Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

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

House 1 or 2...need to decide today

62 replies

Eastie77Returns · 28/09/2021 12:51

We've had a bit of a nightmare after the vendor of the property we originally had an offer accepted on couldn't find an onward purchase so restarted our search. Have now had offers accepted on two properties (offer on House 1 originally not accepted but EA just came back and said they want to accept now - a day after we offered on House 2)

House 1:

  • 3 bed with driveway, lovely quiet street, next to beautiful woodland area, 15mins walk from tube/overground and a school suitable for DC.
  • Probate property but apparently that is all resolved. However house is still full of all of the deceased owner's furniture and his children live 200 miles away.
  • One bathroom that currently doesn't have a shower but it is big enough to install one.
  • 1930s style which I love.
  • Worried the vendors might be a bit flaky. EA seems chaotic and have had different versions of why they came back to our offer.

House 2:

  • 3 bed with driveway and 2 bathrooms. Downstairs one is nicely tucked away with a shower room. Upstairs one spacious.
  • Not such a nice street (but nice enough). Garden is bigger but backs onto a development of new build houses.
  • Longer walk to tube and DC school. 10 minute walk from the beautiful woodland area.
  • Vacant, no onward chain. Vendors clearly ready, house cleared out and they have already bought somewhere. £30k more than House 1. Lovely EA, family run and very friendly professional service.

Leaning towards House 2 as practically it is better and I can't bear the thought of being messed about again but it is not the 1930s style I've been hankering over for so long and I'm worried about noise from the development behind. The extra £30k is doable but a stretch.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Leftbutcameback · 28/09/2021 13:24

And of you're worried about antisocial behaviour maybe try Next Door or a local FB group and ask about it

DGFB · 28/09/2021 13:28

House 1. Probate, crap estate agent and getting it cleared are not things you will think about in five years. But you will always love your 1930s house

Stickyblue1987 · 28/09/2021 13:32

House 1

Level75 · 28/09/2021 13:35

House 1

Rostom · 28/09/2021 13:40

No contest. House number one.

Yes, there may be a few problems re. probate but if you don't buy this house you will constantly regret it and 'wonder what if'...

AgathaX · 28/09/2021 14:15

House 1. Just be prepared that there may be the odd bump until it's yours. Go and visit it at different times of day and weekday/weekend to see for yourself how the woodland is used, if it is. Knock on the neighbours doors and ask them too.

leavesthataregreen · 28/09/2021 14:20

Definitely House 1 and I usually hate a doer-upper. But backing onto woodland, and 1930s home, 30k cheaper, so you can spend that money on sorting out the bathroom etc - there's no question.

You never regret buying somewhere with beautiful view and gorgeous bones.

Garriet · 28/09/2021 15:08

House 1. I think if you went for 2, you’d always be thinking “what if” about 1, but not the other way around.

Time40 · 28/09/2021 15:44

House 1, no question.

senua · 28/09/2021 16:09

The deceased owner apparently has multiple children all living scattered around the North and I just want to be sure there are no legal issues pending or drama over the house clearance.
Can your solicitor put a clause in the legal documents that you get to retain £1,000 (say) to cover costs if the sellers don't do the house clearance by the completion date. It might focus their minds.

Leftbutcameback · 28/09/2021 19:29

That's a really good suggestion by @senua re: a retention. You can always inspect for vacant possession, but you wouldn't want to delay completion if you have moving vans etc so a retention works

AlfonsoTheDinosaur · 28/09/2021 19:39

House 1.

Franklin12 · 28/09/2021 19:56

I cleared my DF house by employing house clearers and it was BAD, REALLY BAD. The owners need to clear it and a good solicitor will make sure that it’s done or money is withheld.

Having said that really pin down the owners, lots of children all with different views could hold things up especially if there are lots of executors. There are always people who will want to hold out for higher offers having never done any property transactions and let’s hope it’s not one of the children!

Your heart clearly lies in House 1. Go for it...

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 28/09/2021 20:29

I bought a 1930s house a few years ago that was an absolute wreck. Also a probate sale. It had not been sold in 60 years and it took bloody ages to go through 6 months iirc. The house was also full of crap so when I made the offer it was on the condition it was emptied. A few weeks prior to exchange I had a viewing to check, even went in the loft to make sure it was empty and it was. Took a lot of work but the house and hassle were so worth it it was a joy to live there. Moved on now as I got married again and relocated but I loved that house.

Go for house 1 even if its more hassle it will be worth it in the long run, no problem cannot be got over and at least you know they want to sell it.

Pinkdelight3 · 29/09/2021 11:25

Which did you go for? I'd actually have said House 2, because it doesn't matter how nice House 1 is if they're flaky and it falls through. House 1 ticks enough boxes and is a real prospect. The other gives me warning bells already. It's not about niceness of EA. The combo of incompetence and probate is enough for me to back off and go all in on the other.

