Anyone else putting their home on the market in early 2025?

[newhomein2025]

Just that really - I'm going to be putting my home on the market soon, and hoping to find something to buy too. It's due to divorce, but I'm actually feeling ready to move on and find a wee place just for me and my teenager. I'm slightly dreading the process, and all the associated hassle, and worried that I won't be able to find somewhere I can afford nearby, but excited to start again. Anyone else planning on selling and buying in 2025 and want to keep me company?

Thanks to all that responded to my dilemma. I have gone back and suggested we split the difference in the valuations. Let’s see.

@rhubarb007 I agree that seems ridiculous, especially if the value of the house isn't lower end. Do they not use one already? As you say the costs for things like that would come out of solicitor fees if purchased with the house not in the mortgage. It almost feels like they are just saying it because they know you would say yes rather than get a reduced offer...I mean are they going to take £200 off their offer for the machine 😂 Even then the mortgage company are surely not going to then give them that money in cash to pay for the machine?!

@OtiMama I think their FTB wants the appliance so they want mine etc.
Easier if they just keep their appliance and offer FTB cheap one off facebook.
In principle I don't mind leaving it behind but hate having gun pointed to my head and 'unless you do this we will negotiate price'.
Then mortgage offer has to be reissued too?
I wonder if they can't really afford the house and making it drag out.

@rhubarb007 it seems odd to renegotiate an offer based on whether or not they get appliances. I can understand why you are concerned if they are nitpicking over something so seemingly trivial.

When I bought my house the EA didn't ask to see my MIP or proof of any funds for a deposit which I thought was very odd.

I'm beginning to feel increasingly jittery about the EA currently dealing with our sale. Apparently the pictures and video were done today but he sent a slightly snippy message saying there were a few things in the house that could have been placed better and he and his guy had to shift things around. I literally told him multiple times that due to the sheer amount of stuff in the house (which DB and I have been clearing for weeks now) there were still quite a few boxes and I would be happy to meet him at the house on the date we agreed and help move bits around for the photos. I also hired cleaners to try and make the place as presentable as possible. Then he changed the day for the photos without telling me and said it was fine because he was going with his 'crew' so I was not needed at the house. Today's message made it sound like I should have been there.

I'm not denying it has been challenging to empty the house but we have done our best including spending almost £1k so far on house clearance companies. But we would not have gone forward with the sale if he had not assured us that it was all fine to proceed because buyers will understand that there are bits and bobs still in the house and we have to catch the Spring market.

@Eastie77Returns are you in the cooling off period?
Might be better to withdraw and find someone more competent.
I now had quite a few dealings with EA with sale of our house/MIL house.
Our first one was good BUT relationship broken down because they lied. I was tied in for 20
weeks. That's something I would never sign now.
Second agent hasn't got great reputation but they sell most of the houses here. They were indeed terrible. Bringing people looking for totally something different. Using our house to 'firm up the offers', etc.
This one is ok so far, but time will tell.

So they’ve made an offer, you have accepted the offer, and now they are threatening to lower their offer if you don’t give them an appliance for free?

I wouldn’t be impressed with that, or the agent to be honest. If their offer is conditional on an appliance being included that should have been raised when they made the offer. I’d be wondering what else they are going to try and wear you down on. They could be just trying to pull a fast one but I too would be worried about their finances. Not sure why they think you’d give them something for free. We have agreed to leave one appliance behind, for free, as part of the sale but I put my foot down at agreeing any other appliances. For a start, they are only a couple of years old and also we need them in our next house! Our agent said “oh you know what it’s like when you are FTB, you want to save money where you can”. Yes I do know, this house was our FTB and we had to pay for those appliances so I won’t be giving them away for free, thanks!

I remember when we were FTB and it's true all our savings went on the deposit but there's usually months between those savings and actually moving to Save a bit more. I totally agree what else are they going to demand, seems so aggressive.

@IWasBornIn1989 correct. Made an offer, nothing included.
I have added free dishwasher that's only a few months old as more pain to move it.
The appliance in question is high end and still in warranty. I wouldn't mind but my first gut reaction was to say no, as they will just ask for more.
My buyers aren't FTB. Their buyers are. Only short chain of 3.
Have emailed lawyer to see if they had sight of mortgage offer or can check on that

@rhubarb007 you aren't going to like my opinion on this, but I find it a bit petty to charge for kitchen appliances in a house sale. Someone is about to give you hundreds of thousands of pounds for your house, can't you just throw in your old washing machine, fridge/freezer etc? It would probably be more effort for you to disconnect the items and move them anyway.

We left our appliances for free when we sold our last property to a first time buyer. I think they appreciated it and it just creates good feeling. I remember when DD got her first house the owners were even asking £30 for the rotary drier in the garden, we thought it was funny. DD declined and they left that anyway (maybe because they were moving from the English Midlands to the Scottish Highlands).

