Page 8 | Thread 2: "Anyone not being picky - and STILL can't find anything?"

TulipsfromAmsterdam · 24/01/2022 18:41

Thought our purchase was going well until structural survey report came back today. So pleased we had one.
Practically needs whole new roof, new windows, mullions removed from window above bay causing structural problems then there is damp readings along with internal cracks, bathrooms needing replaced quickly and that's just some of it. Not sure what our next steps are but so disappointed.

FanGirlX · 24/01/2022 19:00

@areyouhavingagiraffe

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

I'd be happy with a project house. As long as the build is good and the location is good then you can take your time doing it up.

Must admit I'm feeling a bit jealous. You all seem to be moving on but I'm not seeing much at all.

3 bed semi or end terrace
Garden
Specific suburb within a mile of metrolink

That's all I ask!

Eastie77Returns · 24/01/2022 19:05

Congrats Giraffe! Good luck often comes in threes so the husband and baby might arrive quicker than you think

Tulip that is disappointing. Sometimes these reports paint a bleaker picture than the reality/worst case scenario as they have to cover every possible outcome and the work required might not be as bad as it appears. Does the report include the severity of each issue and any recommendations re next steps?

RidingMyBike · 24/01/2022 19:31

Congratulations Giraffe! Our last house was a project house and was our dream home for over a decade so I hope you'll be as happy there as we were (we outgrew it!).

Tulip we turned our house's survey (it needed major work including new roof) into a prioritised spreadsheet which helped us to see what needed doing now, what was ok for 3-5 years, what was longer term and what to keep an eye on. It helped us to work out what to budget for initially. How much of this was obvious and how much not as you've also got room to negotiate a price reduction if the problems aren't obvious (assuming you still want the house!).

Paddingtonthebear · 24/01/2022 19:39

Just stopping by to say we are still looking.. 9 months on. Have only viewed two houses since November. So little available and what is on the market is mostly overpriced and crap. For a laugh I increased our budget on the Rightmove search filter and still couldn’t really find anything I liked even at over £100k more than we can afford.

I’m so fed up with it all but trying to keep the faith and keep plodding on and looking each day.

I drove past the house we withdrew our offer on back in the summer, it looks empty but has a whole load of scaffolding up around the roof and chimney and a big hole dug out of the drive. We pulled out based on the survey so we probably dodged a bullet there.

TulipsfromAmsterdam · 24/01/2022 19:42

@RidingMyBike @Eastie77Returns thanks for comments.
We still love the house but not sure if sellers will negotiate due to their onward purchase and budget. We couldn't proceed at agreed price but can only see what happens tomorrow.
Advised to get structural engineer but think I will try a well respected roofing company first. Lots to think about 😢

EmmaH2022 · 24/01/2022 23:13

Congratulations giraffe

Exciting to be able to put your stamp on the place too.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 25/01/2022 07:43

We are viewing today for the first time in 3+months.
It's a bit of a wreck inside but the rest of it, location etc ticks most of the boxes, so here's hoping!

areyouhavingagiraffe · 25/01/2022 09:16

Thanks all. Keeping an open mind. Am going back to view it later this week; taking my Project Manager/ Architect/ Builder/ Interior Designer (aka my Dad) to have a look at the work that needs doing, so we can try and plan it, prioritise certain things. Am doing this so I can look at options of keeping some of my deposit when I have my appointment with the Broker.
I am also not thinking planning where I am going to put the Xmas tree etc, not letting myself get excited. Guys, things can change so quickly, so am sending luck to all of you!

Limegreentangerine · 25/01/2022 09:30

Please can I join I've been lurking on this thread reading everyone's responses and I'm so glad we are all in the same boat!

The market is crazy right now , we viewed a house Saturday put in an offer(5k over asking and it NEEDS work ) and haven't heard back .. would you guys suggest I call them or wait for them to call us? ( we are FTB and have no idea! )

Also put in our mortgage paperwork and poof now they are not responding to emails? Honestly this is so stressful .

Good luck to all of us , hope we get the houses we need!

ToodlesMcGee · 25/01/2022 09:46

Wow @areyouhavingagiraffe it's so nice to hear how quickly it can go but also that's quite scary!

