Home Buyers Support Thread Part 3

[juneybean]

Part 2 here -> www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/a1905904-Buyers-support-thread-part-2?msgid=48420379#48420379

Hope it's okay that I made the next thread :)

Gah!

Reply from Mortgage company today to say they needed more paperwork, namely proof of in-laws bank account for the last three months. It's a savings account so they only receive a statement annually and they're not happy about printing out paperwork and sending it down to is due to identity theft. Emailed the mortgage company today but not heard back yet.

Anyone else had issues like this?

Lookingforadvice - hope your sellers find somewhere soon! The sellers
of the first house we were buying took 3 months! The chain broke above them just as were about to exchange so they then had to find another property - after two months they still couldn't find anywhere. In the end we started looking again and found another house we liked - we explained to the new seller that we would only pull out of our original purchase once she had found another property and we were back at end of chain. She saw three properties the very next day ad had an offer accepted on an end of chain property the following morning! On extreme to another!!

I'd give your sellers a few weeks yet ??

Thank you Gemma! Do you like the new house as much as the other one?

If what the EA is saying is true, they sellers' have only just found out about the change in their circumstances and so have technically been looking less than a week...which would be fine if it wasn't for us being 8 weeks into the process when they pulled out of their process!

I don't think it's worth is pulling out as we have nothing to lose but I need to start looking elsewhere. Am looking at a house on Saturday which is more expensive, and smaller (rooms are about the same size except it doesn't have a dining room, only a kitchen/diner) but it's in a better area - the area the house we're in the process of buying is a bit tougher, although the street it's seems very quiet and mainly has older people living there.

Has anyone had to compromise on a house size before, and was it the end of the world?!

Rougher not tougher - predictive text!

Yes, definetly prefer the new house although we did see some that were not as nice as the old house and we were not prepared to pull out of the first house unless we were certain the new house was for us.

First house was lovely - really goregous to look at from the outside with great character. Less than half a mile from the school we want for my son so he would walk. Nice private road and potential to extend. BUT - two of the four bedrooms were tiny so my youngest would still have had a box room. Needed new kitchen and bathroom and en-suite eventually. Also garden north facing.

New house is 1 mile from school so still not too far. Kitchen, bathroom and ensuite are brand new. south facing garden, all four bedrooms are doubles. Backs on to a great big park for the kids. Down side is that there is very little hall space - the stairs are in the living room and what hall space there is is tiny - no room for coats or shoes (just the door to the living room and downstairs toilet). So this is our compromise but everything else is great.

Anyone had experience of tiny hall ways... need to start training my kids now to take coats upstairs!!

Wow your house sounds like a proper grown up house! I'm a first time buyer and as DH has a poor credit rating for a couple of years (old debts but they stay on your credit file until 7 years after you default on them!) so in getting a sole mortgage just for me, so we were limited on budget - ideally would've like a £200k ish house but max budget right now is £150k ish. So no more than 2 bedrooms for us unless we want to live in a rougher area!

The smaller 1 we're viewing on Saturday is in the catchment area for a good primary school, and the 1 we're waiting for the buyers to get move on isn't. We don't have kids yet but see me (hopefully) getting pregnant within the next couple of years. So we would actually have to move out of the 'better' house after only a few years, whereas if we went in the area where the smaller one is, there would be no pressure. Swings and roundabouts!

Oh and the smaller house doesn't have a hallway downstairs at all, but luckily there is an entrance porch - that leads straight into the living room though!

Eeeek my mortgage valuation is happening tomorrow.
Yesterday the mortgage company called to say I hadn't ticked a box needed on one form so I need to send that again and to check I had no childcare costs. I just keep waiting for the moment when they will tell us we can't have the mortgage as this house was above our original budget so more of a stretch the we had thought we would do, but we love it so much we have to go for it!

Good luck Ditzygal - I'm sure you will be fine. You obviously passed their initial checks and the affordability test or they wouldn't be doing the valuation. House sounds lovely so I'm sure the valuation will be fine.

Hope they get back to you soon. Ours was done last Wednesday and our mortgage was confirmed as accepted on Monday morning.

Will keep fingers crossed x

Thanks Gemma good to hear they can be quick! Its so nerve racking!

Ditsygal, if the lender has arranged the survey, that's a good sign. You must look good enough on paper. They just need to check the house is worth what they are lending now.
Gemma, we didn't have much of a hall in our last house but there was a little alcove to stick stuff. Always looked untidy though so having to take things upstairs could work in your favour.
Una, our mortgage co were nightmares for this. Back and forwards loads, I was getting v annoyed.
Looking, maybe let the EA know you are looking at other properties and this may spur your sellers on to make an offer. A few more weeks is reasonable, I think.
We are still in limbo. Sellers need to get freeholders consent for previous works done. Still hoping to move next fri but if no news re consent by mon, that won't happen. Biting nails.

Can I join in please? Survey and searches completed on the house we are purchasing and they have revealed that there isn't any obvious planning permission for some extensions. These, as far as we are aware, were built in the '70's and not by our vendor. Our solicitor has asked our vendor various questions, and 3/4 weeks on we are no nearer. What would your next move be? Equally we haven't heard anything from our buyers for weeks. They have only had a mortgage survey. Should we be worried at all? We have only ever bought this house, and have never sold so feeling a bit lost. Offers were accepted at the beginning of August if that helps.

