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

So glad it's working out for you now Cheltenham.

Hi all, I'm a little behind with everyone's news but congrats to those that are moving in the right direction and sending hope and good wishes to those still searching, or in frustrating situations. I posted over a week ago now about a house which had an upper range and I didn't know what to offer; anyway, I offered slightly above the top range, and this is significantly above their lower range. Anyway did the call with the EA's mortgage police and found out my offer was accepted. I don't know if it was the highest, but they said they liked my position (nothing to sell). Anyway, did a second visit under the guise of wanting to check something and I really like it. There are some things which are not perfect and that I will have to accept, some compromises I guess, but the location is great for me, and the house looks fab on the outside (and inside)! Decor is clinical but I can change that.
Anyway, it's just ticking along I guess. I met with the vendors, they seemed nice, but now they are in the situation where they are frantically looking but not much coming up and anything that does sells so quickly. So, essentially I don't know when the chain will be compete, and I also don't know how long the chain will be. I am trying not to get excited about things, but at the same time I feel so anxious about the whole thing, what if it collapses, and prices are still on the rise. What if they decide to sell to someone else (although they have marked as SSTC, albeit I know this doesn't mean anything). What if they decide they don't want to move as they cannot find anything! They said they considered selling last year but it was chaos with the ST deadline etc, and they decided now was the right time, so I really hope they don't pull out. I don't think my chain free status got me a "cheaper deal", I suspect those days are gone but I think it worked in my favour, I reckon my bid was the highest.

It's noticeable this week, after contacting all the EAs about ten days ago, that several have suggested I follow them on Facebook or Instagram to get 'sneak peeks' of properties about to come on the market. In some cases this seems to be instead of having a mailing list. So whereas I can quickly check email from EA and know property isn't what I'm looking for, now they want me to check social media multiple times per day on the off chance they post something suitable?!

We have had our offer accepted but we won't stop looking until sale is definite as it's all too uncertain out there.

@RidingMyBike remind me of your situation? When was your offer accepted and is something delaying things?

Offer was only accepted last week! And was conditional on house being taken off market, which it has been. But I'm aware of so many having problems we aren't stopping looking just in case of a bad survey or vendor doing something daft.

giraffe crossing everything for you.

Riding when you say you'll keep looking, how long would you do that? If you'd keep looking then what happens if you see something you prefer while the initial purchase has all the processes going?

Until we know it's very nearly almost definite so exchange. It's not that we'd pull out if we found something we liked better as that feels unethical but more to keep an eye on what is available just in case ours goes wrong/bad survey. There's been nothing suitable come up last week since 'our' one appeared online at the end of Feb. Of course, if we end up with vendor faffing around for ages or no sign of progress then that might be different. But that's in the context of we've only viewed six since early December, and only two of those were actually big enough for us. The others were getting a feel for the area and room sizes etc. There's only about five houses that could be 'better' taking into account location and our other requirements so the chances of one of them coming on the market are fairly remote!

[probably 3 of them will now appear next week!]

@RidingMyBike, I still have my RM alerts, so am still keeping a beady eye on what's going on. But haven't viewed anything in person since my offer was accepted, which was on 24th Feb. I have been progressing what I need to at my end (mortgage broker, solicitor). Trying not to get stressed and overthink!

I very much doubt we'd view anything - just because it's been such a pain getting viewings and fitting them in!

Waves to Giraffe*! Haven't seen you on here in a while, though glad to hear your offer was accepted. Fingers crossed the chain completes soon and you can all get on with moving the process forward.

A bungalow came on today in my budget and in my number 1 location, which has a footprint the same as the house I was going to buy (1,250 sq ft). I've never considered a bungalow before, and there are loads of other compromises as well, although it looks liveable.

I've been convinced by family to go and have a look at the bungalow (I haven't viewed anything new since January, and have only seen 2 properties this year i.e. in 2021), so thinking I might as well ring up to make an appointment as I've got nothing to lose (other than the half hour viewing time!).

@RidingMyBike

I very much doubt we'd view anything - just because it's been such a pain getting viewings and fitting them in!

Oh I see. If I had "kept an eye" I'd have viewed as there are lots of flats, so I was thinking you meant viewings. I unsubscribed from all the alerts.

