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

[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?

@RidingMyBike, they are just idiots. All of them.

Oh gosh, second identical offer on ours.
There’s a small, needs work, chocolate box cottage in our dream area that our EA us valuing next week. Could be in budget.

It would be madness to switch our new, immaculate, large 3 bed, 3 bath for a downstairs bathroom much smaller 3 bed. But the location is special. Arrgghhhh!

[quote areyouhavingagiraffe]@RidingMyBike, they are just idiots. All of them.[/quote]
Unfortunately they can get away with being idiots at the moment. They barely have to lift a finger to sell a house.

I do wonder if some are struggling though. They make money when sales volumes are high and sales volumes are low at the moment. I think this is contributing to the increased asking prices - agents are fighting with each other to get each listing and are over valuing properties to get more listings.

I can't sleep because I am worried about providing a home fir DD and I. If prices go up much more then I'm priced out and effectively homeless as living with family. Really don't want to fall into the rental trap.

@DaisyNGO - thanks for those insights re. documents and the solicitors. I'm perhaps being a bit hard on the EA in assuming he's lying but I've become quite hardened and sceptical about everything over the past 6 months! I don't find it implausible that the vendor needs help although I work in the Tech industry and admit when I meet people who can't send e-mails (excluding the elderly) I'm a bit confused. The vendor is in her mid 50s I'd guess so she would have been late 20s or so when e-mail usage took off? Anyway, this is a complete subject detour!

Yesterday the EA said the vendor visited his office and they spent an hour scanning and e-mailing everything to the solicitor so let's see...

@Starseeking sorry we both find ourselves in a similar predicament! I had long abandoned hope of Exchanging before Christmas. I asked the EA today if he thought February was feasible since the vendor is moving into a chain free house. He said yes of course although I should bear in mind her solicitor still has lots to deal with regarding "various bits of paperwork". I'm a bit WTF. It's taken her over a month to send the initial "paperwork" to get things started, how much more/what else does the solicitor need?!

The EA is of course being vague and just saying he will keep me informed.

I'm paranoid there is some big hidden issue and after having read a horror story on another forum about a sale that collapsed on the day of exchange due to an ownership/Land Registry issue I'm going to apply online to confirm that the vendor is the actual owner. Because literally nothing would surprise me.

@FanGirlX

I can't sleep because I am worried about providing a home fir DD and I. If prices go up much more then I'm priced out and effectively homeless as living with family. Really don't want to fall into the rental trap.

@FanGirlX - I understand what you mean. I have 2 DC. I sometimes feel guilty for uprooting them and moving into a rental after we sold earlier in the year (moving in with family was an option but not ideal for various reasons). They seem fine though. I find kids have a habit of adjusting to situations that stress us (adults) out on their behalf.

I'm not sure how old your DD is but in time when you are settled in your new home this period will be a distant memory for both of you.

My EA keeps saying that exchange is 'imminent'. What the hell does that even mean? Give me something specific FFS.

Has anyone else seen the BBC news story re: prices. WTAF. My phone is listening to me, as these things come up on my phone. Dunno if it is scaremongering, but I am scared! Ugh!!!!!!!!!!! Remembering to think of the positives and sending everyone lots of luck and good fortune.

I'm not sure how old your DD is but in time when you are settled in your new home this period will be a distant memory for both of you.

The issue is getting priced out, if prices go up more then having to rent forever. Inflation is really worrying me.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59477093

This one?

We’ve just spent 3 days in Uk, found a house we love, been given an indication our offer would be acceptable but are SCARED to actually formally confirm an offer as we spent around 3 hours in the area only -2 in a restaurant and 1 at the house. Not sure we can face coming across again so soon due to flight delays both ways and leaving our kids and we just don’t know whether leaving all our family behind and having zero support/friends is a good idea.

Our brains are like scrambled eggs abd we’ve just had enough

@FanGirlX, yup that's the one. Are they saying 10% year on year growth compared to 9.9% last month? I am a sodding engineer and I cannot understand these articles.
Fuck you BBC, what do you know anyway

Rest assured that my house isn't going up by 10%. Bargain of the century.

[quote areyouhavingagiraffe]@FanGirlX, yup that's the one. Are they saying 10% year on year growth compared to 9.9% last month? I am a sodding engineer and I cannot understand these articles.
Fuck you BBC, what do you know anyway[/quote]
Sorry, the article I linked to was about general inflation. It says that the average family is looking at £1,700 a year extra on essentials in 2022 - fuel, utilities, food.

I haven't seen one on house prices but do share 😀

@sarahandduck12 maybe if you say whereabouts, someone on this thread might know the area?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59488816

Sorry @FanGirlX, article posted in my post above

Sorry if this conversation is old hat

Rightmove has just pinged me a flat in the development where we were outbid. This flat looks even nicer! But the price is "guide price".

Guide price also means "offers over" in reality doesn't it? We can go and view this weekend but I can't face another 4 hour round trip when someone can put another 25k on the table.

The EA for this is very good and professional and says "I can't encourage or discourage you from making the journey because I don't know what will happen".

If anything else comes up to view it's a bit different, like the day we saw 4 flats. Given it's Wednesday night, other stuff seems unlikely.

"Guide price" is such a useless term, if they want "offers over" they can say so?

Eastie " I don't find it implausible that the vendor needs help although I work in the Tech industry and admit when I meet people who can't send e-mails (excluding the elderly) I'm a bit confusedg. The vendor is in her mid 50s I'd guess so she would have been late 20s or so when e-mail usage took off? "

Sorry, I wasn't clear. In the property sale I refer to where I couldn't use the portal, they didn't do anything significant by email, so the next option was paper and post. They literally did not have a fixtures and fittings form that they could email me.

I'm sure she can use email but she may not be allowed to.

Also, I find only the most up to date computers can work with some of these tech systems. I find tech is a huge problem, not because I can't use it but for other reasons.

Latest for me is a bank that won't allow me to log in because I have a VPN. Which I started because I wanted more security....

Been looking since the start of the pandemic nearly 2 years later 3 purchases fell through one house down valued by 50k!!! Hoping 2022 will finally be our year.

Also not telling anyone until exchange when we move it's heartbreaking all the disappointment. I've noticed prices are starting to stagnate a little where we are so hopefully a sign there will be more supply going forward.

@Veeveeoxox

Also not telling anyone until exchange when we move it's heartbreaking all the disappointment. I've noticed prices are starting to stagnate a little where we are so hopefully a sign there will be more supply going forward.

That's our plan. I hear so many people say "we're moving" and it just means an offer has been accepted.

God. We are in an upstairs flat and would like to move to something downstairs as we get older. But reading these threads is terrifying. Think we'll just stay put and haul our creaking joints up the stairs until we end up in care!

@Megan2018 we are also selling a large, practical newbuild for a house the same size, less practical but with a lovely plot in a very nice village! Sometimes it's the location that helps in feeling settled