Anyone need to vent their frustration or excitement with an imminent house move??

[FloreanFortescue]

I'm on the excitement end thankfully although the frustration is creeping in!

Made an offer on our house to be in May and the turnaround has been pretty incredible to be honest.

We had no intention of buying a house this year but I'm a daily Rightmove window shopper and a house caught my eye in lockdown. I thought nothing of it but on my daily viewings I kept wondering about it. I eventually emailed the agent to ask about the circumstances around the move and they asked if we'd like a virtual viewing - absolutely - and after that we decided to chase the wind and see if we could sell ours in time to make an offer. Thankfully due to lockdown, it was like being given the gift of time. Long story short, our house sold for asking price in 2 days and we got our offer in just in time.

So fast forward to today, the house is packed, it's been a super easy transaction but this last week is draaaaaaaaaaaagging!

How are any of you other lockdown movers doing?

Oh wow op! Assuming you’re in now??

I’ve had a mortgage application go in yesterday as a first time buyer, I’m absolutely terrified I’ll be declined and I love the potential new flat so much! I’ve heard so many mixed things of how long the bank takes to give their decision. 😬

I'm waiting for one last search to come back, sign contract and then fingers crossed can exchange. Am only on week 5 but waiting for contract to come through is torture. I stalk the front door waiting for the postie to see if he has a big white envelope.

In 48 hours we’ve sold our house and had an offer accepted on a new one. We should exchange in 28 days. We only decided to move last month.

Me! After stalking Rightmove relentlessly for what feels like years, we saw our dream home 3 weeks ago. Offer accepted- can't believe our luck. Our house has been on the market for 9 days, 5 days of viewings so far (about 18 so far), 22 to go tomorrow and on Saturday. Three offers, the highest of which is 5k over asking price but hoping for more as the market round here is crackers and we'd really like to do some work on the new house. I have no cause whatsoever to complain, but I'm finding the constant cleaning and leaving the house with everyone at home 24/7 and a full time job pretty stressful, and I hate the long wait everyday for viewer feedback and not knowing what we'll end up with. Really looking forward to getting the whole thing done and dusted and moving on to the fun part (not) conveyancing!

OP, did you put an offer in without actually seeing the house in person? Have you seen it now?

@Excited101 not just yet! Another week to go 🤞🏻 best of luck to you!

@ladykuga our contract came through today but there's a bit missing 🤦🏻‍♀️ honestly!

@legfaced we've had an almost identical experience!! Absolute madness.

@AltheaVestr1t frankly I'd take the offer and take advantage of the stamp duty holiday! We did the online viewing over WhatsApp and then decided we loved it enough to put ours on the market. When we accepted our offer, we booked a physical viewing the next day and made the offer about 5 minutes after we left!

Oh dear lord OP how can some of contract be missing? How annoying.

Oh dear lord OP how can some of contract be missing? How annoying.

Oh dear lord OP how can some of contract be missing? How annoying.

Incredibly excited here.

Next month it will have been two years since we decided to sell. Won't bore you with it all, but it has been brutal!

We have exchanged and complete a week on Monday. I'm awake at night wondering where my spices and tea towels are going to live.

I feel like I'm getting ready to go on a permanent holiday, we decided to move for a 'view' and we have it in droves. Always wanted a posh ice making fridge, didn't get it...until Rishi Sunak gave us an £8k break.

I'm in the limbo section of middle of conveyancing, sold ours quickly to a property developer (admittedly took a lower price than we wanted but had no other viewings booked in and not a very desirable house tbh) and our purchase of next house is ongoing, but having issues now with probate of new house as initially told it was at the stage of 6-8 weeks to go til probate granted, now told their solicitors are the most uncooperative and uncommunicative and we are looking at potentially months!!!! Worried we're going to lose our buyer as lots of similar properties nearby now coming onto market with presumably now less hassle. Also already had argument with our buyer who sent a legal letter asking why we put on f&f form that we were taking upstairs curtain poles and curtains after apparently saying we would leave them, when we had a big conversation with EA when accepting her offer that we would leave downstairs ones but needed upstairs for new house. Something so small an issue but they're ripping the house apart to redo to rent out so why scare me about curtain rails?! Also, still not received buyers pack for new house, chased and chased and chased with our solicitors and EA and eventually their solicitors said they 'found the pack on their desk'..... Only been there since 25th June. Oh and the biggie, it now looks like my work are spreading redundancies further than initially stated, and I could now v much be in the firing line. No idea where to turn and what to do.

