Sellers/Buyers roll call Part 4 Keep strong everyone!

[alifelessordinary]

Thought I'd start a new thread as previous one had hit 1000 posts and wouldn't let me reply!

@LookingOptimistic why do solicitors have to be so difficult at times? Hope it gets resolved for you soon.

The indemnity policy came through this afternoon, so we're hoping we might be exchanging sometime next week...unless something else crops up!

@TokyoSushi I remember you. Our house was for sale last August until November.

@BeauticianNotMagician81 Got everything crossed for you!

I showed a couple round our (rental) house last who said 'are you looking for a quick sale?'. Analyse that please? Does that sound hopeful of a cheeky low offer?

We had two viewings yesterday, one of them a second viewing, and have another second viewing booked for Saturday.
Hope the offers will start coming soon for everyone!

@firefirefire possible cheeky offer and want to move in asap I would read that as

Feeling quite tense here! Sale is in touching distance but I can't quite believe it can be this simple as it would mean we'd have gone from offer to exchange in less than 2 months, the buyers want to come back for a second viewing to measure up for a new kitchen, which is making me nervous..... Their solicitor has reported, so presumably once that's happened it's ready to exchange - if they really are as good as they seem and don't start playing games like the previous buyers did.

I'm tentatively looking on right move at places to buy - prices in the area I want to buy are well above zoopla estimates - we have sold for under asking but for the same region as zoopla. Given that I am never ever doing this again, and what I want is quite specific, I am wondering whether not to worry too much about value but just buy what I can afford that suits me - or whether to go low in at zoopla estimates. Most of the places on now haven't been on that long though ,so I figure people may not be taking low offers. Happily for my stress levels, there is still nothing that seems to quite hit the mark, so I can wait and see what happens with our sale - I could well be back amongst the rest of you waiting for offers this time next week (please noooooo!).

Nearly a year now since I started this process. If my sale goes through then there is definitely hope for all of you as this has been a complete and utter nightmare from start to finish so please keep your fingers crossed!!

@tootyfruitypickle
Always best to ignore Zoopla estimates.

Do your own research, focusing on recent sale prices of similar properties in the area you wish to buy.

thanks that's what I figure, I'm still looking at 2016 prices really given the specificness of what I want, just didn't want to be an idiot and massively overpay, especially after having taken a bit of a hit on the sale. But I figure I was desperate to sell and still wasn't interested in super low offers so why should anyone else be! I just noticed recently that the offer on my sale is the same as the zoopla estimate (about 4% below asking) - but in the area I'm buying zoopla estimates are more like 10% + below and those are the offers that I rejected point blank so I don't particularly expect anyone to take that kind of offer from me! .

We've had an offer on our rental property! Up for £250k and they offered £240k. Have asked to meet them in the middle. They are first time buyers. We've not long reduced it from £260k and I doubt they would come in with their best offer.

We've agreed £245k. I'm so relieved. First time buyers too so is well worth dropping the price a bit 😃

Congratulations to those who have just accepted offers and had them accepted!

Thanks @TokyoSushi I think you and me are some of the old guard on here. Our sale is still hanging by a thread. Solicitors have been back and forth about the deed of variation but regardless of that the point stands that we applied for and paid for it over a month ago and the freeholder has been totally useless in actioning it.

My solicitor has been off today and yesterday and today I called his assistant and insisted on somebody else to take action because we are deadlocked at the last stage before exchange and petrified that the sale will fall through if there is no movement imminently. I have been in this state of high anxiety for months and it is horrendous!

A nice solicitor has picked up our file in our usual one's absence. He seemed to understand what to do almost straight away and promises to keep me updated although I don't ever trust it when they say that. I feel battle weary!

Hope you get some news soon @Tiddle.

I don’t know where we’re up to - mortgage offer received and searches done and back. I think we are onto enquiries now but I’ve not heard from my solicitors for a while. Can I chase them ?

