The all new buyers/sellers waiting room (8) lies lies and the stamp duty deadline

[hotandpermi]

Continuing on the convo- title based on the theme of the last thread

Wish me luck today ..we are the last of a chain of 6 who are all meant to settle and move today!
I was told it's not 100% for us because the transactions may not go through in time.so I am really excited but also worried and feeling desperate just to get in!

Clear out everything! Make it look show homey.
We touched up paint etc too

Not everyone is swayed by appliances. Sorry but this is the sort of thing that makes me hate estate agents!

Good luck though. I don’t know whereabouts you are but around me the market is pretty dead (as in not a lot coming on) which means anything that does come on goes almost immediately!

Our solicitor has apparently received some paperwork - only 7 weeks in. We shall have to wait and see what it says. Sick of this whole nightmare process.

We lost our purchase this week, so I'm off to look at 2 more suitable places tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be sorted by Monday / Tuesday next week and we can crack on. The buyer seems bloody keen, so we need to play catch up now!

Well the responses have come back from the seller's solicitors and surprise surprise, they can't provide a ball-park figure for the likely cost of the works to the building. I don't know what to do. I'm already worrying about the high service charges and the potential for those to increase at any point. It's a one-bed flat so I wouldn't be able to take in a lodger etc for extra cash if needed, it'd all be on me. Wondering if I should chance asking for a reduction in the price of the flat or just cut my losses.

@Tafelberg service charges always increase every year and any money not spent is usually put in a “pot” and kept topped up. I personally would have pulled out after 3 months waiting so you have a lot more patience than I have. Weigh up the pros and cons with the flat whilst continue to view other places.

Thanks @lemonwrighty . Apart from the service charges this flat is basically everything I want, which is why I’ve been patient with it. I just don’t want my love for the flat to lead me into making a decision I ultimately won’t be able to afford though. Will keep on looking as you suggest.

@Tafelberg I completely understand, 7 years ago I almost went with a property I absolutely loved but logically it wasn’t ideal for DH and I. 7 years later I do not regret my decision to walk away. It’s a difficult decision to make, I don’t think there’s anything wrong in asking for a reduction especially if they cannot give you a ball park figure for the service charges, but if they don’t, I would personally walk away, once you complete on the flat your committed to pay the service charges.

@Tafelberg what work is being proposed?

@lemonwrighty thanks for sharing your experience - I was talking it over with a friend who happens to be in property law and she said I’d essentially be signing a blank check if I went ahead with it without knowing exactly what’s planned, and I think she (and you) are both right. Hate this process!

@HellsBalls I’m not exactly sure, the management pack just said internal and external building work due in the next 2 years. It’s a new development, only about 8 years old, although not sure how old the building itself is. I’ve asked my solicitor to try and find out what work it would be, surely even if they don’t know ballpark costs they should be able to answer that…will see.

If you knew it was £2k or £5k that would be something, but as per PP, it’s basically a blank cheque situation. That work would most likely also put zero value on the property, as it’s upkeep.
Sounds like your vendor wants out before getting hit with that bill themselves.

Yeah, not to add to the horror stories but service charge arrangements scare me! In our old flat we got so lucky…

when we moved in 2017 our service charge was around £800 a year.
when we sold in 2020 it had gone up to £1900. still manageable.
its just gone back on the market and the service charge is now at £9,000! Something to do with cladding - but not even on our building- a different building under the same estate care.

Service charge agreements are written so vaguely that they are basically blank cheques and they’re generally non- negotiable.

I genuinely am grateful every day that we left that flat when we did

I know I don't post much but sorry for being AWOL. Yesterday I moved into my new house. This is what I wish my vendor had done.

cleaned, left proper instructions for appliances, who the electric, water, etc is with. Been truthful about certain things.

I've heard my buyers are really happy so I'm pleased about that. I've met three neighbours and two have already helped me out, offered me furniture and is coming back to help some more.

Good luck everyone.

We are NE, had photos taken today and a viewing from the estate agent waiting list. We will be live in 4 to 6 days from now and then wait and see what happens next.

The best thing for photos @Susanblake is to make the property look as uncluttered as possible, even if you have to hide clutter in the car! And get rid of animal food bowls for the photos (if you have animals).

Oops sorry just saw above your photos have been done now. The decluttering & lack of animal stuff also applies to viewings.

Aagh
Two second viewings on Wednesday for our house. Estate agents says for both of them "they'll definitely make an offer, we'll call tomorrow"
Zilch from said Estate agents. No idea if it's a "no" bit I imagine they'd tell us quickly if any offers?

Got to hope it's just a bit delayed. Feels as though we'll never get there. Wish Estate Agents actually did communicate. Even if a no

I've put an offer in on a retirement flat I saw this morning for my parents. Hopefully it'll be accepted and we can rattle the purchase through.

Congratulations on moving in @2025willbemytime

Monday is completion day! We've had the home demo on our new build, half of our house is already in our ILs garage as we are hiring our own van and I'm so stressed about trying to move everything in one day. The house looks so weird and empty with all the it's and pieces packed up, all pictures and mirrors down. It feels really cold and echoey.

Hoping that the timing is in our favour on Monday, so that we have enough time to get packed up and get the house cleaned, but not so much time that we are hanging around all day.

This has been really smooth, all told. But still so stressful. I'm never moving again!

Had our offer from the developer for part exchange today. We previously sold at 340k before it all fell spectacularly apart. They've offered 350k, tried to act cool and not bite their hand off but we are going in to pay the holding deposit tomorrow 😁

Thank you. Met another neighbour today, spouse of one I'd already met, and they tell me the previous owner of my home never spoke, ignored them and reported their pet to the council. So they are very happy to be friends and chat to me!

@YourMerryNavyDreamer aghhhh we had this, estate agents really shouldn’t say that they’re going to offer before it’s actually on the table. We were told an offer was coming and they were just looking at their figures, it never did. It was really hard. We did get an offer that week but not from them! Maybe chase the agents on Monday and if not I wouldn’t keep hoping.

@NeverGoingToMove agh that’s so exciting! All systems go then?

Finally seen the contract for my house and the TR1 - only taken 10 weeks! (The house I am buying was done a month ago). I guess it's gradually moving forward. I am getting removal quotes in now. Removers asking for timescales - well I am going on holiday in a month for two weeks - so not before then. Whole bloody process is a nightmare and some fecker can still pull out before exchange!

It’s the not knowing what the other people in the chain are doing that really sucks isn’t it. Our buyer has asked to pop round this week to show their parents… sounds innocent enough so we have agreed, another part of me is thinking “ut oh here we go “ 💀😩