Sellers/Buyers roll call part 3. Who is still on this treadmill?

[MovingNextYearHopefully]

A slight name change for me, as I'm clearly not moving this year. Well, I am, but not into the house I'm buying.

Went to the development today, had a chat with the girls in the office & updated them. Hopefully we will be exchanging contracts next week should all go to plan. We found a nice house to rent, but its so bloody expensive I'm petrified! As long as we complete within our 6 month rental contract then all will be well, but if we don't then things will get ridiculously expensive!

I’m so pleased for you MovingThisYearHopefully - I hope you settle well into your lovely new house (was on a previous iteration of this thread when we moved last year, namechanged since.)

Oh yay Moving, that's just amazing news. So so pleased for you after all the stresses and strains of the last few months. The end is in sight...!

Fabulous news Moving

LookingOptimistic, you mentioned a street checker website earlier in the thread. Can you say what it is please as we are looking in an area we don't know that well and it would be useful to find out more info re; crime stats etc.

Pah, viewing today has cancelled as they've realised they can't afford it. Better to cancel now I guess than come and view it and then realise but disappointing all the same. All that cleaning...!

Thanks guys. I'm still pinching myself that it's finally all happening!

Hope you are all settled in now heartshapedknob.

MrsPatmore. The website you are after is actually called Street check. So if you Google Street check it will show up first. Very useful site but no substitute for a good look around. I've relocated a few times. Are you looking to move far away from where you are now?

Sorry to hear that Uninspiring. Most frustrating when that happens. Why people go viewing before being sure on their figures is anyone's guess!

Thanks MovingThisYearHopefully - I'll check it out.

Yes, hoping to join this thread, looking to move to outer London to be closer to ds school and for a cheaper property! Been on since Mid October, had an offer after 3 weeks but all fell through before Christmas. Possible other offer in the pipeline this week EA said so just waiting. Ours is a bit of a difficult property to sell - trad two up two down with bathroom downstairs. Have seen the dream property (I know, we should never have looked!). Offered £380K on £399K asking price which is very top of our budget. Turned down so still looking as I have a feeling, even if they do accept, there might be issues with the chain as they only want one particular house which they have had an offer accepted on. Ideally looking for a chain free place. Have seen circa 25 houses now - taking over lunch times and weekends!

As you have probably noticed MrsPatmore, the market in London & surrounding counties is pretty dire at the moment. The only way we got a proceedable buyer was by selling as chain free. We are buying a new build so chances are it wouldn't of tied in anyway so it made sense to advertise as such.

The amount of chains falling through is unbelievable so anyone without a chain is a much more attractive proposition. It may be worth considering going chain free if you are keen to move on. It's not ideal having to move twice in a short space of time, but worth it when it gets you where you need to be!

Sqeeee - we've got a completion date! 10 days time 😁
Happy dance 😁

Woo WitchDancer. So you'll be moving in a few days before us. Exciting times.

We have our home demonstration visit on Thursday next week. Anyone bought a new build before have any ideas for questions we can ask?

@MovingThisYearDefinitely - that's so exciting! I love the idea of a 'home demonstration' visit. At the moment I'm feeling warm towards our buyers (young couple with small child - just like us when we moved in) and was thinking about outing together an 'everything you need to know' pack. Don't think a 'demo' would work though.

@WitchDancer - congrats! You really are on countdown now! How is your packing going? Have you started?

The survey on our house has been booked for Thursday and our mortgage company is about to book the survey on our purchase. It's all looking good at the moment. Here hoping that the vote tonight doesn't scupper things. I can't think it would be so me people seem to be getting very spooked...

Congratulations @movingnextyearhopefully and @witchdancer bet you are both so excited!

A home demo sounds interesting @movingnextyearhopefully would be useful to ask where basics like stopcock etc are...boring but necessary!

I'm hoping that brexit doesn't have too much of an impact either @sandybayley but things your end sound really promising and much quicker than my sale is progressing!

Hurray @WitchDancer that’s great news. When do you exchange?

We’ve had a second viewing booked in. Apparently the couple really like it. I’m now fretting over whether I should be there when they view again or not. We were out for the first viewing. Agggghhh. It is so hard! I really want them to make an offer.

@ALadyofLetters - resist the temptation to stay in. I found it really awkward to meet owners and would rather they weren't around.

That said I am now really curious about both the couple we are selling to and buying from. I know that's a bit weird but I'm very attached to our house and want to know it will be well loved . I'd also like to think we're buying from decent people and that it's been a 'happy' house. I think it is as it felt good when we viewed. But maybe that's a bit wooo?

