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Original poster

Home Buyers' Support Thread, Part 4

999 replies

BeaufortBelle · 21/04/2015 20:45

Here we go.

Good luck everybody x

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/2139089-Home-Buyers-Support-Thread-Part-3?pg=40

OP posts:
benjiman6 · 22/05/2015 20:43

hope to complete and exchange one day next week. solicitor gave me final bill and told me to get insurance quotes. forgive me being silly as I know you must have insurance after you exchange so does she mean get insurance or get a quote.

craftynclothy · 22/05/2015 22:06

Cassie - we're pretty sure we have to have to get the tv and broadband at the same time. Dh works for Sky and we get it free so Virgin isn't really an option (we have that at the moment as dh has just changed jobs)

Cassie258 · 22/05/2015 22:11

Ooooh, he's handy to have around if you get free sky! Wink

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 22/05/2015 22:33

Virgin have just told me that I have to pay £200 to them to get out of a contract (that was not explained when I negotiated a cheaper deal in January) although is probably in the small print that nobody reads. The rub is that it would be OK if we could stick with Virgin but because they aren't cabled at the new property and the something to do with fibre optics means it can't be at present we are stuffed.

I am beyond actual fuming. Not least because I was on the phone to Manila for 35 minutes this afternoon and really came off very little the wiser due to the nuance of language.

OP posts:
Dugongdog73 · 23/05/2015 07:42

Well we finally have a date for our 'buyers' to have their survey and it will be over 6 weeks from their offer. I know it's not their fault as FTB & all the mortgage rules etc but they're having a Home Buyers Survey and I think I'd started hoping they may just have a valuation after all this time to speed things up a bit...
Now panicking over every possible problem even though I know we've maintained our house and it's probably just as would be expected for a house of this age. Can't believe how stressful I find all this - was in a foul mood last night!
Anyway, we only got a valuation on the house we're hoping to buy as that was included in our mortgage application and now I'm worrying whether we should also get a more detailed survey as well. What do people think and if we should how do we go about it?

TheEmpressofBlandings · 23/05/2015 07:58

How old is the house you are buying? We've had full surveys this time because we're buying an old (and expensive!) house but previously we've bought pretty new houses (

Dugongdog73 · 23/05/2015 08:12

Thanks Empress, it's about 120 years old so it probably would be a good idea. I'll contact some surveyors.

TheEmpressofBlandings · 23/05/2015 08:16

I would in that case. Our full building survey cost around £1100 (eek), the homebuyers is about £700 I think.
It's been well worth it for us as it's brought up a lot of issues we weren't aware of so we are trying to renegotiate the price at the moment

BG2015 · 23/05/2015 08:24

I have good news (I hope).

Text from my seller (Mrs) saying that her ex (Mr) now has all the paperwork and is ready to sign and it should be back with her solicitor Tuesday. This means I could exchange and complete next week!! Which would be brilliant as it's half term.

Not counting my chickens but its sounds hopeful. I went to view another house on Thursday and not a patch on the one I'm buying.

A week at my parents has been ok but sleeping in the same bedroom with my 12 yr old son isn't ideal!

Cassie258 · 23/05/2015 08:50

Beaufort, from what you're saying virgin can't supply you anyway at the new house? That's their problem not yours which means you shouldn't have to pay. Perhaps call back and lead the conversation with how much you'd love to stay but can't...

Homebuyers surveys... Now I wouldn't recommend tepilo for anything but they do give discounts. There only seems to be three prices. £230 for valuation, £330 for middle survey and £450 for full one.

I'd never go with less than the middle one where they look at potential problems.

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 23/05/2015 08:58

Cassie I actually can't handle another conversation that takes a gazillion numbers to press and ends up in Manila. I'm going to write to customer services and note my disappointment and actually they have been so unhelpful and tedious to deal with over the last couple of years that having slept on it £200 is almost worth it never to deal with Virgin ever again.

OP posts:
blessedenough · 23/05/2015 12:03

Our homebuyers survey is costing £400 - we are in SW.

Good news BG - keeping everything crossed for you

benjiman6 · 24/05/2015 09:48

should exchange and complete on Tuesday . just noticed that all the way through my solicitor and I have used one letter wrong in the postcode of new property. I only picked it up when she asked the sellers solicitor to amend and I got a copy email. does anyone know if this will hold everything up as all my documentation has the slightly wrong post code

craftynclothy · 24/05/2015 17:44

Beaufort - try asking to speak to Customer Retentions, they're UK based as much less reliant on following a script.

TheEmpressofBlandings · 24/05/2015 22:31

It's a frustrating long weekend, isn't it? So much we need to be doing! I've started making a list of what needs to be done and when by, it's quite short at the moment but I haven't even started on actual moving yet!

So who's expecting exchange or completion this week then? I know there's benjiman for Tuesday and we're hoping we may squeeze in at the end of the week - everything's waiting on one search now.

benjiman6 · 25/05/2015 10:38

will I be glad when this is all over . DH hasn't stressed over anything must be a man thing. I have had more sleepless nights but when I look back its not changed anything. I should have chilled out more. at least when I ( hopefully) exchange and complete tomorrow I have a few weeks before I need to move in. give me time to decorate etc. then arrange removal. couldn't have stress of doing it all on same day.
TheEmpressofBlanding fingers crossed for you this week.

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 10:45

We're at draft contract stage, really hoping for a proposed completion date tomorrow otherwise it will be next week.

Like everyone else I want to organise removals and book Sky etc. We work from home too so it's necessary.

craftynclothy · 25/05/2015 11:40

We saw the house again on Saturday and site manager confirmed build has been signed off. Hoping we can exchange this week for completion June 9th.

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 12:49

who's your new build with Crafty?

craftynclothy · 25/05/2015 19:03

Persimmon. I'm expecting a few snagging issues and having to be insistent they fix them as I don't think they have a great reputation. The location really works for us though (2 mile drive from current house) and we are desperate for extra rooms (4 of us in a 2 bed semi atm - new house is 4 bed detached with study so perfect as dh & I both do some support work from home)

Yellowbird01 · 25/05/2015 19:42

Hi all

I'm a first time buyer and had an offer accepted on a lovely flat about a week ago. The mortgage is apparently already approved as long as the survey comes back fine (simple valuation survey only, as relatively newly built property). The mortgage is with my usual bank who I have been with for years so I think that made it easier.

So far everything seems to be going okay but I'm very nervous about the whole process!

The seller has not yet found a property to buy - is this normal? Apparently she is out looking again this weekend. I am just afraid she will end up getting into a long chain and delaying everything as she is upgrading from the flat to a house.

I want to be completed by August as I will be relocating then to the new town for my job!

Good luck everyone else who's in this process...

Cassie258 · 25/05/2015 19:48

Hi yellow.

I wouldn't worry. That's exactly what we did. No point finding your dream house but you don't know exactly how much you have to play with or can't sell for six months and then lose it.

She'll have been looking a while and know what's available. Give her two weeks and she'll have somewhere Grin

Congratulations on your first property.

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 19:58

We're Taylor Wimpey so expecting similar problems Grin

craftynclothy · 25/05/2015 21:30

HoneyDragon We can have a snagging support thread Grin

They have sorted the tiling in the bathroom. We know there's some sockets we want sorted and some paintwork that needs redone.

One of dh's friends paid for a really thorough snagging list online when they bought a new build so I think we're going to go through it too - think he said it's only £10 but well worth it.

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 21:54

That's not a bad idea.

I'm aiming for a good finish but I bribe the site manager with Haribo it's working