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Original poster

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

998 replies

Momniscient · 10/01/2022 18:38

Just spotted the first one is full Shock 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

OP posts:
Starseeking · 13/01/2022 09:50

I called Santander this morning and they said I could possibly extend although anything more than a month would be pushing it. I'm not telling the estate agent though, I've already waited over 6 months for this property and just want to complete and get in there!

Hope you get several offers in @Momniscient, that's a very good position to be in.

Lol @Eastie77Returns, I sent the details of my movers to the EA to pass on, as the vendor will need loads of hep, both packing and moving, so I'm sure the EA will have to organise all of that, and possibly a skip too (vendor is moving from a 3 bedroom house to a 1 bedroom sheltered flat).

Starseeking · 13/01/2022 09:51

@Eastie77Returns are you at the stage of proposing exchange and completion dates yet, or is it too early?

Eastie77Returns · 13/01/2022 13:32

@Starseeking - that is funny, my vendor's EA spent an entire morning at her house sorting out paperwork for her solicitor and then sent it on her behalf as she cannot use e-mail. They found her onward property and drove her to the viewing (it is 40 miles away) and have now organised delivery of the skip to her house. They will be there this weekend helping her empty the house. The Sales Progresser has described her as a 'very tricky character' and they are doing all this at her behest as she insists she cannot organise anything herself. I've not heard of an EA going above and beyond like this but hopefully it is all a positive sign!

They have suggested we could Exchange & Complete in February but there are still numerous enquiries to be answered.

Eastie77Returns · 13/01/2022 13:34

Just spotted a property I viewed in the Summer which I was outbid on.

Listing history shows it sold in June 2021 for £635k and is now on sale for £1.3 millionShock

EmmaH2022 · 13/01/2022 13:50

@Eastie77Returns

Just spotted a property I viewed in the Summer which I was outbid on.

Listing history shows it sold in June 2021 for £635k and is now on sale for £1.3 millionShock

Wait, what?!

I actually called the EA about the "lease in progress" property. He said "oh, actually, it's probably done by now, I will check". Not doing them any favours if it's done?!

It's empty, so I am viewing next week. It might go out from under me this weekend but I have to work. But I need to get an idea of what's around and it's empty, so I'm not bothering anyone. It is an okay candidate if the lease is done.

Ideally I wanted walking distance of mum. This is two Tube stops so that's okay really if I get more space for my money.

RidingMyBike · 13/01/2022 14:05

@Eastie77Returns

Just spotted a property I viewed in the Summer which I was outbid on.

Listing history shows it sold in June 2021 for £635k and is now on sale for £1.3 millionShock

WHAT?!?!?! What on earth have they done to it to justify that (bought next door, joined them together thus doubling the size or something?!).
RidingMyBike · 13/01/2022 14:07

Today's viewing had an odd third reception room/family room which was actually a conservatory with a ceiling sort of installed. Inside it looked like a room. Outside it looked like a conservatory.

This seems to be the week of weird third reception rooms.

dubyalass · 13/01/2022 15:39

Just had my viewing. Really nice house, good area, needs work (rewire, new bathroom, heating system as it's all shitty night storage heaters.

However. It is very overlooked by the neighbours at the back (master bedroom in particular) and the agent said they already had several offers over asking price. I'm not surprised - I thought they'd valued it slightly low tbh. I can't be arsed to get in a bidding war so I don't even think I'll bother offering. The market is still stagnant here and I don't mind waiting.

lemonyfox · 13/01/2022 20:14

Anyone on this thread in the North West? We've just put ours on the market today, had one viewing request booked in. We're not finding a lot of options for us personally to go and view though. Wondered how anyone else was finding the market up here?

FanGirlX · 13/01/2022 20:32

@lemonyfox

I'm in Manchester.

