Nearly Half of Homebuyers Have Regrets After Moving In. Here’s How to Avoid Their Mistakes

Buying a house is meant to be one of life’s most exciting milestones.

But for far too many people, it quickly turns into a source of regret.

According to a 2018 survey by home interior company Hillarys.co.uk (as reported by PropertyWire), 44% of UK homeowners would not purchase their current property again if given the choice.

That’s nearly half of all buyers.

In our 20+ years buying properties across England and Wales, we’ve seen this play out hundreds of times: homeowners desperate to sell because they rushed into a purchase they now deeply regret.

In this guide, you’ll discover the five biggest reasons buyers regret their purchase, which property types generate the most remorse, and the exact steps you can take to avoid making the same costly mistakes. If you’re already stuck in a property you regret, I’ll also show you the fastest ways out.

(Already living with regret? Skip straight to What to Do If You’re Already Living with Buyer’s Remorse.)

The Top 5 Reasons Homebuyers Regret Their Purchase

Hillarys’ research identified the most common sources of buyer’s remorse. Let’s break down each one, and more importantly, how to avoid them.

1. Plumbing and Heating Problems (59%)

This is the big one.

And it’s entirely avoidable.

Nearly six in ten regretful buyers cited plumbing and heating issues as their main complaint.

We’re talking leaking pipes, ancient boilers, dodgy radiators, and hidden damp that only shows up after you’ve moved in.

Why it happens: Buyers skip the survey or opt for the cheapest “mortgage valuation” rather than a proper structural survey.

What we’ve seen: We bought a Victorian terrace in Birmingham where the seller had repeatedly patched over rising damp rather than fixing it. The buyer (who’d purchased it two years earlier) hadn’t had a survey done.

By the time they called us, the ground floor was unliveable and the repair bill was north of £15,000.

How to avoid it: Get a full RICS Level 3 Building Survey (formerly called a structural survey) on any older property or anything that looks even slightly worn. It costs £600-£1,000, but it could save you tens of thousands.

2. Property Size Issues (43%)

This one surprises people.

How do you not notice a house is too small?

You’d think you’d notice if a house was too small. But viewing a property empty (or with clever staging) makes rooms look bigger than they are.

What we’ve seen: Families who viewed a house on a sunny Saturday afternoon, loved the garden, made an offer, then realised three months later that the second bedroom barely fits a cot and the kitchen can’t accommodate a proper dining table.

One seller in Manchester told us: “It looked spacious in the photos. In reality, we had to get rid of half our furniture.”

How to avoid it:

• Visit multiple times, including with furniture dimensions in hand
• Bring a tape measure
• Picture your actual furniture in the space
• Don’t fall in love with the staging

3. Neighbour Conflicts (34%)

You can change almost everything about a property.

You can’t change who lives next door.

Over a third of regretful buyers cited problems with neighbours, noise, boundary disputes, anti-social behaviour, or just personality clashes.

What we’ve seen: We’ve purchased properties from owners who were desperate to escape nightmare neighbour situations. One couple in Bristol bought their dream cottage, only to discover the neighbour ran a car repair business from his garden.

Constant noise, oil smells, and vehicles blocking their drive. They lasted 18 months before calling us.

How to avoid it:

• Visit the property at different times of day (and on a weekend)
• Chat to neighbours if you can
• Check planning applications in the area
• Google the address for any news stories or disputes
• Trust your gut, if something feels off during viewings, investigate

4. Area Dissatisfaction (29%)

Nearly three in ten regretful buyers said they didn’t like the area as much as they thought they would.

Maybe the commute turned out to be worse than expected. Maybe the “up and coming” neighbourhood didn’t come up. Maybe the local schools weren’t as good as the estate agent claimed.

What we’ve seen: A couple in Leeds bought a flat in a “vibrant, regenerating area.” Translation: loud, run-down, and showing no signs of improvement. They wanted out within a year.

How to avoid it:

• Research the area thoroughly before viewing (not just after falling in love with the house)
• Walk around at different times of day
• Check school ratings, crime stats, and local amenities
• Test the commute during rush hour
• Spend time in local cafes or shops to get a feel for the community
• Don’t rely on estate agent descriptions

5. Distance from Loved Ones (25%)

A quarter of buyers said they regretted moving too far from family and friends.

This one’s particularly common among first-time buyers stretching their budget by moving further out, or families relocating for work.

What we’ve seen: We bought a house in Kent from a young family who’d moved from London for more space. Sounded great in theory.

In practice, they were spending three hours a day commuting, barely saw their mates, and their parents couldn’t help with childcare anymore. They lasted two years before admitting defeat.

How to avoid it: Be realistic about what you’re willing to sacrifice. More space isn’t worth it if you’re isolated, exhausted, or spending half your life on trains.

Now that you know what goes wrong most often, let’s look at which property types are most likely to leave you with regrets.

