The all new buyers/sellers waiting room (continued x4) thread!

[TheEnglishSystemSucks]

As @fromtheshires is in their new abode, and we've almost filled up the last thread - hope people don't mind me starting a new one.

My situation: waiting on survey reports before enquires/searches can start - so expect i'll be here for all 40 pages.

Hope exchanges and completions come quickly for all and no-one has the christmas 'will we won't we'.

Old thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5105250-the-all-new-buyerssellers-waiting-room-continued-x3-thread?page=40

Yes mine is a probate property too. Glad things are happening for you although that does sound a long time for searches, mine came back in a week but maybe it depends where you are. I am also hoping to go with DIYK for my kitchen, have heard good things. But I've already blown the budget on real wood parquet flooring (turns out the cost to fit is actually more than the flooring itself, yikes) so now I might have to get a kitchen from FB Marketplace instead or else live with the existing one for a while. The wet signatures in the post thing is archaic and a total pain, honestly they should do better than that in 2024.

I think we are possibly on the cusp of pulling out of our purchase. The survey was pretty bad and the vendor doesn't appear to want to be sensible about the extent of repairs that are needed (not renovations, repairs). There are a few additional issues such as neighbouring properties being in a poor state of repair which is adversely affecting the property and drains that run under the house. It's all becoming a bit much. Realistically the vendor needs to accept a huge reduction of about £60k for it to be worth buying at all.

Oh no, so sorry to hear that. What has vendor done/said so far? Anything that comes up in your survey will come up in subsequent ones - so the question is does he actually need/want to sell the house? If yes then his EA might help persuade him to a fair price - they will want their commission so in theory should be on your side in terms of trying to get it over the line?

So stressful, we had a very tough renegotiation with our vendor, he threatened our surveyor with legal action, refused access for someone to look at specific issues, then had it looked at himself but refused to provide copy of the report.... we have managed to muddle through and agree a sale price but I totally understand how stressful it is x

@Cheeseandcrackers40 we are going to see it tonight and will then prepare an email saying we need x amount off to proceed. Ours will by the second survey - the previous buyers pulled out after he refused to drop the price by £100k (I know that sounds a lot - in fact we thought it was a joke when we heard - but actually we will need £50k off and that's us not expecting him to pay for a myriad of other issues. We'd effectively be asking for a reduction of about 6% - about 11% in total from the original asking price so not insane by any means.

The vendor unfortunately seems to be under the misapprehension that he should be getting ceiling price for a house that is literally wet and crumbling.

So my house went up Thursday late afternoon (I missed the Rightmove advert despite refreshing all day!).

First viewing booked tomorrow- never sold a house before so feeling apprehensive about it all. The viewer is listing with the same agent I’m with, moving from a flat to hopefully my house but they’re not proceedable at present.

I’ve moved into my partners house to streamline my belongings…

It does feel very overwhelming and stressful. And things change so quickly. We'd go a couple of days without a viewing being booked and then suddenly 5 in a day. An absolute rollercoaster of emotions all the time. Good luck!

RE packing, our total move cost was £2400 including four weeks storage and long distance (3 hours) move from London up North. 3 bed terrace to 5 bed. Included an slight uptick for needing two vans rather than a large lorry.

The packing element was roughly £600-£700 I believe and worth every penny.

Fingers crossed the previous buyers have greased the wheels for you and he'll realise that your offer is realistic. I would definitely have a frank chat with the EA.

I am beginning to get really annoyed last time I spoke to the EA she said she would update me on Friday about how big the chain was I rang today to ask for that and she said I still don't know. Secondly I emailed for her to find out when the vendor would be available for me and a plumber to come and get some quotes about the work that I want doing not even an acknowledge email.

I'm beyond frustrated at this point

That sounds very reasonable @TerrierOrTerror - would you be willing to say who you used?

My offer was accepted two weeks ago but my seller's solicitor still hasn't sent anything to my solicitor (my solicitor has chased and I've chased the EA). I know it's not that long but the property is chain free and I really need to have moved by January (school application deadline).

it doesn't help that another chain free property of the same house type has just come on rightmove for £50,000 less than the one I've offered on. It's on with the same estate agent though so I don't think I can view unless I pull out of the first house.

