Hunting houses – what the internet does not tell you.

The house look good, the location ok, the agent raved wonderfully over the phone, and then we got there.

The photos from the internet were accurate, and we got exactly what we expected, it was where the map said, and it was in the condition the agent raved about. So what may you ask was the problem? 

The answer is that there is nothing like walking round a house or site to feel what it is that you are getting.  The house we fell in love with on the internet, we still thing is one of the better houses we have seen.  The problem is that what we found when we got there did not feel as right as it did on the internet.  Things you cannot see, such as the fact the neighbour breads dogs (and not small ones) the 40 min drive to the beach leaves you on a beach in a town with no parking.  The sort distance to the major cities, is actually un-commutable.

The simple truth of the matter is that if you are going to invest what potentially could be a substantial sum, it is sensible that you look at more than a web site, take the opinion of more than just the agent, and consider all the facts.  Just because the house is right, does not mean that you should buy it, thee are many factors that go into the selecting of our main house, and as many factors need to be considered when selecting a second home.  The thing to remember is that there are different things to look at.  Some are the same, such as location, others are not.  Whilst your main house may well need to be near to a good school, it is unlikely that your holiday home will need to be.  On the other hand, if you holiday home is to far from an airport it become impracticable.  Additionally if your house is away from the main tourist amenities, you will immediately restrict and reduce your potential earnings from rentals whilst you are not there.

The other thing to remember when hunting houses is that there is more than one agent, and if you miss your dream house, it does not mean the end of the search.  Moving house internationally is generally recognized as on of the 3 most stressful things you can do, with only Divorce and Getting Married ranking above it.

We have in the last few weeks been out house hunting in various locations round Spain, only to come away with more to think about than actual decisions.  What should we compromise on? Is the price on offer realistic? Do the numbers presented as hard fact stack up? If we say yes will we get the lifestyle we wanted, or with all the compromises will we be left disappointed?  Should we go for it, or wait for something with closer to what we want?  These are no doubt the same decisions that will confront all of those who hunt for houses in the sun.  The answer is that you will know when you find what you are looking for and it will all fit with what you need.  Most people who find there dream home are supposed to have made the decision before they walk in the door, and from that point everything just confirms the decision.  Needless to say we have not yet had such a feeling.  We have seen some lovely options, and we have missed out on options that if we had been one day earlier could have been ours, but this was not the case.  Optimism is the word that sums up our mood at the start and frustration is a word that often comes to mind as we leave our house hunts.  That said, we feel that we are committed to continuing our search, and will do so until we get that magic feeling, and we know we have found what we are looking for.

Until next time if you have any questions or comments, drop me a line: andrew@andrics.com