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?

A break from it all this week might be the best thing giraffe. I agree that if you can't even see a floorplan or pics then it's often a waste of time or as you say the vendor changes their mind.

Speaking off...I spoke to a school run mum this week who put her house up for sale a couple of weeks ago. She's accepted an offer but said with a laugh that she now wasn't sure if they would sell after all as her DH was no longer keen to move so they "would play it by ear and mull things over during the Christmas break" and then let the EA know. The buyer in me was silently seething thinking of her poor buyer. It really irked me the way she just casually commented that they'd probably change their minds with no thought whatsoever for anyone else in their chain.

I'm currently waiting to hear back from my solicitor regarding Searches which they requested a couple of weeks ago. Everything is moving soooo slowly and it's just draining.

Feeling pretty Meh about everything this week and I suspect it’s partly because of the house hunt. The house we wanted recently has finally been sold, they created a bidding war and we had to bow out. The agent was so blunt about it all, it really annoyed me. Not sure why as I used to work in an estate agency and I know how ruthless and soulless property people are. But still. I’m so bored of 9 months of house hunting and really wanted to buy this last one. Oh well. Onwards into 2022.

@Momniscient

Welcome *@User112*! Do you plan to get many more viewings in before the end of the year, or have things slowed down where you're searching too?

Things have really slowed down here!!

@Paddingtonthebear, I hear you about blunt EA's. I dislike them so much. I know they are only doing their job, but the lies!!!! Ugh.

So EA emailed me to say it had come down to best and final scenario so I had to gather available documentation and send off. For proof of deposit I couldn't get a savings statement from my savings bank as the statements are automatically generated each March so had to send a photograph of the balance from my savings account's app... and then I had to call my father who's giving us the majority of the funds who doesn't have any modern method of banking or internet so he sent a cheque in the post with a 'Gift letter'. I clearly explained this to the EA and said we 100% had the full deposit and with our MiP document, more than covered the funds required.

Today they called to say 'you were the highest bidder, but because they were let down at last minute from a previous sale of the house, they went with someone they showed around who 'felt just right'.

WtFH!!!! They're not selling a bloody puppy, it's a house! I can understand if there was some anxiety if they couldn't see our funds in black and white, but as for 'felt just right'?! They showed us around too and we seemed to gel, much in common actually. I don't know... I'm absolutely gutted because the house was just perfect for us. I've since just seen absolute rubbish on RM and Zoopla and just thoroughly depressed.

How does one move on from this? I just feel that we're never going to find anything suitable in our price range because we're at the bottom of the crappy house market. Would rather live in a van than some of the houses I've seen!

@GoinSouth

So EA emailed me to say it had come down to best and final scenario so I had to gather available documentation and send off. For proof of deposit I couldn't get a savings statement from my savings bank as the statements are automatically generated each March so had to send a photograph of the balance from my savings account's app... and then I had to call my father who's giving us the majority of the funds who doesn't have any modern method of banking or internet so he sent a cheque in the post with a 'Gift letter'. I clearly explained this to the EA and said we 100% had the full deposit and with our MiP document, more than covered the funds required.

Today they called to say 'you were the highest bidder, but because they were let down at last minute from a previous sale of the house, they went with someone they showed around who 'felt just right'.

WtFH!!!! They're not selling a bloody puppy, it's a house! I can understand if there was some anxiety if they couldn't see our funds in black and white, but as for 'felt just right'?! They showed us around too and we seemed to gel, much in common actually. I don't know... I'm absolutely gutted because the house was just perfect for us. I've since just seen absolute rubbish on RM and Zoopla and just thoroughly depressed.

How does one move on from this? I just feel that we're never going to find anything suitable in our price range because we're at the bottom of the crappy house market. Would rather live in a van than some of the houses I've seen!

I’m so sorry. There are no words, it’s just horrendous.

Only crumbs of comfort I can offer is the mantra that it wasn’t meant to be, a better house is around the corner etc etc.

I know that doesn’t really help in the moment though😔

@GoinSouth, that sucks. But as @Eastie77Returns, better thingss are coming your way. I know it is hard, I have been in your position and you feel like there is no end to this bullshit. However, we will find our houses and we will be happy. I am hoping to find a dog and husband after the house, in that order :-)

@GoinSouth oh no, that's horrendous.

If it's any consolation my Mum went with the buyer who 'felt right' and 'seemed nice' last year against the advice of me and my brother. We actually had a conversation along the lines of "but they're such nice people". "Mum, you're selling a house, not looking for a new best friend". Got strung along for few weeks during which they failed to instruct solicitor, arrange survey etc. Buyer then found something else and pulled out. Cue much weeping and wailing, along with eye rolling from us!

So, I'd keep an eye out, it may all fall through (I heard somewhere about a third of offers don't make it thru to completion). Keep your copies of evidence available - can you get them more concrete/'official' looking in the meantime? When taking out our tenancy I had to run to the bank in the pouring rain to get an official print out of the savings account statement. Which was almost identical to the PDF we could have printed at home but had 'printed in branch' in tiny text at the top!

Sorry to hear that, the whole thing just sucks. My friend was telling me recently that when her and her husband bought their house a few years ago they nearly didn’t get it as someone else offered more. Friend went back alone for a final viewing and the owner happened to be there. She ended up getting on really well with them and they got the house despite not being the highest bidders. It’s all such a game.

The market is still crazy here. I was told last week we had to increase our offer by £20k over guide price to get near the house we wanted to buy. That would be more than £80k what the owner paid for it two years ago and the house still needs work doing. Another house locally has just gone on the market at offers over £680k, when last sold 5yrs ago for £335k.

I finally have a viewing this weekend, for a total doer-upper. Location is exactly where I want but it's a total gut job, may need re-rendering, damp problems (possibly due to wrong render), no heating, would need to budget for a new roof.