Sufficient unto the day and all that, for me.

Nope, there is very very little of what we're looking for around so still subscribed to all the alerts and still getting random emails from EAs with totally unsuitable houses on.

Can't remember if I put a recent particularly bonkers one on here. Bearing in mind we're looking for a 4+ bedroom house in quite a small area with garden and parking. EA sent details of a one bedroom top floor flat several miles outside our area!

@Starseeking that's good for the bungalow if it's on at a similar price to the same size of house. They're often more as bigger plot of land required.

I think more you could potentially view will start to come on soon Riding.

Quite a bit has come to market in my search area over the last few weeks, 4 or 5 properties per week. However the stock tends to be either 4 beds over £900k (well above my budget), or 3 bed ex-LA for less than £600k (well below my budget).

3 bed stuff in the middle is rare a hens teeth at the moment, hence considering the bungalow.

Things trickling on here, a couple of places I thought would go instantly are still for sale on RM but I suspect a B&F battle behind the scenes. Everything else in my area has too many compromises. Feeling like I might just sit tight in my rental for a while, particularly because it's cheap to heat.

@FanGirlX

Quite a few people on the other thread were saying that they had houses to sell but were unsure about listing them in case they couldn't find anything to buy. I think that attitude is quite prevalent and one of the reasons why the market is frozen.

I want to sell but am worried about this. Moving from one end of the country to the other so it’s very difficult to know what to do .I am also not clear on which area to move to. I don’t want to be stuck in rental for ages either. Anyone got any tips?

@RidingMyBike, I'm in a similar situation, i.e still browsing RM alerts but not physically doing any viewings now. Is your chain complete? My Broker is worrying me saying that I should start asking the vendors when they intend to vacate, however they only accepted my offer 2 weeks ago and I know they are out looking! I know I need to give them some space!

@areyouhavingagiraffe in theory, yes, chain is v short and complete as we are currently in rental and the vendor is moving into some kind of retirement housing and apparently has a place - don't know the timing or conditions of that. There is also a disabled son living there and I have no idea where he's going... There is quite a lot of stuff that would need to be cleared from the house so they have a lot that needs to be done.

But I'm aware EA often don't give you the complete picture initially and want it to sound as easy as possible!

@FlyingGeeseAgain what sort of Qs do you have? We did the long distance move last year and are still mid-process as in rental waiting to buy. Happy to try and answer any questions.

It was all a bit scary at the time but has been well worth it.

Guys, who informs us when the chain is complete? Is it the Solicitors, or the EA? So my vendors are out looking, and who will keep me informed of when they have an offer accepted? We have exchanged contact details, but I don't want to ask just yet as it has only been a few weeks.

It would be the solicitor I'd imagine unless they decide to let you know themselves.

Sorry that was for @areyouhavingagiraffe.

Just to add that we are six months on from having our offer accepted and our vendors still haven't found a property. It will vary hugely in each situation but just giving you an idea of how long we've been in the game. We are of course actively looking for another property at the same time. To begin with I half hoped they'd move into a rental property but if soon became very apparent that that wasn't an option and that they'd rather lose us as buyers than do that so we didn't push it.

Two new houses on rightmove yesterday.

One way out of our price range and one top end of our budget but doesn’t have a garage, it’s been converted into a dining room. The wait continues…

@areyouhavingagiraffe

Guys, who informs us when the chain is complete? Is it the Solicitors, or the EA? So my vendors are out looking, and who will keep me informed of when they have an offer accepted? We have exchanged contact details, but I don't want to ask just yet as it has only been a few weeks.

From my last property purchase and sale it was the EA who informed on completion of chain.

We’ve completed guys. Arrived at 12 to get keys and wave the vendor off.

She has left so much stuff we’ll need a skip. The whole house smells of cigarettes and dog. I’m feeling overwhelmed at the amount of work that needs to be done - lots of things we didn’t notice before.

But we’ve completed. We’ll take the renovations one room at a time and hopefully it will soon start to feel like home:)

This thread (part #1 and #2) has been an absolute lifeline for me so thank you all for keeping me sane in my darkest moments. I’ll keep it on my watchlist, cheering you all on from the sidelines!

WOOOHOOOOOOOO! CONGRATULATIONS!!