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Original poster

Anyone not being picky - and STILL can't find anything?

999 replies

PessimisticOptimist · 11/09/2021 12:03

We've been on the hunt for 18 months. In that time, we've expanded our search area and budget. We've offered on four houses - three times we were outbid by developers and one time they decided not to sell. But nothing has come on for us to view in the last couple of months.

I guess I'm looking for a support group on here to commiserate with me 😂

Everyone we talk to says:

  • The market is crazy right now
  • It will settle down
  • More will become available eventually
  • Just be patient

But I worry about getting priced out of the market if we wait too long. How long do we wait for the "right" house?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
BennyBean · 28/10/2021 15:45

[quote Momniscient]@Siouxtse1 I was worried about the lighting this time of year, but honestly the photographer for ours came on a rainy day but the photos are stunning. It’s amazing what they can do with software nowadays. Interesting what you say about energy efficiency. Worth bearing in mind...[/quote]
We were worried about getting the photo's done at this time of year but we have been told they can work wonders with the photography now
so that gives us confidence so glad to hear yours are good

FanGirlX · 28/10/2021 17:18

@BennyBean

A poster below mentioned that the agent had advised her to wait to Jan to market her property.

BennyBean · 28/10/2021 18:07

[quote FanGirlX]@BennyBean

A poster below mentioned that the agent had advised her to wait to Jan to market her property.[/quote]
I think he was wrong telling them to wait i can't imagine he's boss would be happy with that advise !!

FangsForTheMemory · 28/10/2021 19:06

It's weird. I moved into my place almost a year ago, and thought at the time I'd paid about £5k more than I should have, BUT I didn't want any hanging about. At the time I looked at another house in the same village, which didn't sell for another two months. Since then I've been keeping an interested eye on what's for sale. Virtually nothing has come up. There's one flat, and a very large house, and practically nothing else.

DaisyNGO · 28/10/2021 23:07

We heard nothing about the flat where we thought a bidding war might start..EA is puzzled.

I reckon they will ask to relist at a higher price, or try to find somewhere to stay to be chain free.

Agree with pp, trekking about for a bathroom is going to be a pain, so that's off the list unless we get desperate. Which is possible 😂

beguilingeyes · 29/10/2021 06:20

A house near us went on sale earlier in the year for £575,000. I liked it (massive kitchen), my husband really didn't. I thought it had sold, but no.
Yesterday it was back on Rightmove, the front of the house has been painted and now it's £650,000!

DaisyNGO · 29/10/2021 09:46

@beguilingeyes

A house near us went on sale earlier in the year for £575,000. I liked it (massive kitchen), my husband really didn't. I thought it had sold, but no. Yesterday it was back on Rightmove, the front of the house has been painted and now it's £650,000!
I think that sums it up

Badgering calls from EA on the flat with the strange layout

No word from the couple on whose flat we offered - yes only 9.45 but they have two offers from Weds and EA says they haven't answered his calls after hearing the offers.

BennyBean · 29/10/2021 11:22

@PessimisticOptimist

We've been on the hunt for 18 months. In that time, we've expanded our search area and budget. We've offered on four houses - three times we were outbid by developers and one time they decided not to sell. But nothing has come on for us to view in the last couple of months.

I guess I'm looking for a support group on here to commiserate with me 😂

Everyone we talk to says:

  • The market is crazy right now
  • It will settle down
  • More will become available eventually
  • Just be patient

But I worry about getting priced out of the market if we wait too long. How long do we wait for the "right" house?

I have been looking on line for houses for months now but nothing suitable has come up in the areas we want iv'e never known it be as bad as this i don't know what's stopping people from selling
FreeBritnee · 29/10/2021 11:26

I think confidentiality low so people don’t want to stretch themselves financially. Plus now people can WFH the need to move area for work has gone.

FreeBritnee · 29/10/2021 11:26

*confidence is

Momniscient · 29/10/2021 11:46

@FreeBritnee ah but then there's people like me who are now thinking "we're not tied to this area for work! We're FREEEEEEEEEE" and move somewhere totally different

Momniscient · 29/10/2021 14:50

You can all stop your RightMove refreshing. I've found it. The house that has something for everyone GrinGrin

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115542671#/?channel=RES_BUY

MummyJ12 · 29/10/2021 14:58

Putting an offer in now 😂

Momniscient · 29/10/2021 15:27

Or there's always this one from the same agents. They have some interesting clients...