Nothing to view here but also I am thinking of just leaving it be for a bit until after half term at least if this whole Spring rush thing is real because otherwise we're just stressing out for no reason.

@Limegreentangerine I would call them to check in. Maybe they haven't heard from the seller just yet but also you should really know what's happening by now.

Limegreentangerine · 25/01/2022 10:48

Update
Rang agent as suggested by PP they are saying they haven't received paperwork checked my sent file all showing as sent !!! Grrrrr!!!!

Paddingtonthebear · 25/01/2022 12:58

Are prices to continuing to rise where you all are?

EmmaH2022 · 25/01/2022 15:17

Lime welcome along

You mention being FTB
I put "please confirm receipt" etc on every email with important docs attached, hope you don't mind me suggesting that.

Didyousaysomethingdarling · 25/01/2022 15:27

@Paddingtonthebear

Are prices to continuing to rise where you all are?

Asking prices are up but not selling unless realistically priced. Well priced homes sell in days (home counties to the west of London)

Siouxtse1 · 25/01/2022 16:17

Think the general trend of prices is upwards, but there's still not much coming on as yet. Where I am looking, houses tend to sell better in the summer due to the shocking weather in the winter putting people off...

I might have found a possible, but can't view it at the moment as the car is in the dealership having a future-proofing overhaul. The courtesy car does at least 15 mpg less and we both hate driving it. House is over 300 miles away. Keeping everything crossed that our much loved vehicle comes back next week ready for a long trip cross country....

Eastie77Returns · 25/01/2022 19:52

Prices continuing to rise here.

Yesterday in a rare moment of proactively sharing information, my solicitor informed me that my vendor's solicitor has only just received the paperwork relating to the vendor's onward purchase. Which is interesting as the EA told me in November that the vendor had an offer accepted on an empty, chain free purchase and for the last 3 months has regularly told me everything is progressing smoothly and she will be in a position to Complete shortly.

Now it sounds as if the process hasn't even begun. Either that or my solicitor has got her wires crossed. Or someone is lying. Have e-mailed the EA and just asked him to tell me the truth (ha). I'm so tired of this shit.

I can't even throw my toys out and threaten to pull out or view other properties. There is literally nothing coming on in my area, even when I expand my search by miles and increase budget. I'm stuck.

Seriously thinking of going nuclear with Plan B and moving out of London.

The word depressing doesn't give this situation justice.

Doubleraspberry · 25/01/2022 19:58

@Eastie77Returns

Prices continuing to rise here.

Yesterday in a rare moment of proactively sharing information, my solicitor informed me that my vendor's solicitor has only just received the paperwork relating to the vendor's onward purchase. Which is interesting as the EA told me in November that the vendor had an offer accepted on an empty, chain free purchase and for the last 3 months has regularly told me everything is progressing smoothly and she will be in a position to Complete shortly.

Now it sounds as if the process hasn't even begun. Either that or my solicitor has got her wires crossed. Or someone is lying. Have e-mailed the EA and just asked him to tell me the truth (ha). I'm so tired of this shit.

I can't even throw my toys out and threaten to pull out or view other properties. There is literally nothing coming on in my area, even when I expand my search by miles and increase budget. I'm stuck.

Seriously thinking of going nuclear with Plan B and moving out of London.

The word depressing doesn't give this situation justice.

Outside London seems to be worse!

I'm lurking with intent, thankfully, unlike others on here who are actively trying, but in the whole city that I'm hoping to buy in later this year, precisely two houses that even vaguely meet my needs have come on the market this week, and neither is one that I wouldn't worry about buying for fear of buyer's remorse.

EmmaH2022 · 25/01/2022 20:42

Eastie sorry to hear that.

Re leaving London, why is that a nuclear option?

I'm so confused on prices. I'm in North London and I thought people were still leaving and prices were a bit lower compared to outside eg the prices reported in places like Cornwall.

Now that some will be asked to go back to offices - which I don't think will last - will prices go up again?

There's a thread going with a house in London that honestly seems to have similar square footage to a large two bedroom flat, but maybe in a house, more of the value is house, garden, freehold? Still, if you know the thread I mean, I was really surprised by the price, I thought prices had gone down.

