Thread 2: "Anyone not being picky - and STILL can't find anything?"

[Momniscient]

Just spotted the first one is full so have set up thread two so we can keep talking with minimal delay. Hoping that tagging works regardless ...

RightMove addicts, and serial refreshers of other property websites, share your troubles!

Posters from last two pages in the thread and OP:
@PessimisticOptimist
@Eastie77Returns
@RidingMyBike
@beguilingeyes
@DanisEndo
@EmmaH2022
@dubyalass
@BennyBean
@ByeByeMissAmericanPie
@areyouhavingagiraffe
@CheltenhamLady
@doubleraspberry
@YukoandHiro
@TulipsfromAmsterdam
@MummyJ12
@starseeking
@GoinSouth
@MiracleBaby2022

Original thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/4346330-Anyone-not-being-picky-and-STILL-cant-find-anything

I feel bad now.... I think this person probably asked because she thought months had passed since we last spoke and she's under a lot of strain.

Good that I didn't tell too many other people.

giraffe I think Doubleraspberry is very wise.

@EmmaH2022

Two EAs have said to me there's issues with mortgage companies and over valuations.

I wondered if this was the case.

Plus the cost of living crisis, although rents are going up too so whether you own or rent you're still going to be getting bigger utilities, council tax, NI, petrol and food bills. I suppose some owners may be put off upsizing due to the cost of living crisis.

I'm pretty sure stretch pricing is what's happened in the town we're looking in. 140k increase since 2019 for a house that's been rented out and had nothing done to it is absolute bollocks.
Got 5 viewings for tomorrow already. Going to try going back to house we offered on once we have an offer and trying them again. Worth a shot. We're not desperate (yet) so it's worth a punt.
Where are you guys looking where it's 700k for a 3 bed?! I'm in the south east and that's still high for me!

@Nosnogginginthekitchen

I'm pretty sure stretch pricing is what's happened in the town we're looking in. 140k increase since 2019 for a house that's been rented out and had nothing done to it is absolute bollocks. Got 5 viewings for tomorrow already. Going to try going back to house we offered on once we have an offer and trying them again. Worth a shot. We're not desperate (yet) so it's worth a punt. Where are you guys looking where it's 700k for a 3 bed?! I'm in the south east and that's still high for me!

We are Surrey but north Surrey - so, practically London.

@EmmaH2022

You know you're touchy about something when you get the rage from a tiny comment...

Someone I last spoke to at Xmas asked me "are you still in your flat". Um...yes? How could I have moved in that time frame, I'd only just started looking! Should have kept gob shut.

I replied to this yesterday but looks as if my laptop ate the response. In a nutshell I said my biggest regret was telling people I was buying a house as the endless “haven’t you moved yet ?” from friends and family has driven me mad. Or people assume I’ve moved and message asking if I’ve settled in, when is the housewarming.

Still no official confirmation that exchange will happen on the 21st. Called my solicitor today and she just repeated that she hasn’t heard from the vendors solicitor re the outstanding enquiries. Oddly enough the EA has managed to successfully contact her (vendors solicitor) several times recently but my solicitor has failed to do so for weeks. It’s ridiculous. I’m completely bemused to see she has glowing reviews on Trustpilot as recently as 2 weeks ago from clients. I guess she just prioritises who she can be bothered to deal with:(

I'm in East London / Essex. Funny thing is when I started thinking about moving my budget was £450k. Now, I have sold, plus had a big pay rise (which I asked for), and my budget is now £700k.
With regards to stretch pricing, I understand that it is the vendors decision as to what they price it for, and then other EA's follow suit. But I don't think things are selling for that price. Or maybe I am wrong. It seems to be these houses that are hanging about for longer. With the 3 bed place I saw last week, the vendor wanted £625k+, and EA told me they only have one offer on table for £590k+. Even that seems a little excessive to me.
I feel like even with a budget of £700k I am f*&ked. Jokes eh. Like I said, I have lost any concept of common sense. Will probably be offerinf £700k for a studio flat in a few days, you know the ones where you have to sit on the toilet to eat your dinner? Yeah that one.

@areyouhavingagiraffe

I'm in East London / Essex. Funny thing is when I started thinking about moving my budget was £450k. Now, I have sold, plus had a big pay rise (which I asked for), and my budget is now £700k. With regards to stretch pricing, I understand that it is the vendors decision as to what they price it for, and then other EA's follow suit. But I don't think things are selling for that price. Or maybe I am wrong. It seems to be these houses that are hanging about for longer. With the 3 bed place I saw last week, the vendor wanted £625k+, and EA told me they only have one offer on table for £590k+. Even that seems a little excessive to me. I feel like even with a budget of £700k I am f*&ked. Jokes eh. Like I said, I have lost any concept of common sense. Will probably be offerinf £700k for a studio flat in a few days, you know the ones where you have to sit on the toilet to eat your dinner? Yeah that one.

I am pretty sure our vendors did this. They put on for £675k and EA said he thought it was “a bit pricey”. However, when you look at everything in the local area and look at the fact that we are wanting to move to pretty much three or four roads and that’s it, we were prepared to pay it to secure the house. It’s perfect for us. The bank valuation accepted the price. Done.