So yeah, that's my rant over and done with . I'm an anxious mess at the best of times but this whole sale and purchase malarky (as well as global pandemic and potential job loss) is just leaving my nails bitten to within an inch of their life and me back pulling my hair out again. So thank you for the rant!

@FloreanFortescue that's very bold...Glad it all paid off for you! Yes, whatever we're on after our viewings are finished, we'll go with - the stamp duty holiday is definitely a bonus!!

I exchanged on Tuesday - exactly seven months to the day since I had my offer accepted! Along the way I’ve been gazumped, gazundered, chose to take a new job because I didn’t think I’d be buying, then sellers came back to me, had to be reapproved for the mortgage, Corona happened, then ended up in a contract race - and will finally move in on July 31st.

To be honest, whilst there were periods of frustration, certainly since the pandemic hit I’ve been very “que sera, sera” about it all. I’m now a combination of excited and overwhelmed at the thought of everything that needs doing (it’s a fixer-upper) and how on earth I’m going to get it all done alongside working full time long hours and not having a clue where to start.

I have accepted an offer on my house (I'm not moving, just selling a property that I inherited) and am waiting for the in between bit now. Solicitors have the paperwork. Anyone know how long it usually takes? there is no chain and these are first time buyers. I just want it to be done- am so impatient.

@AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter - how long is a piece of string? Generally 12-14 weeks is the average time from offer to completion; but things will likely be slower right now as lenders and surveyors will have a backlog of cases, and it depends if you run into any hitches.

12-14 WEEKS!

sobs

Thanks for the heads up

It can be quicker - I once went from offer to exchange within 9 weeks, but I had a very motivated solicitor, which is absolutely key. Conveyancing is high caseload for relatively low reward and the squeaky wheel gets most attention. Don’t just sit back and assume your solicitor is quietly progressing your file, you need to contact them regularly for updates to speed things along.

Other than that, you’re reliant on how long your buyer’s mortgage application takes, how soon their lender can get a valuer out and then when buyer’s structural surveyor can give them an appointment. Obviously all this is a bit slower than usual right now.

@ComtesseDeSpair

Thank you for the advice. I will definitely do that. I picked a solicitor based on good reviews and the fact they get things done promptly so here's hoping!

Congrats on your exchange! What a stressful journey that must have been- urgh. Its no wonder moving house is listed as one of the most stressful life events.

Can I join please?

We have been on a massive rollercoaster since lockdown. Viewed a property mid-March. Initial offer rejected. Couple of days after lockdown it came back on and we went for it and matched the offer they accepted. Husband's work asked for him to be furloughed, even though he was massively busy. He refused firstly because it was pure CF and secondly there would be no chance of a move.

Pushed on with mortgage, hold up in survey even though property is empty, applied for planning permission to convert loft - it's a bungalow. We should have exchanged yesterday but seller's solicitor forgot a form they needed to sign. He sent it back, should be there today.

Our DC don't know anything about this move. They fell in love with the house when we saw it and we didn't want to get their hopes up in case it didn't follow through.

I have literally been dreaming of the moment we tell them. If it happens today we'll walk round there and tell them outside.

Oh my gosh, I am in the middle of frustration stage so serious venting to be done!

Agreed sale on ours, and offer accepted on new house two weeks later.
Seller of new house wouldn't accept our offer until we committed a date to work to for exchange (queue plucking a date out of thin air, how are we meant to know....)
Whilst figuring that out, we found out our buyers hadn't instructed their solicitors yet (two weeks after offer accepted!) turns out they 'didn't know they had to formally instruct' anyway that's sorted now.

Moving to seller who put us under pressure to choose a date and go quickly. Two weeks after offer accepted, our solicitor hasn't received paperwork. Check with sales progressor, seller supposedly returned forms beginning of last week. Chase solicitor, solicitor supposedly only received forms yesterday. So SOMEONE here missed a beat and is telling porkies.

To top things off it's also been like pulling teeth to get anything out of the guy who's meant to be looking after our mortgage application.

AGHH!

Received my contract this morning! Signed and I dropped off to solicitors. Can't actually believe we're actually talking completion dates! 😳. It's taken 5 weeks and 2 days so far. Am in touching distance of exchange. Feel sick yet excited at the same time. Good luck everyone wherever you're at in your property journey - May the road be smooth and paved all the way.

I've also completed in 9 weeks before, on December 19th - the prospect of Christmas with two small children and a house full of half packed boxes was extremely motivating! I agree that the key to a quick transaction is to chase your solicitor every step of the way. Unfortunate, but true. I ended up phoning them for an update daily as it was the only way to ensure anything would get done!