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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Arwa Mahdawi

I bought my own home last year. But I now have big regrets

Houses with 'for sale' and 'sold' signs
‘House-hunting in 2021 was like the Hunger Games …’ Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Here are a few things that I have Googled in the nine months or so since I bought a Victorian terrace home in Philadelphia:

  • Does a crack in the lintel mean my house is going to collapse?

  • Ways to tell if your house is about to fall down

  • How to tell if your pipes are frozen and are going to burst

  • Can you die of asbestos poisoning by accidentally breathing in lots of dust while sticking your head into a hole in the wall to check if your pipes are frozen?

  • Is buying a house a terrible idea even though everyone tells you it’s the pinnacle of adulthood and what everyone should aspire to?

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