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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:
bananamonkey · 29/04/2015 16:47

Yeah I've been thinking about price as the issue. We had 3 valuations - 190, 195 and 195-210. All 3 EAs said it would sell quickly, no problem. We put it on at 190, then reduced to guide price 180-190.

There's not much to compare it to as most other nearby flats are in big new blocks, we're in a small 17th century warehouse conversion in a quiet side street but still really central. It is slightly more expensive than others in the area on rightmove but it's larger in terms of square footage and our second bedroom is a big double which you don't always get in 2-bed s. I don't know anymore Confused

I know what you mean though, we've been called about houses completely the opposite side of town from our preferred areas. I think they're getting desperate as the contract's running out!

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 29/04/2015 19:33

It sounds divine banana. I think it's hard to call. We went on last summer just as the new mortgage regs came in and had viewing after viewing but all were time wasters. We took it off the market after three months and remarketed this year at a slightly higher price. It went on the first viewing this time! I think a lot depends on the branch. The EA firm which did such a bad job last summer had done an excellent job 18 months previously when we bought the house. But, there had been a change of branch manager and it made a difference. We didn't like him when we met him but stuck with them out of loyalty.

I think the thing is that these things can change so quickly and you really have to keep your ear to ground vis a vis friends' and acquaintances' experiences.

OP posts:
HoneyDragon · 29/04/2015 19:41

I want to be stressing about exchanges with you lot. Not waiting to see if the bank will be benevolent Sad

The did the valuation survey today so God knows when we'll hear from the whether the mortgage is approved.

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 29/04/2015 20:01

I know Honeydragon but I don't know if you can call the stress levels. This is possibly our last every purchase but is the one we are buying most with our hearts and I have honestly never been through anything like it. Nails on a blackboard stuff.

OP posts:
HoneyDragon · 29/04/2015 20:09

If it's a heart house it's worse, it feels like everything is there to lose along with all the other stresses. Friends of mine are finally in their dream house after about every chain complication you could imagine and a few you couldn't .. So keep hoping for a smooth excange Smile

I can't bring myself to admit how badly I want the house we're waiting on the mortgage for. If it fails I know everything we view subsequently will be compared to that one.

cheminotte · 29/04/2015 21:15

Sounds lovely banana but I think it is harder to sell property if its a bit different as no easy comparators. Although room sizes are given, I think it would be clearer if the total size was clearly stated as it is on the continent. Our first rental in Germany was 80m2. It was the first question people asked.

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 29/04/2015 21:26

Square feet (or metres) is key here; although we are London. We are going a teeny bit further out and to be fair those measurements are necessarily the norm.

OP posts:
bananamonkey · 30/04/2015 08:46

thanks guys, it's nice to be able to have a moan! We're 75m2, I always look at the floor space on rightmove and get really annoyed when it's not on the floor plan!

TremoloGreen · 30/04/2015 12:21

Oh the refusal to work in sqm here drives me mad! And we're in London, although Zone 3, and EAs here just look at me blankly when I talk in sqm as well! Had an EA in Herts, where we're buying, try and convince me that this tiny house they were selling was worth £385k because "that's what a three bed goes for around here".

Me: "But it's only 75m2. My two-bed flat is 90m2! A large three bed, 95-110m2 may be worth 385k, but not a tiny house smaller than flat, with one bedroom that is basically just a box and not useable as a bedroom..."

EA: "Well in Herts, everyone just goes by the number of bedrooms. That's how we sell houses."

She literally could not accept that there was any difference between a 75m2 "three-bed" (2.5 bed!) and a 110m2 three bed.

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 30/04/2015 12:32

The EA for the house we are buying "erm, it's big, probably over x". Our surveyor, "oh, I didn't measure, it's a big house though". To be fair, we aren't too fussed but moving out from London where purchasers calculate the price per sq foot or metre to indicate value and quote it back at you it does feel sloppy. I work in feet though although the,London agents quote both.

OP posts:
TheEmpressofBlandings · 30/04/2015 14:04

The first thing we look at on floor plans is the square metreage! Well actually square footage
Do you know that the epc always has the square footage/metreage on in case any floor plans are missing it, so you can always look it up.

rosieposey · 30/04/2015 15:03

I also look to see how many sq ft ( or sq metres ) a place has - i add it up if it isn't on the floorplans from the details.

I am amazed to see how many right move listings don't have floorplans, its one of the first things i look at.

Sigh, well we reduced our price by 10k 3 days ago now - nothing, nada not a single viewing booked for this coming weekend. It seems that even though we have come down by 20k in six weeks we just can't seem to get anymore people through the door.

