Buyers Sellers Roll Call 14

[PowerslidePanda]

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!

Hi folks well done with progress made. I wish you all luck. I'm due to move on Thursday 1st April and I'm very ready and prepared. I am downsizing and have been prepping for 6 months.

A little tip. I got a couple of quotes for removals - there was a huge pressure point around moving before the end of March (until the stamp duty reduction period was extended). I wanted the complete packing service and I'm based in N. London.

Initially I got two quotes that were pretty similar from the two most well known local companies,. But because of lack of availability on my possible move dates at the end of March I got two more quotes. They came out £1,500 lower than the two other companies. In the end I managed to book one of the lower quote companies (the one for which I had some very good personal recommendations).

It might just have been a moment but I imagine the end of June might be similar - so do shop around for quotes. I had nearly settled with the two more expensive quotes and it was only limited availability coming up to the deadline that made me search for wider quotes. It was tricky because I couldn't book removals till I had a definite move date and I couldn't agree to a completion date till I knew I could book a removal company. Anyway it all worked out.

Good luck folks.

So, it looks like we are still exchanging! Apparently the buyers contract is outstanding and is in recorded delivery whatever that means but we are (hopefully) almost there!

Been such a stressful week after my horrid “friend” forced us and our two kids (youngest 5 months FFS) to move out of the house she was renting to us in favour of long term tenants she doesn’t know from Adam (hope they don’t pay the rent - he he) and we’ve moved into another rental (with our entire life stuff so boxes and furniture literally stacked everywhere as it’s already furnished!) as we can’t find anything we like to buy. So having that hanging over us (and we still have to go back to finish cleaning tomorrow and leave the kids yet again) and trying to sell my flat, has just been hideous.

But it might be that this time next week we’ve sold the flat (and now having moved also) so then “only” have to worry about finding somewhere to buy. Might actually be able to enjoy my maternity leave now!!!

Viewings all done. Of the three from Thursday we had one asking price offer and two second viewings today. Two viewings last night, no feedback yet.
We managed to catch the estate agent as she left from the second viewings today. Both are keen, and one lot apparently are chain free having sold and are in rented. I hope they offer. The others have sold but their buyers have not, so they are not going to be considered if they offer - unless they are substantially higher.

Now just to wait and see what Monday brings.

Good luck for Monday lamariposa

Sounds very positive @LaMariposa fingers crossed for Monday

It is viewings day at our house.

After wiping the white tiled bathroom floor 3 times this morning (bits of fluff and stray hairs kept appearing from nowhere) Im already sick of the whole selling process and 100% sure im never going to have a white tiled floor ever again. We are camping out at my partners parents while the agents get through the 18 viewings

Hopefully we end the day with interesting feedback and a few offers

Wow LaMariposa that's sounds promising. And Panda368 18 viewings in one day? That's astonishing!

@Panda368 and @LaMariposa fingers crossed for positive updates tomorrow

I wonder if we will hear anything this week.... Offer made on purchase late Nov, sold mid Dec. All searches etc done. Our buyers keen to move forward but purchase stuck waiting for grant of probate. This is week 15 of Probate. How much longer can it be?

Still stuck here waiting. Every time we think we’re going to exchange, another previously undisclosed problem is raised at another point in the chain... and then we have to wait for it to be sorted before starting the process again...

Our house went on the market last July. This is really getting me down now! I’m even wondering if we’ll make the extended stamp duty deadline...

Here we go again, another week.

@Hmmph I feel your pain. We sold in October . Every week I am told that everything is ready and we should be able to exchange, and then another problem comes up or it's just radio silence from somebody or other, and it doesn't happen.

We were lucky enough that last Friday late afternoon the vendor's of the Scottish property decided to take it off the market for us, even though we haven't exchanged on our English sale, although this does need to happen imminently. Good luck everybody

I’m seriously wobbling now 3 weeks later and still not had anything from the vendors solicitors, they had “lost” the deeds and seeing as the house is not registered on land registry our solicitors don’t want to search without a title plan..... mortgage sorted, survey done - a bit tired but nothing major or unexpected. They have found the deeds they were with the bank....

Also another house has been pre advertised on the Facebook page with the same agent as coming to market this week with the same number of bedrooms but much much cheaper so beginning to seriously freak out!

God why can’t it be like going to the supermarket - pick, pay, get on with your life why does it have to be so onerous?

Not expecting much progress here this week. Still awaiting searches for our purchase, and I think our buyers are too.

Trying to round up paperwork to send back with the enquiries we've got, and then we wait.

On week 8 and week 5, amazing how fast the time flies by.

Good luck to everyone, hope you have a productive successful week moving forwards with yours!

Hello everyone. My flat's been on the market for nearly a fortnight and I've had one viewing. I'm waiting with bated breath for them to call the estate agent with feedback.

Have heard this morning from the agent that she is working through "feed back and offers on our property"
Shes also sent through a list of questions from one interested party - asking questions about the the roof and and the water tank that lives in the bathroom cupboard. Which made me nervous for probably no reason..

Hi everyone. We were just waiting to see if our offer has been accepted!