I have no idea when we might expect to think about exchanging, or whether it’s too early to say at this stage. Need to work out when to give notice for our rental (1 month)

Does anyone know how long a home buyers report survey takes to be carried out?

What do they actually do? I read they won't look behind furniture and things but do they open windows and things? They're coming round tomorrow and I have house cat as o bit worried they'll accidentally let them out!

@Fleabag123 yes chase them last time I chased nearly daily for updates!

We have had most enquiries done now but still waiting on our mortgage offer! So frustrating

@WBWIFE thanks. Both of our HB surveys have been back within 48hrs of the visit so hopefully not long to wait

@Fleabag123 wasyou there when your buyers report were carried out? How long were they there? What did they do?

No, I haven’t been present for the surveys (I’m buying but not selling).
They report on a lot of stuff - condition of roof, guttering, windows, floors, presence of gas central heating. They also check the garden and comment on all sorts of stuff such as the state of the bathroom sealant and the presence of trees outside!

@Fleabag123 I've seen examples of the reports but was told it's all by eye and they can't touch anything, look behind furnishings or climb ladders to actually investigate the roof. They just do so by eye outside in ground level!

For this reason we haven't ever bothered with them as we know what we can see by eye as well 😂

It says the time will be 9-2 but I guess that means theyll srrive between those times!

@WBwife the homebuyers report on my house was about 3 hours. He spent a good hour outside the front and back, the rest inside the house. He didn't ask me to move anything but I was able to let him know the boiler had been serviced and the age of things, what had certificates etc.

We always have the full buildings survey done and even then they dont move furniture or anything. The reports are full of caveats so it's always buyer beware.

TiddleTaddleTat it's so stressful isn't it? I hope yours progresses.

Good luck to those starting out.

Our vendors Estate Agent was on the phone yesterday in a strop about why things aren't going more quickly. I explained our solicitor was still waiting for some legal docs - sellers fault, not ours! All paperwork being sent back tonight, transferring money this lunchtime (gulp!). My solicitor is now on leave until 4th April but completion is set for 12th April. 9 weeks since we made the offer and will be roughly 11 weeks if we complete on 12th April. Just want it all to be done now.

Well, the final document is in the country, since yesterday, one hour away from the solicitors. Either it's arrived at the solicitors today and they haven't done anything about it, or it's still at the depot, or the courier is a lost donkey.
Honestly it would've been quicker for me to go to the depot and take it to the solicitors myself.
As soon as they have this we can exchange. It was expected on Tuesday. They only bothered to look up the tracking number yesterday. I bet they haven't bothered today.
Jesus wept.

Went to view our house again to measure up for the vendor to say their solicitors and their vendors are expanding completion at the end of April!! We thought it was June!

@WBWIFE our homebuyers survey was 2-3 hours and very thorough

I've always thought full structural is a better choice but was happy with the homebuyers we had done on our 1930s house with a local surveyor.

Our sale is at crunch now or never time. My solicitor has gone back to the buyers solicitor and said this lease does not need a DoV. Pretty much take it or leave it, and we want to exchange ASAP. The buyer could well pull out but we have no other route as a DoV is unlikely to be agreed by the freeholder as it's simply not required (the lease is badly drafted, but not erroneous). Plus not doing the DoV saves us £1700.
Scary times, but if the buyer isn't going to go ahead (after 5 months of protracted conveyancing and negotiations) then I'd rather hurry this up and get it back on the market. But I'm trying to stay hopeful that the buyer will agree with our sol and proceed to exchange ASAP.

Hello all, may I join you? Just put an offer in on a house, will be spending the weekend preparing our house to go on the market next week!

@30under - have you had an offer accepted without being proceedable?

Update from us...

We've gone under offer to the lovely FTBs but House A (which we had nearly exchanged on when we had previous buyer in place) have gone with another buyer! Madness.

DH currently negotiating with House B (round the corner) and reminding House C of our cheeky offer. This is getting a bit ridiculous.

@sandybayley no, and not expecting to - hence putting house on market next week after mad weekend of decluttering and tidying!