Aaaahhh! we have accepted an offer on our house - what happens next?

[gemmiegoatlegs]

After being on the market for 9 months , we have finally had an offer, a few grand below our "absolute lowest minimum", but we were terrified of being in the same position forever if we didn't take it!

But now I have to think about the realities of selling and, gulp, buying. We were ftb when we bought this place 4 years ago so I have nil experience of selling.

I am calling our financial advisor in the morning to get an AIP for a new mortgage...do I need to get a solicitor straight away? Is there anything else I need to be doing right now????

Yes, get a solicitor straight away.

And get searching for your new house (that's the fun bit). Your solicitor will give you loads of forms to fill in, stuff like information about the house, utility suppliers, possible disputes with neighbours, fixtures and fittings lists etc. Then there's not much you can do until exchange of contracts. Really the solicitors and agents do everything and you just need to keep chasing them to keep things moving.

Oh, and congratulations on your offer. We've been on the market a few weeks and there's not even a sniff of an offer. The market's gone a little flat in the last few months. We'll probably lose the house we want to buy

oh, i hope things pick up for you Lyra...everyone tells me that things pick up at this time of year...people wanting to be moved before the summer.

Will the Home information packs make the buying process quicker???

Might do. I haven't bought since they came in. I suppose it helps that the searches have already been done.

HIPs won't make sales any quicker - may not be available before exchange as there is backlog in some areas. Get yourself solicitor and hone negotiation skills as you have gone below what you were happy to accept.