However, we are now stuck in an incomplete chain. EAs aren’t being great in terms of communication and now feel like we’ve been left ever so slightly.

giraffe I knew someone was going to buy that place I posted

onlineauctions.my-auction.co.uk/lot/details/59780

Put an offer in today. Well we put an offer in on Saturday but so did 3 others. We offered full asking so assume they want more money as they have asked all of us for full and final offers today. Ugh.

@Thethreeofusandpooch, I'm very flexible on areas. Don't need to be on certain roads, or near any schools. As long as I can walk to a station (even a 30 mins walk is fine), or hop on a bus. I think the overpriced stuff is not selling (well near me anyway), i.e 3 bedroom house for £600k.

[quote areyouhavingagiraffe]@Thethreeofusandpooch, I'm very flexible on areas. Don't need to be on certain roads, or near any schools. As long as I can walk to a station (even a 30 mins walk is fine), or hop on a bus. I think the overpriced stuff is not selling (well near me anyway), i.e 3 bedroom house for £600k.[/quote]
I'm in a "hot" area of Manchester. There are some houses that have been on for 6 months. They are wrecks but they are on for the same price as ones that are nicely done up. Think 3 bed semi with newish bathroom, kitchen, floors, blinds versus 3 bed semi that hasn't been refurbished in 30 odd years. That's why they aren't selling - they need a good 50/60k spending on them. I'd be happy with a refurb project but I'd expect it to be priced to take the cost of the refurb in. I do wonder what advice the agents are giving these vendors. Generally the ones that aren't selling are on through Purple Bricks - I believe the vendor pays part of the fee upfront with PB, so maybe PB aren't as motivated to get a sale as the traditional high street agents are?

Yes! Same thing round where I'm looking. Shabby things which have artex ceilings, no central heating and haven't been decorated since the 70s prices the same as something exactly the same BUT with underfloor heating, a kitchen diner extension and double glazing throughout as well as shiny modern fittings throughout and even an extra bedroom. It's bonkers.

My situation is similar to yours @areyouhavingagiraffe. 2 years ago, I could easily have bought what I'm looking for, for £575k-£600k. Now it's more like £660k-£725k.

I've had to adjust my budget substantially, as I'd originally thought I could get the perfect place with £600k. I'm now looking at spending £700k max, and it's only because me and my DC have lived with family for gone 8 months now that I've saved so much to (just about) move with the market.

Starseeking how are you?

Thanks for asking EmmaH2022. Just refreshing RM and Zoopla every 5 minutes, otherwise all good lol

Asked my solicitor to send back my deposit today, and she's said she is going to provide me with an "abortive sale invoice" before doing so (as I suspected she might). Great, more costs, yet still no house to show for it!

Star shit, I'm sorry.

@Starseeking, that is so pants. But it wasn't meant to be, something better will come along.
I am having a total meltdown today. My phone keeps sending me news articles about "it is a sellers market", "prices increasing still", "huge increases to come"....!!!!!!!!!!! I am wondering whether I should have even sold my pokey little flat. Maybe I will never be able to afford anything now. Just gutted.

You will find something that is perfect for you @areyouhavingagiraffe, as I will. You definitely should have sold your flat as you'll be able to buy a great house soon.

I'm trying to think positive in the hope of manifesting a new house lol. I'm told the market picks up after half term (which is now), and in Spring, so hopefully there'll be a few things coming on from sellers who want to move in time to meet Autumn schools deadlines.

@Starseeking, I wonder if the same number of people are looking as last Summer/ Spring? Now when I speak to EA, I hear that a house will have "four" offers, or something in that region, whereas last Spring it was more like "15 offers". Sometimes I think this is encouraging but then other times I am distraught. I have a sizeable deposit also (in excess of £200k) but still feel like I am screwed.

giraffe why do you have news alerts on your phone? Isn't that a stress feeder?

Don't forget that this time last year the stamp duty exemption deadline had been extended from 31 March to 30 June. Anyone buying a house at the value we are would have saved £15k. I put my house up for sale in mid April 2021, and completed a couple of days before the SDLT deadline. If I'd have got my act together, I'd have bought at the same time, as that would have been my bathroom and utility budget!

The market is certainly still very competitive now, though not as busy and focussed as it was when there was a maximum £15k saving to be made.

I should have tagged you in my last post @areyouhavingagiraffe.

@EmmaH2022, sorry should have said "news feed" not "news alert". I wonder if I can switch it off somehow

[quote areyouhavingagiraffe]@EmmaH2022, sorry should have said "news feed" not "news alert". I wonder if I can switch it off somehow[/quote]
I'm sure you can

I'd go nuts if I had a news feed on my phone.

my solicitor is not happy with some stuff this morning...I can totally see where this purchase can go wrong but I didn't anticipate my solicitor being grumpy about it! 😂

Today is going to be one of those days

Building work in the upstairs flat, outside, and the lady across the hall os having a new boiler.

It's all the same age here so I am dreading my boiler potentially going kaput.