Dec 2011: Running around after our Cybermidgets...

[Aethelfleda]

Roll up, roll up, it's the Dec 11 new thread.
Prepare to be upgraded (if you can catch them!)

How about just Yorkshire summer, you weird ass Lancastrians can do as you will

Right, wise women of the thread, I want your views on an offer.

We originally had it £150+; had a few viewings, and then dropped to £140-£150. I'd put it in the middle of what we'd been quoted from the EAs, as I know our loft conversion is dodgy and wanted wiggle room.
We've now been offered £140, no negotiation. It's from a first time buyer (they who came round at the weekend...turns out that although the daughter's getting it, the parents are 'regular' housebuyers). They asked about an indemnity for the loft...?!?

Should we go for it?

There's nowhere we particularly desperately want, although one of the houses we offered on is still on the market.

Let me have your experience!

Just about to have dinner, so will catch up shortly.

What have other houses in the immediate area gone for recently? If possible check the ones without conversions, as you can cite that as a rough floor price.

What do you need to move? If you have no offers in then I would caution against a large drop just to get a buyer: it's possible they will get the survey and then drop their offer further. It's v unlikely once an offer is accepted you'd be able to get any more out of them, so think carefully. When you've been looking at houses, what bracket are they in what mortgage can you stretch to, add this plus the fees/stamp duty (think 6k plus stamp duty for most properties) work out how much you NEED to grt stuff in your price bracket. If you're within a few grand then maybe going from 145 to 140 is worth it....but if you don't have an offer in on a specific property it's probably not the time to fold.

Also, when people say "that's all I'll give" they are SO trying it on. Just say "that's nice but we need xx" (and make that a few grand higher than you want). So if they offer 140, you know they won't pay the 150 asking, so say "ooh it's got to be 148 or we can't trade up", cite you have interest on another house (they don't have to know the stage of your offer). If you like that other house, offer on it and see what they say, let em know you have an offer on the table. If they accept yOur offer, do the sums and go back to your buyer.
Tell em final need is for £145, take it or leave it cos you can't move on your vendor with less. You may well get that 145. If they walk, wave politely and say bye, they may be back next week and offer it, in the meantime keep showing and ask the EA to mention you've had an offer recently!!....

Tho I hasten to add I have only my own experience in this and I quite enjoy a bit of a haggle the main thing is don't be intimidated into accepting a low price just to get a buyer if you don't have a place in mind, when its a rush your price can then be dropped cos it balances the ££ against the need to move fast. But it won't work if the offer isn't enough for you to move on yourself!

Good words from aethel.
In my experience, when I sold mine houses just weren't moving unless they were bargains.
My house was easily worth £110k in that current market. It was up for 115, but we hadn't seen many people, and had no offers.
Because I wanted to trade up (to over 300k) it made very little difference to my future mortgage to drop the price to 99.950 to get a quick sale.
I got the sale (slowly), and then didn't get the house we wanted, and ended up paying more than our mortgage was to rent somewhere half as nice for 6 months until we found our dream home at Ashworth Towers.
In summary, a sale (at an affordable price to you) is a valuable thing and puts you in a good position to buy. But there may be discomfort along the way. But you will then get your dream home and it will all be ok.

...but you may lose the use of commas.
As for Yorkshire sun, you may relinquish it I'm sick of you lot having all our sun and making us have all the rain.

Last house I was involved in buying cost us £25k...

Today I am drinking diet coke and hoping my debit card shows up tomorrow as I'm fit to swing for the spawns!

Thanks so far ladies, your views are appreciated.

We're thinking potentially accept, but telling them it's non negotiable, so they can either take it or pull out, even if the survey finds radioactive rats in the basement gnawing on the foundations causing subsidence. We won't go below £140 at all.
Or it'll be aethel's plan.
And also giving notice to our agents so if it does fall through we'll go the on-line estate agent route....

Yours ILs sound trying Hop. DP and I do work in that area, and my oldest friend does that job, and whenever one of these 'SWs stealing babies' bits comes up we know there's more to it. Some times they are a bit crap, or get things wrong, like we all do, but generally if there's an issue it's because they leave the kids with the family for too long....

I'd take DS figgy, can't do any harm to get him checked out especially if there's even a hint of a family issue.

We're in the same boat Cheung, DS is fairly non-verbal but physically coming on really well. He now has 'Oh No'!, but sounds like a computer-game Lemming. From Hull. And if he didn't throw his damn spoon we'd be happier too....

So Northern have you made the decision now? We have been in our house 7 years next month i have forgotten all about how stressful it all is much sympathy to you!!

DS ended up in Dr's yesterday anyway as his eyes were streaming they were bright pink and his nose was running like a tap we have just moved Surgeries and the new one has open surgery from 4-6 so DH took him round as he also had an appt about his knee. DS left with eye drops and DH left with lots of anti inflammatorys, had a blood test and a scan booked for tomorrow hopefully they will be more keen to help DH as he is so down at the moment i am trying to be supportive but it is getting me down now too. We cant go out and do the things we usually do as a family as he basically cant walk. So how do i get eye drops into a 19mo who wont stay still?

Last night was a bit of a relief from the misery as our friend from Oz is going back tomorrow after a week long visit so 9 of us and 3 kids went out for dinner went to local pub with huge beer garden and slide, climbing frame, swings so we could say bye and the kids could run off some steam. Was lovely!!

