Choosing a home is stressful enough without outsiders weighing in.

So when one house-hunting couple explained why they were only interested in new builds, they didn’t expect a friend to treat it like a personal attack on his family who was selling their older home.

Suddenly, a simple preference for new construction turned into a full-blown accusation of disrespect.

Read on for the full story.

AITA for not wanting to buy a friend’s parents’ home?

Me and my spouse are in our early 30s and currently house-hunting new builds.

A friend (Nat) heard about this and messaged us saying it’s perfect that we’re in the market because their parents are moving to their homeland and are looking for buyers.

But when the couple declined, things got chaotic.

I politely declined and said we’ve got our eyes set on new builds. Nat then got defensive, stated that his parents’ 2-story home is beautiful, and continued to list all the pros individually.

All of which are true.

This couple had several compelling reasons for their choices.

I responded and said:

(1) We want to be the first homeowners 🤷🏻‍♀️

(2) We only want to remodel/make changes once (in our late 50s, right before retirement age)

(3) We specifically wanted a single-story home because this will be a forever home and we don’t want stairs in our old age

(4) New builds we’re looking at and his parents’ house are the same price (though their home is WAY bigger) — and that’s without updating this and that to make their home our home, and

(5) The home was built in the 1950s so foundations, pipes, etc. are all questionable to us at this point.

Still, their friend wasn’t convinced.

But Nat focused on that last line (“questionable”) and is now calling us AHs and saying people like us are the reason why his parents’ house has been on the market for more than 90 days “but new builds are being reserved and purchased left and right.”

Now they’re left second-guessing everything.

I don’t think we’re the AHs, but another friend said, “He does have a point.” This friend doesn’t necessarily think we’re AHs, but telling us “he has a point” started to make me question our intentions.

AITA?

This friend needs a reality check pronto.

What did Reddit think?

Sometimes giving long-winded explanations can come back to bite you.

This commenter personally wouldn’t purchase a new build, but that doesn’t mean this couple is in the wrong for wanting one.

Maybe, at the end of the day, old homes really are better.

This couple simply can’t let their friend’s inconsequential opinion get in the way of their forever home.

This couple made a choice that fits their long-term lives, not someone else’s expectations.

Their home search should never hinge on someone else’s feelings.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.