Actually, I'm already leaving the curtains, diswasher, garden furniture, lampshades and various other things for free.
My buyer isn't a FTB.
Their appliance in question is 3 months old and cost well over 1k.
I would rather take it with me, it's easily disconnected.
It's not that I wouldn't want to leave it. If they asked nicely maybe, but they said.. if you don't leave it, we will offer less for house.
I use the appliance every single day and need it in the next house. Because it also doesn't come with it.
Also it isn't kitchen appliance.

OK @rhubarb007 , I suppose with your transaction as its quite expensive for an appliance and also almost new, that's a bit different. Also your buyers didn't really ask nicely, which might raise hackles. Not the same situation as mine and DD's - sorry!

Yeah I think either way we are all spending thousands to move, it's not like you aren't as well as the buyer and as you say you need those things at your next house too and they aren't there. £1k isn't a cheap machine!

All our appliances are 6 -18 months old as we unfortunately had to replace the fridge, washing machine and dishwasher at similar times, so we are taking them as feel like if we sold them to the person buying our house it would probably cost us a lot more to repurchase. We purchased fairly decent quality ones. The previous owner at our current house left a dishwasher but it must have been 6 years old so it's not the same at all. She was so petty though, she wanted £5 for curtain tie backs and even when we said we didn't care she did take them (I really thought she was chancing and wouldn't bother!)..wonder what she did with them when she left the curtain poles that matched but we had to pay for them! We are leaving the curtain poles included in the sale. It's difficult because things can come across as petty but as we all know they have a value to us all and it's sometimes hassle ordering new ones as well as moving what you have got!

It's hassle more than anything. If I move and have appliance, I can use it straight away.
See what the lawyer says re mortgage. I hate to be right 🙈

It’s the fact that they have issued @rhubarb007 with an ultimatum that doesn’t sit right with me.

There’s nothing wrong with asking if your buyer can leave an appliance but if it was so important this should have been raised earlier. And stating that they will renegotiate price on this basis is ridiculous. I would be very wary and wonder what they are going to demand next.

Update, at last. I put my place up for sale in January. Got full asking price very quickly. Hoped to get across the line before the 31st March but sadly didn't make it. BUT, have exchanged and will complete next week. It is a ridiculous process and I have loathed every minute of it, but at least it is happening now.

Congratulations!

So...
My lawyer got back to me and 6 weeks after accepting offer no one has checked that buyer has a valid mortgage offer.
They have now requested it.
Start to think with MIL situation maybe we need to stay here and extend 🙈

Wow that is shoddy.

That’s dreadful - and your estate agent should have been all over it too.

Mine don’t mark properties as SSTC until they have seen ID, proof of deposit, mortgage proof and solicitors details. So the property remains available.

My buyers supplied all of that within 4 days, and I did the same with my onward purchase.

I’m now 3.5 weeks into my sale, and 2 weeks into purchase. The people I’m buying from haven’t found anywhere yet, but are actively house hunting, and are staying in the area, so at least not having travel to take into account.

Not sure at what point I panic if they’ve not found anything!

I think you are confusing 'mortgage in principle' document with actual mortgage offer.
My buyer had MIP but it's a useless document. Go into any online bank, put inflated salary into calculator and hey presto you can afford a large house.
It's when mortgage application goes in that you have to provide actual payslips etc.
EA isn't privileged to seenmortgage application, they rely on buyer

Not unusual I gather. Lawyers always have junior people doing the initial work and then ot goes to actual lawyer just before exchange. At which point they flag uk lots kf missed issues.
I alwayd wonder why I'm paying 7k to EA and only £1800 to legal firm who if they get it wrong can be sued etc

Yes, sorry - I was meaning AIP (or MIP!). Not clear from the PP if they had nothing at all or just not the formal offer.

You’d hope people wouldn’t waste others time by lying about salary / other income, but nothing would surprise me.

So I do think it’s shoddy from the estate agent.

in our case our house remained on sale till buyers had sent bank statements with proof of deposit, MiP and instructed solicitors - and sent these details to EA.

after that - EA chased buyers daily for 5 days at which point they applied for their mortgage - then EA stayed on the case through bank valuation of house and till mortgage offer was in hand one week later. Throughout this EA kept us updated with near daily or every other day updates.

@MargoLivebetter that's great news, how exciting!

@ScoobyDoesnt We are in the same position as you. Are your solicitors doing anything currently on the sale or your purchase? We just aren't sure how far to go if our vendor hasn't found anywhere yet.

Yes, sale is proceeding, I’ve completed all my documents they need and they were planning to issue contracts last week.

Purchase is only just underway as the vendors didn’t nominate solicitors until about 10 days ago.

They’ve got more viewings this weekend apparently, so fingers crossed!