Buying our forever home – House Buying Series

I recently asked a poll on twitter about what content you would like to see and Buying our House came out on top.

I don’t use twitter polls as much as I should and even though my engagement on twitter has been very sparse lately, it’s nice to see that people who follow me have been keen to respond (thank you so much for that, really means a lot).

Buying a house is the largest purchase people are going to make in their lifetime. It’s not something that in my early 20’s I thought I ever really wanted to do. Renting meant I never had to pay for repairs and I was OK with not having to think about decorating a landing.

It’s weird how things shift though when you get in to your 30’s. Priorities change. Your relationships are more secure, you could even be married and you realise how owning your own home, one you could see yourself getting old in, is really quite an exciting addition to your life.

When I met Claire in 2014 she was already in her own house. At that time I was still paying off debts from my 20’s and I was excited to contribute to a house that had a mortgage.

We decided that I wasn’t going to go on the mortgage, my debts had left a bit of a crummy mark on my credit history and I was waiting to pay them off and wait a little while (to save mainly) before even thinking of trying for a mortgage.

Getting married helped me feel more secure about our home too. Did you know that marrying someone with a home means you are no longer a 1st time buyer? This meant, by law, I was co-owner of this home. Even though I wasn’t on the mortgage deeds. I mean it’s a good job I trust my wife because she could have just sold it from under my feet but I know her and she doesn’t feel like it has come to that yet (fnar fnar).

I loved our little 2 up 2 down home and it has been a great starter home. We currently live around 2 miles away from all of Claire’s family and although it’s not that far, none of them really drive so they never visit.

It’s something I know Claire would love and since losing my Mum the closeness I feel for my in-laws is strong. Some people would say living closer to your in-laws is a no-no. However, I am really lucky that mine are amazing and great fun to be with so it really would be nicer to live a few streets away rather than, what feels like, another dimension.

What you will see in the series

As mentioned, the idea of owning a home can be quite overwhelming. It’s a lot of money and you are paying it off for about a 3rd of your life. Houses are a never ending money pit and dependent on where you live it may feel like a life time away.

I want to bring you series of the process so far in buying a house and beyond. We are currently in the process of completion and we will be moving in around 8-10 weeks so I feel I can share with you what has happened so far and then the progress.

The posts will include:

1. The deposit, saving or otherwise
2. Searching for the right mortgage
3. Choosing your house and what to ask
4. Fees and what to expect
5. What insurances do you need
6. The moving process
7. Selling a house
8. Decorating on a budget
9. Finding good maintenance and repair services
10. Finishing touches, themes and ideas

These 10 are a starting point so please let me know if you want to know anything else?

Please note: The opinions and advice I share will be from my experience only. I am not a financial advisor so always seek advice from professionals.