Anyone regretted buying a house that is too big?

housebuyer143

I have just bought a house and I feel this uneasy sense of dread that I have bought a house that is too big for my needs (first world problems I know). On my first day, my phone was ringing and I couldn't find it and by the time I ran around every room in the house looking it had rung out!
I have always been frugal and lived in a 2 bed house, which I owned outright. I have huge spending remorse for the smallest things in life as well - so suppose a purchase of this magnitude was bound to upset me.

I have just moved into my new 4 bed detached house and I cant help but feel very overwhelmed by it. I have a lot of space and I look around it and just think what the hell am I going to do with it! I have done the finances and while its obviously more expensive, we can afford it, but the feeling is still there. Just to add, the area is beautiful and I do not regret moving to it, just cant shake the size issue.

Is this common when buying a new house? Will it settle once we have started living there?

lookstraightahead

housebuyer143 said:

I have just bought a house and I feel this uneasy sense of dread that I have bought a house that is too big for my needs (first world problems I know). On my first day, my phone was ringing and I couldn't find it and by the time I ran around every room in the house looking it had rung out!
I have always been frugal and lived in a 2 bed house, which I owned outright. I have huge spending remorse for the smallest things in life as well - so suppose a purchase of this magnitude was bound to upset me.

I have just moved into my new 4 bed detached house and I cant help but feel very overwhelmed by it. I have a lot of space and I look around it and just think what the hell am I going to do with it! I have done the finances and while its obviously more expensive, we can afford it, but the feeling is still there. Just to add, the area is beautiful and I do not regret moving to it, just cant shake the size issue.

Is this common when buying a new house? Will it settle once we have started living there?

Good for you for being grounded. I've felt overwhelm with the house I've just bought - but for different reasons because it needs work doing to it and I'm having to learn how to update it.

Enjoy your space, make it cosy and don't worry about the size. Whether lots or little, make it your home.

I'm a little like you with spending - I struggle to makes choices then feel I don't really need something (probably because I've had money worries in the past and I can't shake it). 

It will pass and I'm sure the 'novelty' of more space will wear off and you will feel fine.

UnderOffer

How many of you currently occupy the house? Is it likely that the number will increase I.e. children? 

I think we all get a bit of buyers remorse, but that soon fades and you will love the house and make it your home. 

It will be times when you have several visitors as in Christmas, birthdays or even Easter that you’ll realise the space is useful, ok you don’t need or use all the rooms all of the time, but you’ll appreciate the house more during these times. 

It’s not forever either, if in 3-5 years time you want to downsize, then do so.  

housebuyer143

lookstraightahead said:

Good for you for being grounded. I've felt overwhelm with the house I've just bought - but for different reasons because it needs work doing to it and I'm having to learn how to update it.

Enjoy your space, make it cosy and don't worry about the size. Whether lots or little, make it your home.

I'm a little like you with spending - I struggle to makes choices then feel I don't really need something (probably because I've had money worries in the past and I can't shake it). 

It will pass and I'm sure the 'novelty' of more space will wear off and you will feel fine.

Thank you - Its funny because when you tell people you feel bad about spending money they look at you like you are nuts, but its totally a real thing lol.

The house is a bit tatty as well, as in every room needs painting and the garden needs love and the kitchen will need redesigning at some point and while I knew this, the realities have set in and it just feels like a lot. Does not sound like it needs as much as yours though.

Hopefully you are right and its just adjustment that is needed. Guess I just feel like I do not NEED all this space so why did I buy it - I am never one for overindulging. 

housebuyer143

UnderOffer said:

How many of you currently occupy the house? Is it likely that the number will increase I.e. children? 

I think we all get a bit of buyers remorse, but that soon fades and you will love the house and make it your home. 

It will be times when you have several visitors as in Christmas, birthdays or even Easter that you’ll realise the space is useful, ok you don’t need or use all the rooms all of the time, but you’ll appreciate the house more during these times. 

It’s not forever either, if in 3-5 years time you want to downsize, then do so.  

There are only 3 of us now, but you make a good point. The house provides us with opportunity to grow and have guests which we have not been able to do in our 2 bed. That was the reasoning for upsizing as I work from home also and maybe it will be nice to not work from my bedroom ha ha. 

The house was a great price in the right area, so I know we did not overpay at all. If we do downsize like you say hopefully we will not have lost much if any. 

Elliott.T123

housebuyer143 said:

UnderOffer said:

How many of you currently occupy the house? Is it likely that the number will increase I.e. children? 

I think we all get a bit of buyers remorse, but that soon fades and you will love the house and make it your home. 

It will be times when you have several visitors as in Christmas, birthdays or even Easter that you’ll realise the space is useful, ok you don’t need or use all the rooms all of the time, but you’ll appreciate the house more during these times. 

It’s not forever either, if in 3-5 years time you want to downsize, then do so.  

There are only 3 of us now, but you make a good point. The house provides us with opportunity to grow and have guests which we have not been able to do in our 2 bed. That was the reasoning for upsizing as I work from home also and maybe it will be nice to not work from my bedroom ha ha. 

The house was a great price in the right area, so I know we did not overpay at all. If we do downsize like you say hopefully we will not have lost much if any. 

I am in a similar situation, my wife and I moved from a 2 bed terrace to a 4 bed detached a year ago.

I had started working from home and was previously working from the dining room (actually in the corner of the Livingroom as there was no dining room) table.

