How can we secure our dream home!

[SaltySeaAir]

I'm a nervous wreck right now. We have been in rented for 12 months now, trying desperately to buy our forever family home. In that time barely anything has come on the market. Easter time a house came on, we were first through the door, offered asking price, and we still didn't get it 🙁 We are chain free cash buyers.

On Saturday estate agent phoned us, house coming on they thought we would love - we are booked in to see it a week on Friday. Yesterday it went on Right Move, I'm completely in love 🥰 Immediately phoned agent to see if we can see sooner, we can't - but are first in the door next week. I know it's going to have so much interest 😭 Do we offer asking price as soon as we have seen it? So tempting to offer right now 😂 Any other tips to help them pick us???!!!

This is going to be the longest week!!!

Aww I really feel for you. This happened to us, we put in an offer the next morning after viewing, for over asking price and they continued to allow viewings and offers for 7 days. It then went out of our budget.

I dontnhave any advice really, I wish we had spoken to the vendors at the viewing to say we love it, would you accept an offer of X and now allow anymore viewings. They might say no and it probably isn't the correct way to do it but I feel like that is the only way we might have had a chance.

Good luck please keep us posted.

ps I now look back and I'm glad we didn't get it as the bedrooms and gardens were tiny and I just got carried away by the amazing kitchen and location x

So hard isn't it 🙁

Gutting when something starts off in your price range and then gets into a bidding war.

I hope you have ended up somewhere lovely now 😊

If you really want it, and you think it is worth full ask to you, then offer now. Even offer over, if YOU think it's worth it (subject to survey, obv).

When I viewed our house we were first in the door with 12 viewings after. It was is our dream home and I made that very clear to the EA and asked what she realistically thought she'd get for the house and put an offer in then and there. There were other factors I explained to EA such as moving closer to parents as DF had Parkinson's but the vendor accepted our offer and cancelled all other viewings.
When we went to pick up the keys the EA said she could tell how serious we were and had a feeling we wouldn't mess them around so pushed the vendor to take the offer.
It worked for us although I know we probably paid more than they would actually have been offered but it's our long term home so paying a few thousand over now doesn't worry us.
This was in March by the way and somehow managed to get a chain of six to complete by mid May.....I look back and think it is some kind of miracle but was obviously meant to be.
Good luck!

Offer now- you can withdraw after you see it.

Glad it worked out for you arthurdaly!

This where my husband and I are different. He thinks, play it cool - don't let on how much you want it. I think this worked last time we purchased, but it was a flat nobody else wanted, in a totally different market. I think the opposite applies this time!

@SaltySeaAir sounds just like my DH. He wanted to play it cool but I went in all guns blazing.
I'm glad I did as the vendor had people knocking at the door asking to view and putting offers in after it had been taken off the market.

I'm definitely going for it! No playing it down 😆

Let’s see it then

Did you go over asking price @Arthurdaly?

This is what I am wondering. Rather than asking price go over straight away. This could be pushing my DH though 😬

We are cash and chain free, I'm hoping that really helps - even if it didn't last time!

I'm quite glad the stamp duty has ended, I'm sure that made people silly with their offers!

It’s beautiful! Near me but can’t afford it. Not surprised you Want it.
Fingers crossed!

I'd go in hard and offer over the asking price.

Really useful seeing all the advice here, thank you 😊

I can see why you’re chomping at the bit!
Best of luck

@Cleverpolly3

I can see why you’re chomping at the bit! Best of luck

It's all the best bits of all the houses we have lost out on.

I love it, am far to emotionally invested already 😭

DH is the opposite. Only looked at the first photo, knows it's lovely but no emotionally attachment at all!

Omg, buy it so I can come live in your shed like a hermit. It is fucking stunning

I would be clear you love it - when we had to sell our forever home 10 years ago we chose the buyer who admitted she loved the house rather than the family who looked round, said very little, but offered slightly more!

That is a lovely house by the way - good luck!

Yes offer over asking and get them to take it off ASAP.. my sister has just sold for £30k over asking on a small house .

I dont know how much over asking we can go 😬

Need to seriously look at the money over the weekend.

Is offering before viewing something people do?! I don't know how that will be taken 😣

When we were selling ours the second viewers said, look we won’t mess you about, if we offer you 3k above asking price will you take it off the market and not see any more people, it was a risky strategy for us but we did it and it paid off!

Gutting when something starts off in your price range and then gets into a bidding war.

If you are cash buyers, could you get a small mortgage to give you slightly more leeway?

@chesirecat99

Gutting when something starts off in your price range and then gets into a bidding war.

If you are cash buyers, could you get a small mortgage to give you slightly more leeway?

We can, we're self employed though and it's always so hideously complicated!

I also don't know if my DH would go much over asking price as he doesn't trust the market at the moment. I just have to hope he loves it as much as me!

Wow!! Gorgeous? Can I be super nosey and ask how you came to be a cash buyer? 👀