Really confused about what I want :(

danlightbulb

Hi all,
I've been here a few times going back and forth. Finding that needle in a haystack house for my budget, and even then it not being quite right.
I'm really struggling with what to compromise on and there are good reasons for every factor.

In summary:

• I'm looking to buy in a house very close to my existing location. I live alone, and my family and friends are all in quite a small area (DY4 +1 mile), and I have a desire to be close to them.
• I drive, and like to work on my own car from time to time, so a driveway, ideally a flat one, is a very high priority.
• I have bicycles, and a few tools etc to go with them, so a secure garage or relatively substantial outbuilding is a very high priority.
• I play the piano, and so a house with enough space to put this is a very high priority. It's also not very fair on the neighbours if I put it against a party wall, which requires a certain layout of house if I go for a semi (ideally one where the main living areas are on the opposite sides of the house, rather than having the living rooms adjoining which most houses are). I generally can't afford detached, there have been one or two come up but they had issues.
• Because I live alone, I'd like to be somewhere I can get out to socialise eg a local nice pub I can make friends with. Ive seen a couple of houses which fit my size criteria but they were further away and had no amenities near them.
• When I travel into Birmingham to meet work friends (pre-Covid obviously), its good to be within walking distance of the main train routes, (which DY4 is), otherwise it gets too expensive to make these trips by taxis.

I am completely stuck because all of the above things are important and I simply don't know which one to trade off. It's not like there are very many houses which fit even one or two of those criteria in the first place, so choices are incredibly limited even if I sacrifice things.

I have a max budget of £190k, but this is a little stretched so ideally more like £180k. Two years ago this would have got me a lot of choice in my area but prices seem to have gone crazy recently, well above the national or regional averages, but only specifically in the very small area I am looking in. Supply has dried up as well.

I don't mind doing DIY work and am reasonable at it, but if I buy at my max budget there will be no money left for this. I'd have to come down to £150-160k or so to allow some doing up money, and even then the capital won't be there for things like window replacements or building work.

I know I need to compromise but living alone, my hobbies and local family/friends are really the only thing I have. I don't mind travelling for work as I drive, and at the moment I am working from home anyway.

Another issue is that I have still been seeking new relationships (nothing successful yet). Part of the reason I haven't yet bought a house is that I had met someone from further away and there was a possibility of me moving there, but it didn't work out. This adds uncertainty because it makes me worried about being locked in to a purchase now that's not suitable if I was to meet someone (eg if I moved locations). But at the same time, its also making me struggle to meet someone because of my worries about my future housing security.

The final problem is I am now 40, so I am feeling more pressure to buy something soon because it will get harder to get a mortgage going forward. I'm already stretching retirement age (for mortgage purposes) to age 70.

How do I make sense of this mess?

AnotherJoe

Would it really matter / make any practical difference if you were two miles away instead of one? Would that help?

ka7e

2 compromises come to mind - 1. A shed can be purchased and installed to your specifications for size, usage and security, there doesn't have to be one in situ. 2. Would you consider a digital piano that can be played with headphones?

You might need a fresh pair of eyes to go through the details of available properties, they might see the potential in something you've previously discarded. Also widen your search area a tiny bit, an extra mile or 3 to family will widen your options exponentially.

dramaticat

I was also going to suggest a digital piano. They have full-sized weighted keyboards and feel good to play. In addition to being able to play with headphones, you can adjust the volume – and they will also have a few bells and whistles that you may find fun to play with! When the shops are open again, why not find a music shop and try some out.

This, and building a shed if the house doesn't already have one, seem to be the easiest compromises to make.

theoretica

You might also look into piano soundproofing.  Also consider whether it has to be in the living room - they are a pain to get up stairs but often possible and you might find it works to have it in the spare bedroom.

Doozergirl

You know what you want, you just can't afford it.  

I'm not sure how many pages the last thread went to, but it was a lot and there were so many suggestions of what you could do to adapt your very fixed ideas, but there was evidently no compromising or the bungalow fell through? 

Now we're a year? down the line, you've been spending your money on rent?  and prices have risen even further. 

What is available at the moment? 

You're either going to have to learn to adapt or hope that prices fall again next year and bite the bullet as soon as something appears.   If you don't want to or can't spend out on any work to the house then smaller is the only answer.  

This doesn't have to be the forever house.  When you meet someone, you'll be able to have more space.  

AdrianC

Go and view places. LOTS of places. Places that meet this criteria but miss that, meet that but miss this, or are just a bit left-field.

You'll quickly get a feel for what you really think.

Moneyminded

It sounds to me that you aren't sure you want to buy, but more that you feel you should. You also mention possibly meeting someone and moving to be with them - you haven't even met this person yet, if you do meet someone why wouldn't they be a local person?
Buying on your own can be tricky as you don't know what the future holds, the best you can do if you really want to buy is to think about your own needs. If you genuinely think you may move within a few years then you probably shouldn't buy as the legal costs, etc can mean that staying in rented accommodation and having the flexibility is the better option. You don't have to buy now if the time isn't right, saving more money for a bigger deposit and thinking about what you really want might be the better way to go. 

MovingForwards

Read through all your other threads and the replies to them.

Write a list of must have, be nice to have, not bothered about and see how much you need to buy that. 

As your budget isn't buying what you want, in the small section, not even an area, you want to live then save up more money or expand your area.

Many of us have viewed properties, made an offer, has the offer accepted, the conveyancing done, moved and settled in, starting to make our homes personal to us, in the amount of time you've got no further forward.

Chilli6

You're perhaps overthinking it. I live alone and wanted to be in a specific town so I'm close to family and friends. I found exactly that. 
It's good to know what you would love to have but on a budget you need to go for what you can afford. I viewed houses in my price range and chose out of that selection. Compromise always comes into it unless you have alot to spend but close to family was the one must have. 
I may or may not meet someone new in the future but I certainly didn't bring that into my house purchase. Everyone's different but I'm not putting life on hold to see who might come along. 

bouicca21

I’m confused.  I put Dy4 into right move and loads of houses in OP’s price bracket came up. They had gardens with and without sheds for the bikes, parking and/or garages and they had room to put a piano against an internal wall to insulate the sound. Some a mile from a station, some closer, easy walk/bike ride.  So what’s the problem?