I keep a constant eye on this thread as gives some hope when someone gets an offer.
We have been on the market 18 months in total and have 2 offers and 1 expected and none are procedable.
Have even started looking at new builds which would be top of budget just so we can part ex. Does anyone know about the service charge on a new build? Do you pay it forever or for a certain length of time? Thanks

@WitchDancer Congrats :)

@MovingThisYearDefinitely Hope the move goes well; never had new build as such so not sure about questions, our house was 4 years old when we got it so previous buyers would have gone through that.

Some good news for lots of us though, lets hope it carries on.

@TulipsfromAmsterdam we have a monthly service charge on our new build; its for life as its paid to a managenent company which operate as a limited company, and look after the private road/ communal trees/shrubs/grounds and so they budget each year split that between 10 houses in our close and thats our monthly charge (they do yearly accounts, if they budgeted too much we get rebate and if too little we hace to pay one off fee).

So thats all i know, i inagibe thet are payable for the life of the property because all those things will always need maintaining.

Thank you everyone 😁

We exchange tomorrow apparently, they just need my money that I'll be doing in the morning. We're completing in 10 days but not moving straight away as it's a really busy time for us at work. Once we've got January out of the way we can really get going on the moving, probably the first or second week of February.

Ah packing.... I should probably do some of that! 😂

Congratulations @WitchDancer
It's good that you have flexibility there

I'm getting twitchy with all this brexit news. We went back to our buyer last week to ask for £5k more and it's been way too quiet. I think I might just fold tomorrow and accept their offer of 670
Or should I wait until Thursday?

@ALadyofLetters please don't stay in! I find it really awkward with the owner there! Unless the buyer specifically asked for you to be there

I would hold your nerves Happy. If they say yes its what, a few months mortgage payments. If they don't I personally don't think it's worth loosing the sale over though

Glad to see there has been some movement in here! I'm usually a lurker on these boards but need a bit of a rant!
My buyers solicitors are so slow! Said last week they had some enquiries and would be in touch in a day or so...nothing so I asked my solicitor to chase...
The couple I'm buying from havent submitted all the docs and so my solicitor had to go back and say these are needed...

And the mortgage company were supposed to do their survey today but the estate agent wasn't there to let them in!! (Vacant house...) feel like I'm at a standstill and initially we had hoped to be out of here end of Jan! I'll readjust my expectations to end of Feb

Sorry for the rant!!!!

Thanks Sandy. Your buyers sound lovely. One thing that sticks in my mind the vendors of a house we loved & lost many years ago did. They printed out an information sheet on the house & the area. Where important things were in the house, brief info about neighbours. Local bus & train info, Local schools shops, hospitals & other amenities. For people like us, who were new to the area it was a very thoughtful, helpful thing to have done. Hope the valuations go ok on Thursday.

Thanks alifelessordinary. I am very excited! Great ideas for the demo visit too. Will definitely add them to my list.

Hi Tulips. We are buying a new build house & will have an ongoing service charge. Don't know how much it is going to be yet. Estimates are around £200 a year. Its purely to cover the maintenance of communal areas to keep the development looking nice. With a flat, that is often leasehold, it could be higher. The developer can advise you. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount or incentive (stamp duty paid, free flooring etc) if you go for new. Also, if buying new is a possibility then consider selling your current place chain free, chances are you'll have to vacate anyway unless you're lucky enough to get an offer on yours & a suitable completed build becomes available at the same time. The best plots usually sell before that point though & don't get released officially. We were on the market on & off for 17 months before finally going sale agreed & offering on our new build last Aug. We completed on our old place 6th Dec & been in a short term let since then. We complete on 1st Feb.

Thanks LookingOptimistic. We can't wait.

Hope everything goes to plan tomorrow for exchange WitchDancer.

I would chase your EA tbh Happy. I wouldn't be able to wait. In the same situation last year, our buyers had also offered on another house & went with who accepted first. They didn't even give us a chance to match what the other vendors accepted. It is a buyers market remember!

& for all!

Sorry, took so long writing I missed your post Milly. Time to kick some arse I'm afraid. That simply isn't good enough the EA not being there for the survey. Sounds like you are right at the very beginning still. When did you accept the offer? How long is your chain? Has anything been done? End of Feb is probably a tad optimistic tbh unless everyone gets their skates on.

I'm not sure the market is slow in SE London - all the nice stuff is still flying off the shelves, mostly to first time buyers. I'm surprised first time buyers can afford £400K!

@movingthisyeardefinitely our buyers are FTB and were buying a vacant house that was rented so chain of 3 and I'm right in the middle. Your right time to get my kick ass hat on. We accepted the offer on our house and of nov

@mrspatmore I agree. I am astounded by the prices FTB in London can achieve!