Regret Rates Vary Wildly by Property Type

Hillarys’ research also found that some property types generate far more regret than others:

• Terraced houses: 39% regret rate
• Semi-detached homes: 29% regret rate
• Detached properties: 25% regret rate
• Bungalows: 13% regret rate (lowest)

Interesting, isn’t it?

Bungalows, often overlooked by younger buyers, generate the lowest buyer’s remorse.

Meanwhile, terraced houses (popular with first-time buyers stretching their budget) have the highest regret rate.

This tracks with what you’d expect. Terraced houses often come with compromises: shared walls (noise), no side access, limited parking, smaller gardens. Buyers get swept up in the excitement of homeownership and don’t fully think through the trade-offs.

But property type isn’t the only factor. External pressure plays a massive role too, and the data on this is frankly alarming.

Over Half of Buyers Feel Pressured Into Their Purchase

Here’s the really worrying finding: 56% of homebuyers felt rushed into their purchase due to pressure from family members or partners.

More than half.

That suggests a significant number of people in the UK are living in properties they didn’t fully choose.

It’s a common pattern. One partner loves the house; the other has reservations but goes along with it to avoid conflict. Or parents push their kids to “just get on the ladder” before prices go up, even if the property isn’t right.

Tara Hall, spokesperson for Hillarys.co.uk, put it well: “Your home should be where you feel happiest.”

She’s right.

And if you’re feeling pressured, rushed, or uncertain, that’s a red flag. Slow down. Trust your instincts.

A house purchase is too big a decision to rush.

But what if you’ve already made the purchase, and the regret has already set in? You’re not stuck. Here are your options.

What to Do If You’re Already Living with Buyer’s Remorse

If you’re reading this and nodding along because you’re already in a property you regret, you’re not stuck.

Here are your options:

1. Fix the Problems

If the regret is fixable (dodgy plumbing, tired decor, lack of storage), get quotes and see if improvements are affordable.

Sometimes a few thousand pounds spent wisely can transform a property you dislike into one you love.

2. Rent It Out and Move

If you can’t afford to sell yet (maybe you bought recently and haven’t built up equity), consider renting the property out and renting somewhere else yourself. Important: if you have a residential mortgage, you must obtain “Consent to Let” from your lender first or remortgage to a Buy-to-Let product. Renting out without permission breaches your mortgage terms and can trigger serious penalties. If your property is leasehold, check whether the lease requires the freeholder’s consent before subletting. And if the property is in Wales, you must register with Rent Smart Wales, and anyone letting or managing the property themselves will usually need a Rent Smart Wales licence before doing so.

3. Sell Quickly with a Cash Buyer

If the regret is unfixable, wrong area, terrible neighbours, property problems too expensive to repair, the fastest way out is to sell to a cash buyer like us.

We buy properties in any condition, typically complete in 28 days, and cover all legal fees. No estate agent fees, no repairs needed, no chain complications.

We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners escape properties they regret buying.

And we’ve heard every story imaginable.

If you’d like a no-obligation cash offer on your property, call us on 020 8634 0224 or request a valuation online.

Of course, the best cure is prevention. If you’re still house-hunting, here’s exactly how to avoid ending up with buyer’s remorse in the first place.

(Want the quick version? Jump to the 7-point prevention checklist.)

Your 7-Point Checklist to Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

If you’re still house-hunting, here’s your cheat sheet to avoid joining the 44%:

1. Get a proper survey: not just a mortgage valuation. Pay for a full RICS Level 3 survey on older or questionable properties.

2. Visit multiple times: at different times of day, on weekdays and weekends, in different weather. You’ll spot things you missed the first time.

3. Research the area properly: don’t just rely on estate agent patter. Walk around, talk to locals, check crime stats and school ratings.

4. Bring a tape measure: and actually measure rooms. Don’t trust your eyes or the staging.

5. Sleep on it: if you feel pressured to make an offer immediately, walk away. A good property will still be there tomorrow. And if it’s not? There’ll be another one.

6. Trust your gut: if something feels wrong, investigate. Don’t ignore red flags just because you love the kitchen.

7. Don’t stretch your budget to the max: buy somewhere you can comfortably afford, even if it means compromising on size or location. Financial stress ruins homeownership faster than anything else.

Your Next Steps

Here’s what to do right now, depending on where you are in the process:

If you’re currently house-hunting: Before making an offer, work through the 7-point checklist above. Book a proper RICS survey. Visit at different times of day. Bring a tape measure. Research the area thoroughly. And if you feel any pressure or uncertainty, pause.

If you’re already living with buyer’s remorse: You have options. Start by assessing whether the problems are fixable with renovations. If not, consider renting it out while you move elsewhere, or selling quickly to a cash buyer like us to cut your losses and start fresh.

If you know someone who’s house-hunting: Share this article with them. Nearly half of all buyers regret their choice, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Buying a house is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. Take your time. Do your research. Trust your instincts.

Your home should be where you feel happiest, not where you feel trapped.