So if you remove a picture from a wall and it somehow pulls off a section of paint underneath so there is now a bit of bare plaster approx the size of a saucer in the middle of what was a turquoise wall would you...
A) do nothing
B) contact the buyer and ask if they would rather you did nothing or repaint the whole wall
C) repaint the whole wall.
I cant touch up as dont have any of the paint left and it was one of those customers colour things from B&Q

@ingkir honestly if it's with the same agent I actually think that's better. Speak to the agent. Tell them the seller doesn't seem serious (and why) and tell them if you don't get the memorandum of sale in the next 2 days you want to view this other property because you can't afford to wait around. Honestly that's totally fair enough. Especially when you have a deadline.

@Littletreefrog I'd do either A or B. You could leave it which is what you'd have to have done if it had happened on move day, or you could ask them if you want to be kind. There's no point in just doing the whole wall. They may have been planning to paint it day 1 anyway.

Ooof I love parquet flooring. That sounds so expensive to fit though! We considered it, but think we've settled on wood effect porcelain tile! Hopefully a bit more affordable and easier to fit.

Ah that's a shame about your kitchen, but you can definitely get some bargains on marketplace. We also found a website that sells ex showroom kitchens including appliances for like 70-80% off. Really good value!

@0hshutupshirley Thanks for the good advice. I don't want to come across as flakey but I also don't want to miss out on another house if this seller is dragging their feet. I'll call the EA tomorrow.

I'm seriously underwhelmed by our viewing of the house. We have the added concern of a neighbouring property basically in a dilapidated condition which means we would need to have to push the owners really hard to fix the things that are causing issues to our house. I've found out from the land registry the owner is a property investment company which doesn't fill me with joy. If they've let it get into the state it is, they don't seem like they really care about the place.

We are going to reduce our offer and I assume the vendor will turn it down.

It lstill has water leaking through the ceiling.

@ingkir I agree it's best to have a frank conversation with the EA. I was in a similar position and told my EA that we may pull out of our purchase (v long story) and they were very supportive of me looking at other properties. We then found our dream home :).

Hence my question - how long did it take from when your solicitor sent your vendors solicitor the request for draft contract to actually getting the draft contract so searches could be ordered?

Does anyone have any experience of approaching a vendor behind the EA back? Not sure if you read my previous, we want to upsize, our buyer is downsizing. We viewed her property once with a plan to 2nd view. EA won't permit us a 2nd view as she's now under offer. Both with same agent. They have said they will only put forward an offer, we aren't comfortable with this unless 100% on property. Our buyer has no idea this could be an option that we swap houses so would be no chain either side. Would you approach them or any advice?

You def can view. The agent we are meant to be buying through is very much encouraging us to look at other properties as vendor dragging their feet.

100%. Why let a stranger affect the course of your life, stranger being EA?

Knock on the door.

I viewed a house, loved it. Viewed others as it just didn't seem workable. On the last viewing it was another no and I still couldn't let the other go. I wasn't that far from it so I drove found and asked for another look. They let me in. I've bought it. Probably got away with it as they knew I liked it and I currently live a really long way away. Probably would have been a no if I'd phoned the agent. On another house they said no to a viewing as too short notice. I wanted to go the next day while I was nearby. They said no. Still not sold.

Which website is that? I've had a look at a couple like the Used Kitchen Co but they all seem to be quite big with islands and things and I only have a small space to fill.

We've reduced our offer by £60k so will see what sort of response it gets. Tbh, it'll be a partial relief to walk away. The location is perfect and the house could be but not without a huge amount of work, money and effort.

Good luck!

We are at the mercy of a-hole vendor again who isn't responding on completion date. Not even surprised at this point.

@Cheeseandcrackers40 not surprising news considering what they've been like in the past! Hopefully though they'll see sense and want their money.

We have proposed a completion date to the chain, as our solicitor asked for one, but there doesn't really seem much point when as far as I know only our purchase is ready (and not the lower part of the chain). Still, figure it's better to propose something to get people's ass in gear on the remaining enquiries.