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The decluttering, cleaning, vacating, pandering, nailbiting antics of the stressed out house sellers continued...

999 replies

CuddyMum · 11/04/2013 16:47

Thought I'd better start a new thread... :)

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Movingtimes · 21/04/2013 20:58

We are in exactly the same situation IIMOY So frustrating.

milliemoomay · 21/04/2013 23:33

I found you again :-)...
Here's my potted history. Been on the market since end October. Got an amazing offer very soon after (2K less than asking price) - and then the inevitable - exchange within sniffing distance and the buyer decides against 'moving to the country' and pulled out. From mid-January I've had lots of viewings, one offer which I turned down, and have now changed agents. Been 2 weeks and only 3 viewings - none of them very promising either.

I painted the fence this weekend - Seagrass green - I'm now convinced that the effing house is going to sell...it all hinges on that darn fence!

Do any of you phone the agent to ask for feedback from the viewings? I don't seem to get any phone calls from the agents and wonder if the onus is on me to call?

rubyrubyruby · 22/04/2013 07:13

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CuddyMum · 22/04/2013 07:50

I always asked for feedback from the agent Millie. Although some viewers simply never return the EAs calls.

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PastaBeeandCheese · 22/04/2013 08:36

I agree with ALFW too! You'll be shocked at how much you will pay in interest to your bank if you stay for a few more years with no guarantee you'll get any more money at that point.

alwayslateforwork · 22/04/2013 14:34

Yup. Over half of our mortgage payment goes to interest, and doesn't reduce the principle amount owed at all. Scary stuff.

Hope you manage to sit down and go through it dog. Even if it just gets you both on the same page, whatever page that is!

doglover · 22/04/2013 14:51

Many thanks everyone. I hope my dh may be more receptive to discussing things more dispassionately tonight. I've played around with the figures this morning (not really sure how accurately!) and I feel that moving now would be the better option financially for us.

CuddyMum · 22/04/2013 15:38

Doglover - I agree that moving on is the best thing and hope that you are able do some creative accounting on your spreadsheet. I always found that the figure my husband was interested in was how much monthly disposable income we would be left with. The mortgage comparison site on MoneySuperMarket was really helpful in estimating what our new monthly payments would be.

The survey on our new house took place today but their solicitor has still not sent any initial paperwork to ours despite them chasing. They really want to start the searches and we only have 5 weeks left! My vendor is very kindly giving his solicitor a nudge. I do hope that our mortgage is approved soon too!

I was also pleased to hear from admissions that my younger daughter has been offered a place at the Upper School in the catchment area for September and that my older daughter's application is being processed as she would start in June and needs to re-choose her options!

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CuddyMum · 23/04/2013 11:25

Finally, my solicitors have received the initial paperwork from my seller's solicitor! Am panicking now as time is tight. I hope she doesn't continue to be so slow.

For my sale it looks like I will have to pay £70 for an indemnity policy for covenant affecting the land before 1951. Not something I am totally happy about but I am told that this could a sticking point. Interestingly their solicitors have done a Chancel search that reveals our property may be liable to chancel repair (which is news to me). However, my solicitor does not think that is the case...

I hope I get the Homebuyers report soon - I am terribly impatient. I also hope that I will hear about my mortgage offer soon too.

I am not in a hurry to do all this again, that's for sure!

Hope everyone is well on this sunny day!

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doglover · 23/04/2013 12:29

Good news, CM. We're still waiting for feedback (or an offer?!) from Saturday's viewing so nothing happening here.

Dh was pleasantly surprised (!) at my maths yesterday and did look at the figures seriously. He is adamant, though, that a low offer would not be acceptable so watch this space ..................

We're not sure how long the vendor of our preferred property is prepared to wait for us: as I mentioned before, we would understand if he had to put the property back on the market Sad.

We have seen another bungalow that might be a contender - needs LOTS of work so are viewing it with a builder-friend on Saturday. It's been on the market nearly a year but the sellers seem reluctant to accept offers. We'll see ...............................

startlife · 23/04/2013 12:42

Doglover, just thought I'd share my experience as we are going through something similar. I would like us to move as we have taken on a property that we can't really afford, it will mean years of spending all our spare money on the house - I would rather we have available money so we can live well.

Dh hasn't agreed to a move but this is some of what I have discovered so wanted to share.Firstly I think DH likes the house and in his heart doesn't want to downsize (could this be behind your DH's reluctance as well?) and he also struggles with the idea that he had 'failed' to earn enough to keep the house.

