Basement flat, new obsession

[Steven_in_the_clouds]

Hi all,

I've got a new obsession and I can't stop thinking about. I've got a history of all sorts of 'pure O' OCD but this is more like GAD worry, which is kind of what my OCD has morphed into over the years.

Anyway, I'm in the fortunate position to have bought a flat recently, part of which is on the basement level. It had damp and I've had all the plaster ripped out and I'm getting it tanked with a cement render and replastered. However, all online there are loads of people recommending not to buy basement flats and also that tanking often only lasts six months before damp comes through again.

I am terrified that I've tied up all of my money into this flat and that I won't be able to sell it and that it will be uninhabitable. I can't stop googling about this and convincing myself that I've made a terrible mistake. There is another form of tanking that is recommended but for various reasons it's not feasible and I can't afford it.

Has anyone ever lived in a basement flat that wasn't damp and was nice?? Has anyone here ever had tanking done.

I appreciate this is a random topic for an OCD forum but I can't stop worrying about it.

Any comments appreciated.

[PolarBear]

This is not the forum to be talking about the best way to perform home repairs. But it is a great place to talk about anxiety.

You must stop Googling. Say that to yourself 20 times and then do it. You are only making your anxious situation worse by constantly reminding yourself that things might be bad. Hearing one more story is not going to help you and is not going to make you feel better.

Get into doing other things. Home repairs can become all consuming but you need time away from them and time away from thinking about them. Get exercise. Relax. Watch a funny movie. Do things that have nothing to do with your basement. Give your mind the ability to turn off from the worry and concentrate on something else.

Do the best job you can and that's it. You can't go any further. Be satisfied with what you've done and move on.

[ecomum]

When we built an extension it was a massive trigger for my ocd and it peaked.DIY is stressfull and can make anxiety worse.what i found helped.was to try and look at the positives of it all.instead of thinking about the pitfalls and what could go wrong i focussed on readung interior design mags and getting good ideas for the fun part of DIY.i also spoke to friends who were doing. D i y and laughed about the catastophies we had had.it all seemed more relaxed then and like i was not alone with it.

Enjoy the fact that you own property and say "if it goes wrong ill.deal with it."

I once bought a house and on a february evening i went to plumb in the loo only to find it was attached to mains water and i couldnt stop it.i was flooded and soaked and had to turn off half the street the first time i met my new neighbours.it cost a fortune and i was soaked and frozen but i laugh about it now.

Edited November 23, 2015 by ecomum

[Steven_in_the_clouds]

Thank you both. I feel a bit better today and have tried to stay away from google with mixed success. I didn't realise how stressful doing big renovation work is! It's difficult to maintain perspective and I realised today how anxious and depressed it has been making me.