We accepted an offer on our house in August, and completed just before Christmas. Our onward purchase fell through and we've been paying with family for 3 months. This is the 3rd house we've looked at since our purchase fell through and the only one we've considered! Therr isnt much on the market although it seems to be picking up a bit.

This one ticks most of the boxes and as a bonus is a bit older than the others and has some original beams and fire places, plus a massive garden, which we were hoping for, but not expecting! Only downsides are that it is on street parking (but there always seems to be spaces so not too worried), and there is an easement to get in the front door, but I'm not hugely worried about that as long as the solicitors check it thoroughly.

We offered 6% below asking but it was fairly ambitiously priced so fairly hopeful we'll get it! Really wish they'd call back...

I'm currently running a bath to literand figuratively bathe in this moment. Our mortgage valuation has just come through and thank god it's come back at our agreed purchase price. (Independent valuation came back last week at £30k less and strongly recommended renegotiating). It's a self built house so not very easy to compare to other properties, but the road and area are highly desirable and we know we'd struggle to find another house like it... So are just very grateful that this means we don't have to stress about renegotiating or magically finding another £30k from somewhere as we were convinced the lender valuation would come in under as well. Now we just wait for the next stressful hiccup to present itself 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

Our offer was turned down...

We're thinking what to do. The estate agent says they think they might get a full asking price offer, but maybe that's just wishful thinking on their part! We're going to see if they call us back in the next day or two as we said if someone did offer then we would consider matching it. I hate all this but, it's like a game! I don't want to be coerced into overpaying if there are neither offers on the table, but on the other hand we don't want to lose out for the sake of a small amount. So hard to know what to do!

It really is @OUB1974. I'm sorry you're initial offer was rejected and you're right, it's really hard to know what to do. Sorry if I've missed this in your last post, the thoughts guiding me at this point would be 1) How much do you want the house? Ie if it sold at asking price to someone else would you be ok about that? 2) How long has it been on the market and what is the market like where you are? Here the market is v quiet so good houses tend to go quickly and for asking price. 3) Are you in a favourable position? Ie chain free, cash buyer, proceedable etc? The only reason I ask this is that if you've told the agent you'd potentially match any higher offer then you might something on your side to make you the more attractive buyer to proceed with. Plus I believe under the agent regulation code they can tell you if a higher offer is submitted but they're not supposed to tell you for what amount. (I know not a lot of agents stick to this mind!!)

*your offer. Can't type properly with one hand from the bath it seems 😂😂

@OUB1974 lots of houses are achieving asking or going over by quite a bit, due to there not being enough supply for demand. We managed to get a tiny amount off.

Also depends on if you are taking 6k off 100k or 36k off 600k.

Do you know their motivation for moving?

Thank you@mummabubs and @Didicat The asking is 205 and we have offered 195. It's difficult to know what it will go up to. I think it's possibly slightly over, but I would say that and there are so few houses on! Others of a similar size weve looked at have been between 150 and 200. This is spacious and with a decent garden. However, there is no off road parking and an easement (in the houses favour), which makes it a little trickier. Plus it's an end terrace and no front garden, whereas the others we've seen have all had parking and front garden.They are saying there is interest at the asking price, but no other offers yet. We are hoping they might phone us with a counter offer, if not we will see what the story is on Wed maybe.

It's only been on a few days. There's another one on the same estate for 10k less, much smaller, smaller garden, but with parking, lovely views and equally well presented.

To answer the questions, we are cash buyers and chain free as staying with family, so hopefully a good prospect. We love it as it has a lot of character and a lovely garden. I had a few doubts about the parking situation and the easement, but had a good thing about it over the weekend. The current owners are relocating so we'll be the start of a chain. It's only been on a week or so, so we're at a disadvantage because of that. The market has been very slow. Hardly any houses over he last few months. Some stick around for ages, but the good ones go quickly. It's really picking up the last couple of weeks though. I'd been feeling quite despondent - we love this one but I think there will be alternatives on.

Sounds like hanging on for a day or two might be the right choice for you then @OUB1974 ☺️ Fingers crossed they either call you back or that something you love even more comes up.

My DH has surprised me by strongly feeling that we should still try and negotiate down a bit based on the lower valuation. I would always like to save some more money as we certainly haven't got the house "cheaply" but equally I'm more cautious of pissing the seller off. We've asked if they'll come down by £7,500 (hopefully reasonable to them given the down valuation amount is £27,500 less than we originally negotiated). Agent is going to try and speak with the vendor this evening and get back to us either this evening or tomorrow morning. I enjoyed feeling relaxed about it all for the 1.5 hours that it lasted! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

So far 7 offers have come in.
Top is currently 16k over asking price and chain free ft buyer.

Next is 10k over but in a short chain.

Then one person is 3k over and the rest are at asking price or just under.

Absolutely bloody mental.

All going to best and final tomorrow morning.

No idea what to do really, an agent friend of my partner has said it's possible to accept and make clear that short of something structural coming up on a survey you wont accept price chipping but im still a bit worried whoever we accept will suddenly try to price gouge at an awkward moment.

In the mean time we dont have a house to go to 😩

7 offers from 16 viewings, inc one of 16K over, is.....as you say 'mental'.