The all-new buyers/sellers waiting room (continued x5) thread!

[BirthdayRainbow]

Hi I took the liberty of starting a new thread as I couldn't answer on the last one.

@kirinm I am glad you've decided I pull out. I wanted to suggest it but didn't want to stress you out. I hope the next house you view is the one and it all goes smoothly.

@ingkir I have just read all the search results. My son has helped with a couple of questions, I've left a message for my friend to help with something else and I am waiting for the solicitor to ring me back as they've attached someone else's details to the end of the paperwork 🙄. I'm distinctly unimpressed as of course potentially someone has mine and the whole stream could be wrong. Looking at what the emails say it is likely it is a one off but I needed to tell them. The receptionist was going to put me through to the solicitors secretary until I said why I was ringing. Already over the time of when she said she'd be back.

I still have a few things outstanding but I won't exchange until I have answers so I'll wait it out.

Well after a very slow and painful week - the asbestos survey results for the bottom of the chain are in. Minor, low risk amounts. Buyers are not concerned.

Still waiting for the results for my place but hopefully they'll come in early next week (same survey company, done 2 days later).

It's taken 3 weeks to report on the surveys which seems like a very long time. My L3 structural survey only took a week.

I'm pleased that progress has been made, and hoping that we can talk exchange next week. I'm keeping everything crossed!!

Ah congrats @Champere and @Cheeseandcrackers40 ! Must be a lovely feeling. You're almost there now.
It's the stamp duty increase that's caught our buyers out. Hoping they can raise additional funds 🤞🤞

@Cheeseandcrackers40 HURRAY! THANK GOODNESS for that. I bet you can hardly believe it.

I was too excited to read the whole post and I can see that you said you can hardly believe it 😳

Hi all! Can I join? We are buying a probate property, offer accepted last week (chain free). Vendors haven't even started probate process yet, shall I instruct solicitors now or wait until we have a probate reference number granted at least?

This sounds positive! Enjoy the weekend and look forward to more steps forward next week

In case it helps, we have recently been through this…

Our total probate process, including the mandatory first stage of filling in the iht forms and paying it, before you can even get the code and can apply for probate, took just under six weeks. We did ourselves and really went at it. If they submit the probate form online, that stage is quick. It is the iht that is time-consuming, we found. We had to fill in 12 forms.

so it depends on whether they have done the first part with iht and are planning to submit the probate form online, which is far quicker.

Thanks, that really helpful. Sorry for your loss though 😞 .
There will be IHT payable on the estate and I don't think they have done anything on the IHT form (estate agent is very vague) and they are only just getting quotes now for a solicitor to help with the process . We aren't in chain and not in a rush but trying to get myself mentally prepared before instructing a solicitor in terms of timelines.

Are they buying it as a second home? If not stamp duty doesn't go up until next year?

Thank you.
Yes, if the iht forms have yet to go in and be checked and payments made, there’s a bit of time to go.

Our offer fell through because it would have been a second home and hence stamp duty went up immediately. They wanted us to pay more than half of the £17.3k increase. We said no.

Congrats on all those exchanging and the completions YAAAY

And welcome to the new joiners!!

We're spending this weekend packing and organising. The outstanding forms have now been received and are being reviewed by my solicitor today,

Unless any major curveball were well on the way to exchanging so hopefully that will happen next week fingers crossed

Good luck!!

Yay - @Champere and @Cheeseandcrackers40 Congratulations to you both! 😋

Congratulations @champere and @Cheeseandcrackers40 exciting times.

@ Champere @Cheeseandcrackers40 Huge congratulations! I am so pleased for you both.

@Cheeseandcrackers40 @Champere Wooohoooo! So happy to read your updates. You've both been through the ringer with your buyers/sellers and deserve to properly celebrate this weekend.

Happy completions to us all!

I'm selling after 25 years of being in the same house. I thought the survey that was done 3 weeks ago that took 30 minutes was it!

I had a bit of a shock then to be told this week that a level 2 survey is taking place in 2 weeks time and will take 2-4 hours 😬. I honestly thought the surveying was complete but the first one must have been the mortgage valuation survey.

oooppppssss 🤦‍♀️

When did people start sorting and packing? We are 5 weeks into the process

@Itonlytakesaminute Interested in this too.. we have had enquiries back and waiting for the solicitor to look at them.. no idea how much longer and too scared to start packing!

How far are you in the process?

Does anyone have any experience with e.serv? The surveyors?
They are company that are coming to do the survey on our house next week - not sure if our buyers chose them, or if the ir mortgage company did. Just seen reviews online, and they seem known for down-valuing a lot of properties.

Just wondered if anyone else has any experience with them, please?

Thanks all! We started packing seriously about 3 weeks ago. Now we’ve exchanged we’ll be packing down to bare minimum.

I’ve prepped a bathroom box, a moving day box, a kitchen box and a craft box to keep us going. Then I’ll do each of us an overnight bag a day before the move.

We’ve given up one room downstairs for packed boxes. Definitely have more than we thought!

Not heard of them - so not much help on that front. But I had very similar concerns on the company that came to value our house and just to say:

• People only generally complain about bad things, you aren't going to give a glowing review of a company for valuing your property per the agents valuation
• The surveyor that came to us said that down-valuations were much more common during the COVID bubble that saw house prices shoot up by temporary unsustainable amounts - so it's possible many of the reviews were during this time?

Packing- we did a huge declutter before going for sale then as soon as we had an offer I had a huge cull of more things and started to pack unnecessary things, I have no doubt my house is being sold regardless of what happens with my onward purchase so I will be leaving here so need to pack! Only been in this house 6 years but found a box I never even unpacked when arrived!!

Tonight I've been packing the spare room which holds alot of storage and Tomorrow dh starts the garage, still no exchange/completion date but we have so much stuff we need to crack on with it!

My son's purchase fell apart at survey stage.

But, good news, he's had another offer accepted this week. He's the start of a chain so has everything lined up, including his surveyor, ready to go once a chain is in place.

He's using the same surveyor as he was fab (even though it wasn't exactly what he had hoped to hear).

So the roller coaster starts again for him.

I started packing in about July but for specific reasons personal to me.

I and a level two done on the house I'm buying and I doubt very much it took four hours!