Wwyd? How likely is it that we will move before start of term,and if not,what do I do - and when?

[piranhamorgana]

Hi,sorry for long title!
After having lost sale four times due to chain breaking,I am buying independently with a re-mortgage and a buy-to-let on current property.
Am single parent of 5 and we are re-locating,though I am commuting back this way for work.

However,the chain picked up again just after the purchase got under way,so my solicitor is hoping to tie them in ,after all,which will obviously be cheaper and easier.

Well,all surveys are done,mortgages in place,everyone has filled in and sent back contracts,searches are well under way.My purchasers have asked me to accept less following the survey,which I refused as selling at 30% less than EA's valuation in Feb.So far,no probs there,they are still proceeding.

On my purchase,the sellers gave me a letter by hand when I went in to measure up three weeks ago, in which they had listed all their fixtures and fittings - carpets,ceiling lights,curtain poles,fitted cooker ,fridge,dishwasher (which are built in to kitchen) as being "available to buy for an extra £2000".I sent this to my solicitor ,who has let them know that I will not pay for these,and will not be proceeding if they intend to rip out the kitchen.I know they are desperate to go,and have lost two previous sales,so am hoping they will back down.If they do not,I will pull out and we will take out a rental in new area.

However,I am starting to panic that we have barely three weeks of holidays left.The dc are supposed to be starting term in the new area and have left their schools/nursery here.I have taken August off as unpaid leave and am due to be back in work two days after term starts.

How likely are we to have exchanged and completed in time? Obviously,if my solicitor can't say,then I expect no one here will be able to.

But what should I do? We have spent the best part of the school holidays packing and the house is upside down with only the kitchen free of boxes. The dc have said goodbye to their friends,I cancelled a booked holiday for this week (losing the money) as I didn't want to be out of the country when I could be exchanging/moving.

I am so stressed and anxious and the dc are getting the worst of me. I f I knew this was unlikely to go ahead by Sept 1st ,should I take on a rental in new area so that the dc are there for term? I can't really keep them off school until we move since I still have no idea of a time frame.

I really can't think straight,and am on my own with it all.Am I overlooking a solution here?

[UpsyDaisyDo]

I'm in a similar situation. Due to exchange on the sale of my house tomorrow with completion on 19th September. I've no idea when my vendors will be ready to exchange as they have just started again on the sale of a property after being gazumpted on their original one. There is a flat at the top of the chain as well which will slow things down.

So I've no choice but to keep DS at his current school and keep my fingers crossed we'll be in the new house and new school by half term. We visited the school back in July and they have places but can't guarantee one for him as I can't apply through the council until I've exchanged in the new area. I'm more or less packed and ready to go (single parent here too so trying to be organised). Can't commute as I work in London and the new school is 45 minutes drive away from where we live now (and anyway they still wouldn't give me a place for him as I'm not living in the area).

Have your DC got a place confirmed in their new school? If getting a short term rental is financially viable and you are able to do it it might be worth looking into. I can't see any other solution that you are missing though.

[piranhamorgana]

Lovely to here from someone going through similar ,though sorry for you,too,UpsyDaisy.

Yes,they all have places confirmed and they could lose them easily if we wait.Also,dd1 is in her gcse year and will be making some changes to her curriculum with the move,so needs to get in at the start of the term,or,in all fairness,stay here for the year.Not an option.All the transfer has been done.

dd4 had settled well at nursery,but has lost her place here,now.They can't keep her place in the new one.

The thing is,if I take on a rental,won't I have to commit to a six month contract and therefore probably lose on the purchase if it does go ahead? Plus,I will have to pay a bond .And what about all our stuff? Do I put it in store.

It is a horrible situation.

[UpsyDaisyDo]

Thats the trouble isn't it. Not many places will rent on a week to week basis. I'll be staying with my parents until my new house is ready. Not ideal but possible as there are only the two of us. DS is almost 6.

When do you expect to hear back from your solicitor regarding the extra fixtures and fittings? I guess that's the dealbreaker - if you pull out of that purchase then you're definitely not going to be in for the start of the new term. If you do go ahead and all the enquiries have been answered, surveys and searches are done then I guess in theory its possible. Are there related transactions on both sides? How long is the chain? I really feel for you piranha. I've been a nervous wreck all week and have to keep focussing on the bigger picture to remind myself why I'm doing this.

