It has now been officially a month in our new home; the new build house we have mortgaged. A massive, adulting move! I thought I’d reflect on our experience so far with you today.
Area
Because it’s a new development, everyone is friendly. We all want to meet our neighbours and help each other out. I’ve met so many fellow dog walkers and we’ve stopped for a chat. Our next door neighbours are a lovely couple too, so we feel very grateful after having not so great neighbours in the past.
I walk around the supermarket and expect to recognise someone but I don’t. Not even one person. And that’s so foreign to me. Having lived in my hometown for like 30 years, I’d come to know so many faces. Working in two local schools as well meant knowing the children and their families in our area. Now, there’s none of that. All erased. Just fresh faces and unfamiliar roads.
That’s sad and hard to adjust to. Plus, I don’t know the walking or running routes!
We have everything we need though. Shops, a local park run, doctors, access to motorways, plenty of greenspace (and cows and horses!), charity shops, second hand book store, library, markets, pubs, McDonalds, cinema, you name it!
New build experience
Some people warned us against buying a new build because of the house settling and all the issues that comes along with that. We can’t speak to that experience yet as it’s still early days but so far, we’ve noticed some skirting board cracks only.
I feel very precious about the space. Don’t want to scratch the white walls or scuff the carpet (which have both happened already!). It’s bittersweet as it’s nice to be cautious and care for our space but also makes me hypervigilant and neurotic about it.
Funny story, we ordered a washer-dryer and when they went to install it, there was no hole for the plug and pipes, so they couldn’t. Very long story short, we had to install it ourselves as novices, but didn’t correctly (apparently), and it scratched our floor when it violently waddled along our kitchen! We’ve since got a new one and it’s installed properly but the marks are still there and it’s so sad! Our brand new expensive floor 😦
Interior
We got a bit excited and upgraded a lot of our furniture. I bought new bookshelves for the living room. We have a new corner sofa (a long time coming), new tv, coffee table, dining table (foldable one), garden furniture, bed and mattress, and wardrobes (needed anyway).
This cost quite a bit of bob!
However, we are so happy. It feels so homely and comfortable. I really wanted to make our home feel like a home. A place that’s unique and has our personality – not just look like a show home or a pristine, normal space, you know? There’s still some more to do to achieve that but I also know the house is an ongoing project. Or more than that, it’s an ever-growing, living thing. An entity all its own that we’re pouring ourselves into over time.
I hope we stay here for years, happily setting our roots.
Vibes & final thoughts
There’s parts of our area that aren’t so great. The neighbourhoods which are more, let’s say, lived in. Which is fine! I’m not fancy. I’ve come from an area that’s dubbed “lower class” and “chavvy” and every other derogatory term you can think of, so I’m used to it. It’s just different when it’s not your hometown. Like you can forgive the ugliness of a place you know well, as you do of the people you love when they show their darker side.
All in all, though, the vibes are good. At first, I felt like we were stared at a bit. Especially when we visited our local pub for the first time. However, once we said hi and joined in the pub quiz, we were welcomed with open arms. We had a laugh and a chat with locals and felt part of the tribe. As one of my neighbours said to me, “as long as you integrate and are friendly, [AREA] will accept you completely”.
Our mortgage is more expensive than our rent was, and we have insurance as well which adds to the outgoings. This makes me anxious as someone who worries a lot about money, but I also try to remember that this money is going to a good cause: ownership and assets. The potential for financial freedom or flexibility in the future. I am so grateful and blessed to have the opportunity to do this, however scary it is.
Sincerely,
S. xx
S. R. Crawford 