Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

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
Momniscient · 18/11/2021 09:07

Can someone fill me in on the RM email? I haven't had one and now I have FOMO Grin

Momniscient · 18/11/2021 09:38

Ahah, thanks @RidingMyBike

dubyalass · 18/11/2021 10:29

My Zoopla alerts have completely stopped for some reason. Plenty of houses still coming on, but I've not had a single email. Still getting RM ones though.

RidingMyBike · 18/11/2021 11:39

I found an assorted range of property alerts in my spam folder earlier in the week - I'd gone in to check for something else!

Bizarrely it wasn't consistent, so it was a mix of RM, OnTheMarket and Zoopla.

dubyalass · 18/11/2021 11:41

I checked my spam folder just in case but nope! Maybe they think I'm not that serious about buying somewhere 😂

Eastie77Returns · 18/11/2021 15:42

After reading these updates I realised I haven’t received any Zoopla alerts for ages either!

Anyway. EA for the house I’m meant to be buying called to say the bonkers vendor has finally found a chain free onward purchase and things should start moving quickly now. I said ok and he commented that I didn’t sound particularly excited about this development. I replied that I was ‘excited’ on the 3 previous occasions I had offers accepted on houses in the last few months only for them all to fall through (including with this vendor who withdrew her acceptance and tried to sell for £100k more with another EA a month ago!) so forgive me but all the enthusiasm has wanedGrin

As far as I’m aware, the vendor’s solicitor still hasn’t even sent the contract paperwork to my solicitor yet. The EA claims her original solicitor passed her on to a sister company hence the delay. I don’t believe that for a second. Anyway I’m not chasing apart from a cursory “any news?” once a week as I don’t have the energy. If it’s meant to be I guess it will be!

sarahc336 · 18/11/2021 15:55

Hey guys not been in this thread for ages, but oh god why are there still no houses, I'm sure my buyer is going to drop out soon and tbh I really can't blame them we've been sold for ages but there's literally no houses for sale 😫😫😫😫😫

areyouhavingagiraffe · 18/11/2021 19:38

@Eastie77Returns, I love your response to the EA. Fuckwits

Peaseblossum22 · 18/11/2021 22:32

Do the house that came up on Tuesday around the corner from us has already had two offers and us going to final offers tomorrow . This situation is just ridiculous, the housing market is completely broken in this country . One of the people making an offer hasn’t even viewed it apparently Hmm

DaisyNGO · 18/11/2021 23:01

@Peaseblossum22

Do the house that came up on Tuesday around the corner from us has already had two offers and us going to final offers tomorrow . This situation is just ridiculous, the housing market is completely broken in this country . One of the people making an offer hasn’t even viewed it apparently Hmm
This is definitely a house thing rather than a flat thing, I reckon. Flats are going fast but I think there's a bit more of a window.
Eastie77Returns · 19/11/2021 08:03

@Peaseblossum22

Do the house that came up on Tuesday around the corner from us has already had two offers and us going to final offers tomorrow . This situation is just ridiculous, the housing market is completely broken in this country . One of the people making an offer hasn’t even viewed it apparently Hmm
I’m in London where the market is demented. Recently viewed a 3 bed in awful condition, damp and rot everywhere and literally falling to bits. Rubbish piled high in the garden which was in an unspeakable condition. No bathroom to speak off and a huge hole in the walls in two rooms as if someone had tried to demolish them (when I queried this EA said it was “long story”Confused ) There were 32 viewings on the first day and the EA also told me an offer had been made by someone who hadn’t viewed it. Guide price £500k and went for £575.
areyouhavingagiraffe · 19/11/2021 08:30

Omg @Eastie77Returns. I am also in London, and I thought things were taking a little longer to sell.
That will be why the EA hasn't even responded to my offer on the property I saw on Monday. I offered at asking. I thought they would at least call and acknowledge it and try and squeeze more out of me, ha ha. I am not prepared to offer more, I don't care how desperado I am

Eastie77Returns · 19/11/2021 08:55

@areyouhavingagiraffe I think we may not be too far from each other based on where you mentioned you were looking before. I am in East London, primarily looking in Highams Park/Chingford but have been also looking in Woodford, Buckhurst Hill, Loughton and beyond.

areyouhavingagiraffe · 19/11/2021 09:00

@Eastie77Returns, oh yes. I remember you saying you were East. I am in Goodmayes (near Ilford). Looking around Romford, Gidea Park, Hornchurch areas

areyouhavingagiraffe · 19/11/2021 09:01

Buckhurst Hill is lovely. I also started looking in Loughton but I want to be near TfL Rail (as opposed to Central Line) I work in the City

beguilingeyes · 19/11/2021 09:25

@Eastie77Returns
We must be close by. We've been looking in Highams Park/Chingford too. We live in Walthamstow at the moment and really love the area. There's never very much on the market in Highams Park and what does come up vanishes very quickly.
We have, however (touch wood/everything crossed) been beyond lucky and found a three bedroomed detached house not far from where we are now.

areyouhavingagiraffe · 19/11/2021 09:45

@Eastie77Returns, that's amazing. Keeping everything crossed for you x

DaisyNGO · 19/11/2021 09:59

Eastie - that makes me feel more optimistic about selling this flat!

Eastie77Returns · 19/11/2021 15:18

[quote beguilingeyes]@Eastie77Returns
We must be close by. We've been looking in Highams Park/Chingford too. We live in Walthamstow at the moment and really love the area. There's never very much on the market in Highams Park and what does come up vanishes very quickly.
We have, however (touch wood/everything crossed) been beyond lucky and found a three bedroomed detached house not far from where we are now.[/quote]
Yep Highams Park is very much blink and you miss it, particularly family homes which are snapped up in days if not hours of listing. We had an offer accepted on a house not far from the station but gave up and offered on another property when the vendor hadn’t found anywhere to live after 4 months. He relisted and I saw on RM it was sold STC within a day.

Momniscient · 19/11/2021 15:41

Seems to be slowing down in east Midlands - viewing a place tomorrow that's been on since early last week, which would have been unheard of even very recently... probably means it's haunted... Wink

DaisyNGO · 19/11/2021 15:57

@Momniscient

Seems to be slowing down in east Midlands - viewing a place tomorrow that's been on since early last week, which would have been unheard of even very recently... probably means it's haunted... Wink
Please report back if there's any paranormal activity! 😂

We've just been sent a Help to Buy promo. Not eligible but it gives me hope the prices might get less mad.

dubyalass · 19/11/2021 18:21

There's 10 or so houses sitting on the market where I am, but for good reasons - no parking nearby/need a lot of work/too expensive/not a great location. If pushed I'd go and see one of them, but none really fit the bill. Back in the summer they'd all have been SSTC within days if they were even listed on RM in the first place. That said, the family houses in good locations are still going to best and final offers within a few days.

wannabeamummysobad · 19/11/2021 18:53

@Eastie77Returns @areyouhavingagiraffe we are searching in similar areas. After a world of drama and stress (still on going) we have an offer accepted on a house between Buckhurst Hill and chingford.

Won't feel settled until we have the keys though.

areyouhavingagiraffe · 19/11/2021 19:15

@wannabeamummysobad, this is giving me hope. I put an offer in on a place on Monday and not even an acknowledgement from EA. I put the offer in in writing via email. Six months ago I would have been chasing it every 24hrs, but now, I dunno it just has drained me so much and I literally don't give a shit anymore! It needs a lot of work and I am no way offering more. It would have been nice to have an acknowledgement though. Fuckers