To add insult to injury the people opposite ( who don't live on the main road running through the village like us) got a sale in just 9 days, their board went up 11 days ago and it went to 'sold' yesterday.

It was a little bigger than ours with a garage and parking ( ours in on road parking) but probably only marginally larger and it was up for 150k more than ours, i just really really wish we could get some more people through the door - it seems like 6 isn't enough and we are so desperate to move by September.

People keep saying it is the election but i am not so sure - the fact there is a general election wouldn't put me off viewing houses i don't think.

I did kind of know when we bought this that it might be a little difficult to shift even though its a very nice cottage, the road is always cited as the problem ( it isn't too bad - just at half past eight and half past five it tends to get busier) I wouldn't balk at buying on a road again as it hasn't bothered us really, we just need to find buyer who feel like us!

bananamonkey · 30/04/2015 15:35

It's so frustrating rosieposie - I feel your pain! Are your estate agents telling what they're doing to find viewers? DH calls ours twice a week, I think they hate us now!

A friend of ours is splitting up with his partner, they live in the area we want, their house is lovely but would need some work to make it how we want it (move bathroom upstairs, possible attic conversion, new kitchen) but would be ~£100K less than our max budget so we could free up some equity from our sale to do it and nothing is urgent. Many of the more expensive houses we've been looking at have already had this all done. He's interested in buying our flat so could do a swap by two private sales - is this a completely mad idea?

IUseAnyName · 30/04/2015 15:48

Whoop, we completed today! No longer homeless :)

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 30/04/2015 16:13

Sounds a great idea banana. Would you be friends at the end though?

OP posts:
rosieposey · 30/04/2015 16:13

Banana not at all. You would have to get it all sorted out legally but you would save the cost of estate agents and if you think his house is a good buy then why not? Compare the cost of doing the work yourselves to how much the cost is on the properties you are looking at with the work done and that should give you an idea.

IUse ... congratulations :-)

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 30/04/2015 19:08

And breathe. Would you like to know what's holding it up now? Would you; would you really?

It's a copy of planning permission to fell a tree with a TPO on it and the lack of confirmation that there wasn't an instruction to replace the tree. Shock. Oh and having been assured that the people selling to us are the top of the chain there's a possibility they are trying to link it to another purchase. [no appropriate emoticon] so - fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck and I'm not a swearer Grin.

OP posts:
Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 30/04/2015 19:20

To whoever gave the top about the square metres on the EPC. Thank you very much indeed. We weren't quite sure but now we know! You are a Star.

Good luck everyone. Sorry to have sounded off about frustrations.

OP posts:
cheminotte · 02/05/2015 10:53

2 more viewings this week and another booked for a week's time. No interest so far, but only house we like is a bit far. I like being able to walk everywhere and don't want to give that up.

PistolAnnie · 02/05/2015 14:25

We've heard that both our buyers and sellers are keen to get moving asap so we're trying to whizz into action!

I have the fear about the mortgage although we're porting our product we have to re apply to Santander and although our deposit is just under 40% and we only took the mortgage out in Feb 14 I'm still a bit worried until they actually confirm they'll lend.

Well done to exchangers and completers though

Rubberduckies · 03/05/2015 11:38

Hello lovely ladies

I've not been on here since I first introduced myself as there wasn't much to do or say waiting for a buyer!

We now have a buyer for my house (weirdly the council are buying back ex council houses) and now have to try and find somewhere to move to...

Our dream house is sold and there's NOTHING about at the moment! And now I'm stressing out that we will be homeless :D

I need some perspective please and some good news stories!

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 03/05/2015 12:12

It's the waiting that's beginning to push me over the edge. The top of the chain is now all sewn up. And now there are a couple of minor inquiries at the bottom when we were told last week the bottom was ready to go. I'd like to fit our EAs with a lie detector.

OP posts:
Rubberduckies · 04/05/2015 06:51

Beaufort Lie detectors sound like a brilliant idea - to dragon's den!

TheEmpressofBlandings · 04/05/2015 07:15

I know what you mean about the waiting Beau! We're doing nothing at the moment but waiting for the survey and searches. Wish there was something we could do! I really should be getting removals quotes but just feel like until we've actually exchanged I don't want to tempt fate and actually think about moving in. Sad

Metrobaby · 04/05/2015 16:09

Hi - new poster on this board. Just wondered if anyone has had any unexpected reactions from friends when they sold. We put our house on the market but decided we weren't going to tell all and sundry about it. When the For Sale board went up, a couple of the Mums at the school were very upset I had not informed them first. (They are not selling themselves).