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Original poster

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:
SoupDragon · 28/06/2012 21:08

I meant that a weekly update would show little change and that, with that amount of work, monthly would be sufficient! Nothing to do with excesssive posting! I love a good property thread.

Original poster
Rhubarbgarden · 28/06/2012 21:10
Smile
OP posts:
Francagoestohollywood · 28/06/2012 21:19

if the one I found is the house you want to buy, you have to have it, it is just absolutely gorgeous!
Good luck OP, I have no advise I am afraid, as we don't live in the UK anymore and not very expert of the market nowadays Smile

SoupDragon · 29/06/2012 06:51

I spend rather too much time looking for my "current favourite house" on Rightmove and reconfiguring the layout to suit my family :o

Original poster
Rhubarbgarden · 29/06/2012 11:06

It's too addictive isn't it? I very much suspect I will continue to be hooked on Rightmove even if we do get this house!

Just realised I haven't thanked everyone for your wishes of good luck - very rude of me, thank you!

OP posts:
EdgarAllenPimms · 30/06/2012 19:12

:)

my garden has gone a bit Heligan of late - two viewings today so pulled it round..

ASillyPhaseIAmGoingThrough · 30/06/2012 20:26

I have been lurking on your threads, I hope you get this one.

Original poster
Rhubarbgarden · 30/06/2012 22:23

It's the weather, Edgar. Plant heaven - everything's gone berserk. We had our first viewing too today. I've never done it before; how much hard work?? Five hours preparing the house for them to spend 15 mins walking round. Lordy, I can't do that every time.

Sillyphase - thank you!

OP posts:
SueHeck · 01/07/2012 09:36

I've found it too. I wouldn't touch a house with a clawback clause in a milllion years. We bought a house with one but insisted it was removed before exchange.

I've been following your threads for a while too and am a bit surprised you are not even on the market. No vendor will take you seriously as you are simply not in a position to proceed. Before asking us about offers atec, you should be ina position to actually make one! You aren't! Sort that first, THEN make offers!

oshuk · 01/07/2012 09:59

What's a clawback clause?

SoupDragon · 01/07/2012 10:17

Basically, if you sell some of the land for development, you have to pay the original vendors X%.

fedup2012 · 01/07/2012 10:17

I think everyone else will offer under the a.p. as it's a doer upper. Stick ti the asking price but let the estate agent know how much you want it.

CuddyMum · 01/07/2012 10:19

Eek, so you haven't sold yet? I'm desperate to offer on a house but know that I can't until I receive a firm offer from a proceedable buyer and am gutted that it is likely that someone else will offer on the house we want. I sympathise with the major cleaning task and prep that needs to be done for a viewing - its exhausting. Although I have to say that the owners of the houses we have viewed have made absolutely zero effort to clean and tidy. On the plus side it makes my house feel immaculate when we walk back in - that is until teenage kids walk around with biscuits, drop their clothes everywhere and squash make up into everything!

anniewoo · 01/07/2012 10:25

I still don't know which house it is but best of luck both with it and your own house sale

SueHeck · 01/07/2012 10:28

Can I ask why you've been viewing and making offers when you aren't even on the market?

SueHeck · 01/07/2012 10:30

Sorry, that sounds snippy but having bought and sold many times few things getting under my skin more than people making offers they can't follow up on, whish is exactly what you are doing.
Sell your house, then you can buy someone else's.

thisoldgirl · 01/07/2012 10:36

If you have a fabulous home in a location that always sells quickly, it is sensible to stay put until you have somewhere that you like even better. I don't think Rhubarb has been unreasonable at all.

Good houses (particularly ones that are owned by property professionals like Rhubarb) properly priced often go under offer to the first or second viewer.

Despite being a so-called property professional myself, I made the mistake of selling my flat and moving into a rented flat to ensure I was chain free for my next purchase.

Unfortunately I was then in rented for two years before buying somewhere that is still not as nice as our previous home. I regret our decision bitterly.

claudedebussy · 01/07/2012 13:32

rhubarb, i love your property threads.

i really hope you get this house.

hope you don't mind me asking, but are you the same rhubarb who lived in france?

Original poster
Rhubarbgarden · 01/07/2012 18:40

I'm not a property professional [chortle] but I have renovated and added significant value to two wrecks properties previously; one a listed building and one in a conservation area, so I'm not completely green.

Our house wasn't on the market until last week for a number of reasons- we have been looking for the right house for a very long time and didn't want to forced to buy a compromise property because we had nowhere to go; properties in this area are selling fast and our house is particularly desirable/saleable for various reasons, oh and I've just had a baby Smile. We have looked at many, many houses and on only once has it been an issue that we were not proceedable. Even on that occasion, the agents rang back within 24hrs and said 'actually the vendors have changed their minds - would you still like to view it?'.

Never lived in France, sorry, must have been another variety of rhubarb!

Thanks for the good wishes. I'm getting nervous about ringing the agents tomorrow to find out what the state of play is following the two open houses. Shock

OP posts:
EdgarAllenPimms · 01/07/2012 20:44

congratulations :)

i had my own little DC4 last sunday and the first house-staging since was quite an effort (even with DH doing most of it :) )

i need to create genetically modified snails that eat only bindweed. i reckon sorting out the first border as they go out is most important, the rest doesn't bear close inspection...

mind you, next doors bought their house thinking it was nicely decorated, and found the lady hadn't painted behind the sofa.

our agents had sent us a bouquet too, which was nice. probably reminding us that we love them as their first 12 weeks is up. enough viewings so am still happy with them.

I looked at your love-house again.... very charming. much more so than the one for 1.5 ....or it could be made so!

fingers crossed they haven't had a better offer.

Ilovepie · 01/07/2012 20:45

It's gorgeous, absolutely amazingly gorgeous. I really hope you buy it but only if you promise to post the 'after' pictures for us to lust after. It would be a good one for the handsome George Clarke from the TV show The Renovation Man to get involved with. Then I could lust over the house and George at the same time. Grin

It does look a money pit though.

noddyholder · 01/07/2012 20:57

Beautiful and lovely place to live `i visit it often

typicalvirgo · 01/07/2012 20:58

YES YES YES YES YES you have got to get George Clarke to help you along.

I have a massive crush on that man as he's from my neck of the woods Grin

(sorry I keep on shouting at you on this thread Rhubarb... I just get easily excited)

Original poster
Rhubarbgarden · 01/07/2012 21:34

Edgar - congrats to you too! Four DCs including one new one and house staging?? [faints] I feel like an amateur.

George Clarke - ooh yes please. Was rather taken by the idea of getting in Ptolomy Dean [weakness for bookish types] too after his architecture practise was mentioned up-thread. DH wasn't as enthusiastic Grin

OP posts:
EdgarAllenPimms · 01/07/2012 22:13

well, it is only 3 kids to manage sadly (didn't move my profile with last namechange so whoops), and the house is only small - the hard work is hiding all their crap and noticing all the things they have managed to sully before a buyer can!

(notices escapee Peppa pig under sofa)

people don't open cupboards do they ? >hopeful