Everything signed, money with solicitor and we move on Friday. Whoop!!!!!!!!!
Mary, if the extensions are 40yrs old now I'd imagine there isn't much to worry about.
Have your buyers appointed a solicitor? Our mortgage took ages to get approved and I'm sure our buyers were getting antsy. Maybe get the EA to give them a wee nudge.
3-4weeks seems a reasonable time to get answers, can your solicitor give theirs a nudge too, to see what the issue is. Give them a time limit by which you will start looking at other properties unless you get assurance that all is moving? Fx you hear something soon.

Congratulations Sheriff

Our survey is back now - mostly okay but EA never told us the extent to which the house had been extended... He told us they had an internal wall removed but turns out the good size 4 bed we are buying used to be a small two bedroom house! Extension over the garage to add two good size bedrooms, nicked part of the original second bedroom to put ensuite in for the master bedroom, and extended at back of the house for dining room and family room.

This explains why there is hardly and hall space downstairs and why stairs are in the living room I suppose!

Would this bother you? Solicitors are making sure they have all the building regs and guarantees etc.

Wouldn't bother me at all, saves me doing the work :). As long as all the building regs are in place its not a problem.

No that work wouldn't bother me - if the house is as you like it now it doesn't matter if it was extended later or built originally that size as long as all regs and permissions are in place.
I am very nervous here - have been told that my mortgage application would go to the underwriting dept today so to call at the end of today hopefully to get an update on if we have an offer. I am so nervous, just worried they will say no for some reason! Hopefully this is just normal nerves. Just need to day to hurry up and then hope they have kept to schedule and don't ask for any more docs! The seller is pushing for a quick sale as well so keeps asking for updates.

Congratulations Sheriff ! and good luck ditsy

Getting twitchy here as our vendors are awaiting the outcome of a damp survey on their purchase...praying the outcome won't be a dealbreaker. Agent reckons they are willing to spend some money to sort it out but we shall see... Have worked so hard to stay cool about this purchase, but it's impossible not to become hopeful as you cross one hurdle after another

Yay, mortgage offer is apparently in the post - I have been so worried about it and it actually went through really smoothly. 2 weeks exactly from first AIP application submitted to mortgage offer being made!
Now I just have to hope nothing spooks my seller, they haven't had a survey done yet. I feel I can finally start to get excited about my new house though!
60s goodluck, I hope the damp survey isn't a deal breaker for you - it really is just a matter of getting over 1 hurdle at a time isn't it!

Ditsygal - great news about your mortgage, must be a great relief!

Our solicitor is being slow - we were told last week that contract and mortgage deeds were coming out to is by Monday - chased Tuesday and told they would be with us in a few days. Chased again Thursday and told by the weekend but still nothing! Going to have a serious rant on Monday!

In meantime our buyers are pushing for exchange and completion on 2nd November. Would be great to exchange by then but we have said no to completing on the same day as would be too stressful! With the luck we have had this year I can just see us all loaded up in the removal van before being told exchange didn't happen!

Good to hear some of you are seeing some progress now!

I am not almost 10 weeks after we had our offer accepted and over 2 weeks after we found out the sellers have pulled out of their purchase, and they still haven't made an offer on a new property. Every time I contact the EA I'm told "they have a second viewing in a couple of days and more viewings tomorrow" blah blah. Am I being massively messed around? DH and I are seeing other properties (got a viewing today) but there's nothing as good as "our" house right now. I am a very impatient person so don't know what's reasonable or not!

Looking, let the EA know you are viewing other properties. That might give them a nudge on.
Gemma, agree that exchange and completion on same day is taking a chance. Good that things are moving along anyway.
We are in!! Finally. Got keys on Friday and have been slowly unpacking the last couple of days. It's fantastic, the house is better than I remember. Will be leaving the thread now but wishing you girls all the best.

Still no news from the vendor as to whether planning and building regs are in place . Have told our solicitor to inform her that she has till Friday to prove she is doing something or we will pull out from the sale . Have started obsessing with rightmove again. Not seeing much though .

Gemma I hear you! Our solicitor seems to have no concept at all of managing expectations - I wouldn't be so impatient if he hadn't already specifically said that exchange was imminent - now about 3 weeks ago... On a weekly chase at the moment but will shortly be stepping this up. (Vendor's EA is also chasing).

Mortgage report finally received from solicitor so we have now signed the mortgage deed. Still no contract to sign as our solicitor is waiting on title deed from sellers solicitor. Also waiting on them to answer enquiries... Including providing the guarantees and building reg certificates for the extension. Feeling a bit nervous about this as the house had a big extension. Keeping everything crossed that they have all the certificates!
Meanwhile, bottom of the chain are pushing for exchange next week and completion w/c 10 November.

Gemma77 Hope everything works out for you - however, it is extremely unlikely that your bottom of chain will be able to exchange next week if you still haven't had the title deeds, replies to enquiries and guarantees/certificates. Even the replies to enquiries often create more enquiries as does title deeds. Bottom of chain can push all they like, but the legal people will not exchange until they are satisfied with the paperwork. Unfortunately this does mean that impatient sellers/buyers pull out because they don't understand the process. Building regs may be available from the local council and the local search will show what permissions and paperwork were provided when the extension was built.