Anxious about finding new house/losing out

[OfUselessBooks]

I'm starting to get anxious about searching for a house and we havent even started yet!

We expect to have an offer on our house in the next few days, all going well. However, it is 3 weeks until we can visit our new area to look for a new property (we cant change this unfortunately). Our buyer will be told this.

There seems to be very few properties on the market in our chosen new town. There are 3 schools that have places for our children so we are tied to these 3 locations. At the moment there are about 4 lovely houses on, but very few coming on each day and I'm anxious they're going to get snapped up and with no new ones we won't be able to find anywhere!

I suppose I'm a natural worrier about things like this anyway, especially when it's something I can't control. Even when we bought out first house, and so had no chain or timeline to consider, I'd get very worried about losing out or missing one.

Does anyone else feel like this? How do you approach it calmly?! I guess I need to switch off my right move alerts for at least 2 weeks!

Are you just looking on Rightmove or are you registered with local estate agents? Some houses won't even make it on to Rightmove - you want the agents to be calling you as soon as something that fits your criteria comes in, which could be about now as people who are preparing to sell will be making contact, getting valuations and photos etc.

Probably a good idea to pause the Rightmove alerts until you're actually able to book in appts so you don't have a trigger for worry, but remember, you only need to find one house :)

Totally get this - we're looking to buy in an area we've fallen in love with. Just over an hours drive from where we currently live so viewings are a bit of a schlep with kids intow and under Co-vid conditions.
Seen a house that we really like - not perfect but loads of potential and in a great neighbourhood where few properties come onto the market & rarely change hands.
We are probably going to put an offer in today in but I'm really worried it'll be snapped up from under our noses and then it is back to square 1.

How long have the properties been on the market for?
Don't stress, the right property may still yet come onto the market!

Thank you - I may have to keep repeating thay to myself!

I have registered with a couple - although some that I've messaged haven't called me back...again I probably only need to talk to them about available properties a few days before as there's no point in arranging viewings for 3 weeks time. It will be hard as Right Move is my new favourite hobby!

Ooh good luck @SaffaQueen! We have been so happy in our current house and looking back it wasn't our first choice.

Actually, 3 of them have been reduced... so I don't think it can see how long they've been on but they were all reduced late June/early July. So at least they havent been snapped up straight away. Maybe at least one will be on still in 3 weeks or maybe there are people starting the process now due to the stamp duty changes and will be on just in time!

I can't wait until this is all over and we have a house and school places and we can breath again!

I was a very anxious house hunter. The house we ended up buying didn't come on the market until a few months into our search, and was by far the loveliest house we saw. Rather than assume the nice houses on now are right for you, why not try thinking that the right one isn't on yet!

You can ask the agent to mention you to the vendors, explaining that you plan to view - if they know that maybe they won't rush reducing the house price so there's less chance that someone else gets one.

That is a good way of looking at it @sarahb083!

Doesnt help that I registered with GetAgent and got an "update " email from them yesterday that gave me an estimated moving date of 14 Feb next year! I thought it was from our estate agents to start with and panicked a bit but realised that it was a load of rubbish. The schools thing is bothering me too as we have to get our 5 year old into year 1 and then apply for the 3 year old for next year, so need to be settled by the end of the year.

Actually, I don't love any of the houses on at the moment, but several of them would do. A lot of nice ones have already sold so maybe ours is just around the corner!

I understand your anxiety! We booked a day off work when we wouldn’t have the children, then booked visits about a week before going. The house we’ve put an offer in on actually came on the market a couple of days before our visit and we were first to view. Once the agents knew we were serious and in a good position they also showed us some things not on the market yet.

I didn’t like the pressure of having to make a decision on that day, actually we went back for second viewing of a couple and some others a week later. But the choice was easy.

Just bear in mind estate agents photos can be very misleading, particularly the size of the gardens!

At least you have until January. We’ve got to be in before 29 Nov for secondary school applications and it’s causing me lots of worry! No chain our end but chain not complete yet in the other direction.

I'm in a similar position! Also a natural worrier. I trawl Rightmove and see houses that I either don't like or are 'ok' or 'quite nice.' I've bought houses I lived in the past and there was always a small but definite pool of similar properties so house hunting was positive. This time i have a house I love in many respects but I know I have to move, and most of the prospects aren't particularly exciting.

When the odd one pops up that I can get enthused by I instantly feel anxious that there will be no chance I can secure anything like it as they're so rare. So back to rightmove to once again persuade myself there are loads of great options. Fail. Repeat.