Would it be crazy to try this?

[Whuut]

Currently renting, tenancy ends in September, baby no2 due in Nov. Wanting to buy our first house. Would we be crazy to try and move before the baby comes? Does it even seem possible?

[quote Whuut]@Hallyup6 That's pretty good going. Must have been pretty stressful moving after just having given birth. This is baby no2 so already have a toddler! The thought of moving with a newborn and a toddler is scary![/quote]
I generally sat and dictated to the men, lol. I also had a 22 month old but I shipped her off to my sister's for the day!

You'll be fine, don't get yourself worked up and go with the flow. What will be, will be.

You can move with a baby. Takes a bit more planning/organising but totally doable. We moved from Ireland to Scotland with an 8 week old. DH did majority of packing, movers came and collected. DD and I went to a hotel across the road for the night and DH drove overnight (we had a car we had to get home). DD & I flew. We were also renovating so moved in with my mum while DH worked day and night to get the house ready.

If you're renting, you possibly have quite a lot less sfuff than we did (when we moved from Dubai to Ireland we had 109 boxes plus all our furniture).

Would be even easier if you have friends and family around to help.

If its a good time then don't put life on hold! In the scheme of things you are only talking a walk of a slog. (Though I'm the idiot who has ripped apart my house and am in the middle of an extension with a 3 yr old, 2 yr old and number 3 due in a few weeks, so might not give the best advice).

@Cocoaone We got the DIP this morning! Now the long bit- to find somewhere we like. They didnt ask about a change in circumstance so I'm keeping quiet.

@Hallyup6 Haha that's probably what I'll end up doing, either way I'll be heavily pregnant or, have a newborn! Toddler will definitely be shipped off to my mums.

@Muststopeating Oh wow, well done you. That's sounds hectic. My issue was more that when I go on mat leave, my income will take a hit so want to get somewhere before that. Hopefully things will get moving now and we'll be in somewhere by the end of this year!

We moved when ds2 was 14 week.

I was on mat leave and ds1 was at school. I started packing while I was still pregnant.

We had a lot of help on the day - ds1 went to a friend’s during the day. We had a removal company, plus dm and dpils. Friends also came round and put up curtain poles and curtains.

Ds1 ended up staying at pil’s overnight as we couldn’t find his bedding!

We only moved 2 miles though, so travel time was minimal.

As long as you have help it’s doable. And you don’t mind other people unpacking your stuff.

@Notsoaccidentproneanymore We wont be moving very far so travel time wont be a lot. Luckily, we have loads of help so that would be fine. The unpacking I might have an issue with but I'll just have to get over it 😂

In a way it was easier for me with a baby as I’d feed, then he’d fall asleep on me, so I couldn’t help but could direct everyone else (I made sure my armchair was one of the last things to be packed, so the first to get out.

I was also reasonably fit as I walked an hour every school day and went swimming twice a week.

We viewed our current house on 31st Oct and moved in on 30th January. So your timeframe is doable if everything goes to plan. Good luck!

Hey everyone, back for some more advice please!

We have seen a property we really really like and has been on the market 2 months but, it's out of our price range. How much is too much under to offer? It would be less than 10% of guide price. We are going to view Friday as I think it's worth a look anyway.

Does anyone also have any tips for questions to ask/things to look for when we are there? Can we ask things like are they willing to go below asking? And have they had any other offers? Or is that not a done thing. Totally new to all this so any help would be great!

Thanks again 🙂

Anyone? 😬

You can ask the agent whether there have been other offers - it may help guide you as to whether it's the price itself that's the issue, or the price and the vendors themselves being stubborn.

After 2 months, it's usually pretty much the price that is the issue (assuming it's an area with a hot property market).

Is there anything standing out about the property that looks could be an issue e.g. location, some odd kind of leasehold, odd floorplan?

Ultimately you don't ask you don't get, but equally if the seller doesn't want to accept less they don't have to.

@readytosell Thanks. We are new to it all so I just didn't want to go offering quite a bit under asking price and look ridiculous if it's not a done thing.

There doesn't seem to be anything odd. Great location, lovely layout, rooms look a little small but overall really nice. The market seems to be moving quite fast where I am so I did think it must be the price. Will find out Friday, so exciting to view our first house!

