Buying and selling support thread?!

[GinIsIn]

Hi, I know there's a sellers' thread, and a buyers' thread, but I am knee deep in trying to do both at the same time and starting to feel like my head might explode and not sure which thread to visit to beg for someone to send Anyone else?!

Good luck, puggy

mummy - that is so annoying but hopefully the report is just waiting for an update

Can I pick everyone's brains re: svhools? We live near an really excellent primary. In the top 15 in England and Wales. DS has just got a place at the nursery and, all being well, will get into the school

We have seen another house that we like. Out if catchment for the amazing school that we are near. Near a very good faith school but it's not assured that we woukd get a place there. The school it is in catchment for is a solid good. It seems to get the same number of children into the local grammar as our local excellent school - no doubt due to tutoring etc.

I had thought that it would be OK if we couldn't get into the faith school

But - went to a nursery induction yesterday with DS. Stuffed full of parents living in minute houses saying they will never, never move until all of their DCs are in into our excellent local school. They looked at me as though as I was mental when I said we were thinking of moving

DS is obviously our first DC. Then got the two girls to get in. So we would be looking at staying here for another 5 years or so.

Is it mad to move away from a local outstanding school and risk the DCs going to a catchment "good" school.

I hardly slept all night thinking about it all!

I work in school. I really wouldn't worry about the difference between a good and outstanding school.

That's good to know puggy. What about the dreaded SATs? I susie t this is why our local school is so generally highly rated

I work in a very highly deprived area and we are outstanding and SATs are way above average but I wouldn't live there in a million years.

Had email confirming the mortgage appointment. Can't believe the amount of documents we need to take!

mummy hopefully they get it sorted

puggy 3 hour appointment is all about responsible lending so they'll go through affordability in crazy detail and they'll go through all product options even though you and they know what you want and risks etc. Prob will be quicker if you don't ask too many questions!

gobolino I would move, schools can change and ofsted doesn't mean too much

after being on the market a week with no offers we dropped price by £25k as keen to get an offer quickly so we don't lose other house. It's generated 2 viewings tonight so fingers crossed but bloody typical that the school opposite has had their only ever school trip today and there's currently 3 coaches blocking the road and about a 10min queue just as the first viewing is happening not great given some peoples objections so far have been being opposite a school

Bamboo, that it sod's law isn't it? Like when you live on a main road, insist it's no problem and those shitty little loud motorbikes that teenagers have go back and forth and million times!

Eek they didn't care! We dropped to £475k and they offered £485k!

Wow bamboo that's amazing, well done!
Puggy - the amount of paperwork is bonkers, now you've just got to find it all. Which if you're anything like me would be easier if you hadn't tidied things away never to be seen again.

We have had some viewings today and another booked in tomorrow so hopefully something comes of that so we can close negotiations on the house we want.

Good luck munchy

Wow Bamboo! And good luck Munchy!

puggy we have been applying for 2 mortgages and the amount of paperwork needed has been truly awesome. Makes me nostalgic for the days of irresponsible lending when DH (self employed) could self certify just by signing to say he earned £X a year.

When we moved a couple of years ago we arranged a personal loan at the bank in case we were short. I can't remember why and we didn't use it. I do remember how LONG the meeting was. We had to read loads of stuff and watch a video.

gobolino I would go with the school you like the feel of. Ofstead are only there a short time and different inspection teams might see different things. Mind you, Head teachers can change and with that the whole atmosphere of the school. Sorry I'm probably not helping!

Hi all. We've finally got internet. It's crap and slow too because the infrastructure in this country is shite.

Glad you got the bungalow puggy.

Gobbolino: having had DS1 go to lots of different schools, I would probably pick an ofsted good school over an outstanding one. DS1 has been to several 'outstanding' schools that look great on paper but they all put the paperwork and systems above the children. In one it was very clear that DS was just a number and they did not care one jot about him. Another was actively awful, with teachers who punished DS for being bullied (and rewarded the bullies) and one teacher who actually bullied him too (humiliating him in front of the class because of his motor skill issues). We've had much better experiences in 'good' schools.

Finally heard from my broker...I got my mortgage!

Buyers had their valuation survey on our house yesterday so waiting to hear about that now. Then it's searches, surveys and hopefully an early exchange...we have a suggested completion date of 2nd Sept. I want to suggest an earlier date but DH is unsure.

I still don't think it'll all actually go through ok! I daren't hope to be honest, this is my dream house!

oogle congratulations! That part is always such a relief

So we accepted the offer yesterday but our buyers don't have an offer on their house yet so we are keeping ours on the market until they get their buyer. Is this pretty standard?

Yes it definitely is standard, Bamboo. It might also be why they offered over your new lower price.

Very standard bamboo. Keeps you in a better position.

Yay for the mortgage oogle.

I had one positive feedback from a viewing yesterday and they may offer once they know if they can stretch the mortgage. I've told the agents that we could wait a few weeks to encourage them along.
We had some negative feedback about lack of garden and off road parking. Both issues clearly seen on rightmove. Not sure why they wasted their time coming.

Had one today we haven't heard back on and another on Saturday.
Trying to keep optimistic.

Yay Oogle! Going to do the fixtures and fittings form tonight which is bound to lead to disagreements between me and DH. I'll be right and he'll be wrong of course!

Hurrah! Got mortgage offer for the house we are buying today. It took a whole month for the surveyor to get out to do the survey.

We are remortgaging current house with buytolet mortgage to raise deposit and stamp duty for purchase. This was meant to be simple but has been delayed by bloody section 104 notice from water company which legal service has said must be removed. Grrrr. Hope it happens quickly.

"Free legals" on the buytolet have been real headache. Not free at all as it has taken up lots of my time. I imagine it like a call centre full of law graduates plus one solicitor. The service from our local solicitor for the purchase has been so much better.

munchy we once had a viewer say they liked the house but wanted a garage. The house was mid terrace with no garage on details. It's annoying.

We have a small garden here too so expecting similar comments.

Nice to know it's not just me Chilly. The first one we had wasn't keen on the area. They were local so knows where they were coming. Weirdos.

We have still not exchanged, completed on our other house, got four weeks left in rented.
Some problem with a search holding everything up

I agree about outstanding schools, I am a veteran of lots of school moves, private and state with three DC all going to different ones. It's probably coincidence but the pastoral care in the outstanding ones was not good, too focussed on other things.

We had lots of stupid feedback. All started with loved the house but... Wanted detached (it's clearly a large Victorian semi), hall too small (really?), don't want to be in a village, house too close to the road (very clear to see from the photo)

Hope exchange happens soon Jeremy.

Yesterday's viewers didn't like the fact there is no bath. Apparently they want this area and there's nothing with as much space or period features on the market right now so maybe they'll come back.