I think I might be mad even entertaining it as a possibility when I could spend a bit more on a dry, warm modern build, but fuck it, you only live once and I've always fancied doing something like this. My main worry is not being able to get tradespeople for months and months; it's not really liveable as it is and I'd rather not run a mortgage and a rental for six months to a year.

[quote RidingMyBike]@GoinSouth oh no, that's horrendous.

If it's any consolation my Mum went with the buyer who 'felt right' and 'seemed nice' last year against the advice of me and my brother. We actually had a conversation along the lines of "but they're such nice people". "Mum, you're selling a house, not looking for a new best friend". Got strung along for few weeks during which they failed to instruct solicitor, arrange survey etc. Buyer then found something else and pulled out. Cue much weeping and wailing, along with eye rolling from us!

So, I'd keep an eye out, it may all fall through (I heard somewhere about a third of offers don't make it thru to completion). Keep your copies of evidence available - can you get them more concrete/'official' looking in the meantime? When taking out our tenancy I had to run to the bank in the pouring rain to get an official print out of the savings account statement. Which was almost identical to the PDF we could have printed at home but had 'printed in branch' in tiny text at the top! [/quote]
Well we're still waiting for Dad's cheque and my savings statement - not good for normal post this time of year. But once I've got these then I'll consolidate funds into one account and get a bank statement pdf and printed off ready. Really, you would think financial institutions would be more flexible considering the stress that people have to go through renting/buying property.

I do, stupidly, check emails each day as EA said, we'll keep your details as if the sale falls through we'll be in touch with you.

Thanks for words of consolation. I'm beginning to wish we'd stayed in London though, paying stupid rental prices but at least we had friends, in a decent area with transport etc nearby, unlike here, and with a dirty neighbour who grows or smokes stuff that absolutely stinks our house out.. putrid smell, and who has bins of rubbish that he never puts out for collection, and bags of dog-poo everywhere. Let's hope that spring puts a spring in our step before I lose the will to live.

I hope something better comes along soon Goinsouth

I'm wondering if the interest rate rise will have any impact on house prices/mortgages going into the new year.

How is everyone doing?

I chased my solicitor yesterday regarding the Searches and she responded that she's received all the results now and is preparing a report for my review. I should probably join the Buyers Roll Call thread on here but I still don't feel 100% confident this is going through so still consider myself as 'looking' . I also haven't had a full structural survey carried out on the house I'm buying so need to organise that. I've been reluctant to commit to too many expenses as the vendor is so volatile and has pulled out once already but the EA messaged me today to say all is proceeding as planned etc with her onward purchase (not that I ever fully believe anything he says

I'm also concerned she'll freak out about me wanting the survey. I have no intention whatsover in asking for a reduction unless something crazy comes to light which fingers crossed it shouldn't.

I drove past the doer-upper last night on the way home from a friend's to see how many cars were parked (it's residents' parking on street and the bays are few and far between. It was absolutely rammed with cars; I could get through fine but I wouldn't have been able to park. Everywhere around there is restricted parking and there are just a few bays to cover several streets. Not good. There is a council car park nearby where you can park for free overnight or pay for a designated space (over £1k/year) but it's not secure. It's putting me off to be honest. I might drive down again this evening just in case someone was having a party or something.

Not sure I want to have a battle to find a space every evening; am thinking I should hang on for the new year and spend a bit more on something with fewer problems. Let's see how I feel after the viewing tomorrow.

Don't do it @dubyalass - that sort of parking fiasco every day can really grind you down.

Yeah, I think you're right. Although if I want a period property, chances are it's going to be on-street parking. At least here I could park outside; some streets here are all double yellows.

Viewing this morning - it's a great little house but the garden is tiny, way smaller than it looks in the pictures. Next door appeared to be empty and their garden is very overgrown; there also appears to be a flying freehold over part of their house and the party wall was insubstantial, shall we say. The work itself wasn't off-putting, but the garden and lack of parking means it's a no. Oh well.

Just want to say that I'm depressed. Might start searching for a house abroad instead!

@MiracleBaby2022

Just want to say that I'm depressed. Might start searching for a house abroad instead!

That sounds like a lovely idea if i was younger that's what i would do we are 5 weeks into our sale and our buyer's is being a pain in the backside i'm getting fed up with them!!

We are almost 12 weeks into our sale and should have exchanged today, and our buyer has asked some more bloody questions! Apparently, they like to be thorough and do due diligence.....fair enough but why today?

Why not last week when they were pushing for exchange?

@dubyalass

Yeah, I think you're right. Although if I want a period property, chances are it's going to be on-street parking. At least here I could park outside; some streets here are all double yellows.

My unsellable house is a period house with a driveway.

@CheltenhamLady

We are almost 12 weeks into our sale and should have exchanged today, and our buyer has asked some more bloody questions! Apparently, they like to be thorough and do due diligence.....fair enough but why today?

Why not last week when they were pushing for exchange?

What a time to be asking questions i know how you feel they should realise that what a stressful time as it is without these stupid questions hope your exchange went through and you can move and not have any more questions 12 weeks to exchange is quick, we got more questions yesterday!!

My unsellable house is a period house with a driveway.

So they do exist! The one I was looking at was in a terrace but opened straight onto the street, no front garden.

Gosh what on earth questions did they suddenly need answering this late in the process?!

Although I remember all sorts of barmy questions taking ages when DH was selling his flat. Including about rights of way across the property. It was on the third floor!

We've booked a viewing of the probably-ex-student-house for Thursday. Planning to spend this evening looking up its previous sale history and if any old photos are available. We're now registered with seven EAs but this is the only property any of them suggested we view!