We bought a house!

[dolorosa_12]

I'm absolutely shattered with exhaustion and stress (for various reasons, this has not been an easy process), but I wanted to say that as of today, Matthias and I own our own home.

This was something of an unwritten plan for us this year, but I refrained from saying anything about it online because the whole experience has been so fraught and anxious that I was afraid of jinxing things until the contract was signed and the keys were in our hands. That happened today (just sneaking in under the wire before everything shuts for Christmas), and, one frantic dash through the rain later, we have keys, we've been around the new place with a measuring tape to start figuring out where stuff will go, and then we returned home to collapse with exhaustion, and celebrate with homemade mulled wine, and (not homemade) panettone.

There are a million other things to sort out (apart from anything else, we haven't even begun to move house, because I didn't want to give notice to our letting agency until things were absolutely certain not to fall through), but we've done it. We bought a house, and I could cry with relief and delight.

Comments

[likeadeuce]

That's so awesome, congrats!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! I'm so happy, and so relieved.

[misbegotten]

That's fabulous! Congrats!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! I'm over the moon!

[corvidology]

Congratulations!

I can only guess how exhausted you are having seen how complex home buying in the UK has become over the last few years. In the US it's a relatively simple process,

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

As I'm Australian and my husband is German, we had no idea what to expect of the system in the UK. I like that it takes a lot of steps to minimise risk to the buyer, but compared to Australia, it takes ages. In Australia it's normal to make an offer and have everything completed in a month. For us, it took four months, and that was with basically constant pestering of the conveyancer.

[ursula]

Congratulations!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[sixbeforelunch]

Congratulations!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[shadaras]

Congrats! I hope you have time to rest and celebrate before getting to the work of moving. :)

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! We're trying to arrange movers today, and are hoping to move in the first week of January, which would give us a little time to relax.

[rose_griffes]

Exciting! Terrifying! Awesome!

Anyway, congratulations on it.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[silailo]

Congratulations!!!! :D

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[worlds_of_smoke]

Congratulations!! ♥

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[pauraque]

Congrats!!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[nerakrose]

Congrats! May your new home bring you joy :)

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to moving in.

[forestofglory]

Congratulations!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[gingicat]

Best wishes!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[umadoshi]

Congratulations! *^^* I hope the move goes as smoothly as possible.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you — and yes, fingers crossed!

[darkmarcy]

Congrats!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[chestnut_pod]

Wow, mazel tov! What an achievement!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! I'm very relieved!

[laurenthemself]

That's fantastic news. Congratulations!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[torachan]

Congrats!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[thawrecka]

Congratulations! Home ownership is a great feeling.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! It is indeed!

[naye]

Congratulations!! This is the most wonderful news! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it when you start moving, and wish you the best of luck with that process. ♥

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! It is such an incredible relief to have it all (mostly) sorted, and hopefully the move will go comparatively smoothly.

[trepkos]

Wow! Congratulations! It's a great relief not to have to deal with landlords, and to be able to do what you want with your home.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! And yes, having a bit more control over our own living space will be great. I'm really looking forward to it.

[meteordust]

Congratulations! That's wonderful news.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[lyr]

Woot! Congratulations! That's such a big step.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[rekishi]

WOW O_O

What a nice birthday present too! :D

[dolorosa_12]

I know, right? I was so worried it wouldn’t happen, and now that it has I’m just so relieved!

[bruttimabuoni]

That's wonderful news! And honestly, not only are you wise not to give up your rental in case of issues, I think it'll make moving in much easier. The guys who bought downstairs are still in the process of moving after six weeks - partly covid delays, partly just getting stuff fixed before they occupy the space. I am so envious of the chance to do that!

[dolorosa_12]

We definitely made the right decision in terms of keeping on the lease. Our mortgage broker called us and said that they had fifteen people who were meant to complete sales on Monday, but only five of them (Matthias and me included) actually managed to make that happen. And ours only completed at 4.45pm, and we only got the keys at 6pm.

Every step of the process has been so fraught, and so stressful, and required so much chasing up of things by us that I just couldn’t face trying to arrange a house move at the same time. I know a couple of people who bought houses during the first lockdown, and they said that moving house was no problem, but buying the houses was an utter nightmare.