How do you know if the house is THE ONE?

Cearl2024

We went for location as our priority, but I know what you mean about a house feeling. I guess the quicker you get on the ladder,  the sooner you will have other options available to you. Best of luck, moving was a stressful experience for us !

Myci85

We are in the position we can't afford our dream house as we are FTB, but we had found a house after casually looking for 1.5 years waiting to be ready to buy, which we both fell in love with and knew as soon as we viewed that despite the few compromises, we wanted to live there. Sadly whilst waiting for a useless broker to process our DIP so we could put offer in, it has now sold. No other houses available in the areas we can consider match up now, either not enough space, no character or no parking, and we're starting to realise we are just going to have to buy a house that is good enough for now, and wait for a few years before trying to find a house we love. It's just hard to accept when we literally missed out on the beautiful house by a matter of days! 

MeteredOut

Myci85 said:

We are in the position we can't afford our dream house as we are FTB, but we had found a house after casually looking for 1.5 years waiting to be ready to buy, which we both fell in love with and knew as soon as we viewed that despite the few compromises, we wanted to live there. Sadly whilst waiting for a useless broker to process our DIP so we could put offer in, it has now sold. No other houses available in the areas we can consider match up now, either not enough space, no character or no parking, and we're starting to realise we are just going to have to buy a house that is good enough for now, and wait for a few years before trying to find a house we love. It's just hard to accept when we literally missed out on the beautiful house by a matter of days! 

If it’s any consolation, very few first time buyers have ever been able to afford their dream home, and most have had to compromise as you have done.

housebuyer143

Myci85 said:

We are in the position we can't afford our dream house as we are FTB, but we had found a house after casually looking for 1.5 years waiting to be ready to buy, which we both fell in love with and knew as soon as we viewed that despite the few compromises, we wanted to live there. Sadly whilst waiting for a useless broker to process our DIP so we could put offer in, it has now sold. No other houses available in the areas we can consider match up now, either not enough space, no character or no parking, and we're starting to realise we are just going to have to buy a house that is good enough for now, and wait for a few years before trying to find a house we love. It's just hard to accept when we literally missed out on the beautiful house by a matter of days! 

It might fall through and then you will get another chance. I lost my perfect house to a cash buyer. 2 weeks later it appears back on the market and now I live here! Everything happens for a reason.

Myci85

housebuyer143 said:

Myci85 said:

We are in the position we can't afford our dream house as we are FTB, but we had found a house after casually looking for 1.5 years waiting to be ready to buy, which we both fell in love with and knew as soon as we viewed that despite the few compromises, we wanted to live there. Sadly whilst waiting for a useless broker to process our DIP so we could put offer in, it has now sold. No other houses available in the areas we can consider match up now, either not enough space, no character or no parking, and we're starting to realise we are just going to have to buy a house that is good enough for now, and wait for a few years before trying to find a house we love. It's just hard to accept when we literally missed out on the beautiful house by a matter of days! 

It might fall through and then you will get another chance. I lost my perfect house to a cash buyer. 2 weeks later it appears back on the market and now I live here! Everything happens for a reason.

I am really hoping that it will fall through. But I also know the vendor has already had 2 sales fall through, 1 a short while in, 1 after several months. So I'm wondering how likely a 3rd will fall through in reality. But clinging to the belief that if it's meant to be our house, it will happen. 

annetheman

If it's any consolation, I think that's a good problem to have (not to know/feel the feeling) because I fall in love with every house, and look past insurmountable problems that I really shouldn't!

No regrets so far - I just "make do" - but I do feel I've lost money by making emotive decisions. I think there's nothing wrong with coming to a rational, measured conclusion based on pros overweighing cons and no dealbreakers versus magical unicorn feelings.

EssexHebridean

Myci85 said:

housebuyer143 said:

Myci85 said:

We are in the position we can't afford our dream house as we are FTB, but we had found a house after casually looking for 1.5 years waiting to be ready to buy, which we both fell in love with and knew as soon as we viewed that despite the few compromises, we wanted to live there. Sadly whilst waiting for a useless broker to process our DIP so we could put offer in, it has now sold. No other houses available in the areas we can consider match up now, either not enough space, no character or no parking, and we're starting to realise we are just going to have to buy a house that is good enough for now, and wait for a few years before trying to find a house we love. It's just hard to accept when we literally missed out on the beautiful house by a matter of days! 

It might fall through and then you will get another chance. I lost my perfect house to a cash buyer. 2 weeks later it appears back on the market and now I live here! Everything happens for a reason.

I am really hoping that it will fall through. But I also know the vendor has already had 2 sales fall through, 1 a short while in, 1 after several months. So I'm wondering how likely a 3rd will fall through in reality. But clinging to the belief that if it's meant to be our house, it will happen. 

If this one does fall through then I would suggest you proceed with great caution - 1 is just one of those things, it happens, 2 is unlucky. 3 however would suggest that there could be an issue with either the house, or it’s seller…. 

[Deleted User]

Most British houses are crap. As you have found, "3 bedrooms" is often 2 bedrooms and a cupboard. Almost none of them have been designed well. Terraces and badly laid out estates mean there is always a possibility of neighbour problems.

I could go on, you get the point.

So figure out what is important, and what is essential, and prepare to compromise on everything else. It feels wrong paying so much for something so compromised and outright bad in many aspects, but that's life here in Britain.

MeteredOut

[Deleted User] said:

Most British houses are crap. As you have found, "3 bedrooms" is often 2 bedrooms and a cupboard. Almost none of them have been designed well. Terraces and badly laid out estates mean there is always a possibility of neighbour problems.

I could go on, you get the point.

So figure out what is important, and what is essential, and prepare to compromise on everything else. It feels wrong paying so much for something so compromised and outright bad in many aspects, but that's life here in Britain.

Not one for this thread, but I'd be interested (in a new thread) for your full list of reasons why "most British houses are crap". That's certainly not been my experience across the multiple houses I've bought and sold.

Bluebell1000

Previous house was one that ticked our boxes and we needed to move for work - I liked it, but never loved it. 
When we were looking, it took us about 6 months to find something better - in fact we'd just about given up - this was the last one we were going to see before we took a break from house hunting. It didn't tick quite a few of our boxes, but it felt right, and we made an asking price offer on the spot. No regrets