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Original poster

Eviction looming and house sale progressing, does anyone have any success stories?

21 replies

CaitSith · 10/05/2018 11:13

So the long story short is that my husband and I have been renting since we moved in together, in the hopes of saving up enough for a deposit fairly quickly. Then a wedding and 2 children happened, so our savings pot hasn't been growing as much as we'd like! But, we were happy enough renting and hoped to buy in a few years. Until we got a letter from a solicitor a few weeks ago informing us that our home was undergoing repossession proceedings as the landlord hasn't been paying the mortgage Shock

My amazing in laws gifted us enough money that we were able to bring forward our plans to buy, and after a thousand house viewings in 2 weeks we found a lovely place and had an offer accepted last week. The hearing for the repossession is next Monday and we're going along to ask that our eviction be delayed by 2 months, which is the maximum we can request. Our agent, solicitor and mortgage broker are all aware of the situation we're in and have promised they'll do everything as quickly as possible, but I'm now at panic stations because if the sale doesn't complete within those 2 months, we have nowhere else to go.

Being first time buyers we're already fairly bewildered by the whole process without the added stress of a time constraint! The house we're buying thankfully has no chain and is vacant. So, I'm hoping for advice from people who have recently bought or sold, what do you think the chances are of us getting it done in time?

OP posts:
icklekid · 10/05/2018 11:15

I would suggest it could be possible but be prepared to have to chase a lot. Ring solicitors and estate agents weekly at the start and possibly more frequently as date looms near. Its not a probate sale is it?

icklekid · 10/05/2018 11:16

Meant to add I'd have a plan b ready. Somewhere to store furniture etc and family or friends who would have spare in short term?

tubularfells · 10/05/2018 11:20

Our sale went through in 6 weeks (and over Christmas/New Year) with no chain ahead or behind. It can be done!

Make sure you are on top of who needs to do what and when and call to make sure things have been done on the day, i.e. call at 2 or 3 not at 5.30. I found everyone was surprisingly helpful.

specialsubject · 10/05/2018 12:01

I'm afraid you do need a plan B even if the eviction is delayed. Especially if the house is a probate sale - but good news that it is vacant as that means no chain is more likely to be true. (Never trust a seller who says they will move in with relatives or go into rental, very few do)

think about storage costs, temporary accommodation, house sitting. Very difficult to get a legal rental under six months.

AJPTaylor · 10/05/2018 12:08

We managed one in 3 weeks in similar circs. Down to fab solicitor (old fashioned high st one), local authority being hot on the searches, and sellers who were desperate for the cash.

AJPTaylor · 10/05/2018 12:10

And back up with removals to storage (to be delivered at a later date, not too early to explore that). Poss air bnb might work better?

ChristopherTracy · 10/05/2018 14:21

I would say it was perfectly possible but go with a solicitor that a friend has used and said is fast - ours was very efficient and really on the ball but we paid a bit more for that - don't go for the cheapest!

wulliesbucket · 10/05/2018 14:23

we managed it in 5 weeks in similar circumstances, good luck.

BigGapMum · 10/05/2018 14:26

I'd second making sure you used a decent local solicitor, and don't try to cut costs using a cheap on-line one. The cheap ones are cheap for a reason (voice of experience talking here).

Original poster
CaitSith · 10/05/2018 16:00

Thanks everyone! The property isn't a probate sale and we've gone with a solicitor that's local to us so that we're able to visit easily if needed, so good to know we made the right choice there. We do have a plan B, but it would involve splitting the family between 2 relatives as no one has space for all of us, and a 40 minute drive to school for one of us, so we're hoping to avoid that at all costs. I'm hoping with a bit of luck and a lot of wine to deal with the stress we'll be able to pull it off.

OP posts:
specialsubject · 10/05/2018 17:39

yes to overly cheap solicitors being sketchy, but dont assume expensive high street old.family firms will be any better. i had them on the other side.of both my transactions - couldnt delegate, left at lunchtime on fridays, didnt open post for a week etc.

bearbehind · 10/05/2018 17:47

The thing that is going to make a huge difference is the chain above you.

Where are your vendors going? Are they making an onward purchase?

If so how many are in the chain above them?

Unless your vendors are the end of your chain you really, really need a workable plan B.

cestlavielife · 10/05/2018 18:32

Find out someone going away for summer holidays...house sit. It's school holidays,anyway in two months. So it s annoying but not unsolvable to store stuff and camp out / house sit / airbnb...

Original poster
CaitSith · 18/05/2018 20:05

Thanks all for the advice but it turned out not to matter! Had our survey this afternoon and the house turned out to be a timber frame from the 70s which our surveyor said off the record he wouldn’t touch with a barge pole. Our broker said the same and that we’d be unlikely to find a lender even if we wanted it which we now don’t. It was lovely too Sad So back into yet another rental while we wait for something else to turn up, but this time without the tight time constraint which I must admit I’m looking forward to!

OP posts:
AJPTaylor · 18/05/2018 20:13

Aw. Whats for you wont pass you by.

specialsubject · 18/05/2018 21:02

bit shocking you had to pay for a survey for this, should have been on the description!

Original poster
CaitSith · 18/05/2018 21:13

Both the EA and seller were apparently unaware and thought it was a brick building. Not sure how much I believe that but either way, I see it as 300 quid now has potentially saved us tens of thousands in the future so I’m not too cut up about it. I’ve promised to send them a copy of the report when it arrives so will be interested to see if it appears on the listing after that (but I’ve a sneaking suspicion it won’t)

OP posts:
specialsubject · 18/05/2018 21:42

wise words. and of course the seller knew!! well out of that one.

sakura06 · 19/05/2018 08:17

Any chance of you buying the house you live in from the bank?!

Original poster
CaitSith · 19/05/2018 15:34

We tried that first of all, they refused! The house has to be sold as vacant possession so we’d have to move out, put an offer on it and move back if it was the highest offer. We like it here but not enough to move out only to move straight back in again! Besides that, the landlord hasn’t been at all interested in maintenance so there’s a lot of work that would need to be done, probably more than we have the time or money for.

OP posts:
sakura06 · 19/05/2018 21:07

Oh no 😞 How annoying! You'd think they'd be happy to get a quick sale.

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