I can't get attached to my new house

Hi all, I am a 23 year old Australian woman. I also work as a fill in teacher for local schools around my hometown. This is my first year teaching. Anyway, on coming back to my hometown, I decided at the beginning of the year that I'd like to invest in a property- not renting but buying (This being my first ever major/housing purchase). Thus having an investment property for the future or a place I could move into someday. (As I plan on living in other cities, circumstances allowing) A week ago, after viewing a house I loved several times- and after a stressful purchase (lots of negotiating between the vendor and my family) I finally bought a beautiful retro 1940s property- in great condition, with good character and with lots of its original charm. I got a loan out for the house and came to an agreement with my family about finance. I am still yet to move in, but I feel numb about the house. It is not like how I felt before I bought it. I do not have regrets, but instead worry about paying it off- and have been deflated knowing how much money has and already gone into it. I have worked so hard this year. I am not irresponsible with my money and have always been a dedicated saver- so I know I can manage it given the finance. Yet, I still worry. My fill in teaching work provides decent income, but my work occurs randomly- and weeks can either be filled with working days or otherwise be very limited. Two days a week would be enough to pay off the loan- and currently I am getting more than that. I just need my work to stay consistent for now. I just have wondered if anyone has ever felt like this? This is my dream home- I have always wanted an art deco house and have already began to deck it out with all my retro and beloved possessions. I am not normally a (un)excited person. I have wanted this for as long as I can remember, yet I feel so distant from it. This feeling has taken over so much that I cannot bring myself to tell my friends I have bought a house. I feel a mixture of slight numbness, a small excitement but a niggle of fear toward my purchase. Can anyone help me? How can I make this feeling go? I feel it will go with time, and the possible assurance I can afford to pay it off. Thanks for your time. Erin

There is no need to worry - buying a house is very stressful at the best of times, and there is always going to be some fear of whether you can pay the mortgage, but you should consider this as a sensible investment rather than a risky gamble. Generally, houses retain their value, or appreciate in value, so if the worst came to the worst, you may have to sell it, but you could make money on the sale. Renting is good for people who move location a lot, but if you are settled in a particular area for the long term, then taking on a property is the clear decision if you ask me. Over tine, you may also find that your income increase in relation to your repayments on the house, making your finances more comfortable. If you are single and have a partner in future this could also help out a lot if you have a dual income. Anyway, give this some more thought, and enjoy tailoring your new home to your exact specification - make your mark on it - don't be shy to tell your friends - I'm sure they will congratulate and be very pleased for you!

Great advice, Jonas! Khettle, it is great that you are making what you want happen for you. Your feelings of fear and distance are okay. Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed or unsure, especially in situations that are new to us. When you do start to feel very worried about what is going on in your life, take a step back, and think about what you have already accomplished. Try to think about other times where your feelings were similar. Did everything turn out fine? Did you have to adjust in some way? Did you do everything possible to make the situation a favorable one? The best thing to do may be to wait and see what happens. Look forward to your future. Good luck on your new house, and tell your friends about it. This is a part of your life that needs to be shared! TILES

Jonas, Thankyou for such the prompt reply. What you wrote really helped- it was sensible and generally put my mind at ease. It's so much better to have an objective point of view from someone else rather than let my mind gnaw at worries. Tiles: you are right, Jonas did give me some great advice- but what you said really helped too. It's nice to know I'm not alone in how I feel about buying a house- I mean, I've never done anything like this before- so it's going to seem pretty big in my head. I have a way of blowing worries out of proportion- and I'm sure things can work out if I keep an optimistic attitude. Thankyou both so much. It's so nice to have people so keen to help others. Erin (Khettle)