Whilst we have lost money on the house today he doesn't get to 'see' the actual loss so it is a case of denial. One thing which seemed to register was when I spoke to him about it being a sunk cost and the importance of not throwing good money after bad. I also think DH will need more time, so whilst I would like the move to happen soon I will have to accept that he needs more time to adjust to the idea.

Another issue for us is that we are struggling to find somewhere else..Have you seen something that you would like to buy? Perhaps if your DH had a vision of the future he may find it easier to more forward.

WireCatWhore · 23/04/2013 13:35

Still not a sniff of a viewer.
Full details on the websites since yesterday, but been on rightmove since Thursday.

I am doing some viewings at the end of the week.

CuddyMum · 23/04/2013 13:48

It's early days Wirecat - hopefully you will have some booked in by the weekend. I found that people booked viewings on Thursdays or Fridays. Hang tight. Would you like to post your Rightmove link?

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trikken · 23/04/2013 13:52

We are waiting on feedback/offer for saturday's viewers too. Got all excited as there was a msg on the answerphone yesterday eve, but it was just the EA saying that they were pretty sure that the people would make an offer but cant be sure and that the people wanted til today to make their minds up. So a bit of a non msg really!

doglover · 23/04/2013 14:07

Wow, SL, what an intuitive post - our situations sound scarily similar! In answer to some of your questions, yes, my dh still likes living here which does colour his views somewhat. He likes the size and space whereas I now view the house as a too-large cash-cow! He can see the sense in downsizing to our 'final' home but struggles to accept that we won't be able to recoup all our money (we bought in 2008 literally just before house prices started to tumble :( ) and paid a premium because the house - decoratively - was pristine. Now, although we have done some work on the house - drive way / insulation / cloakroom etc, several other things need doing (which we've allowed for in the pricing).

We've seen a couple of potenial bungalows - offer accepted on one when we had a buyer on here but this is likely to be lost now.

Finally, I quite agree that my dh, too, may be feeling that he hasn't 'provided' well-enough for us to remain here. My dds and I CERTAINLY don't feel this way - it's been a great home but now is the time to move on and improve our quality of life with reduced monthly outgoings.

Again, SL,thanks so much for understanding all my ramblings. My R.L. life friends don't really 'get' what we're doing - they're in a more stable financial positions than us or else have remained in smaller home where they're not as stretched as us.

doglover · 23/04/2013 14:08

Trikken, our e.a. said exactly the same thing! Confused

CuddyMum · 23/04/2013 14:17

Fingers crossed for you trikken and doglover. Hopefully your viewers are just doing their maths.

Dog - reducing your monthly outgoings sounds more than perfectly reasonable. Your quality of life will improve too. I do think it is a case of pride with men. They come round eventually. Drop in little examples of what you would be able to do with that extra money each month, whether it be pay a credit card off or go out for a meal etc. without feeling burdened or overwhelmed.

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doglover · 23/04/2013 14:49

Thanks, CM. That's exactly what I'd like! The thought of not having to watch every penny AND create our forever home is enticing! Smile

rubyrubyruby · 23/04/2013 18:05

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rubyrubyruby · 23/04/2013 18:06

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doglover · 23/04/2013 18:21

Well the EA has just phoned and said that our prospective bungalow has just been sold to someone else Sad . I feel a bit numb to be honest. It was kind of inevitable and I quite understand the vendor not wanting to wait any longer for us to find another buyer. What a rubbish end to a gorgeous day!!

CuddyMum · 23/04/2013 18:23

Yes, I think it is worth putting a note through the doors of houses you like, especially if they have been on the market previously.

I have just dropped my daughter off in the village we are moving to and of course I had to drive past my new house to be. The vendor was out the front having a chat and I'm sure he saw me - a bit embarrassing. I wonder if he saw me a couple of nights ago when I was stalking walking past with the dog - twice! I'm not trying to find anything bad I just want to be living there now Blush

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rubyrubyruby · 23/04/2013 18:31

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CuddyMum · 23/04/2013 18:44

Sorry Dog - just saw your post. I saw so many houses that we were interested in either taken off or sold to someone else. I know it's a cliche but what will be will be and all that. I hope that this will mean that something better will be around the corner for you. How do you feel about the other bungalow that you were interested in?

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doglover · 23/04/2013 19:57

When we lost our 2nd buyer I think I just knew that we'd lose the bungalow, too - call it a premonition?
The other bungalow is a possibility although it does need a HUGE amount of work. It's in the next village so still near by. Hard to know what to feel at the moment. Like other people have commented, very few properties are coming on the market here so choice is very limited Sad Many thanks for all your support, CM, I've really appreciated all our 'chats' recently!!