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Original poster

Why is it so hard to buy a house?

71 replies

angell84 · 26/08/2019 14:54

I am buying my first house. So far, I have contacted six different eatate agents about viewings of different houses in the area that I want to buy in.

Four simply did not reply at all.
One arranged a viewing on a house. We arranged a date and time. Then she simply stopped answering my emails altogether.

The last one. I asked to see a house on their website. She said "Well I cant' because I don't have the keys yet, hopefully I will get them in a few weeks time".

Who knew it was this hard to even VIEW a house?

Any tips on how to deal with eatate agents?

OP posts:
Jesaminecollins · 28/08/2019 05:33

On a side note - this is the best time to move house because after Brexit house prices will rise rapidly - I might be wrong but I do know the housing market quite well.

Alexalee · 28/08/2019 08:30

Jesamine would love to hear that theory....as you know the market quite well.
Buying a new build is probably the worst financial decision you will ever make when buying a property

squiglet111 · 28/08/2019 09:07

@Jesaminecollins why do you think prices will go up after Brexit please?

hlr1987 · 28/08/2019 16:27

www.which.co.uk/news/2019/08/what-will-brexit-mean-for-house-prices/

This seems fairly detailed recent analysis predicting the opposite..
But I'm not an expert at all.
And reg. First time buyers- I'm a little prejudiced as every sale that hasn't gone through for me (3) has been because a first time buyer either of ours, or the chain, has tried to negotiate down after agreeing a sale price. And of course I'm not advocating buying something overpriced, or ignoring actual structural issues, but its a little frustrating/ insulting when it's obviously done on the off-chance of a bargain and then everyone else suffers.
A chain free sale is obviously less stressful,
and to be preferred as long as it's not used as leverage to muck someone around! And with my mini rant over.. (sorry!)
Any luck with the viewings?

Jesaminecollins · 28/08/2019 16:47

@Alexalee

Why is buying a new build a bad idea?

I actually got myself a new build 30 years ago and my house has gone from £30,000 to £500,000, so I am very pleased with my new build buy. The problem is if I wanted another new build I would have to spend the same amount of money and the garden won't be as big or as establish as mine is so I won't be moving yet.

Mildura · 28/08/2019 16:47

On a side note - this is the best time to move house because after Brexit house prices will rise rapidly - I might be wrong but I do know the housing market quite well.

All prices of all properties in all locations will go up after Brexit? Not sure you know the housing market that well to make such a sweeping generalisation.

There is not just one housing market, but many hundreds of separate housing markets across the country that all behave a little differently from one another, driven by different levels of demand and supply.

Jesaminecollins · 28/08/2019 16:48

@squiglet111

Some Property Lawyers have told me this might happen and I think they know the housing market better than me or you.

Jesaminecollins · 28/08/2019 16:49

@Mildura

I am talking about the midlands so you are probably right because I don't know other parts of the country

Alexalee · 28/08/2019 17:01

Jesamine
Help to bit new build 2 bed flat 450k... 2nd hand 2 bed flat same size 325k... it's only new for the first person. When it comes onto the 2nd hand market it will be worth closer to 325 than 450. The premium for houses within the help to buy threshold is far too big

Alexalee · 28/08/2019 17:02

By property lawyers do you mean conveyancers?
They have no special insight into the housing market

Alexalee · 28/08/2019 17:04

How do you know the housing market quite well? If you dont mind me asking... I'm intrigued

Original poster
angell84 · 28/08/2019 17:59

It has started to move along a bit better for me. Visiting alot of estate agents in the first few weeks, and then just cutting off the most useless ones has definitely helped me alot.
I have several viewings lined up now - my first one is tomorrow.

OP posts:
Snog · 28/08/2019 19:42

Going straight in at asking price as a default tactic is quite naiive surely? Do you not watch Kirstie and Phil?

Original poster
angell84 · 28/08/2019 20:41

@snog have you bought a house?

Do you know that people have different situations?

If I had all the time in the world - I would play a bidding war.

I don't - I need to buy quickly, and I am looking at cheap houses anyway!

Can people please stop telling me to bid lower than asking price, I have already said that I do noy want to!

OP posts:
Snog · 28/08/2019 20:51

@angell84 yes I have bought several houses and always got the one I wanted without paying full asking price.
Sellers don't generally expect the asking price and as you will see from the house buying stats buyers don't usually pay it either. Negotiations can be done within a couple of hours so it doesn't exactly slow things down. I literally don't know anyone who would offer full asking price as an opener unless there are already offers on the table or the market is moving particularly quickly - which it absolutely isn't due to Brexit uncertainty. But obviously up to you if you want to pay more than you need to. I would say to Be careful you don't come unstuck on a mortgage valuation though if this is your tactic.

Original poster
angell84 · 28/08/2019 20:55

@snog. I am not getting a mortgage. I am a cash buyer.

OP posts:
Original poster
angell84 · 28/08/2019 20:57

Thanks for the advice anyway, I am sure it was well meant , and I will keep it in mind.

Houses seem to be selling very quickly round here which I why I was thinking of offering the asking price.

For example; a house that I wanted, was sold before I got to view it, for 10,000 over asking price.

I am in Liverpool

OP posts:
Original poster
angell84 · 28/08/2019 20:59

@snog

OP posts:
Snog · 28/08/2019 21:07

Definitely worth establishing a personal relationship with a few estate agents if the market is moving fast.

WBWIFE · 29/08/2019 08:19

Ring them instead

sunshinesupermum · 29/08/2019 11:50

Can people please stop telling me to bid lower than asking price, I have already said that I do noy want to! They are saying this because currently in most places it is a buyers market and why pay more than you have to.

But as you say where you are looking in Liverpool and find yourself in a similar situation to me when in the past I paid full asking price but only when there was little to buy and it was a property I knew I would stay in long term (7 years in one case and over 10+ in another) so even if value dropped initially, which it did both times, it rose again after a few years.

WhosH00Wh0 · 29/08/2019 13:19

You can buy quickly via property auctions. There is an auction fee, solicitor fee, full cash to be paid in the agreed time. Late payments incur a payment fine, read the small print.

Original poster
angell84 · 04/09/2019 15:12

Just an update.

I bid on a house at asking price, but the owner went with somebody else, who bid the same amount, because the lady viewed it first , and had telephoned the owner and asked her direct - according to the estate agent. I am going to look at another house this Friday

Hopefully the stars align and I het the house that I am meant to get.

OP posts:
Original poster
angell84 · 04/09/2019 15:12

It is a very fast moving market in Liverpool!

OP posts:
IAmALazyArse · 04/09/2019 15:18

It is because prices are rising