Is this normal?! FTB final stage nerves!

Toots0293

I’m in the final stages of buying my first home (hopefully exchanging contracts in the next week or so) and I’ve started to get really nervous about making such a huge commitment on my own. I love the house I’m buying and can’t wait to get started, but there are so many unknowns! I’ve had a survey carried out so *hopefully* know the issues with the house, but I keep worrying about if I get the keys and there are so many hidden problems. Also worry that I’ll see another house I love come on the market (even though I know I love this house!) I’ve kept my alerts on just in case the seller pulls out before exchange, so maybe I should just delete that. 

Basically I would just like some reassurance that these nerves are normal and all part of making one of the biggest commitments of your life! 

Hannimal

I was so nervous for the first six months of living in my house. There were lots of unexpected things, other things I didn't take seriously that cropped up in the survey that ended up costing me ££ I hadn't anticipated. You live and you learn. Overall I am now better off as it's been almost a year since I moved here, the property value has gone up ~£20k based on recent sales of similar properties on this street and this place is now feeling like a home. 

Whether or not you're prone to anxiety when you are spending the amount of money you have probably never spent on anything else before, it is absolutely normal to be nervous. I don't know if you are of the generation where we used to pay deposits to landlords weeks before moving in by giving cash in hand and you just had to trust it would all work out. That was "only" £2k at most and had me losing sleep in case the LL walked off with the money. I think it would be unusual to not be nervous. Just do your due diligence, most house sales in the end work out fine and most people are better off a year after buying than they were before buying. 

Hannimal

Oh, and when I moved a year ago before getting the keys I was literally losing sleep over it. First six months any crack on a wall or unidentified weed in my head was japanese knot weed and house falling down. I am probably more anxious than your average person but lots of my friends have bought in the past few years and they've all had some house anxiety at some point. It's normal. Having said that, you also need to know if it is the right choice for you or if you should walk away. There may be a reason for your anxiety you've not told us about. 

goodwithsaving

Perfectly normal. It is a big commitment but it's a very satisfying step. 

Drawingaline

Our sale and purchase completed in Jan and from Xmas onwards I barely slept! Mainly because we had limited time to get it all over the line, but by the last week I was convinced that doubling our mortgage payment was a ridiculous plan and I even spoke to my husband about pulling out at the last minute!

The lure of extra space and a home office got is through it, we had a viewing the day before exchange when we took all the kids (it was six months since we originally viewed and offered and they hadn't seen it with us then) which helped ease my worries (and it's always a good idea, our purchase was empty at this point too) and now, six months on all of us bar my youngest is happy we did it (he is on the spectrum and is overall happy, but during meltdowns he claims he hates the house as it's not home, he is getting there though)

And we didn't find anything even remotely as good in the entire six months we were going through conveyancing and even since I sometimes have a nose on Rightmove, and we definitely got the best house for our money. 

So completely normal.

Tumtitums

It depends on your personality however this shouldn't prevent you moving as you would always have this feeling regardless of the property

AlexMac

Very normal...

I backed out of a 1st purchase, in my 20's,  because a survey revealed a tiny patch of damp which, with hindsight, I  now know was insignificant... Fell on my feet, as the next one was much nicer, albeit a wreck (which taught me all sorts of DIY skills and the value of "sweat equity")).

Never regretted it.

 And while you buy a house as a home, not an investment, it was the best thing I've ever done in terms of happiness, security, satisfaction and (modest) prosperity... as I now know, 50 years on!

Again, in my experience, you'll weather any storm; job losses/redundancy (been there), relationship breakdown (ditto), the ups and downs of the property market (the 20-25% price crashes of 1987 and 2008)...

Go for it!

Toots0293

Hannimal said:

Oh, and when I moved a year ago before getting the keys I was literally losing sleep over it. First six months any crack on a wall or unidentified weed in my head was japanese knot weed and house falling down. I am probably more anxious than your average person but lots of my friends have bought in the past few years and they've all had some house anxiety at some point. It's normal. Having said that, you also need to know if it is the right choice for you or if you should walk away. There may be a reason for your anxiety you've not told us about. 

Thank you so much for your comments. You sound so much like me, I have visions of stripping the wallpaper and being faced with some walls that are on the brink of collapsing or something haha. I am a pretty anxious person too so I’m sure that makes a difference. I’m really excited and as I said I do love the house, it’s all just very scary and real adulting! I think the fact I’m buying on my own is also scaring me.. no-one to fall back on / share the stress! But from the other comments it does seem normal which is a relief!  

Toots0293

Drawingaline said:

Our sale and purchase completed in Jan and from Xmas onwards I barely slept! Mainly because we had limited time to get it all over the line, but by the last week I was convinced that doubling our mortgage payment was a ridiculous plan and I even spoke to my husband about pulling out at the last minute!

The lure of extra space and a home office got is through it, we had a viewing the day before exchange when we took all the kids (it was six months since we originally viewed and offered and they hadn't seen it with us then) which helped ease my worries (and it's always a good idea, our purchase was empty at this point too) and now, six months on all of us bar my youngest is happy we did it (he is on the spectrum and is overall happy, but during meltdowns he claims he hates the house as it's not home, he is getting there though)

And we didn't find anything even remotely as good in the entire six months we were going through conveyancing and even since I sometimes have a nose on Rightmove, and we definitely got the best house for our money. 

So completely normal.

Ok that’s a relief that you had these thoughts too! And I’m glad you and your family are loving your new home (and hopefully your youngest will too soon!) 

I’ve seen the house twice and going back again to measure up this week so I’m excited to see it again (hopefully should be exchanging in the next week or so). I think I will feel better once I see the house again and visualise myself there. 

Thank you  

Brie

One of the reassuring things for me is to think about those "wonderful, perfect, too good to be true" type places that I offered on and didn't get.  Thankfully - as in hindsight they were complete disasters and wrong in so many ways.  Makes me very pleased with the one I did get despite the faults.  There's always faults but they are minor so I don't care.    

Toots0293

Tumtitums said:

It depends on your personality however this shouldn't prevent you moving as you would always have this feeling regardless of the property

I’m quite an anxious person who over-thinks everything, so maybe that isn’t helping! Haha