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?

We accepted an offer in august but couldn't find anywhere to go so had to pull out. Relisted in October as realised we really wanted to move. Have since managed to find 2 houses. First we offered on the seller couldn't find anywhere and while waiting another came up which was chain free so we decided to go with it and though it's early days and have everything crossed we are happy.
Good luck everyone.

@Doubleraspberry what area are you selling in? We're looking for 3/4 bed

Will PM you, @YukoandHiro

@DanisEndo - congrats and well done!!

My solicitor finally sent the report. I can see from the documents that she received the Searches on Dec 3rd so it has taken a month to send out this report and enquiries. Really not happy. I have also been asking her for weeks if the vendor had provided the Property Information Form as I wanted to review a few things re fixtures and fittings and she didn’t reply so I assumed not. Now I can see the vendor actually returned that form back in mid November🙄

Anyway. It seems there are a few issues but I don’t know if they are easy to solve or potential show stoppers. There is a covenant from the 1930s that gives neighbours right of way on a small patch of land in the garden. There are also 2 charges on the property that the solicitor says she is working on ensuring are discharged.

Wishing everyone luck in this continued house hunting madness!

I feel like screaming.

I put a rocket under the solicitor this morning and she finally rang me back.

It is our buyer's solicitors that are asking ridiculous questions and she has responded by asking if the person doing the job actually has conveyancing experience!

They have asked for the wording of an indemnity policy to be changed.
Asked her to approach the leaseholder to check if they intend to open a mine under the house....it was built in 1926.
Asked for indemnity policies for issues that are legally nonsensical.

totally fed up with the whole process now.

Not sure how much of this I believe!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/articles/property-news/moving-home-in-2022/?utmsource=uknewsletter&utmmmedium=email&utmcampaign=newsletterjan122&utmmcontent=moving2022

Spotted house on RM today that ticks some of our boxes - went on market two days ago. Tried to get a viewing but they're already fully booked and not accepting any more. Which seems crazy to me - they must be sure of selling it?! EA then told me they'd got another one about to launch that was similar (she hasn't bothered to let me know about either of these in advance, it's me responding to RM!) so have booked to view that next week. It's not really what we're looking for though.

Another EA told me they'd done loads of valuations towards end December so were hopeful more would be coming thru soon.

Things have got to get better, or else it is not sustainable at all. People won't be able to get onward purchase and everything stalls. Nothing happening for me, but just counting my blessings that I have sold a leasehold flat (so many pitfalls). My house will come, soon I hope

I'd not heard back about the place mentioned above so rang them back, apparently they haven't got the keys yet and viewings will be middle of next week. Bit annoying but I just have to be patient. I suspect it's been rented out as the RM photos from the last time it sold (2000) are dated 2017, and it was empty whereas the current pictures have someone's furniture. So I wonder if they put it on the market in 2017 but didn't sell for whatever reason. Some other places have come back on the market, nothing that I want to view, but it's definitely picking up.

@areyouhavingagiraffe - Happy New Year, and hopefully Happy New Home!

Like you, I’ve sold, in rented, and am still scratching around.

I need to go into town today, so thought I might show my face to most of the EAs to check they still have my details on file, as I’m still looking. That might kick start a few of them.

@CheltenhamLady

I feel like screaming.

I put a rocket under the solicitor this morning and she finally rang me back.

It is our buyer's solicitors that are asking ridiculous questions and she has responded by asking if the person doing the job actually has conveyancing experience!

They have asked for the wording of an indemnity policy to be changed.
Asked her to approach the leaseholder to check if they intend to open a mine under the house....it was built in 1926.
Asked for indemnity policies for issues that are legally nonsensical.

totally fed up with the whole process now.

good on you for putting a rocket under the solicitor it's what they need i can't understand why they don't keep us updated on things our buyers were asking ridiculous questions but now it's the searches on our forward property that haven't come back although our solicitor said he had sent for them weeks before Christmas so he said!! i am getting really fed up of waiting to hear news each day and nothing comes hope you get sorted soon good luck

Local EA still trying their luck - a house that sat on the market for months at £250k eventually sold late last year. Except it's just come back on - at £275k. They tried this before and almost immediately dropped the price. I do wonder if they think buyers are stupid and don't notice this.

