A housing update: Why finding a home is making me want to cry

Half the reason I originally set up this blog was to document our house hunting journey... So I feel obliged to give you an update on the house front. But the truth is, there's not much to update you on I'm afraid.

After viewing some houses a few weeks back (which you can read about here) we ended up going for a second viewing to a house just outside Sevenoaks in Kent, but this time taking my Dad along with us. The house is a 1920s two bedroom semi-detached, with lots of character, beams on the ceiling and a cute cottage garden, with space for Rob to park his motorbike down the side-passage. Just perfect for us! They say that when you find the right house you'll know as soon as you step inside and for me that was the case - I felt so sure it was the one. My dad is an architect and can look at a property with great vision for the future so I really wanted him to be there. I'm so glad he came along because he gave us quite a few options for future extensions and it was nice to have a second opinion too.

Since moving to London in 2008 I've moved about 7 or 8 times (how on earth did that happen?!) but always just in rented properties that I have had no emotional connection to. Buying a house is a whole different ball game all together and at times can leave me feeling overwhelmed and pretty terrified. Although I'm 25 and rely totally on myself and my own income, it still doesn't feel like something I can do or want to do without my dad's seal of approval or practical help. It's just... such a grown-up step! I guess I just don't feel like a proper grown-up yet. Maybe I never will!! Has anyone else found that?!

Anyway - after the viewing we put in an offer on the house. There's currently a sweet old woman living there, who plans on moving in with her son and his family. Great, no chain... ideal! What we were not told until recently however, is that her son has got to find a new home with an annex for her to live in. BOOM. Suddenly there's a chain.

Frustratingly the family don't seem to be in any hurry to find a new home or get moving, which leaves us in a state of limbo. They have been acknowledged of our offer but for now it's just a waiting game until we find out if they have accepted or declined it and when that could be... well how long is a piece of string?! Rob is insistent that we continue looking around and finding other properties that we could potentially fall in love with - and he's right, we shouldn't place all our bets on this one home because they may just decline our offer. We need to have backups. We might even find somewhere better!

I guess it's easy to assume that buying a house is a quick and plain sailing process but I'm beginning to realise that it's far from that, in actual fact it leaves you feeling stressed, vulnerable, drained and irritated. I can't say I'm enjoying feeling those things right now! And what is scary is that we haven't even properly reached the final mortgage stage... what if our offer gets accepted but our mortgage doesn't?! There is so much worry!!

But as with everything else in life, it's important to remain positive... things will fall into place in their own way eventually and for the right reasons. Here's to hoping we may be successful in our house hunting journey in not too long...!!


Lydia xxx