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've seen something I like but the location isn't quite right. It's also on a road with a bus route going past the house.

I know what you mean about settling now and then better houses coming up in spring.

My theory is a lot of buyer / seller activity was brought forward due to the SD holiday and that really impacted what was available at the end of last year. I'm hoping there will be some semblance of a normal market, from about March onwards. Am I being naive?

New poster here having been an avid reader of this thread for a while now!

Like so many others, DP and I are planning to move out of London to embrace a more peaceful lifestyle after 15 years in the Capital. We’re late thirties/early forties with no DC and some flexibility on location but my goodness: the market is SO depressing at the moment! Prices seem to be obscenely high with what I’d regard as pretty ‘standard’ houses getting snapped up for £1m+ in our search area.

We’re soon to view a house that looks lovely (first time in ages that anything’s cropped up we’d even want to view!) but it’s the sort of home I imagine will be super-popular and could easily go to best and final offers despite already being priced high (in our opinion). I’m trying to embrace the law of attraction in the hope the stars may finally align!

Wishing you all the best of luck on your searches. Will report back on ours soon!

Thanks @RidingMyBike I'm glad I'm not the only one worrying about this. We're trying to find somewhere long-term too so I'm trying to be stubborn about things that I could live with now but what would be really annoying in five years if you see what I mean. How do you tell if it's really houses not coming online or if it's that you just don't have enough money to buy what you want though Sorry lota of questions!

I wondered the same @ToodlesMcGee so increased my search parameters by £300k (yes, I know, but I wanted to see what was really out there!). It hasn't made any difference, there is still barely anything coming on the market.

I've also tried searches including the 'sold STC' from which showed that only two houses that met our criteria had sold in that area in the last however many months! This will have missed some though as RM isn't always accurate - the two we viewed ten days ago have both totally vanished from RM but I can see have SSTC on the EA's website. I can also see that the house sale we completed on over a month ago is still down as 'under offer' on RM

I keep looking through the unsold stuff in case I suddenly see something about those houses that appeals, but ultimately they are all either right size, wrong location or right location, too small (or don't have parking/garden). I bought a good house in the wrong location last time and regretted it the whole time I lived there. I have a healthy budget but it's not going nearly as far as it would have two years ago. Sigh.

Hi all
I have no idea re what will come up but fingers crossed for more.

Dubyalass - has there been a big change in two years? I should have moved closer to mum ages ago but it felt like a decision that would be made in the shadow of dad's death and potentially a panic decision.

Also, things were different financially, I can only move now because my sister has very generously loaned me money.

Hamsterrific I am not leaving London but glad to be getting further away at least. It won't be a London postcode anymore. I hope not to have to go to central more than once a month.

I still don't have a memorandum of sale from the EA. He knows I've instructed a solicitor though. Last time, it was done on the same day!

Stupid question alert!

Is this the price for the land or the house after it's built?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119005907?utm_content=v2-ealertspropertyimage&utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailupdates&utm_campaign=emailupdatesinstant&utm_term=buying&sc_id=39055917&onetime_FromEmail=true&cid=31fd48ec-20aa-4919-8b6c-a062e95c68b7&csg=d6294ffa09d9dfdcb1c2cea68f8e7728d762851de0db9886111d7d8b4f38b529#/?channel=RES_NEW

That's just the plot of land and not sure they've even got full planning permission approved yet. Could be buying a patch of grass. And they are planning to build other properties nearby too.

Also, look at the rights of way etc....

@Siouxtse1

That's just the plot of land and not sure they've even got full planning permission approved yet. Could be buying a patch of grass. And they are planning to build other properties nearby too.

Also, look at the rights of way etc....

Oh don't worry, I'm not buying it

I was just curious because it's phrased so oddly, I don't know how much it costs to build your own house etc.

I was looking at Coopersale as I rather like it, and looking at houses because I hope to live in one one day!

So guys, 2 more viewings on Saturday, one was a complete no no. The other was a probate, total hell hole inside, lovely outside, okay location, beautiful garden. Has a driveway for parking, and then one of thos eshared drives, which lead to garage, plus garage next door, used for junk. Essentially any extension (which it needs) would need not take in full width of house due to shared drive. Anyway, dunno about it. Had email from EA before I even viewed saying "best and final offers", by 10am Monday. It is on for offers over £500k....I am thinking of offering £615K just for the LOL's; I am wanting them to come back and say that is too low, ha ha. Honestly I am so delirious I just don't even know what to offer. EA are telling me that houses are not going for £100k over asking, maybe this was an urban myth. Also guess it depends on what it was priced in the first place.

I should add that I would never buy it for £615k, I am just curious to see what the reaction would be

@areyouhavingagiraffe

I should add that I would never buy it for £615k, I am just curious to see what the reaction would be

Um...are you okay? Maybe a nice decaff tea is in order! 😂

@EmmaH2022 there has been a big increase in asking prices where I am (Cornwall) although whether this has translated into the actual sale price being higher remains to be seen (not showing on RM sold prices yet). For instance, one place that was on for £240k in spring 2021 is now back on for £300k, which is just ridiculous. I think a lot of it is agents trying their luck as there’s not much out there, but equally there are a lot of buyers and not much stock to go round. The overpriced ones aren’t selling though, whereas last year they’d go in a week or so. But frustratingly what was at the bottom of my current budget in 2019 is now almost at the top - except I didn’t have my current budget in 2019! Sigh. I just need to think of it for the long term rather than being resentful that I could have got these houses for £50k less two years ago, when I wasn’t in a position to buy them. Need to manage my own expectations, basically!

dubya I typed a reply and MN ate it.

