Would anyone like an 'in a chain' support group? (2)

[AnnaELC]

Seems we reached 1000 messages so I've started a new one!

Our survey was pretty late actually - at least a month after our offer was accepted and after our mortgage had been agreed and our searches were back (we did each in stages, and didn't start the next stage until that was back).

I am so pleased we don't have a chain, and also that the vendors have asked us to contact them directly as it makes things SO much easier. The EA isn't happy, and has told us both to stop it, but she'll get over it

Iamcheeseman my advice.. don't email always call and actually speak to the person your after if u email they can reply when want if u ring they gotta deal with u then and there x

I love the idea of you estate agent telling you off user

littlemiss thanks- I'll bear that in mind. Our EA is really good though, she emailed me back within minutes. It's just the other agents in the rest of the chain she is trying to get info off for me that are obviously not replying immediately as I would like and if I had their phone numbers believe me I would call them myself!

Would it be frowned upon to find out who all the estate agents are and call them all myself? And ask for their clients numbers maybe?
That was actually one benefit to the houses I saw with online estate agents- I was given the vendors mobile numbers in both cases which would have made this process far easier.

Can you tell I need to be in control yet and having to let someone do stuff for me is killing me?

@Iamcheeseman it's very hard leaving it to middle men isn't it!!

We saw a house last night and put an offer in but they wanted 6k over the asking price (it's on for OIEO 280k) and I wasn't happy with that.
A house has just come on the market that we are seeing on Saturday and I'm hoping we (I) like it. Photos look nice but you can never really tell can you

On the plus side; I gave up chocolate for Lent and I haven't had any for a week

I know where your chocolate has gone at least! I've eaten 5 bars in 3 days- this is stressing me out so much. I'll weigh 50 stone by the time we ever complete!

I'm moving over from the viewing thread to here.

We got an offer on Tuesday which we have accepted. Our buyer has an offer on her house and it is a cash buyer so she is keen to move quickly.

We put an offer in on the house we wanted. It was on for 'offers over', went £2k under which was rejected so we went for just under and was accepted and it means we avoid stamp duty. It's a bit of a fixer upper in that it will need a rewiring, probably a new boiler and insulation at first as well as the usual redecoration. But it's actually a bargain for the price we have it compared to the houses around the area. And with a little work, we probably would make a tidy sum on it once we eventually come to downsize in the future.

We're lucky that we can technically be no chain, as we can move in with my father if our vendors haven't got somewhere to move onto. They're looking to downsize to a bungalow which are few and far between around here. So that's the only fly in the ointment.

I'm terrified and it's only the start of the process really as the offer was accepted only this afternoon.

I'm going to dip my toe in but no idea how long I'll be here for. We sold our old house at the end of last year in an amazingly short time so we are in rented and have just had an offer accepted on another house.

Our vendors don't have anywhere to move to yet so we are a bit stuck with getting things going as we don't want to start incurring costs until they do. The EA has openly said they don't want to move (they are downsizing/retired) so the chance of it all falling through seems quite high! Its just a waiting game but we are keen to push on with life as it will mean a move in area and with two children at school i'm dreading finding new school places for them but at the same time I just want to get on with it.

Is anyone else moving with school age children and moving school too? I can't figure out how to do it all but it must happen... surely?

Ugh. DH has had a missed call from the EA so I am now panicking that the buyer wants to pull out or reduce the price. I've phoned the EA and left a voicemail and emailed them. I hope I'm panicking for nothing!

raaraa we are lucky to be moving just DH and me, no DC involved. It must be so much more stressful for you - sorry no help just feeling sympathetic!

Hi All
Still struck down with this flu, but starting to feel human again!
Chased round EA and Solicitor today to see if on track to exchange on the 16th. Lo and behold the bottom of the chain haven't had their mortgage offer yet (6 weeks in!) and our buyers buyers solicitor has just raised 27 enquiries on the purchase. Looking very unlikely we will exchange next week now.
I just want to get the exchange over with then I can relax and start packing and sorting removals etc..

That sounds frustrating kilburn

I've had a reply from my estate agent about our chain status:
Person 1: Will now pay solicitor today to do searches as they know the chain is complete (erm we asked the estate agent to pass this message on last week!)
Person 2: Searches applied for and survey done- wahoo
Person 3: Searches applied for and survey done- wahoo
Person 4: Money on account with sols waiting for paperwork from my sol (I'm hoping she's done this this week)!
Me: Mortgage application tomorrow and money with sols today and the go ahead for the searches.

