Do you have a bad feeling that you just bought the wrong house? Are you experiencing buyer’s remorse? It’s completely normal to feel a little buyer’s remorse after buying a house, especially if you’ve been through a tough bidding war! But if it’s causing you a lot of distress, it’s possible you made a mistake and chose the wrong house. Here are warning signs that could indicate you’ve bought the wrong house.
Warning Signs You Bought the Wrong House
Horrible Commute
You might have bought the wrong house if you now have a bad commute to work. It’s possible that you didn’t realize this until after moving in. Your commute is now taking much longer than you anticipated.
It could be something as simple as the kids’ school bus schedule not aligning with your train schedule. As a result, you find yourself arriving late to the office every day! It’s these little details that are now making you question whether you made the right decision in buying this house!
House Feels Small
You know you’ve bought the wrong house when you move in and realize it’s not the right fit for your family. Perhaps it feels too small, making the morning rush a nightmare due to the lack of a bathroom. You find yourself wishing for a larger house with an extra bathroom to meet your family’s needs.
Or maybe you’re noticing that the kitchen storage is inadequate for your lifestyle, and you regret not choosing a home with a bigger kitchen and a walk-in pantry. These are signs that you bought the wrong house.
Lots of Repairs
One sign that you bought the wrong house is that you are dealing with numerous repairs soon after moving in. Major appliances like washers and dryers start to break down, which could be a result of buying a home with aging appliances. Most appliances typically start breaking down at around 10 years old!
Or maybe you’re noticing plumbing issues that require fixing, it could be a sign that the house is deteriorating and will demand extensive repairs in the future.
Inconvenient
You know you picked the wrong house when it just doesn’t feel convenient. Maybe it didn’t hit you until after you moved in, but then you realize the location doesn’t suit your lifestyle.
For example, if you’re new to suburban life and find yourself wishing you were closer to grocery stores, shops, and restaurants, that’s a sign. If it takes you 25 minutes to drive to the nearest grocery store and you wish your home was in a more convenient location, perhaps closer to downtown, then maybe the house isn’t the right one for you.
Does Not Fit Lifestyle
If the house you bought doesn’t match your lifestyle, it could be a sign that you made the wrong choice. For example, if you are used to walking everywhere but you bought a house in an area where walking isn’t practical, such as on a narrow, winding country road with no sidewalks, it may not be the right fit for you.
Or maybe you have kids and wish you lived in a neighborhood with block parties and lots of kids living on the street. That is a sign that your house is not right for you.
Wrong School
One major sign that you bought the wrong house is if you’re zoned for a school that doesn’t meet your child’s needs. Maybe you bought the house before having kids, so you didn’t pay much attention to the school district. Now that you have a child, you realize that your home is zoned for the wrong school- not the one you want to send your child to. This is a clear sign that you picked the wrong house.
No School Bus
One sign that you bought the wrong house is that you don’t have access to school bus transportation. Perhaps you had assumed all homes had school bus service and didn’t verify before buying. Now that you’ve moved in, you realize there’s no school bus transportation.
Maybe your home is located too close to school, and your kids are expected to walk to school. Or maybe your town simply doesn’t provide school bus transportation.
Either way, it’s inconvenient for you to have to drop off and pick up your kids at school every day. If this is the case, then it’s a clear sign that the house is wrong for you.
Too Expensive to Maintain
One way to tell you bought the wrong house is when you start paying unexpectedly high utilities and maintenance costs. Maybe you didn’t realize how expensive it would be to maintain the home.
It could be that the yard is too big and the landscaping is very expensive. Or maybe the electric bill is way higher than you thought it would be. When you’re feeling the financial pressure of taking care of the house, that’s a sign that you might have made the wrong choice.
Wrong Layout
If you feel unhappy with the layout of your house, it’s a sign that you bought the wrong house. It’s possible that you didn’t notice it initially, but after moving in, you realize that the kitchen layout doesn’t work for you. For example, you might wish that the island sink didn’t directly face the main kitchen sink, making it inconvenient for two people to use the sink at the same time. Or maybe your house layout isn’t ideal for hosting parties, and you long for a more open flow that is better for entertaining.
Too Dark
One sign that you bought the wrong house is that after moving in, you start to realize that your home is too dark. Maybe you didn’t notice that your home lacks natural light.
Perhaps you viewed the house at night, so you didn’t see how it looks in the daytime.
Sure, you can try improving the situation by trimming trees, but if you still have a nagging feeling and your home still feels too dark, then maybe you really did buy the wrong house.
Not Safe
If you feel unsafe in your neighborhood, it’s a sign that you bought the wrong house. Perhaps you hadn’t noticed before, but if there’s a lot of police activity or if you often see people just loitering around, it might not be the best neighborhood for you.
Also, if you’re noticing vandalism around your neighborhood and it’s making you feel unsafe. These are signs that perhaps you bought the wrong house.
10 Surprising Things No One Tells You About Buying a House in the Suburbs
11 Signs You are Buying a House that’s a Money Pit
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods to Buy a House In (You Will Regret It)