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Buyers support thread - stressed? Worried? Stuck in a chain? Gazumped? Well come and join us here

999 replies

Bakingnovice · 25/06/2013 12:31

I can't see if there is already a thread like this so here goes..

We finally upped our offer enough for it to be accepted on our dream house. It's been stressful so far and this is just the beginning. We have had so many let downs: vendor changing mind, vendor getting higher offer etc and we hope this sale goes through smoothly. We've been looking for years. Come and join me if you're buying and equally stressed....

OP posts:
MissionImpossible3 · 08/10/2013 11:59

Is planning for some houses, but they are not directly behind us ,so don't believe that is the reason. So desperately sad as we had started to relax a bit and believe that this would happen. Was really cautious until the survey had been done. Now just don't know what to say or do. We loved our new house :(

BogStandardOldWoman · 08/10/2013 12:10

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BogStandardOldWoman · 08/10/2013 12:13

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MILdesperandum · 08/10/2013 12:32

5 months OldWoman?! is that including time to sell? I want to be in for Christmas .
I think I prefer second house especially if we get it for our offer which will give us money to make changes straight away. The first house was bigger and "flashier" but we're not flashy people IYSWIM. The second house is more practical size wise not huge downstairs but 4 good size bedrooms rather than a huge downstairs and four small bedrooms (second house). I prefer the location of the second house too I think, the first house is in a lovely village but a bit isolated..

MissionImpossible3 · 08/10/2013 12:38

Yes going back on the market, but so loved the house and haven't seen anything else I like. Also wanted to be in by Christmas and that's not going to happen now. It's a house I go past several times a day, so will be so hard for me and the children to see someone else there

BogStandardOldWoman · 08/10/2013 13:17

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bludgerwitch · 08/10/2013 21:44

Well, I'm back with cautious good news - our offer was accepted this morning and we are starting to get things rolling! I know they have one more viewing this Friday so the price might hike up a bit more, but at least we can get started with searches and things like that, with a view to exchange contracts in a few weeks.

So I'm another one who has her fingers crossed for Christmas, and if things go to plan we will be in before our lease here runs out.

One question: this property is in pristine condition, only about 5 years old, should we even bother with a Homebuyers Survey? What would you do?

123rd · 08/10/2013 22:47

Evening everyone. Wow,what a mixed bag of updates. Mission-have you spoken to your vendors? Will they hang on for you to resell? Did your first attempt at selling happen quite easily?
Mil, sounds good. Fingers crossed for you.
We have recd our homebuyers survey back. It's a 1950 detached so didn't think it was worth having full structural survey but wanted more than valuation. All well, no major concerns. A couple of electrical things mentioned which we expected but no structural issuesSmile
Still waiting for nationwide to arrange our buyers survey. But a friend said they used then and they were v slow...can't really do anything else. Positive thinking everyone...it will be worth it...won't it??

123rd · 08/10/2013 22:49

Witch, so the house would have a new homes guarantee thingy? Is it worth having a homebuyers then? If anything went wrong could you not claim on the guarantee ? Just an idea-I have no idea of that would be the case

MILdesperandum · 09/10/2013 06:57

bludger - we're selling our house which is 7 years old and we had the buyer's surveyor round yesterday. He said "there's nothing to worry about a house of this age" and then said "there's nothing [on his report] to worry our buyers" - I'm guessing our buyers just wanted their survey done as they're not getting a mortgage or anything so at least someone saying it was worth what they were paying? Up to you, I think I would be tempted to save the money though Grin Excellent news that you got the house though congratulations! Race you to completion day Wink

We had our offer accepted yesterday (on second house) so need to get our mortgage sorted this week, we're trying to work out how much of our savings to put in the house and how much to keep hold of for rennovations/emergencies. We also would really like to meet the vendors so hoping to arrange that for the weekend.

123 we're buying a 60s house and thinking we'd go for the middle level valuation, is that what you had?

bludgerwitch · 09/10/2013 08:48

123, MIL, thanks, that's what I thought.

There issue is that since it's a repo, the heating system is drained, water's been turned off and electricity is off - I am not sure how much they could test, anyway!

MIL - the race is on, I've just ordered moving boxes Grin

MILdesperandum · 09/10/2013 12:36

moving boxes?! I still need to declutter Blush

bludgerwitch · 09/10/2013 17:32

I'm pretending that I can do that while I pack... Hmm

Arranged the survey today, and they could do it as soon as Friday! No back up here then, I guess...

monkeypuzzeltree · 09/10/2013 18:52

Hello ladies! Can I join the pain! So we are leaving London - gulp! We have just started the process, offers all accepted on sale and purchase and I've spent 2 hours filling in forms for lawyers. It's a v short chain, so hoping we can pull it together pronto!

Anyone got thoughts to removal companies - is packing worth the money - not that I know how much yet, just thinking that with 2 children and husband travelling with work every other week, I just don't know how to empty this house if it does go as quickly as we all hope!

Anyone had any quotes? I'm still balking at the lawyer fees! Twice what we paid when we bought here 6 years ago!

