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Property/DIY

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Original poster

There are NO houses on the market!'

50 replies

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 20:58

I sold mine today (took 8 days) and there is nothing to move to.

Why?!??!?!

There is ONE I like (overpriced) and we are going to try and get a mortgage for it - bit of a stretch. But there is nothing else.

OP posts:

chartreuse · 09/06/2013 21:06

I feel you pain, our house has been sale agreed for 6 weeks now and there is nothing for us to buy. Looking at renting now which is something I really wanted to avoid. The stress is horrific.

JassyRadlett · 09/06/2013 21:09

Laurie, we had EXACTLY that problem. Ours was snapped up in a week and nothing suitable coming onto the market. Anything that did come on was snapped up straight away (often same day!) for more than asking price.

Eventually we struck it lucky. We'd lost out on the one place we'd seen that was perfect, but kept in touch with the agent. A month later we were totally despondent because we'd lost out on another house - it had nine offers on the first day of viewing! - and we got a call from the agent giving us first refusal before it went back onto the market.

That was 8 months ago and have been keeping an eye on the market and there's still not much around, but starting to pick up and I've noticed it really ebbs and flows - nothing for a few weeks, then two or three nice places will hit the market on the same day. Lots of people wait until summer to sell, so things might pick up soon?

Good luck!

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 21:09

I moved into renting last time to keep my sale, I'm not sure I could face it again.

At least they seem to be lending again, when we thought about it 3 years ago our mortgage company said they wouldn't even lend us the same again (they actually said they weren't lending at all).

OP posts:

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 21:10

Glad to hear you got yours Jassy

OP posts:

Bowlersarm · 09/06/2013 21:13

It's a very quiet market.

However as you have a buyer, you are in an excellent position and should be first to view any property coming newly on to the market.

Tell your buyers you are pleased to accept their offer, but you do need time to find something suitable.

JassyRadlett · 09/06/2013 21:22

Thanks Laurie! We nearly lost it, our buyers' solicitor was useless. Five months from having offer accepted to moving.

Are you in SW London by any chance? Seems to be a real problem round here.

But yes, with an offer already accepted on yours you'll be the dream buyer. Fingers crossed!

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 21:35

We had 2 offers at the asking price today - ones a cash buyer with no chain!

We're in West Herts but everything in my tiny area sells very quick.

OP posts:

WireCat · 09/06/2013 21:40

Congratulations on selling.

Same as ours, cash buyer, no chain.

If there are houses that you like, but have sold, call the EAs dealing & let them know just in case the sale on the houses you like fall through. Them you could get 1st dibs if they came back to market.

ShesAStar · 09/06/2013 21:57

We have finally managed to buy a house after three other purchases falling through. We have trawled through zoopla, find a home, rightmove etc. more times than I can recall and I'm so sick of estate agents underhand nonsense that I will never move again. We decided to sell our house and rent so we could take our time choosing the house - until the landlords decided to sell so we had to find somewhere really quickly!

Congratulations on your sale, when you buy make sure the estate agents take the house off the market as soon as you agree an offer, they seem to be using very underhand tactics to raise prices at the moment. Good luck, I'm sure you will find somewhere fab.

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 21:58

I'm definitely going to call all the agents tomorrow.

There's at least 5 under offer I could get on board with.

OP posts:

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 09/06/2013 22:09

How on earth did it become a sellers market?

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 22:13

Some bits are - a mile away from me there's loads of houses for sale.

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clam · 09/06/2013 22:37

What sort of thing are you looking for?
Maybe there's more movement in certain price brackets?

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 09/06/2013 22:40

We're only looking within half a mile (so dd can walk to her current school).

3 bed (but the house we currently want is a 2 bed but with a loft room with veluxes - for dd) with a decent garden - not less than 60 feet.

In short I want the moon on a stick for 250k

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clam · 09/06/2013 22:52

There should be more about at that sort of price surely? I mean more than if you were wanting a mansion with loads of bedrooms and acres of garden.

flow4 · 09/06/2013 22:52

Yup. I'm in Yorkshire. I have nothing to sell, a large deposit and a mortgage arranged subject only to valuation of the house I buy. I have been looking since Feb... It def feels like a sellers' market to me...

The first house I offered on was for sale just over the stamp duty threshold, so I offered that, and was rejected. The vendor is still holding out for an asking price offer.

I got gazumped on the second house.

I now have an offer in on a house that has an extension without building regs... The vendors seem reluctant to sort it out, and I think they're hoping a less 'fussy' buyer will come along soon!

ExitPursuedByABear · 09/06/2013 22:56

Gosh. There are loads fir sale round me. Some have been on the market for 6 years.

Hmmm

vj32 · 10/06/2013 09:59

Loads of two bed first time buyer type homes for sale here (like we have just sold!), no 3 or 4 bed family homes other than at ridiculous prices.

littlecrystal · 10/06/2013 10:16

I symphatise. I got a buyer for my house on day 1, who then pulled out 6-7 weeks later after I was unable to find a house to buy. I kept my house off the market until I found a house that I want to buy, then put mine back on the market but this time no quick buyers around. Though it is only day 3 on the market for me... so waiting to see if there is enough of luck to work things out this time.

trikken · 10/06/2013 10:22

Loads here, too many in fact. We are trying to sell.

Fedupofdiets · 10/06/2013 12:41

This is my dread too op. We are going on the market later on this year and I have a very specific area I want to live due to dd applying for senior school next year. We are in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands and there seems to be a boom going on, even houses that have been on the market for a while are now sold. I too really really do not want to rent, we did it for a year previously and I felt very unsettled. I will definitely write a nicely worded letter and put it through the letter box of any house that looks suitable, have you already tried this? It may be worth a go. Good luck though its very stressful!

jumpinghoops · 10/06/2013 13:03

Yes, I'm in this on too- East London is crazy crazy atm. One EA told us they had 1000 people registered for 3 bed houses and 3 of them actually on the market. Things very rarely make it onto Rightmove, they told me to call them everyday and be prepared to go and see places that day. I'm actually a bit scared about selling my flat and having nowhere to go!!

MrsJamin · 10/06/2013 14:29

You could widen your location search, we are just over a mile to school and we walk- yes it does take a bit more time but its actually fine, and we got a lovely house rather than wait for months and potentially lose our buyer. Have you thought of dropping a note into houses that you think are suitable? You may get a private sale out of it however it pushes the power into their hands. I thought about it but a house popped up so I didn't get that desperate!

Original poster

LaurieFairyCake · 10/06/2013 14:34

Lazy 15 year old dd wouldn't walk that far

And I have to go to work so couldn't run her. I've spent the entire day calling agents and am waiting for a few call backs.

One said 'there's houses coming on every day' in my search area - since I look at Rightmove every day and have constant alerts on I think I may be being flannelled a bit.

OP posts:

Quenelle · 10/06/2013 14:38

Congrats on selling in eight days.

If you widen your search to just north of North Herts you can have my three bed for £250k .

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