Original poster
Eastie77Returns · 29/09/2021 11:47

Thanks everyone. I've gone ahead with House 1 because that is where my heart is. House 2 is still on the market as of today and honestly @Pinkdelight3 what you have written is my big fear and I am rethinking.

I'm already seeing warning signs. It took over a week for my offer to be accepted because the family had to have various meetings to decide. There are 4 siblings who live in different locations in the North/North West. I'm not sure why as this house is in London. Anyway. During that week the EA apparently couldn't get in touch with any of them to confirm what was going on. This tells me they are not all on the same page regarding this sale, perhaps some of the siblings are unhappy with the decision and I am just so worried about the sale falling through.

Presumably all 4 will have to sign paperwork etc and I'm envisaging months and months of delays.

We are in a less than ideal rental and I am desperate to move and get the DC settled so that would be my worst nightmare. I'm praying I haven't made the wrong choice.

OP posts:
Pinkdelight3 · 29/09/2021 11:56

If they've definitely all agreed to accept your offer and your heart is so strongly for it then I think it's worth seeing how the rest of the process goes. Good luck and hopefully it was just this initial bit that was tricky and now they could be on the same page going forward. Annoying thing is, if you change your mind now and go back to House 2, it's you who'll look flaky. House buying is so fraught! But I hope it works out for you.

longtompot · 29/09/2021 13:33

If they are all on the probate form then yes, they will all have to sign. When we sold my fils house recently, only my bil was on the probate for so only he had to do the official stuff. He did speak to my dh about the offers, eventually, but we sold super quickly.

RustyBear · 29/09/2021 13:40

I am one of four siblings, and when we sold my Dad's bungalow in Devon we all lived a couple of hundred miles away. When we got an offer, we did check that all four of us were happy with it, but a solicitor and I were the only ones who were the executors and on the probate form, so the only ones who had to sign, so it went through fairly quickly (much quicker than in DD's case!)

rosesarered321 · 29/09/2021 15:57

When I sold my mum's house only I had to sign as I was the only executor. I only had to agree to accept the offer with my sister.

Level75 · 29/09/2021 18:08

Yes, probate will take a bit longer but if they have accepted your offer I'd say there's actually less chance of them backing out or not being on the same page. Think of it this way - is it easier for one person or couple to change their mind or 4? The time to accept is more likely busy lives than disagreement.

Probate varies but in my experience you will have 1 or max 2 executors. These are the people who need to sign docs. 4 executors would be madness and v unlikely.

Just be aware though that they won't be able to answer half the standard enquiries your solicitor would send as they have not lived in the house.

Overall I'd definitely go for house 1 - you need to think longer term not just about the sale process itself.

Nandocushion · 29/09/2021 18:54

I would have said House 2 from the start. Mainly because of the one bath that even needed updating and will still only be one bath, but also the woodland (which looks nice but often has antisocial behaviour in it) and the issues with the family. Hope it works out for you OP.

Original poster
Eastie77Returns · 01/10/2021 12:49

Update

Q: When is a probate sale not a probate?
A: When the property owner isn't actually dead

Have had such a bizarre 48 hours. The EA called yesterday to say the sale is off. They received a call from one of the owner's children to say that their father had changed his mind and no longer wished to sell. Completely bemused I said I thought the father was dead? Turns out there has been 'a lot of confusion' but he is alive and kicking and lives with his new wife in another part of the country Confused He has bought a new house with said wife but had apparently performed a u-turn and decided he did not wish to sell. The owner's child was very sorry, said they would work on their confused dad, look into getting a POA etc but sale is off. I was devastated but hey-ho, that's life.

Received a call an hour later: the sale is back on. The owner of the property called the EA to say he DOES want to sell but it is his children who are blocking the sale. They are worried that his new wife will take the money from the property sale. It turns out the EA has never even had the owner's number, all dealings were with his children who he entrusted to carry out the sale but he somehow caught wind of the fact they had tried to derail it.

As of this morning I've been told the owner is taking over all aspects of the sale, has instructed the EA not to take any calls or instruction from his children and he is signing a contract with the EA today and has provided his solicitor's details.

In the middle of all this chaos I told the EA for House no.2 that I wanted to proceed with that house and so now have to pull out if I continue with House no1.

I'm so confused. Why didn't the EA realise before now that the owner is not dead? If the legal owner of the property is someone other than the children the EA should surely have requested a death certificate or something to prove the children had the right to manage the sale. I don't understand any of this.

Why is my house purchase turning into a flipping Eastenders drama?!

OP posts:
Pinkdelight3 · 01/10/2021 13:04

Oh my, that is crackers! Run like hell from House 1 and hope that House 2 works out.

user18954 · 01/10/2021 13:10

As per Pink, what the hell are you thinking. Buy House 2 immediately and without regret.
House 1 will never work out without finishing you off, if at all.
A house to live in is what you need now and an end to this drama.
Your house exterior and era does not define you.