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Original poster

Anyone else wake up and think 'today is the day my new house will come on Rightmove!' and yet, it never is...

79 replies

ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 09:42

Anyone else in the same boat? We've been house hunting for roughly 4,000 years. Every day I scroll the house websites with excitement, certain that today will be the day we find our dream house. It never is Sad

Next baby due very soon and nowhere to put them once they're out the bedside cot. Absolutely nothing coming on the market that is remotely suitable, even with a wide ranging search area and a healthy budget.

We also haven't sold (as I don't want to be homeless with 3 children) and I'm paranoid that when The One comes onto the market they won't accept an offer from us as we haven't sold. We think we would sell in a matter of days, but they would need to trust us on that.

We leafleted the potential candidates near us but didn't hear back. Stuck for other ideas except another leaflet run.

DH is ridiculously fussy as well which is hard work...

OP posts:
lastqueenofscotland · 12/08/2021 09:45

Are you on the market OP? Everyone thinks they’ll sell quickly, the reality is a bit differently
No vendor in the country in this market would accept an offer from a non proceedable buyer

Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 09:53

No, definitely not going on the market first. We'd potentially end up with nowhere to live for a year or more, and the rentals in this area are 1 and 2 bed flats.

We've spoken to a few estate agents and they didn't think it would be an issue.

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DeeplyMovingExperience · 12/08/2021 09:56

When we sold recently we wouldn't even let someone view who wasn't proceed-able. And by that I mean had already sold their house or accepted an offer from another proceedable party. If you're serious about moving, you need to sell up.

HeronLanyon · 12/08/2021 09:57

Good luck op. I’m in a daily ‘today will be another day when no one snaps up that property I can’t see until next week’ (fear I may have jinxed it just by typing that ! Grin)

DeeplyMovingExperience · 12/08/2021 09:58

We also did not accept viewings unless they could prove they had the money available to buy. Several parties who wanted to view clearly couldn't afford it and I guess would have been hoping for a low-ball offer acceptance. Our estate agent screened them out when their paperwork didn't stack up.

Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 10:00

But selling our house won't magically make suitable properties come on the market? We'll just end up with nowhere to live...

We've been looking for a year and viewed 3 or 4 things on the off chance they were better in real life.

We are in Scotland as well where chains etc are not really so much of a thing. You sign missives which lock you into a contract, it's then up to you to fulfil that contract (ie by selling quickly).

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Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 10:01

We also did not accept viewings unless they could prove they had the money available to buy

Really? There's absolutely no chance we'd be sharing our financials with randoms...

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spooney21 · 12/08/2021 10:03

This time last year I was house hunting as we were locating to another part of the country. Found my dream house in the end, but I also viewed several other houses that I would've settled with. Now when I look there is zero on the market, a few flats but no 3bed+ houses.

I also think you not putting your house on the market is interesting. My friend is hoping to move and won't put hers on until she sees something she likes. Surely though this stagnates the market as nothing is coming on.

readytosell · 12/08/2021 10:03

I completely understand. I'm moving long distance and am buying a 'will do for now' house. It's in one of the areas I really wanted, which was the key thing, but the options available were all either a massive bunfight or loads of work to do. I don't mind doer-upper but I'm not in the headspace for it at the moment as have other priorities.

But I'm preparing for a couple of years to move on to a more long term property hopefully once things have settled to a bit more normal market. It's gone from mentally crazy to just dried up. But it's all a bit self-fulfilling - if people wait to list, there isn't anything to buy and a vicious circle has formed.

HeronLanyon · 12/08/2021 10:07

If the figures worked and I needed to I would sell and rent awaiting something. With stuff in storage where need be. Onvs not possible for everyone and there would need to be a strict timetable before changing search area or compromising etc. I’d do whatever to be a cash or mostly cash buyer right now.

Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 10:08

I think I had hoped that leafleting might solve the problem of people not listing and us not being listed. We could maybe find something off market and sell at a mutually convenient time. Sadly we've just not had a response.

There are probably only 10 - 20 houses in this town that would be the right thing and none have replied. We could try to leaflet some in the surrounding areas if there's anything suitable we can find.

The problem is with selling up we'd have 2 choices: (1) rent - there is nothing suitable to rent. I really truly mean that, I'm not being fussy. (2) we have an indeterminate entry date on our house, until we find a new place. Very few buyers are going to agree to that.

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Pepelepettigrew · 12/08/2021 10:13

What you could maybe do, is get an estate agent to do the pictures etc of your current house and have all that ready. So when something comes up you can list your house really quickly and get offers before you even have a second viewing of the dream house. Our estate agent suggested we do that when we had lost out on a house due to not being proceed-able.
However Scottish system as you say could be different. It is crazy how everything has just dried up!

Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 10:17

I had wondered about doing that Pepe - I had thought it would make sense to do that now before the baby comes and there is even more kids stuff everywhere.

They had given an estimate of 7 days from phone call to Rightmove but if everything was teed up it would 2 or so days, and all we'd need to do is prepare for the viewings.

