I rented, partly because it turns out the type of property I thought I’d like turns out I didn’t and thank goodness I was only renting it and secondly with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight it worked out better to hold off buying due to what happened with property prices in the area but that was sheer dumb luck. 

I’ve moved for work and had to start on x date so it seemed easier and quicker to set up a rental than trying to buy in time for the move. 

That all said I do miss my owner occupied home set up exactly how I want whilst I’m living in a magnolia shell and back dealing with letting agents who seem to be !!!!!! no matter which country you’re in.