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115544810#/?channel=RES_BUY

TheNoonBell · 29/10/2021 15:48

[quote Momniscient]You can all stop your RightMove refreshing. I've found it. The house that has something for everyone GrinGrin

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115542671#/?channel=RES_BUY[/quote]
Best place ever! Bit of underfloor heating, some twigs in a vase and it will be fine.

dubyalass · 29/10/2021 16:36
Grin

One house down here has gone from £330k to £315k and now down to £285k. It was vastly overpriced and I still wouldn't pay £285k but someone probably will. A cute bungalow came on but the garden is all at the front so that's a no too.

DaisyNGO · 29/10/2021 17:21

Those spooky houses...a Halloween joke?

Still no word on our offer. Ignoring it now.

Have talked to agents about a couple of places and I think "guide price" means "just put it on the market in case". Luckily agents are able to indicate "don't travel two hours - or four hours round trip - to see this".

areyouhavingagiraffe · 29/10/2021 20:53

So, gang, my mortgage offer expires on Sunday. Offer, not AIP as I was in a purchase but pulled out. Luckily I didn't pay an arrangement fee (added to mortgage) so not out of pocket.
Anyway, booked in a call with my Broker for this morning, with a view to get an AIP. Asked her to max it out, I had thought I had done this last time. However I had read that some Lenders are lending 5.5 times salary if you meet certain criteria (high earners, high deposit etc). Anyway, I meet this criteria and I now have an AIP for £75K more than previously.....So this pushes my budget up considerably, puts me in the next RM bracket. But searching RM I realise that even the houses in the next price bracket are dire, ha ha. It is still slim pickings.
Feeling a little better that I have a bigger budget, it doesn't mean I will spend that much but it gives me a little room for movement. Just need to find a berluddy house now.

DaisyNGO · 29/10/2021 23:18

giraffe so are the slim pickings in a very small search area?

That's a great affordability bump!

areyouhavingagiraffe · 29/10/2021 23:36

@DaisyNGO, no I have a fairly large search area. I also don't need to be near schools etc so I think I am pretty flexible on location. Just would like to be close to family, but other than that no ties.
Yes, it is a big jump. I think the last time we did the AIP, I had a budget in mind. This time I asked to get the maximum. I have also sold so have a fairly good deposit.

BennyBean · 30/10/2021 07:43

@FreeBritnee

We’ve sold now and still can’t find anything to buy 🥴
Congratulations hope you can find something
ablutiions · 30/10/2021 08:11

Going to view a house this morning. Looked it up on Rightmove. It was purchased last in 1995 for £160k. It's on sale now for 10x that.

Gulp.

DaisyNGO · 30/10/2021 12:01

@ablutiions

Going to view a house this morning. Looked it up on Rightmove. It was purchased last in 1995 for £160k. It's on sale now for 10x that.

Gulp.

hope it goes well.

saw one online this morning that looked promising. EA hadn't mentioned it to me. He politely said "that's one come down in price, hence why you've only just seen it".

I would have asked anyway, but after hearing it had been reduced, immediately said "ah. how long is the lease?"

59 years!!

it seems so wrong to me that some poor soul is going to instruct a solicitor before knowing that. Argh, our system.

we're going to do a second viewing next week if that doesn't get cancelled - I suspect someone will offer full asking over the weekend. The location is not good but I am honestly worried that if we don't crack on then a) prices will get more insane and b) properties will stop coming on, which will then lead to more a).....

ByeByeMissAmericanPie · 30/10/2021 14:38

We had a B2L and put it on the market in July for £675k. 3 beds, 2 baths, semi detached, brilliant catchment area for outstanding OFSTED school, studio in the garden and 300 Yds downhill to the station. London just less than an hour. Structurally sound, but needs cosmetic work.

We reduced to £650k end of August.

Total of 15 viewings and not one offer.

It’s been let for 5 years with hardly any downtime. But can we sell it..,?
Hell, no!

Just sacked the agent and looking to move into it myself just to stop it being empty over the winter.

A house in the same street with a kitchen extension has just sold for £100K more.

I don’t get it...

I’m getting divorced btw, and in rented close by. It’ll save me the rent, anyway!

ByeByeMissAmericanPie · 30/10/2021 14:40

It would be interesting to hear (roughly) where you are in the uk?

The house I described above is in West Surrey.

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