I'll speak to DH about trying that.

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MistySkiesAfterRain · 12/08/2021 10:48

I met a friend last week who said she called estate agents every 2 days, so was getting to see properties before they came to market online. I thought that sounded like what you have to do
Elbows in and all.

NewHouseNewMe · 12/08/2021 11:02

If you're buying at the "top" of your market, it is harder to sell up first because the supply isn't there. On the other hand, there are fewer looking at that price point. I moved last year and would really only have moved for 2-3 houses in the past 3 years, of which I only viewed 1. The rest just didn't suit for many reasons. Those are very low odds to be sitting in a rental with 3 kids.

But be prepared to compromise - condition of house, number of bathrooms, garden size or whatever. It's rare you get everything you want in the same house.

So to improve odds, have estate agents come around to value yours, tell them it's in the market the minute you get sight of the house you want to buy and that you've got finances in place (be prepared to prove it).

EverydayCook · 12/08/2021 11:03

I agree you need to get your house under offer if you want to move. Things are selling to proceedable buyers without ever touching Rightmove. It could be that nothing ‘comes on’ because there’s been no need to market things as the agents have a black book full of people that are under offer or sold and in rented.

I really feel for you. I started off saying I wouldn’t put the house on the market until there was nothing to buy, and I’d never go into rented. The reality of the market means you have to put yourself in the best position possible - in 2018/19 you may have been able to offer before going on the market. Now, you can’t even look (unless it’s an overpriced hard-to-sell property). The good stuff doesn’t need to be shown to window shoppers sadly…

EverydayCook · 12/08/2021 11:05

*something to buy

Charlottemh · 12/08/2021 11:10

I totally know what you mean. I've been looking for over a year now. In the meantime I've sold my flat, moved out, and am living between friends houses. I check Rightmove multiple times a day. Prices have rocketed over the last year, when something comes up (maybe once every 3-4 weeks), you basically have to be available the next day to view it, and fight off other offers. Most people I'm up against have also sold up and are renting so I'm not even in a very unique position. Estate agents won't give anyone a heads up in this area because properties are so popular anyway, they have no reason to. Very frustrating. I'm hoping more comes up after Summer hols.

Anordinarymum · 12/08/2021 11:16

@ThatIsQuiteACrane

But selling our house won't magically make suitable properties come on the market? We'll just end up with nowhere to live...

We've been looking for a year and viewed 3 or 4 things on the off chance they were better in real life.

We are in Scotland as well where chains etc are not really so much of a thing. You sign missives which lock you into a contract, it's then up to you to fulfil that contract (ie by selling quickly).

As someone who has done this already, you absolutely have to put your house on the market. It shows you are committed and motivated to move on.

You are dithering :)

HeronLanyon · 12/08/2021 11:21

I know when I sold something last year in high demand very low stock road/area, my estate agent approached existing client’s they knew were absolutely proceedable, first. This was cash buyers, renters, then chains collapsed. Of the 10 or so viewers not sure there was anyone who was not proceedable (other than the one irrelevant neighbour who really should just have asked me just to have their nosy!). England so not sure quite how Scottish system may differ in this partic aspect.

Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 11:22

But... Where would we live? I'm not trying to be facetious, I'm just wondering if I'm totally missing something!

If we put our house on, get an offer within a few weeks... Then what? There more likely than not still won't be a house for us to move to and I'll have 3 children (incl newborn) 2 cats and a house full of stuff...

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EverydayCook · 12/08/2021 11:27

Yes, that’s the risk, sadly. It seems to be store as much stuff as you can, rent as small/cheap house as you can, farm out cats (if rental is no pets). Otherwise wait and hope things cool off in a few months.

In your situation I absolutely wouldn’t entertain this with a newborn. Get settled into your new family dynamic, get baby feeding and sleeping and you recovered from birth, and see where things are then.

Neverrains · 12/08/2021 11:27

@ThatIsQuiteACrane

But... Where would we live? I'm not trying to be facetious, I'm just wondering if I'm totally missing something!

If we put our house on, get an offer within a few weeks... Then what? There more likely than not still won't be a house for us to move to and I'll have 3 children (incl newborn) 2 cats and a house full of stuff...

Well normally what happens (and has happened with all our house sales and purchases) is that the person buying your house waits while you find somewhere.
MonsterKidz · 12/08/2021 11:28

I am also in Scotland. I think you are doing the right thing, I would not be putting my house on the market with what little there is to buy currently. There is nothing, and I truly mean NOTHING, to rent (or buy) in the meantime.

I would wait it out for now, there has to be more houses coming up for sale soon. It is absolutely dismal where I am (SW) with so little coming on, no one wants to move it seems.

Original poster
ThatIsQuiteACrane · 12/08/2021 11:33

Ok thanks all.

I think I'll use the time before the baby comes to make us as proceedable as possible - get in touch with EAs again, leaflet again, keep clearing out the house, fixing random bits and pieces etc so it's in good condition when needed. And just keep looking...

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