Meanwhile, the EA for the flat I hope to buy said to me that he thinks things haven't changed that much and it's still the case that properties closer to central London are priced high. So confusing.

pocketfullofstorms · 25/01/2022 20:57

[quote dubyalass]@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![/quote]
I'm also in Cornwall watching the market spiral out of our control. We sold our 3/4 bed semi detached during the first lockdown for £240k, it's now worth £350k and smaller 3 bed semis are going for a minimum of £300k. I regret selling it so much. Looking again and being genuinely fearful that we can't afford anything like what we had!

Eastie77Returns · 25/01/2022 21:27

Emma I was born in London and have never lived anywhere else (in the U.K. - I lived abroad for a few years) and leaving would be a big step as I don’t have family, many friends etc in other areas. Nuclear option is a bit of an exaggeration But it would feel like a big step.

I think properly prices in most parts of London will always hold their value even if there’s a dip here and there. I noticed flats were selling for a bit less in where I live at one point last year, probably due to over supply, but have bounced back again a bit.

EmmaH2022 · 25/01/2022 22:12

@Eastie77Returns

Emma I was born in London and have never lived anywhere else (in the U.K. - I lived abroad for a few years) and leaving would be a big step as I don’t have family, many friends etc in other areas. Nuclear option is a bit of an exaggeration

But it would feel like a big step.

I think properly prices in most parts of London will always hold their value even if there’s a dip here and there. I noticed flats were selling for a bit less in where I live at one point last year, probably due to over supply, but have bounced back again a bit.

Oh I see I'm an Essex girl born and raised, then moved to London at 19. Been wanting to leave for a long time but long hours made it a problem. Getting back out to Essex - if this flat goes through - feels like a great thing in terms of living somewhere less crowded. Plus I am more of an Essex vibe now than a London vibe.

But I have lost many friends over the years so that's not really a factor in my decision. I can totally see it would be hard to leave a good group of support.

Starseeking · 25/01/2022 22:34

Glad to hear the good news @areyouhavingagiraffe, that sounds like a great project to keep busy with, especially as it feels like somewhere you can stay for a long while.

Sorry to hear your update @Eastie77Returns, was your solicitor a recommendation, or connected to EA? It sounds like somebody is spinning you a yarn somewhere along the line.

Apparently my vendor is going in to her solicitors office this week to review all the documents and sign the paperwork. I'm not getting my hopes up that this will go ahead until it actually takes place, as I've been waiting for this moment for over 8 weeks, during which time absolutely nothing happened!

I'm only on week 28 of this purchase with 4 weeks to go until my mortgage offer expires, so I find myself resigned to what will be, will be, and am no longer stressing.

A house almost opposite the one I'm supposed to be buying has gone on for rent for more than my mortgage payments will be, though I can afford it. If this purchase doesn't go through, I'm considering going to see it as I doubt it'll go in 4 weeks at that price, and at least I'll be in the right area for the DC schools (I moved them in anticipation of the house purchase completing).

There's nothing currently coming on in my budget now other than small cottage style Victorian terraces, and I ideally want a 1930's semi, which "mine" is, so I'd probably be priced out for a couple of years while saving a bigger deposit.

Coffeesnob11 · 26/01/2022 07:58

The market is crazy and dead here. I signed with an EA to sell my house on the night of the 6th. Originally I hadn't wanted to move until summer but I put it on, it sold, before pictures were taken over the asking price on 10th Jan. They told me tye legals would take a while to sort, my buyer has ftb buying hers and I am going to live with family as I can't find anything rented or to buy in the new area. They tell me yesterday we should exchange this week 😳👀🏃‍♀️. Hopefully it will put me in a strong position when things do come up but it's a bit of a pain to be in storage even though I am lucky my faily can help house us. Everyone was telling me how slow the process wil be. I wasn't expecting 3 weeks from signing with EA to exchange.

areyouhavingagiraffe · 26/01/2022 08:20

Wow @Coffeesnob11, 3 weeks? Does the FTB need a mortgage and searches? I can't believe these have been done so quickly!