Prosperous soul, mortgage neutrality & creativity Year 2

skint_spice

That’s great news about accepting the offer, I hope you find somewhere you love soon.

SandyShores

Really good news re. the offer.  I'm sure it will all go well.  When we were buying our new home we just took it one step/day at a time.  It took me until about 2 years after we'd been moved in to finally relax and say yes we definitely bought the right place and we couldn't wish for anything more.  We don't have a view, but we don't have anyone directly looking into the back of our property, plus we have a garage down one side and have angled our pergola on the other side so its lovely and private and has a lovely feel to it.  The front is quite open aspect too, so we don't feel overlooked and we live in a close so its very quiet.  That bit of space, and the fact that most of our neighbours are older, means it's quite peaceful.  The first two houses I owned were terraced houses, beautiful old properties but after living in our last property (detached), and being older ourselves now, I knew that for us detached was important in the next house (DH is quite sensitive to noise - despite being a noisy blighter himself).  We are also next to public footpaths through the countryside yet only 15 mins walk from the edge of the town centre.  We did live in the middle of nowhere for a while, but after six years of it I was very happy to move closer to all the amenities - it was only about 20 mins to town in the car but when you're doing it daily sometimes 2 or 3 times, I found I got tired of it.  We're happy with the size of it too - we toyed with buying both bigger and smaller, so this is a decent compromise.

jwil

Great news about the mortgage and the increased offer.

It's a good idea to read back through your diary and see what's important to you.

Good luck with the viewings!

Swayingseaweed

Hope the viewings go well and you find you forever home. 
Seaweed x 

WelshmansDaughter

Funny you say that about reading back through your diary,  there was a post you wrote about what you wanted to do in your house eg art space etc.

savingholmes

Thanks Merlin, Skint, WD, Seaweed, Sandy and Jwil

Work is utterly manic - and seems to be in what can go wrong will go wrong mode. I'm back to difficult conversations mode... 

I went to the really well presented local house - but the garden is much tinier than they make it appear on photos, downstairs is not that overlooked as they have good tree coverage - but the bedrooms you can see right into all of them - so that was a no for me. I am glad I went as on screen it was stunning - but I couldn't cope with how overlooked it was. My current house has field views from upstairs to the front - and the local one I was comparing too wouldn't offer that at all but the Welsh one has absolutely stunning views.

WD - absolutely art space is important to me. Both the houses would have offered that in spades. Based on today's viewing I'm leaning back towards the Welsh house. My cleaner raved about the Welsh one compared with the English one I showed her. It was interesting as she knows me well and she was absolutely pro the Welsh one where my wider family are keen on me not straying out of easier travel distance. Lots to think about still. I'm glad I went rather than wondering about it. I've asked my sis if she can go to the Welsh one with me but she hasn't confirmed yet. 

lucielle

Would you think about taking your cleaner for a look. You sound like you have a great rapport and she knows how you like things. 

L

LeighofMar

Sounds like the Welsh house may be the one. It's giving you the feeling. That feeling is what makes it home rather than a nice house to live in. And I think if you traded the views, you'd regret it later. So excited to see what you pick. 

savingholmes

Thanks Lucielle and Leigh

Yes I'd consider taking my cleaner - I nearly asked her today - but thankfully my sis has  agreed to go with me - although she lives some distance from me so we will meet there. She is a fantastic negotiator so that could help too. She is also a master of the awkward question. Having bought a doer-upper and had plenty of issues with it - she knows what to look for.

LeighofMar said:

Sounds like the Welsh house may be the one. It's giving you the feeling. That feeling is what makes it home rather than a nice house to live in. And I think if you traded the views, you'd regret it later. So excited to see what you pick. 

I would like it to be 'the one' so I can 'move on' in all senses of the word and have some certainty. Downstairs was lovely. The main downside is having to work out where I'd put an ensuite - but at the end of the day - my priority is fitting what I need in - so if I have to sacrifice part of any of the other upstairs rooms - logically I'd do that. I need a minimum of one double bedroom for if my young adult kids come to visit. It's 3 bed but the rooms don't seem particularly big upstairs as that part isn't extended - and I'm unsure if you can fit an ensuite in the footprint of the existing main bedroom. I need a shower - and the toilet could be one of those with washbasin above - I just like the privacy of that being just mine.

I spoke to my cleaner about travelling distances but she feels with the amount I go to various places it's a non-issue really. It was lovely to have a more unbiased perspective - if anything I thought she might be protective of her job and tell me to stay local - but she prioritised my needs. She loved the views (of all the homes with views I showed her) but this is the best quality house I've shown that had views. She also loved the tiered garden - it had low level places you could sit out - and a fenced area the kids could play up high (if nieces and nephews visit etc). I might have to add some railings alongside the steps - but they are all doable things. As I wrote yesterday - that house is cheaper too - so I'd potentially have some cash for improvements.

Treking there again at the weekend will also give me a feel for what repeated journeys feel like. On the plus side - I'd be much closer to Snowdonia, areas of outstanding natural beauty and even my fave beach.

I caught up with one of my other sister's by phone yesterday for ages - and spoke to my mum today too. 

Tahlullah.H

You appear to be drawing towards a decision here, and the Welsh house has it.  OK, it isn't perfect, but what house is?  Someone always wants to change something in a house, if only to make it yours.

I would of course vote for Snowdonia, as it is beautiful, the views, the beaches etc.  However, it is definitely at least 20 miles to Ysbyty Gwynedd, but the new bypass from the Llyn to Bangor has made the journey easier.  Also on the plus side, we have free prescriptions!

I hope the viewing with your sister is fruitful and she is in agreement with your decision.