123rd · 09/10/2013 21:12

Hi Monkey. Welcome! We aren't in London but south east ish. We are moving a family of four from a three bed and the best quote we have had is £450 +vat for the move and also £250+vat for the packing service. I don't think the move quote is that bad. We had more expensive too.
Mil, yes we had homebuyer survey. Got that back yday. No awful surprises. Just said about testing the electrics and the hearing system but we will be replacing the boiler ASAP anyway. Still haven't heard a date for the survey on our current houseHmm been a while now.
I wonder who will be in first?? Good luck to one and all

pigleychez · 09/10/2013 21:59

Hi everyone,

Can I join you?

We sold our house in a day to first time buyers which was fantastic and the following weekend we had an offer accepted on our new house.
Its was a crazy week really as its a relocation move that we had been deliberating over for a while first. Hadnt really intended for it all to be so quick but then we are known for doing things on the spur of the moment!

The current owners of our new house offered and got accepted the next day and the rest of the chain was already in place. We are in a chain of 5. Been hearing conflicting stories of that being a short/long chain?

Things have been going ok so far. Having to keep ontop of our solicitors and keep giving them a nudge. The survey on our new house was meant to be done today but something cocked up and its now being done next week.

Would be lovely to be before xmas. Desperately want to be in by mid Jan though as thats the deadline for DD2's school admission. After that it becomes a huge nightmare trying to get both DD's in the same new school.

Started clearing and sort stuff ready for the move. Cant believe how much 'stuff' ive thrown out! Dreading the actual move as we have some much stuff. Im pretty sure the girls toys would take up a whole van!

MILdesperandum · 10/10/2013 08:00

Hi pigley and monkeypuzzle! Pigley I would have said a chain of 5 was average? Ours is a chain of 3. Monkey the "moving fees" box on our spreadsheet is killing us - more money than our re-wire will cost most likely!
DH is insisting he can move us single handedly Hmm to "save the money". This scares me big time even though we are only moving a mile or so away.
Been talking mortgages today so hopefully that will be sorted by the end of the week and can get going on survey on the one we're buying. We're meeting our vendors for the first time on Saturday (it's a vacant possession) and apparently vendor wants to discuss what we might like left furniture-wise. Going to need all our tact here because the answer is nothing! Although we'd be really grateful if they left the curtains (not our style at all but would at least save us putting cardboard on the windows at first!) and the fridge and oven (we'll replace the kitchen in the next year or so so don't want to fork out for new). Any tips on negotiating this?!
In other news the vendor of the first house we offered on has come back and said they will now accept our offer... but I don't think we'll be tempted, we're sorted now Smile doesn't seem to be a seller's market round here Grin

123rd · 10/10/2013 14:48

Mil, we are moving about a mile too. But it's just the amount of BIG stuff we have accumulated since being here. When we moved to this house we done it ourselves +two helpful fathers but now there is no way we could. Am a bit jealous of your spreadsheet-I currently have everything thing tottered up on the back of an envelope Shock
Does anyone know the best thing to do wrt findings from the survey. Do you automatically ask the vendor to pay for investigation or do you pay?
I want to meet up our vendors too but they live up north somewhere and our acting on behalf of elderly parents, so the house we want is FULL of stuff too(but I need the oven&want the old pianoSmile)

bludgerwitch · 10/10/2013 15:07

Got a letter with the completion day today, the EA is aiming for two weeks which is excellent.

I've moved 6 times in the last 5 years, all without moving service, given that this time we have loads of furniture and I'm preggers I really want to get a professional moving team in.

pigleychez · 10/10/2013 16:04

We have moved around quite abit and normally did the moving ourselves with a couple of hired vans.
Our last move we hired guys and it was sooo much easier. They had the van packed in half the time we could of and were experts at playing van Jenga with the furniture. We also had a 9mth old baby at the time so it was much easier having those extra hands about. Meant I could fill my car with baby stuff we would need immediately and concentrate on baby.

Definately will be getting removal men in again. We now have 2 DD's aged 3 and 5 with about half of toys r us to move too!

pigleychez · 10/10/2013 16:06

Great news on the date Bludger :)

Lagoonablue · 10/10/2013 17:13

Can I just ask.....how is the completion day worked out? Does someone have to coordinate it with all parties or do the solicitors do it?

bludgerwitch · 10/10/2013 17:15

I don't know - in our cause it's a repossession and we received a letter from the EA today, stating they expect the exchange to happen in 14 days. I assume they've been in contact with our lawyer, I know our surveyor has been in contact with them to arrange keys for the survey.

timidviper · 10/10/2013 17:36

I am lucky that we are settled in our home but my poor DS is trying to buy his first place in London, so very different market to what we are used to.

Saw a flat he liked, vendor keen to sell as had property lined up and previous buyer pulled out. Luckily he did some internet searches and found vendor had hiked price up hugely when putting back on market, despite apparently being desperate to sell so he offered a bit under the asking price and was accepted if could move quickly. He rushed and got mortgage confirmed, did survey, etc then was told vendor's purchase had fallen through. He has now waited almost 3 months, vendor says she is looking and has made some offers but they have been refused, EA says she doesn't like them ringing to check what is happening as she is busy so struggling for time to look.

Poor DS doesn't know whether to wait it out or start looking again and, meanwhile, the prices keep marching up and we are too far away to help him much.

123rd · 10/10/2013 18:13

Woop whoop bludger. Please tell me you haven't bought and sold each time you have moved?? If so, the solicitors must love youWink