Judging by many of the threads on here with the way the propery market is, nothing is off limits at the moment

Hope the viewing goes well. Also ask what the seller's plans are, that might give you a clue as to whether they need to move and more likely to consider a decent offer or just want to move and are happy to hold out.

Ah yeah thats a good one, will make sure to ask. I guess as first time buyers we are desirable in a way so hopefully that pushes things in our favour.

Good luck. We've been in our current house since DC2 was a baby. Saw a house in mid to late June, (offered beginning of July, DC2 born a week later) completed in October IIRC. We were extremely lucky as able to separate the sale of our first house so moved over a couple of weeks (after getting the painters through the new place!). You might be able to do that moving from rental too, if need be.

@GrasswillbeGreener Thank you! That's really nice to have a few weeks to move. Nothing worse than having to rush like crazy, especially with kids. The place we are going to see on Friday just seems perfect, the more I look at it, the more I want it. Really not getting my hopes up though.

It's nice to hear others experiences of moving while having a baby. Definitely makes me feel more calm and not like we have to rush into something just for the sake of it.

Definitely ask what other offers have been made. In my experience, EA will generally tell you (of course, they may lie) because there's no point in you offering X if the sellers have already rejected 15 offers higher than that and the EA knows there's no chance they'll accept it now either.

Don't sound too keen, but mention that you're in a good position with no chain, have your DIP and motivated to move quickly. And ask what the seller's position is - are they looking already, are they trying to find a niche house that will mean you're waiting for them for 6 months etc

Don't offer there and then. Go away and think about it. But make it clear to the EA that you can't go any higher if that's the case. Good luck!

We had some weird experiences with houses on the market for a while and the seller was rejecting offers at asking price happened on 2 separate houses.

Also ask the agent if anyone has had a survey done, if so did they find any issues that resulted in them pulling out, they might not be truthful with you but at least you can ask.

Good luck!

Thank you both @Cocoaone and @MerryDecembermas. That's all so helpful!

Just a word of warning, you will most likely find in your mortgage contract you must declare any known change in future circumstances, so don't get too far along with surveyors etc to find you have an issue.

@mareep Good to know, thanks. Everything I have read online says you don't have to tell them you are pregnant but then a couple people here have said you have to tell them of a change in circumstances. A bit confusing so will definitely make sure we look into it fully before going to far into the process.

Sorry to bring this thread back up but I didnt want to make a new one and you lot were so helpful last time so hoping someone will see this again.

We have offered (above asking price) on a house that I've fallen in love with. It's gone to best and final. I feel so anxious and can't stop thinking about it. We could maybe push another 1.5 or 2k but that's it. I want this house so much. Do people usually go a lot higher on best and final? Are we in a much better position as ftb, would that maybe sway it our way?

I can't relax! I love the house so much, it's great in every way and no onward chain. I think I've also got our time frame in the back of my mind so this feels like it could be so perfect.

It depends, you could be competing against 1 other buyer or 10. Ultimately don't bid more than you can afford, as you'll just set yourself up for a fall.

Judging by some of the responses on here and other forums, some places are going for crazy amounts about the asking price. But equally many are being downgraded by the lender if need a mortgage.

There WILL be other houses, even if doesn't feel like it right now.

And yes lay out your position of being FTB, some people prefer that as no back chain to deal with. Others don't like it so much.

Good luck!

@readytosell When we put in our offer, there was already one other and the ea said we were the highest. From speaking to them, I think they have another 1 or 2 people who were likely to offer. I made our situation very clear so hoping it does go in our favour. We are definitely not going to offer above what we can afford. It's just hard to think there will other places. Thanks for replying. I feel like I'm going mad thinking about it 24/7!😂

If I had to choose between someone slightly under but nothing to sell (as you are ) vs a slightly higher offer but in a chain, I'd pick the former, as it could cost me a lot more than the difference if their chain fell apart.

I think it would be very tight to move by Sept, but doable by November. Would you be able to convert to a rolling monthly tenancy after September?

We had an offer accepted early December, and moved in early May. Baby was 5 days old when we moved.