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Your home is going to be the most expensive thing you ever buy, so obviously a lot of consideration is going to go into buying it. Plus, the process itself is horrendously expensive and oh-so-stressful. How can you be sure it’s worth the sleepless nights, penniless days and hours spent being nice to estate agents? We talked to recent buyers and asked them how they knew their home was the one?
1. Imagine yourself living there
Michelle was heavily pregnant when she and her husband went to view their house. “We walked through it and at the back, there were doors leading out onto decking and a garden. Suddenly, I could picture myself there with a toddler running in and out and I knew it was the house we wanted.” They put an offer in straight away.
2. Would rejection hurt?
In the rush to buy, it’s easy to get panicked into something you don’t really love. Sophie and her boyfriend put an offer in on a beautiful ground floor flat right on a busy road. “I thought I didn’t mind, but then I realized it would mean keeping the blinds down all day if we wanted any privacy. When they rejected the offer, I was actually relieved. We shouldn’t have made an offer in the first place.” If you can live with the thought of not buying it, maybe you shouldn’t try…
3. How does it make you feel?
Amie bought her flat in Tottenham because it reminded her of her parents’ home. "We saw a lot of places that needed work. This one did too but it was a bit knackered and shabby in the same way my mum and dads’ was when I was growing up –and it made me feel at home straight away.” Vibes can matter in a home. If you find one that fits with yours, buy it!
4. Don’t fall for the wrong place
When you find a home you fall in love with, it’s easy to forget the practicalities. Hanna fell in love with a house in Hastings because it had stunning sea views. “We had a list of essentials we wouldn’t compromise on – and the house didn’t have any of them! But when we went through them all and decided, we’d rather have this place than those things. I think it’s fine to change your mind about what matters – but you have to decide to do it, not sleep walk into it.”
5. Love the one you’re with…
If you can’t find the one you love, love the one you’re with. “I knew my house was the one” says Manika “because I ended up buying it! I think people put too much on finding the perfect house. I could be happy in lots of houses and sometimes, you just have to get on with it.”
Ready to buy? Check out these tips for taking your first steps onto the property ladder in this video, by The FSCS.