Regret vs Determination: Selling Home in England

[J Schmitz]

Having lived in our family home in middle England since 2003, we're now finally selling up and heading back to the USA.

There's a difference in property values between here and there, such that I'm hoping equity in our current house will allow BOTH for a new family home AND some investment potential when we get there.

However, the whole "Brexit Thing" has ground property sales to a halt.  That, coupled with a new (government mandated) housing development in our village, means only one house within a two mile radius of ours has sold this year.

As such, I'm now facing a dearth of viewings and one, very low-ball bid... not what I'd planned.

Driving back from a client meeting (I run a small IT service company), I decided that, regardless of what I'd "wanted" out of the house, I would set a finite price that I would call success.  It would be less than I'd hoped for, but if I achieved it, I would not complain, regret or second-guess it.  I would call it a "success" and move on to figure out what the next success needed to be.

Four hours later, my realtor called, rather sheepishly mentioning that we'd had another offer, this time with "exactly" the number I'd determined, in cash.  I'm not a FATE guy, but I recognise an opportunity when it shows its head.

Today, we formally accepted the offer and after the standard 4-6 weeks of lawyer faffing, I'm on my way to Ohio to start shopping for a home and (hopefully) some further investments.

My point is, part of success is defining it, achieving it and moving on.  The past is a place you shouldn't dwell.  The future's where the real opportunities lie.

Ever Upbeat... Your Friend, Jim