I now have the smallest bedroom as my permanent office which I love, I find it so much easier to differentiate work and home now as when I am in the office I am at work and when I shut the door and come out I am at home.

Each to their own but I cant recommend that enough making one of the rooms your work room and mentally separating it so you have space between work and home.

Although I can understand people feeling the way you do I do struggle slightly as I am at the opposite end, partly as I am claustrophobic to the point I am unable to use most ensuites unless they are the size of a family bathroom so for me space and openness is a premium. That being said I would fully expect a family of 3 to grow into a house quite quickly, as mentioned one bedroom becomes an office, one for your child, one for you and your partner. Spare bedroom for guests that can double up as a space to dry clothes if its wet outside or if anyone in the house has a hobby that can be a games/storage room.

I am sure that in 6 months time you will be wondering how you ever managed to fit into a 2 bed!

lookstraightahead

housebuyer143 said:

lookstraightahead said:

Good for you for being grounded. I've felt overwhelm with the house I've just bought - but for different reasons because it needs work doing to it and I'm having to learn how to update it.

Enjoy your space, make it cosy and don't worry about the size. Whether lots or little, make it your home.

I'm a little like you with spending - I struggle to makes choices then feel I don't really need something (probably because I've had money worries in the past and I can't shake it). 

It will pass and I'm sure the 'novelty' of more space will wear off and you will feel fine.

Thank you - Its funny because when you tell people you feel bad about spending money they look at you like you are nuts, but its totally a real thing lol.

The house is a bit tatty as well, as in every room needs painting and the garden needs love and the kitchen will need redesigning at some point and while I knew this, the realities have set in and it just feels like a lot. Does not sound like it needs as much as yours though.

Hopefully you are right and its just adjustment that is needed. Guess I just feel like I do not NEED all this space so why did I buy it - I am never one for overindulging. 

You sound as though you're just not that bothered about materialistic things. Or too much of anything. I really get that. My sister is the opposite from me, when I go to her house there is absolute abundance (she's very generous) but there's also so much waste. It's not being mean, it just feels wasteful,

but I think a house is different because you're just in a house, whatever the size. Make it yours and the size will disappear from thought. 

I reckon you're just very mindful 😇

babyblade41

My previous house had 6 beds & 5 bath/shower room with only 2 of us.

We bought it for the outside space we wanted.

.

If it doesn't work then find somewhere you will feel happier...life is too short to be miserable .

You sound like a pretty grounded person 

housebuyer143

lookstraightahead said:

housebuyer143 said:

lookstraightahead said:

Good for you for being grounded. I've felt overwhelm with the house I've just bought - but for different reasons because it needs work doing to it and I'm having to learn how to update it.

Enjoy your space, make it cosy and don't worry about the size. Whether lots or little, make it your home.

I'm a little like you with spending - I struggle to makes choices then feel I don't really need something (probably because I've had money worries in the past and I can't shake it). 

It will pass and I'm sure the 'novelty' of more space will wear off and you will feel fine.

Thank you - Its funny because when you tell people you feel bad about spending money they look at you like you are nuts, but its totally a real thing lol.

The house is a bit tatty as well, as in every room needs painting and the garden needs love and the kitchen will need redesigning at some point and while I knew this, the realities have set in and it just feels like a lot. Does not sound like it needs as much as yours though.

Hopefully you are right and its just adjustment that is needed. Guess I just feel like I do not NEED all this space so why did I buy it - I am never one for overindulging. 

You sound as though you're just not that bothered about materialistic things. Or too much of anything. I really get that. My sister is the opposite from me, when I go to her house there is absolute abundance (she's very generous) but there's also so much waste. It's not being mean, it just feels wasteful,

but I think a house is different because you're just in a house, whatever the size. Make it yours and the size will disappear from thought. 

I reckon you're just very mindful 😇

Thank you - funnily, my sister is the exact same as yours. Very generous person but I see waste everywhere I look.  Appreciate your comments. 

TripleH

We have moved in 7 months from living in 75sqm 2 bed flats to a 4 bed house over twice as big.

We never felt squashed in the flats. I think part of it is use for rooms. We needed 1 bedroom and 2 offices (both work from home but have very different jobs).

Because we now spend so much time at home, the extra space is useful although we could easily live in smaller home.

I think the big difference is that our TV is in the guest bedroom/lounge and we don't have one in our big kitchen/dining room/lounge. It's something we found was quite peaceful as the screen became a black hole in our old places.

I think you soon learn to fit to your space, the problem is to ensure you don't fill it as well.

housebuyer143

TripleH said:

We have moved in 7 months from living in 75sqm 2 bed flats to a 4 bed house over twice as big.

We never felt squashed in the flats. I think part of it is use for rooms. We needed 1 bedroom and 2 offices (both work from home but have very different jobs).

Because we now spend so much time at home, the extra space is useful although we could easily live in smaller home.

I think the big difference is that our TV is in the guest bedroom/lounge and we don't have one in our big kitchen/dining room/lounge. It's something we found was quite peaceful as the screen became a black hole in our old places.

I think you soon learn to fit to your space, the problem is to ensure you don't fill it as well.

Thank you - exactly the same. We live in a 70sqm house now and the new place is 170sqm with the garage! I feel lost in it. 

Yes!! We need to fill it as its too empty now, but I do not want it cluttered as that's worse. Glad you have settled. Our son is disabled and so we have to spend a lot of time at home as a result, and I work from home so that was kind of the mentality behind it as it was supposed to make being at home nicer. These comments have been super helpful and really give me hope this feeling will pass X