Our EA is saying we should instruct a solicitor - is that wise to start now even if the chain above us isnt complete? Dont want to risk loosing money for no reason but also dont want to slow the process down at all!

When we were FTB's there was no chain at all so this is new territory for us!!!

@DanisEndo you need to instruct a solicitor to get your bit of the chain in motion asap. If you're nervous about losing money then I'd say look into home buyers insurance - pretty cheap for the protection it gives. Definitely don't want for any other part of the chain before sorting your own solicitors. There can be all sorts of hold-ups and you want the wheels in motion as soon as you can.

Hi
This thread just popped up on active, I'm about to start looking for a flat to buy so reading woth interest.

At what point would people take home buyers insurance? I must look into this.

so far, things are very quiet, I was expecting a load of new stuff to come on the market for New Year but now I think there might have been more in December when I was finalising my finances.

Thank you @Momniscient I hadn't heard of home buyers insurance before will look into and instruct the solicitors first thing tomorrow!:)

@EmmaH2022 The ones I've seen have to be within 7 days of instructing a solicitor... so, once you've had an offer accepted

@DanisEndo woo! Hope it goes well

Not much of a weekend update from me as we still haven't sold... so trying to keep a lid on things for now. The place we offered on at the end of last year (hypothetically, really, as we weren't proceedable then either) still hasn't sold either, so it seems things have stayed slow at least for the "tricky" houses (those of us on main roads or with extensions that eat into garden size etc!). Anyone on viewings this weekend? Living vicariously through you for now...

Mom thank you, I will try and research this tomorrow.

Just hoping more one beds actually come on, the New Year new properties don't seem to have kicked in yet....

Yawn, spent afternoon trawling through the list of EA for my area on RM and have registered with all of them now (32!). One didn't register interested buyers and just told me to keep checking their website! Two had dodgy registration forms that I'm not convinced work. Of course, there is still nothing suitable available but maybe this will get us ahead of the queue if something does come up?

One had something on their website about properties appearing on OnTheMarket 24 hours before appearing on RM. Anyone know if this is true?! I do get alerts from OnTheMarket but find their search etc much clunkier.

Riding I hadn't heard that about OnTheMarket but have seen properties on there that have then appeared on RM and Zoopla a day or so later so could very well be true.

I'm still looking whilst in the process of buying since I'm still nervous that my purchase will fall through. I've looked through all the enquiries my solicitor finally sent and one issue is that the house is currently not insured. The vendor said on the Property Information Form that she decided to just let the Building Insurance expire last year. My solicitor has said we cannot Exchange if the house is uninsured. EA seems to think this is not the case. Vendor is extremely volatile and I can imagine her digging her heels in. Sigh.

I hope everyone is having better luck with viewings etc this week. Things seem to have picked up a fair bit around here with quite a few reduced properties. Maybe the long awaited market 'correction' is happening!

Have had a productive morning!

Solicitor instructed
Mortgage application information form completed
bank statement and proof of funds sent
Buildings survey booked
Sales Memos being sent today
Confirmation our buyer has completed all the paperwork for their mortgage broker

Will be arranging homebuyers insurance tomorrow

Feeling productive but nervous - this is the stage we got to last time before it all fell through!

We're just about to come out the other side... finally. We complete on Wednesday. The house currently looks like that scene at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark with all the crates.
Thanks for the hand holding and wishing everyone all the luck in the world.

Fingers crossed it all goes well for you on Wednesday @beguilingeyes !

@Eastie77Returns just as I was reading your post thinking "well there's be no increase on the number of people wanting viewings here" the phone rang and we've booked in FIVE for this week already. Unheard of. So now I'll say that I think things are picking up! One viewing is a revisit so hopefully I'll be back on the RM refreshes imminently myself!

Oh gosh @Eastie77Returns I remember that question on the property info form and wondering if anyone actually didn't have buildings insurance?! Surely though you get your own insurance in place from exchange so how would it affect the sale?!