I'm a little nervous as to why the bottom of the chain (currently in rented) haven't done anything yet those above them have as the house they are buying is the most expensive in the chain! Yes I've been snooping on rightmove ;-) Anyone know of a reason why this might be the case?
I've officially appointed myself chain co-ordinator :-D I might even make a badge.

Also- anyone know how to find out when a house went from available to SSTC on Rightmove?

There is a website called daftdrop that I sometimes use to find out when a house went to SSTC on rightmove - it isn't perfect, but useful nonetheless.

You can't search by address/postcode just area, but if you google "streetname town daftdrop.com" it sometimes works (ignore the speech marks!) PM me if you don't get any luck and I'll have a go as I have a few other tricks.

Thanks user it worked for house 1 which was the main one I wanted to know about. That went to market in August and sold in November.

Why on earth haven't the buyers done any searches or anything of they had their offer accepted in November!?

@Raaraaboonah unless moving out of area, you need to wait until you have a fixed completion date or have moved before looking at school. Most schools won't give you a school place until you have an address with you name on it (utility bill etc)
Might be worth in interests of upheaval to move house and then look at schools (that's what we are doing but not suggesting it is the right way)

HTH

We are seeing the 'other' house tomorrow and I am very excited - is that sad??!

So we saw the 'other' house today. Not the one for us and the 'off street working' turned out to be communal parking with a garage in a block down the road!!

We also had a second viewing of house we put offer in for and I'm feeling much happier. Vendors are leaving quite a bit behind and spent a lot of time with us going room to room explaining all the different features and quirks etc. We are both happy to proceed and could be moved in as little as 6-8 weeks depending on outcome of searches/surveys etc. Eeeek!!

Have the vendors accepted your offer then dobby? I must have missed that!
That's all sounds good about the second house

Yes @cheese offer accepted on Friday. Slightly more than I wanted to pay but they are leaving lots behind so feel better about it. It is a lovely house

Oh that's great news dobby
Now you can be annoyed at how slowly paperwork gets done with me and annoyed at the fact solicitors and estate agents have lives and don't answer work emails in evenings and on weekends!

Congrats Dobby!

Hi can anyone help we had survey do on thurs EA text to say it had been done I said when should we expect to get it he said we don't unless we specifically ask for it but of course we want to see it do I actually need to ring our lender ? In the past they just came in the post? We got our mortgage offer yest so that's al ok.. thanks

Of course you get to see the survey- that's the point of it! In the past I just got sent it.
Did you arrange it through your mortgage application or independently?
If arranged through the mortgage provider I'd give them a certain amount of time (maybe a week or 2) and if it hadn't arrived give them a call. If arranged yourself then drop them an email now and ask I would- but I am very impatient.

Iamcheeseman our amazing solicitor does answer emails in the evening and at weekends, so while a rare breed, they do exist. I don't send her stuff in the evening and weekends anymore as she always replies and it doesn't seem fair to bother her.

She wasn't the cheapest but has been worth every penny!

Littlemissm92 did you have a homebuyers report or just a valuation? If just a valuation you may not get a copy - Barclay's and Nationwide among others don't provide it as it is for their benefit. I would imagine if it is a homebuyers it will come directly from the surveyors, so will probably come in the next couple of days.

Oh gosh I think it's just the basic well is defo the basic IT was the cheapest option because we have already seen and have a copy of someone who pulled out so we didn't see the point of wasting money... so if is just the valuation I guess we don't need to
See it as is obviously been valued ok as our lender have offered us the mortgage ? And the lender and surveyor work together don't they ? Hope that makes sense .. I mean if it was under valued they wouldn't agree to lend on it would they

If you've had your mortgage offer it will be fine. If there was any issue with the valuation or how much they would lend they'd have contacted you prior to issuing the mortgage offer

What's what I thought but it's abit naff to pay nearly £500 and get nothing for it suppose it's just the way this buying houses malarkey goes ! Thanks all

littlemiss do you know what you have paid for? If it's just a standard valuation (for the bank to check they will get their money back) then no I wouldn't expect there is anything to see other than a number on a piece of paper. If it's a homebuyer survey though there will a report for you to see like I said earlier.
I did my mortgage application yesterday and during that the bank lady said I'd need at least a basic valuation survey which was £254 or I could get the homebuyer one done through them for £574 or a full structural one for £700 something.
I opted for the homebuyer one as I was going to get that done privately anyway.
£500 seems like a lot of money for just a valuation.