Everyone, interesting programme on inflation on R4 just now. Wonder how price rises will affect house prices / housing market? The Briefing Room.

lemonyfox · 13/01/2022 20:44

@FanGirlX okay fab I'll have a listen, I'm dreading this whole process tbh!

Original poster
Momniscient · 13/01/2022 20:45

@Eastie77Returns

Just spotted a property I viewed in the Summer which I was outbid on.

Listing history shows it sold in June 2021 for £635k and is now on sale for £1.3 millionShock

I have no words. None at all.
OP posts:
Original poster
Momniscient · 13/01/2022 20:48

Oh @RidingMyBike I know what you mean about useless floorplans. I think some vendors just don't check the details thoroughly enough and so nobody sees the low res images. That lean-to sounds v.odd.

@FanGirlX I quite like the refreshed listings! Some I've seen are places we viewed but where the photos didn't show it at its best anyway, so it's been lovely to see those get a second round. Although... I suspect there really are some "unsellable" houses that need to be on for years before "the right buyer" comes along.

@EmmaH2022 you're looking for home buyers insurance. "OopsInsurance" is the one I've bookmarked but have no experience with using.

@Starseeking glad to hear you have some buffer!

OP posts:
Starseeking · 13/01/2022 20:54

@Eastie77Returns

Just spotted a property I viewed in the Summer which I was outbid on.

Listing history shows it sold in June 2021 for £635k and is now on sale for £1.3 millionShock

Have they built an extension double the size of the original house in 6 months?!?

Original poster
Momniscient · 13/01/2022 20:59

@RidingMyBike

Today's viewing had an odd third reception room/family room which was actually a conservatory with a ceiling sort of installed. Inside it looked like a room. Outside it looked like a conservatory.

This seems to be the week of weird third reception rooms.

I raise you my week of "houses that don't have the rooms advertised". So downstairs "bedrooms" which should be dining rooms or study rooms, and equally a couple of places with a "second living room upstairs" which is just a big bedroom. Unfurnished places, so a bit more guesswork and room for vagueness but... it's bamboozling to me. Another pet peeve is "storage room"... IT'S A GARAGE. IT HAS AN UP AND OVER DOOR. ITS A GARAGE.
OP posts:
EmmaH2022 · 13/01/2022 23:11

Momniscient thank you.

Garage - OMG, I'd have thought calling it a garage would be a selling point?!

Eastie is it possible there's been an error in the listing trail?

FanGirlX · 14/01/2022 00:06

Although... I suspect there really are some "unsellable" houses that need to be on for years before "the right buyer" comes along.

I don't think the wrecks are unsellable just they aren't priced to take into account the work that needs doing. One has been in the market for a year. I really hope some decent stock starts to appear soon because I feel like crying when I look at RM.

Original poster
Momniscient · 14/01/2022 07:38

@EmmaH2022 you'd think!? But then I'm also surprised at the number of listings that don't mention greenhouses in the description, sometimes don't have a photo either. I know as a gardener I'm biased about this, but surely the point of marketing is you cover your bases?

OP posts:
Original poster
Momniscient · 14/01/2022 07:39

@FanGirlX I'm thinking more about the ones in awful locations - under flight paths next to airports, or between a busy rail line and a motorway exit, that sort of thing.

OP posts:
RidingMyBike · 14/01/2022 09:37

The house we just sold, we bought at the bottom of the recession in 2009, and the seller had had it valued for probate when his wife died at the peak of the recession. Of course, he'd then got that figure in his head and the house had then sat on the market for 18 months without selling! He'd owned it for over 50 years so it was still a huge rise in value! The EA eventually convinced him that if he wanted to sell it, it was going to have to be at a lower price. It also needed a LOT of work doing to it.

Of course, now is such a weird time to be house hunting - the after effects on supply, demand and prices of the stamp duty holiday, the increase in WFH changing what people are looking for etc. I am wondering if what we're looking to buy even exists although we have widened our criteria.

EmmaH2022 · 14/01/2022 10:47

something has come up that I really like
I know you can't tell from online
but you know you get a feeling?

