How long would you cling on to a house for?

RHemmings

Yes, really sorry to hear of all of this. Best wishes for a new house without the problems. 

badger09

@annetheman
Really sorry to read your latest update as I’ve followed your journey from the start. 

The +ve aspects of all you’ve been through are that you’re a chain free buyer when you do find your next home, and that you are spending time with your dad. Not in ideal circumstances, but it’s still an opportunity we don't all get. 

Hope you find somewhere better soon. 

RHemmings

badger09 said:

@annetheman
Really sorry to read your latest update as I’ve followed your journey from the start. 

The +ve aspects of all you’ve been through are that you’re a chain free buyer when you do find your next home, and that you are spending time with your dad. Not in ideal circumstances, but it’s still an opportunity we don't all get. 

Hope you find somewhere better soon. 

Plus all the extra experience and knowledge gained during the process, @annetheman. 

EssexHebridean

Ahh I'm really sorry, no matter how much you know that it's the right decision, it won't stop it being "the one that got away" I suspect. 

badger09

EssexHebridean said:

Ahh I'm really sorry, no matter how much you know that it's the right decision, it won't stop it being "the one that got away" I suspect. 

That is so true. 

In November 2020 our vendors had to take their home off the market shortly before we were due to exchange. We went through with sale of our ‘marmite’ house, put everything in storage & moved into temp accommodation. In our 70s, moving twice during lockdowns in winter was stressful! We found this place shortly after and for me it will always be second best. Recently I had an alert that ‘the one’ was for sale again and was surprised how upset I got. Didn’t realise I’d set an alert😢

annetheman

Thanks all for your comments. I do empathise with you badger09, that sounds tough. 

The EA for the other house who rejected my offer in September came back to accept after a sale collapse - I am proceeding (yay, start all this horrible experience again...!) so waiting for MoS right now... for £65,000 more!

I think my brain is coping relatively well so far because I put a comparison table together* and scored them against each other; the new house wins by 1 point, and the major thing I didn't like about it is location and orientation (North East facing garden and literally 2 minutes' walk away from the rodent house)!

I will walk past the rodent house every time I go to the station - I wonder what I will feel..!

*here is my table, if anyone cares to read it -- and I checked the Title documents end-to-end this time Lesson learned for life!

Rodent House: 8 [5/3] - 4	North-East Garden House: 8 [7/1] - 4
Money pit renovations	Easy renovations, refit and decor mostly
Cheapest house on the street, 5.6% discount	Pricey, but 4.4% discount on asking
Small (45sqm)	Big (75sqm)
Big, nice, south-facing garden with trees	North-east facing garden with no plants
Closer to station, feels like an easy walk (7 mins)	Further from station, on par with current (9 mins)
Closer to main road	On a quieter back road but near school
Overpaying at £8,488 per sqm (43 sqm) / £790 per sqft (463 sqft)	Average cost at £5,733 per sqm (75 sqm) £532 per sqft (807 sqft)
Renovations will take over my life	Can live life in between renovations
No idea when I could complete, Title issue un-rectified.	Probably complete in January/February
Ugly house, but can be prettified	Pretty already
Weird shape, awkward proportions	Normal proportions
Can pay off smaller mortgage in <10 years	Will need at least 15 years to pay off mortgage

BonaDea

This new house looks to me to be so much better than the one you lost (or escaped from?)!  I can't remember if you ever said where in the UK you are - is it London? - but if anywhere in the south you may be thanking your lucky stars in climate change years to come that your garden is not south-facing.  I'd much prefer one that was north-east facing - you'll have sun in the mornings and it will be lovely and cool on summer evenings.

Myci85

Hopefully when you walk past everyday you will feel relief that you're not drowning in house renovations and instead have a home to relax in...
We bought in the same village as our one that got away and I drive past it most days. Whilst it would have been a heart house (pretty, characterful victorian, backing onto fields/hills) it was much smaller than the one we bought and would have needed an extension to get the extra bedroom we need. Having just moved, I drive past it thinking we would have really struggled with the downsize as we had way more 'stuff' than I realised, and both work from home regularly. So as much as it's the prettier house, I'm relieved it didn't happen for us. 

twopenny

I went though a nightmare selling my house and then got caught in the temporary property I bought to get me out of the nightmare, because of the pandemic.

Turns out that my 'temporary' place has 90% of what I wished for.

It's not the character or fancy furnishings or even the work to make it a home  - but the location. Good neighbours, I hear laughter and owls out there just now, even the sea yet I'm 5mins from town and 10 from the coast. It's tiny, no character and the money I made on selling has been halved by the rabid inflation so the grey and brown kitchen and lack of rooms small garden are really just problems I can get around.

Keep looking, find somewhere that makes you happy because it has something you love - even if it's only a smaller commute 

badger09

@annetheman
That’s all sounding positive, well, mostly. But I don’t believe in the concept of ‘the perfect’ house. 

Hope this one goes through quickly so you can get on with the rest of your life.