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Buyers Sellers Roll Call 14

998 replies

PowerslidePanda · 19/02/2021 08:39

New thread for anyone buying or selling houses at the moment - come join us!

The previous thread ran for about 10 weeks and in ordinary (non-stamp duty holiday) times, that's long enough to get a transaction through, so let's hope this thread sees lots of people finish!

OP posts:
Thingsthatgo · 12/03/2021 06:00

Thanks for the good wishes for our move today. We have soooooo many boxes, I think that the removals firm who did a videocall quote are going to be asking for more £££ when they see the amount of stuff we need to move.
It would’ve been better if the charity shops were all open. I could have donated half of the stuff!
I have been awake most of the night, full of excitement and nerves.
Good luck to everyone else completing today!

Hmmph · 12/03/2021 08:08

Good luck to all those moving today and exchanging today!

I hope that it all goes smoothly.

SendMeHome · 12/03/2021 08:32

Seconding good luck vibes to everyone exchanging/moving today!

I’m anxiously waiting for 9am to call and make our offer. Estate agent due to take our photos around midday.

Eek.

Didicat · 12/03/2021 08:46

Good luck to those who are completing today!

Mortgage approved subject to survey so positive news.

tanguero · 12/03/2021 08:56

May be of interest.
The Times today....'WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO MOVE HOUSE - our campaign to improve the buying/selling process.'

'The Times is launching a campaign to Get Britain Moving: Speed up. Streamline. Save Money.
It has two main aims: to reduce uncertainty by calling for the introduction of reservation agreements (making offers legally binding), and greater transparency through the use of digital innovation to create a faster, more secure, less stressful way to buy property.'

cathybates · 12/03/2021 10:02

Good luck to all today.

Apparently our buyer still awaiting structural survey which they are chasing daily. Hoping they’ve told them orally it’s ok. Hoping also all the enquiries now satisfied as they’ve not come back for a week now. Will be annoyed if they are going to raise more enquires having sat on it for a week.

Really want to complete on 29th as that is when tenants rent due but feel we are running out of time for that

SendMeHome · 12/03/2021 10:48

We may have got excited too early Sad

We called the estate agent to make our offer... it was the same lady who showed us round yesterday and said that the sellers haven’t found anywhere to go yet, but she said our offer isn’t proceedable until we’ve sold, so they’ll probably accept it but keep the house on the market.

Which I understand, to a certain extent, but equally feel that they haven’t found anywhere to go yet; and our viewers are making offers on the condition that we’re ready to go... so we’re a bit stuck.

Waiting for a call back and still cleaning and tidying ready for new photos at midday.

InescapableDeath · 12/03/2021 10:59

@SendMeHome what they're describing is completely normal at the moment. They won't be able to 'find somewhere to go' until they are proceedable. Many EA don't let you view until you are. Even if they saw somewhere they like the look of, it could go before you sell yours.

You could take a year to sell (hopefully not!), so what would be the point of them coming off the market in the meantime?

InescapableDeath · 12/03/2021 11:01

Sorry if that sounded mean, Send me, just wanted to explain the sellers aren't being difficult on purpose.

We are still in liiiiimbo. All done except the vendor's query on the property they're buying. But seeing as it's a land registry query and someone else has been waiting five months, I'm now thinking the whole thing could still fall apart. Our mortgage expires in June but more than that I want to move ASAP, not in May! We were originally aiming for end of March until SD was extended, so really hoping there will be movement soon.

HumourReplacementTherapy · 12/03/2021 13:08

@PowerslidePanda

So pleased it's finally come together for you, *@ldnirish*! It seems the fear of everything falling apart is a very common one, so the "it all worked out in the end" stories are really good to hear.

Oh no, @HumourReplacementTherapy - that's really taking the piss! Did exchange go ahead, or can you delay it a bit and buy yourself more time?

We've exchanged so have had to agree to the terms of the rental this morning with the caveat that we can leave at 6 months but we're liable until new tenants are found. 😫
FakeFruitShoot · 12/03/2021 13:31

I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do

Us and our buyers are good to go and have been ready to exchange for over a month. Our vendors told their agent that the earliest they would go would be mid April on the day the SDLT deadline changed (had said they would go in with family by end March as the house they're buying isn't ready). Far from ideal but we all agreed and formally put this date forward formally a week ago. No response from our vendors.

Their house has been on the market for over a year, we offered in mid November, I don't really understand what the hold up is.

Our buyers are being ok but are understandably losing patience. I'm feel like we've been beyond reasonable. We will only move for thjs house, so don't want to pull out, but I can't stand more weeks of uncertainty if our vendors are uncommitted anyway. We could happily live here another 5 years, we are only moving for space. We'll lose about £6000 in sols fees, survey etc.

They are with an online agent so I could message them directly but am loathe to do this.

SendMeHome · 12/03/2021 15:32

Thanks @InescapableDeath, I know it’d be easier if we’d sold. We listed three weeks ago and had an offer straight away... it was a bit unexpected as it’s a flat, and they aren’t popular here right now. But the buyer needed to move quickly, as a first time buyer starting a new job, and we couldn’t find anywhere to go. The property market here is fast but sparse. We’ve had one other offer, this week, but they have rescinded it as we haven’t found somewhere to go.

I ran through this with the estate agent when we booked the viewing and she said it’d be fine for this house, because they haven’t found anywhere to go yet either... but on the phone she said we’d need to have sold first, and she hasn’t called back.

