ad // Over the course of 2022 so far, my partner and I have been talking about buying our own home. This certainly isn’t something that’s going to happen in the next few months but within the next year, we hope to have got the ball rolling with savings, mortgages, research and the process of buying a home.
I feel like I’m pretty old and late to the party on this one. I’m 30 this year and personal circumstances have meant that I’ve felt like I’ve fallen behind on where I want to be in my life. I know I’m going to have people say to me that “everyone is on their own timeline” and whilst that’s a valid observation, it doesn’t apply to me.
I don’t feel like I’m on the timeline I should have been on.
But that’s another discussion for another day. Because today I want to talk more about property and the things that I’m thinking about and pondering at the moment, now that I’m hoping to have my own house sooner rather than later.
So here are 4 things I’m currently thinking about it regard to owning my own home!
Location
Obviously location is a BIG point. We currently live in Essex, around 20 minutes away from the center of London and I have absolutely no desire to be in or near London (or any city for that matter) when I own my own home. I work from home and I’m self employed, so I have the luxury of being able to be more flexible with this point.
My partner however IS employed, so he would have to be relocated to a different store, if we decided to move away from London. His parents still live in Lincolnshire, where he lived before he came here to be with me. I absolutely LOVE Lincolnshire from the number of times I’ve been up to visit – so that’s somewhere we’re seriously considering!
Safety and security
A lot of things fall under this category, from the crime rates in your area to making sure our belongings and home are protected with home buyers protection insurance. Obviously nowhere is 100% safe, I think that’s a given. But feeling safe and secure in a home and area is definitely important to me. Firstly, because I work from home and secondly, for if I had kids in the future.
The future
Which brings me nicely onto my next point. The future. The big scary future. A big aspect that I’m thinking about when I’m scrolling through Right Move looking at properties is how it’s going to fit our needs in the future. We really want to get 2 dogs and are on the same page about having children.
This is another reason why relocating to Lincolnshire would be hugely beneficial for us; we could get a MUCH bigger house that would be ideal for all our future hopes and dreams compared to what you can get in the South East. Which is basically a garden shed for the same price.
Maintenance and upgrades
And finally, maintenance and upgrades is something I’m considering too. Obviously we’d like to move into a house that doesn’t need much work done to it but I’m willing to compromise on that because I think it would be exciting to do some renovations. Budget allowing.
We couldn’t afford to move into somewhere that needed EVERY room re-done and a ton of maintenance work but a few bits and pieces would be okay.
Best wishes with all the moving plans Jenny, it’s an exciting time, it certainly makes sense to buy in an area where you will get more house for you money if that suits your circumstances and plans at the moment. I know a few people in Essex who have moved/trying to move and improve their quality of life, away from the hustle and bustle. The lockdowns/working from home have had a big influence on this as well.🏡✨
Definitely! I’ve always worked from home so I do have the luxury of kinda being able to go anywhere I want (if only it was that easy!)
Great post, and excellent considerations. We have been keeping an eye on the housing market, and we definitely agree that location matters. Buying a house is a place where you feel comfortable and fits your plans is crucial. Thank you for sharing!
Yes absolutely!
These are 4 good things to think about when buying a new home, I would definitely take all these things into consideration too x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
We have owned before and only sold the last place because of a downturn in the economy (in 2008-2009), which made me think I couldn’t earn enough to ever pay it off. So, we lived in an RV for 11 years and now, are considering buying again (though it is a sellers market here in Florida USA at present). Ugh!
You’re right about Location as the biggest factor. How close to services you’ll want/need, noise or pollution issues, etc.
We’re doing that too! Preparing to buy.