The prices change, which tech continues to annoy! 😂

My sister is 4 years older than me and bought in the 90s recession. She was horrified at what I paid for my first home.

*while

We are also really struggling. Saw two this weekend, both of which are marked as offers in excess of despite really not being worth more than the price they are up for. One doesn't seem popular, the other has had 17 viewings and apparently offers but needs so much work. We are going to offer on the cheaper, popular one, but low, and will still be worried we are paying too much for what it is if our was by some miracle accepted. Have decided that if no good we switch off rightmove and just tell ourselves we are staying in the rental for a while, will make more effort to make it homey, spend some money on a holiday etc. and park the deposit we've saved somewhere.

No viewings for us this weekend as much coughing taking place (not Covid but don't want to pass it on!).

A house in a very good location for us appeared on RM, ticks many boxes but I've done some Googling and discovered it last sold seven months ago for more than £125k less (also during stamp duty holiday). Since then it's been done up - new kitchen, bathroom, decor etc. which isn't at all to our taste. It's also only got a teeny tiny garden. Going to try and arrange a viewing but suspect it's not for us.

Did a(nother!) 3-hour round trip today to view a promising house but we knew immediately it wasn’t ‘the one’ - sigh! The EA has been inundated with viewings and thought it would easily reach £50-£100k over the guide price. Wouldn’t surprise me if they’re right.

I don’t think it’s a case of us being too picky about specifics: it’s more the grim reality of how quickly prices have rocketed and what you get for your money is so diminished!

@SJFarter - I’m also hoping that Spring might be a more optimistic picture, especially as the return to old working patterns for some people post-COVID starts to influence some of the trends we saw last year. Wishing you the best of luck!

@EmmaH2022, sounds fab - we’re in Zone 5 at the moment in a non-London postcode and within a stone’s throw of the countryside: it’s lovely. We’re only leaving for a much-desired garden (and therefore dog!) plus to be a bit closer to family.

@EmmaH2022

dubya I typed a reply and MN ate it.

The prices change, which tech continues to annoy! 😂

My sister is 4 years older than me and bought in the 90s recession. She was horrified at what I paid for my first home.

If only our salaries increased at the same rate as house prices, eh!

My parents bought their 4 bedroom house in East London for about £15,000 many moons ago. They were both in low paid jobs but bought at a time when homeownership was achievable for people on moderate incomes. It was just a different age. The house is now valued at over £1 million and they’ve been mortgage free since the early 2000s.

So, I offered on the house I saw Saturday, the probate one, which was a shithole inside. I have gone in £30k over asking, was tempted to go into £150K over asking for the LOLs. I can stretch to more but there is a lot of work to do and I need to think about my finances and what is comfortable. Anyway, they asked for this first offer to be best and final. Just called the EA to make sure they got my e-mail (deadline was 10am today); he said "yeah we got about 40 odd offers in".....Ha ha ha. Guys, WTF. I think mine will be at the bottom of the shitheap....
Anyway, don't even know if I like it! Trying not to think about it now.

@areyouhavingagiraffe

So, I offered on the house I saw Saturday, the probate one, which was a shithole inside. I have gone in £30k over asking, was tempted to go into £150K over asking for the LOLs. I can stretch to more but there is a lot of work to do and I need to think about my finances and what is comfortable. Anyway, they asked for this first offer to be best and final. Just called the EA to make sure they got my e-mail (deadline was 10am today); he said "yeah we got about 40 odd offers in".....Ha ha ha. Guys, WTF. I think mine will be at the bottom of the shitheap.... Anyway, don't even know if I like it! Trying not to think about it now.

40 offers, WTF I’m not sure I’d believe that, sounds crazy even by current house mania standards!

Will the EA get back to you if there is a higher offer amongst the alleged ‘other 39 odd’ offers? How demoralising to get into a bidding war when you’re not even sure if you like the property.

No movement on my purchase. Still 10 open enquiries sent to the vendors solicitor weeks ago. My solicitor is as shit as ever. I did send her an email saying I was disappointed with the service (complete lack of information from her, no proactive action, telling me to chase up the enquiries with the EA rather than chasing the vendors solicitors herself…). She said I could phone her this morning so she must have picked up how pissed off I am as she has never offered to speak to me before!

Sending positive vibes to anyone viewing this week..

So....my offer has been accepted. Turns out there were SIX offers, not 40. Ha ha, think the 40 offers comment was all the offers they have over weekend for all their properties.
Anyway, not sure how I feel now, I have been looking for so long. Last March, I offered on a house a few doors down from this, for £500k. Lost out to a cash buyer. Now this house is £30k more.....

I should say I have had a significant pay rise, 20%, so I can cover repayments etc. I wonder if I am overpaying but probably everyone is. Also I asked the EA if mine was the highest, and she said there wasn't much in it, but it was my position that they liked (chain free). There is a LOT of work to do, it is a proper project! But, I can see myself living in this house forever, so I need to take that into consideration, whereas other houses that I have offered on, I wasn't sure how long I would stay. For example those who have followed my posts will know I was due to buy a place in August with an extension and loft conversion without any paperwork.....and with that house, my plan was to sell in 5 years (that was before I even knew about the problems) as I didn't like the house from the outside (no bay windows etc). I know that a renovation will be tough, but I need a project to get my teeth into. No kids, or husband!

That should say I don't have kids or a husband, so I don't need to worry about feeding them, just me. I can live on Bran Flakes for the next 10 years, ha ha ha

Congratulations on the offer accepted. A project house that you can then live in forever sounds pretty good to me.