Our estate agent has come to do new photos, but isn’t confident that we’ll sell easily to someone willing to wait while we find somewhere else. He said FTBs here are looking for speed.

I feel really trapped here now; to be honest, but it’s probably lots of different things at play.

@HumourReplacementTherapy Best of luck with finding someone to take over the tenancy... that’s a rubbish situation to be in, I hope it all goes smoothly.

@FakeFruitShoot no advice, but that sounds really frustrating. I think I’d have to contact them.

Musicaltheatremum · 12/03/2021 15:52

My daughter is just about at completion on her London flat sale. She had an offer on 6th November. Buyer had to change solicitors due to his mortgage. Took until just before Christmas for them to raise enquiries and finally exchanged on 25/2/21.
The completion is Monday. 🤞🤞🤞.

Now up in Scotland she started legal proceedings to buy a house up here. They started on 26th February, she is now in a binding legal contract as of yesterday and gets into property on 19th March!!
So 3 weeks in England versus nearly 4 months in Scotland.
No chains in either place either.
She will never go back to England now!

Winterwaves · 12/03/2021 16:06

No Exchange here 😩😩 after being told to keep our phones on loud so we don't miss the call, we get an email to say the FTB at the start of the 3 House chain still haven't had their final bloody look round of our buyers house!!!! That was the reason given last Friday on exchange day. We have had enough. We have bent over backwards with requests and date changes but enough is enough. We have said if we don't exchange by next Wednesday and complete the week after than we are putting the house back on the market.
I shall take the prosecco back out of the fridge 😩

InescapableDeath · 12/03/2021 19:26

@FakeFruitShoot we are in a similar position in that we are completely ready to exchange on our sale and purchase but our vendor has one outstanding query on their purchase, which is the end of the chain. I just can't bear the thought of starting over but our buyer is getting increasingly impatient :(

Bouledeneige · 13/03/2021 01:25

No exchange here either. We are still waiting on one of our buyers getting a minor document approved by Barclays. Yet another week goes by..... And my best value removal firm's availability now gone.

Didicat · 13/03/2021 08:14

Well as Fridays go for this thread solicitors have not covered themselves in glory.

@Winterwaves I don’t blame you giving an ultimatum those FTBs are being W*nkers

@Bouledeneige there always seems to be one more piece of paper.......

@SendMeHome did you hear any more about the house you offered on? Fingers crossed yours sells quick. Some houses near me seem to barely hit the market without being sold in hours.

mummabubs · 13/03/2021 13:55

Well the good news from our side is that by sheer luck we've found a house and had an offer accepted yesterday, it's no onward chain so that's a real bonus. The only anxiety we now have is that we have 12 weeks to get the whole sale through as in Wales they've extended the LTT holiday to the end of June like England but there's no additional time or tapering down (whereas in England I think you have something until September?) So for the sake of a few days or a week we may end up having to spend £8k more 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Wish us luck!

mummabubs · 13/03/2021 13:57

@FakeFruitShoot No advice but just sorry you're in that position, it sounds really stressful. In a way you have nothing to lose by contacting the agent and trying to kick their butts into gear?

FakeFruitShoot · 13/03/2021 14:05

I've contacted the agent several times, I meant messaging the vendors themselves (which is how we sorted out viewings, and how they've contacted us about the survey etc). I just worry I'll speak out of term on there, I think.

As luck would have it a lovely alternative house has come on today so I feel in a much stronger position to push the point. I felt like they had us by the short and curlies before, knowing our specific criteria.

SendMeHome · 13/03/2021 15:45

@FakeFruitShoot Ooh a new potential house! Best of luck, that sounds SO stressful.

@mummabubs Best of luck!! No onward chain sounds ideal. Fingers crossed it can be achieved before the end of June!

@Didicat No further news our side, but thanks for asking Smile. We didn't hear from the estate agent again, and our estate agent took photos and said he'd send over the new listing for approval, but nothing yet so I think it'll be Monday.

I'm probably a bit more antsy than I should be... we're so ready to move. I've got an offer to go and consult for a company in Europe and our alternate is to rent our flat out and go there... DH is a lot more on board with that than I thought he'd be! But this house was just so perfect that we were both instantly on board with staying.

AsbestosWitch · 13/03/2021 17:55

@Winterwaves, god how frustrating! As an FTB myself I couldn't imagine being so obstructive.

We have made another offer today. Saw 4 houses, the last one was 'the one', knew it as soon as I walked in, DH felt the same. We made an offer during the viewing - I know, I know - but we just loved the house and the location and I have no poker face at all.

So now a nail-biting wait for Monday's decision. I'm sure our enthusiasm and naivety will come to bite us on the arse!

LaMariposa · 14/03/2021 18:21

No real news here at the end of this week. Survey happening Tuesday, solicitor told me earlier in the week that searches are in hand.
Hopefully all will come back quickly without issue and we won’t be stuck in limbo much longer.

chunkychipmonk · 14/03/2021 19:41

Signed our sale and purchase contracts on Friday. Hoping it won't be too much longer now. We have been advised by our solicitor to exchange and complete on the same day. We are selling to a FTB and the house we are buying is empty. It's been 15 weeks so far. Our solicitor thinks it should have been quicker but is blaming the speed of the solicitor our seller instructed.

hopefully2021 · 14/03/2021 20:17

Hi all, we are FTBs - had an offer accepted last Thursday, we are due to put through our mortgage application on Wednesday & I am feeling so nervous! Any FTB's on here who have recently done their applications - how long until you had a decision back?