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Help! I have to get this house!

302 replies

Rhubarbgarden · 25/06/2012 18:06

I am tying myself in knots and looking for advice on a strategy to get an offer accepted. House came on the market last week, we knew pretty much straight away it was The One just from looking at the details. Viewed it on Saturday, during the open house. Fell in love. DH wants it as much as I do. Put in an offer this morning of asking price. I'm not messing around - this is the house I want my kids to grow up in and DH and I to grow old in. The agent has just rung back now - offer rejected. They are having two more open houses this week and if there is a lot of serious interest it will go to sealed bids after that, unless someone makes a really good offer in the meantime.

What is our best approach? Up our offer slightly? Offer our maximum now, and give them a short window to accept in the hope of nipping a bidding war in the bud now? Or will that just give other interested parties chance to outbid us? Do we play it cool and wait till after the weekend in the hope no-one else comes along with 'a really good offer'? If it goes to sealed bids, how much do we offer?

Aargh, I have to have this house! It blows all the others out of the water. There were a lot of people at the open house. I know there will be a lot of interest. It's a doer-upper in a terrible state with a Heligan garden, bags of history and character, and is in a peach of a location where not much comes up.

Shock Confused Shock

OP posts:
libelulle · 26/06/2012 10:19

Quint, all the info you need is right here in the thread - use your nose on rightmove:) I just managed it in 5 minutes. And it is indeed a beautiful house Rhubarb, best of luck with getting it! And don't worry, we've just spent our last meagre pennies doing up a house which I intend not to leave until they bury me on a plot in the garden. But I warn you, it wasn't half the project you're looking to take on, and it has still left me a quivering and broken wreck. Worth it though Grin

angel1976 · 26/06/2012 10:20

I want a PM too. I love property porn and has lurked on your other threads...

Disclaimer: We've bought our house exactly a year ago and now barely has two pennies to rub together and if I remember your threads correctly, your budget was way over ours anyway. Grin

ShowOfHands · 26/06/2012 10:28

Ooooh pm please. I won't buy it. Promise.

PS If it's £2.46* I might buy it.

*contents of purse

FreckledLeopard · 26/06/2012 10:30

Please can someone PM me the link

Ponders · 26/06/2012 10:34

it's more fun to play detective, FL Grin

FreckledLeopard · 26/06/2012 10:44

Please, pretty please, with a cherry on top......

lisad123 · 26/06/2012 10:48

Can someone please link me?? Grin
I can not buy a house but love house porn Wink

BiscuitNibbler · 26/06/2012 11:08

I found it using the information on this thread - Jamie Theakston apparently lives in the village, so I looked that up on Wikipedia, then searched the resulting village on Rightmove for houses that were Grade II / doer-upper / had open days. Took less than 3 minutes.

Ormiriathomimus · 26/06/2012 11:15

Ooh it sounds lovely! Missed the link though

I will just have to imagine it..

Ormiriathomimus · 26/06/2012 11:18

Well done biscuit! I found it too.

V nice but how much???? Shock

angel1976 · 26/06/2012 11:54

Ah, I think I found it too. Does it have a rather uh, distinctly coloured carpet?!!!! Grin

QuintessentialShadows · 26/06/2012 12:14

Somebody pm me please, I cant find it...

angel1976 · 26/06/2012 12:19

Have PM'ed you QS. :)

Rhubarbgarden · 26/06/2012 12:50

Got two estate agents coming round this afternoon to get this place valued and on the market.

My dad did a drive past and is apoplectic.

Oreo in case you were wondering, there is no lake. However a small stream runs along the bottom of the garden so perhaps we could dam it...

OP posts:
oreocrumbs · 26/06/2012 13:05

Grin Well as long as there are plans afoot for a lake I can give my blessing!!

It is very special. There is a touch of magic about the place.

Mintyy · 26/06/2012 13:08

Do you need to sell your house in order to be able to buy? If so I wouldn't get your hopes up Sad.

noseynoonoo · 26/06/2012 13:10

I don't get it. It does look lovely from the front but it not a mere doer-upper but a gut-it-and-start-again - except you can't because it's listed. It makes me feel ill thinking about the work that would be involved. I found having the kitchen done was about my limit.

Personally I think for the total spend including refurb, you can buy a nice house in that village which I know fairly well.

JustFabulous · 26/06/2012 13:17

Why has your dad had that reaction?

ogredownstairs · 26/06/2012 13:19

Obviously I hope for rhubarb's sake that you are in the majority noseynoonoo! Fingers crossed that everyone else thinks it's too big a job for the money...But if I were moving out of London (which I'm not!) my budget would probably be similar and that's the house I'd want too. And that's having barely survived the complete-wreck refurb on the house we're in. I think you either love or loathe a big project.

Northernlurker · 26/06/2012 15:58

I suspect Rhubarb's dad is concerned about the costs involved. I wouldn't proceed further without some sort of surveyor's opinion and I think the restrictions on the redevelopment of the garden will hamper sell on value. I know you don't want to sell it on but life is uncertain. I think this house may be too expensive for you. I also am not surprised at all that your offer was rejected when yours isn't on the market yet. you really need to get yours under offer to be attractive to vendors.

Northernlurker · 26/06/2012 16:00

You should have a chat with the heritage bods too to see what sort of changes they may be happy with and what kind of thing is an absolute no.

claudedebussy · 26/06/2012 17:48

look - because they decide to put it on the market, it isn't a disaster.

the executors of the estate have a duty to sell the house for what it's worth. hang in there. you never know what will happen. a lot of people will be put of by the condition.

you'll also feel better if your offer is accepted, that you've got the house at the right price and not paid over the odds.

SwedishEdith · 26/06/2012 18:07

I can't see a floorplan anywhere.

SoupDragon · 26/06/2012 18:12

the floor plan is in the brochure.

SwedishEdith · 26/06/2012 18:14

Ah, ok, can't be bothered to look that far.