Just back from a bike ride, my last bit of training prior to doing the London triathlon on Saturday. I haven't done one since 2009, just before I got pregnant with DD, and am nowhere near as fit as I was then, so my only aim is to get round in one piece. The weather forecast for London on sat is 29 degrees, so I'm not sure I'll even achieve that aim. I may well melt! It was ok riding today, but felt boiling when I stopped, and the last thing I felt like doing was running 5k

Ow ow ow, I stupidly shut my finger in the hinge of the bathroom door. It cut pretty deep behind the nail, bled lots and generally hurts like hell.

figgy I hope they manage to fix your DH, that sounds really painful. I find when DH is stressed or miserable it really affects me too. No idea about the drops, aethel is bound to have the answer though.

northern nothing new to add but hope it goes smoothly if you decide to accept.

I agree with octo, summer can clear off. Our garden hit 31 this afternoon, which is virtually unheard off right on the east coast. It's making DD2 miserable and there's just no air today.

faffin good luck, can't think of anything worse in this heat!

faffin you are one braaave lady!

figgy I know naaaaathing about eye drops.... Ok, this may be worth a try. Firstly, be aware that approaching the eye from the sid and behind is less lilely to make them blink as they can't see the dropper coming. Second, pit drop in the outer edge only. Third, put them in a two-arm cuddle (face away from you sat on your lap, cross their arms for them and use one arm to cuddle them over their arms: the other arm is used to wriggle in the drops (or use reenforcememts to put em in while you cuddle!) some mums find wrapping child up in a bath towel helps reduce the wriggling/arm flail factor. Other people are sneaky and put them in during a nap!!

DD1 watched Junior masterchef today, and promptly announced she wanted to make dinner. So we are having chicken korma followed by fruity squirty cream surprise!!!

DH accepted the house sale offer! (He got an extra 500quid only - but it all helps!)
How's your decision going northern?
Faffin - go girl! Maybe we'll see you up in Bolton next year doing the Iron Man?
Hope your DH gets sorted Figgy. (Apart from anything else, sad, grumpy DHs are very wearing!)
Good words from aethel as ever! I particularly liked the obvious (but would never have been thought of) wrap 'em in a towel. Genius!
No relate tonight.
I'll try and be nice to him instead.

Good luck oi, it's worth trying.....

, hope the finger is less painful soon! i shut my finger in the front door last month and the nail is just now growing back.....

Shall we club together for a theead walk-in deep freeze for those of us allergic to summer?

Figgy we had to put cream in DS's eyes for conjunctivitis. Wasn't fun, we went with the 'one of us pin him down while the other one puts cream in the eyes' approach. Lots and lots of cuddles and chocolate buttons afterwards.

No advice on house selling Northern, I'm afraid.

Wow faffin, well impressive. Hope it goes brilliantly at the weekend and isn't too hot.

Oi hope the being nice goes well!

Query... Minimopsy has a bright red nappy rash in between her bum cheeks that goes all the way up around the first half of her vulva from her bum. Is it normal for nappy rash to spread like that? Looks sore.

Tiler came and did kitchen splash back. Looks fab now. Unfortunately two sockets don't work now and one of them is for washing machine which stopped mid cycle so clothes sopping The tiler can't have done much as electricity was always on. I'm wondering if there was a loose connection which got knocked out when he was tiling around the socket. Anyway v annoying. Hope we don't have to get electrician and spend a fortune Mr. Mopsy is taking a look as I type...

Hope you are not all too hot and sweaty! Horribly humid here.

In positive news, minim cried twenty minutes at bedtime and that was all. I think operation soother removal is so far going well!

Mr. Mopsy saved the day! Just a loose connection. Phew.

Thanks aethel. I'm not great with blood and I've soaked through 4 plasters, plus half the tea-towel I initially put round it.

mopsy hope it's not electrician-worthy. Eva has had rash there before but has always often had awful nappy rash so it isn't out of character. I'd try metanium for a couple of days then try GP if there's no improvrment, unless anyone has any better advice.

oi Great news about the house. They say good things come in three's, first northerns offer, then your DH, hopefully cheung will be next.

DD2 has her follow up from the Nutramigen trial tomorrow. She seems to have made a real improvement the last few days. Today she's not been quite as good, but in all fairness the heat is even making me fed up.

Ugh seven your poor finger. Hope it isn't too painful for too long.

Thanks for nappy rash reassurance.

New pic of DD2 on my profile

Ouch seven, I hope the finger mends soon

mopsy pleased to hear kitchen is going well and that soother removal is getting better too. I'm just not that brave to try it with DS yet, especially because his canines are coming through at the moment, poor little man.

Thanks all for the good luck wishes. I will of course let you know how it goes. I'm hoping that having the DC's there to cheer me on will spur me over the finish line!

Oh and thanks for posting the pic seven, DD2 is gorgeous. Lets hope she's now on the right formula and that beautiful smile is here to stay

Yeah faffin, minim was getting her 4 eye teeth (canines?) throughout June/July so I only started now as she was miserable enough. Astonished at how fine it has been except for those few awful hours on Monday. Astonished and relieved! Fingers crossed it continues like this...