[piranhamorgana]

I have just spoken to my solicitor and who said we are only waiting for a response re the fittings and that the searches were due back on Monday.She said even if they were later,she could arrange an indemnity -?- so that we could still exchange on Monday pending her seeing them.It costs about £50, apparently.

I said I was prepared to pull out of the purchase if we could not exchange before 1st September,but that even at that date,I may have to defer completion depending on time-frame/rental agreements.

This has been swiftly conveyed to the vendors,who have backed down and will leave it all as is. Phew! Good news on that.
Now my solicitor will work towards exchanging on Monday.Not sure yet if that means we could move on Friday.

This is - nearly - getting there.
Now,I have a major panic re removals,as it won't be easy to get a van at this short notice.
Plus,all the older dc are away next week with their dad,on holiday.
I will just have baby dd,who is 16mo and into everything.She and I are both used to having the older ones around to amuse her.
It's not going to be easy finalising everything on my own.

Don't think my sale is as ready,so could be that I will be able to do a move over a week or so.A bit at a time.

[UpsyDaisyDo]

Oh that's great news. You're right, it won't be easy finalising everything on your own piranha but it you will do it. Have you got someone who can look after the baby while you sort things out? There are plenty of removal vans out there and not a huge amount of people moving house so I'm sure you'll find someone able to do it on the dates you want.

[wannaBe]

well, it's unlikely you will be able to aply for school places until you are in the new house anyway tbh. We have just moved and in order to apply for a school place we have to:

have completed here (we have)

Provide:

ds' birth certificate, proof that we have left Swindon, that is a council tax advisery plus a letter from solicitors. proof of our new address in form of utility bill. proof of council tax here,

and even then most admissions departments are closed until the beginning of term so although I can submit the application (have only just been able to get all the info needed even though we moved two weeks ago) they say to allow up to three weeks for the process to happen which means it's highly likely ds won't start at the beginning of term even though we moved here well before the beginning of term.

Tbh I think it's highly unlikely your dc would have places confirmed at a new school if you don't yet have a proven address in the area, sorry.

[PlumSykes]

When you exchange, you have to have a firm date for completion that everyone agrees too, so if you're exchanging on Mon, you'll know by then for sure when your moving date is.

[UpsyDaisyDo]

maybe dc have places at a private school wannaBe? The admissions procedure is probably different to state school.

[BambiGascoigne]

Am in a similar situation - it's a nightmare!!!
Relocating for new job which I have now started and am having to live in hotels until house sale completes. Dh and ds are a couple of hundred miles away so I will go home at weekends. Ds has a statement of SEN and we had a really good school for him to start at in September but this is obviously not going to happen now. Can't apply for new school until exchange and don't yet know when that will be. Can't put ds in new school as have not bought uniform (no point) and due to SN cannot just put him there for a few weeks and then pull him out as he hates change. Don't know what to do really .

[wannaBe]

well of course private school is different as they'll take anyone as long as you can pay and catchment is irrelevant.

[piranhamorgana]

No,not a private school.We are in Wales,maybe it is different in England?

My children are educated in Welsh as a first language,which is common in the area we are moving from,but less so in the new area.The most important admission criteria is that they are fluent in Welsh and English,and in dd1 and 2's case ,doing GCSE's in Welsh medium.

We spent a day going through the admissions procedures and they all spent a day in their new schools during the last week of term. I was asked to provide confirmation of the prospective address.Obviously,if we are not living there - or an alternative address in the catchment area - on the first day of term,they will not be able to attend.

Sorry,Bambi,that sounds awful

I am in a real panic about packing and arranging removals.

[piranhamorgana]

We are exchanging on the purchase on Tuesday.I have paid the deposit,and the searches are back and ok.The sellers are away until then,so can't sign contracts.

The sale of my house is not ready,so,as I don't have to be out on the same day, I will pack everything,but take only essentials when we complete on the 30th. My friend is renting my house starting from 1st Sept,but will move out as soon as the sale exchanges.I will book the van to bring everything else over on Fri 2nd.

Am then back in work the following Tuesday.Term starts then,too.
So,if all goes according to plan....we could just make it.