I'm a bit overexcited and I know I shouldn't be!!

I had forgotten what an emotional rollercoaster this whole thing is

I know a lot of people would say it's not a good idea but here goes

I was thinking I would probably have a one bed but this is a 2 bed, primarily because it's got an upstairs into "attic" rooms - but purpose built? - so the bedrooms are quite full of eaves. This doesn't bother me.

Also, there's no bath. This doesn't bother me either. I like the massive walk in shower.

I know a lot of people will say "you should think about how you will be able to sell it on" but the point is, I have to live there and I could easily live there till I move to a retirement flat which seems likely for my future (I'm 45).

split level flat is the dream! I am short so the eaves parts don't worry me anyway. Also because there's stairs, there's an under stair cupboard which is exciting for me as well.

sorry, I sound like a loon.

I'm trying to rearrange some work so it doesn't go out from under me at the weekend.

I think the price is due to the fact that the local area is earmarked for some development. but the flat I am seeing on Monday is the same....there is development taking place opposite me this summer...frankly the whole of the South East seems to be a hotbed of development.

I just looked at this place and thought "I have a feeling I will live here". I know it's mad. Especially as I have lived happily in my current place for ages and nearly didn't view it.

RidingMyBike · 14/01/2022 11:49

Oh @EmmaH2022 I hope it works out for you! Good luck!

I think the selling it on approach only really applies if it's likely you'd be there for a few years, as that'd be more risk of it losing value. Whereas somewhere that's going to be a brilliant home that works for you for decades is different.

We were talking about the gut feeling thing yesterday. We still haven't seen anything we really like, and I think the EA could tell that from our body language! Whereas DH knew instantly both for his old flat and our previous house.

RidingMyBike · 14/01/2022 11:53

Double check re the attic room - we've seen a couple that are described as 'hobbies space' Hmmwhich seems to mean they can't be considered bedrooms and I'd be querying the floor loading.

Development in the local area could be a positive for a long term purchase. It may mean traffic and noise for a year or two (but how much that will affect you is so uncertain as so much depends on work and lifestyle!) but for much longer term benefits eg in terms of local community, safety etc. It wouldn't put me off although I'd want to know what exactly they're planning.

EmmaH2022 · 14/01/2022 12:06

Thanks Riding
When you say check the floor loading, what sort of thing are you thinking of please?

It looks like an old purpose built block, I can't tell how old. Well, it's definitely purpose built. I hadn't thought I'd go for an older one because of soundproofing concerns but if the bedroom is above my own lounge, it doesn't matter so much.

Maybe I will get there and be horribly disappointed, who knows. But another flat in that block came on at Xmas when I was finalising my finances. I think I made an appointment to see it on the Monday and it went on the Saturday. Though the popularity of a block of flats is also subject to debate.

Meanwhile, the EA has told me there is something coming on around the corner, that's 7 years old so that's potential too. He says pics will go up on Monday and is trying to make an appointment for Monday for me to see it.

re the gut feeling, I don't think too much about it normally, just go for the hard headed practical stuff, and an older building concerns me on many levels. That said, some people think new builds are shoddily done.

RidingMyBike · 14/01/2022 12:29

I think it depends how old is old. Soundproofing is often better in older properties - DH's 1930s purpose-built flat was great whereas the terraced
house we then moved to that was less than ten years old was appalling - you could hear everything from both sides! My Edwardian terraced house was absolutely brilliant. I've also lived in a reasonably modern flat - two flats per floor over 3 floors and I was on the middle level and the amount of noise transferring between the floors was dreadful! We're currently in a 15 or so year old rented townhouse and it has excellent soundproofing between houses but the windows and doors are very poor quality so you can hear everything outside!

Re the attic conversion, you'd get the planning etc permission via your solicitor if you did go ahead but worth double checking that it is allowed to be a bedroom etc.