To give up househunt till new year

[Freesiapleaser]

We are in rented having just sold. It's small and cramped and we are struggling but there isn't anything else available to rent.

Three houses.

1. On market 8 months ago. Had to drop c 15% to sell. We put an offer in for more than closest offer but we're unproceedable. Unfortunately owner died and we knew it was coming back on so waited until we knew probate granted and put in same offer. Has gone back to market - no answer from vendor on our offer as 'have to make sure it's the best offer we can get' house isn't in preferred secondary school but on nice rd with views. Is a 1970s not pretty house and needs work. May have a covenant for no extensions on but agent 'not sure'. Wouldn't need to do work now but would eventually. Cheapest house.

1. On next rd along from house 1. Very nice rd. Cheapest on rd but still more than 1m and 13% more than house 1. No utility room. Not in catchment for secondary. We put in 1st offer 10% below asking. Now at 5% under and they still don't know if they want to accept. Cannot afford more and cannot afford building work.

1. 'pretty house' In catchment. Slightly noisy and no garage. Very old fashioned and quite small but ticks all others. Over budget. Has two non proceedable offers - one 7% under one 5% over. Over our budget. We put an offer in 10% under - rejected and estate agent was pretty rude. Can possibly stretch to match 7% under but we will struggle.

Houses 1+2 are literally 100yds from catchment.

There are very few other proceedable buyers around ATM. These sellers don't have to sell (over 70 downsizers both sets) and tbh I don't feel want to. One doesn't know where they want to move to (near one or other child) other dont have anywhere for sale they would consider ATM.
Am I being unreasonable to pull out of all and wait until after Christmas and see if something else comes up.
No- take a back seat over Christmas and give it a break. You're tired and making poor decisions.
Yes - get on with it and up the offers on one of them. (In which case which one).
Sorry it's so long.

I’d say if you can then wait. You don’t sound like you are overjoyed with any of them so wait until the new year with fresh eyes and hopefully a few more options!

More properties seem to come on the market in January

Yup pull out. Everyone is waiting for the budget and most people will wait till new year rather than the faff of listing over Christmas. December is a busy month.

Sounds like none of those people genuinely want to sell, and are they even listing for reasonable prices? Houses that don’t sell are usually overpriced. Are they still thinking they are in the 2021/22 bubble? House prices have dropped (or slowed) since then and mortgage rates are much higher so many people are more cautious.

It's difficult to say.
House 1 - at the offer we put in is at least 50k over the other offers it had in April but still under what they wanted originally.
House 2 they have said they won't drop - the price value we have offered is the lower end of what the estate agent valued at and they want the upper end.
House 3 has never been on the market and is completely original. It feels 'reasonably' priced but it was on in the summer and fell through (because the buyers couldn't get a mortgage, not sure why - it does raise questions ?) and there has only been our offer since. The estate agent said 'well they weren't pleased with that offer' and although beautiful my partner thinks there may be hidden problems. Obviously they want to hold out for their magical non proceedable 5% over who love it and are trying to sell their house desperately to get it.

Houses 2+3 have taken off websites 'to try again to get asking after Christmas '
I feel like non will be easy to deal with and my partner is super fussy and stressed out so I'm just exhausted by the lot of it.

It’s worth taking your time.

Id keep looking, stuff coming on now will be coming on for a reason (most people wait for boxing day) so if you do find something they should be motivated. You're spending a hell of a lot of money, I'd keep looking.

We’re waiting until Feb. Just fed up at the moment.

Wait, you are in such a good position and if those vendors don't see that they soon will then they don't sell.

I viewed a house on the 21st Dec, last day of term and we finished early, put an offer in the following day. You don't have to wait, sometimes keeping on with the search and having a good look when you've got the time is better. Mid-November it would be a rush to get everything done to move in on Christmas eve or something!

I'd chill out but don't take your eye off new listings. Our current house went on the market in mid December last year. We viewed the next day and put in an offer straight away. Seller had found their dream project and were super motivated. Very easy process.