Spring house selling/buying support thread

[PyjamasForever]

After quite a lengthy time on the market I finally have an offer on my house and have had an offer accepted on a house I want to buy. I’m feeling a bit uncertain it will happen with the current financial situation and wondered if anyone else in a similar position wanted a thread for a bit of moral support?!

We’ve instructed solicitors, filled out our TA6 and TA10 forms, applied for a mortgage and have some documents to send them… I then find the next bit the hardest bit about buying and selling when you have all those uncertain weeks with searches/surveys etc and it could all fall apart at any minute!

God there’s nothing coming to market around here in South Wales. The odd £500k house that sits on the market for months or a terrace or old house that needs loads of work.
We’ve sold and I don’t know how long our buyers will wait for. Might have to give up on it!

Our survey was today - the surveyor called me just before 7 this evening which threw me a bit but it's not horrendous news so that's something.

The whole house needs repointing, there are wall ties that are corroding and the original windows would have been metal or wood and much more solid in structure than uPVC so we will probably need lintels put in on all the ground floor windows PLUS some of the double glazing has blown/is blowing 👍

We'll wait for the actual report and see how bad it is written down and then decide how to proceed. The repointing is the priority as it's really bad in places apparently but I don't really want to repoint it all and then have to undo it to have the lintels put in. He suggested we don't exchange until we've had quotes for the work. The owner of the house was in while all this was going ahead so she knows what's what but I don't think they'll be too happy if we ask for a reduction...

So sorry TeddyBeans I hope they reduce the house so the work can be done.

Meanwhile at chez Bumble we’ve exchanged!! And complete in 2 weeks.
DH and I have just been to view another house today, it ticks all the boxes.
Fingers crossed for everyone else in this crazy game.
I’ll be back when I’m trying to buy the next property. Thanks for the support.

Ughhh, we’ve had some touch and go moments this week.
the top of the chain was putting a lot of pressure on the bottom of the chain around completion. The pressure was pissing the bottom of the chain off (understandably) and put out there about potentially withdrawing…. Think we are ok now… but awaiting update from top of the chain estate agents! Eeeeeek!

A little update from me. We exchanged finally. Moving next Friday. It's all a bit real now. I got a text from someone in our street saying we will be missed. I cried. I know we have to move. We've outgrown this house but I've been here 20 years. Now I've gone from reading horror stories about failed exchanges to horror stories about hating your new home. I need to get a grip.

@Fedupofthisgame moving is such a roller coaster of emotions. It is perfectly normal to feel how you do. It will be fine.

We had our first offer, 5% less. We have said no. We have a flurry of viewings booked next week ( well, 2!) with proceedable people.

Yay @Fedupofthisgame brilliant news! Hope packing goes well and you have a smooth moving day!

@pinkcow123 it blows my mind how impatient some people can be! And I'm saying that as a really impatient person!

We had the survey report...
Wall ties possibly failing, needs immediate investigation
Cracking and settling above all the downstairs windows because of the lack of lintels
Repointing needs doing throughout
Cracking and flashing lifting on chimney
Roof tiles damaged and out of line
Fascias and soffits damaged in places
Guttering needs replacing in places
Double glazing failed in multiple windows
Possible asbestos in multiple surfaces
Patio is too high and encroaching on damp proof course
Electrics need investigating due to lack of certification and multiple extensions to original wiring
Front door is rotting and needs replacing

Plus possibly some other bits that I've forgotten. It sounds miserable but we're hoping that it's mostly stuff we can do over time (first year of living there rather than first month sort of thing) but we're getting a couple of specialists in to have a look at the external wall situations to see how bad it actually is

Brilliant fedupofthisgame I hope all goes well with the move.

We are inching forwards……a bit of back and forth trying to find a solicitor for conveyancing, but we’ve got one now. Surveys lower down the chain completed and ours is arranged. And mortgage application in.

Now just praying to the housing market gods that everything goes smoothly 😅bottom and top of chain are cash buyers so hoping that helps 🤞

Would you be concerned that ant the 2nd viewing all the water was turned off? Agent said they’d gone on holiday for a week. I’m not sure if this is a red flag. It’s not a very well kept property!

I’d like some opinions. I’m a widow in my 70s and I’m downsizing. I have been in my house for over 40 years so the whole buying and selling process is new to me.
I’m about to accept an offer from a cash buyer. I have had to accept a lower offer than I hoped because I have found out that foam insulation in the roof has made the house unmortgageable
I was hoping to buy a bungalow in a seaside resort about 20 miles from where I live but there’s a premium on bungalows and they’re now right at the top of my budget.
I have seen a nice ground floor apartment ( freehold) right by the sea but feel nervous about making a big mistake.
When my sale goes through I will be a cash buyer but what do I do for the few days while the money comes through?
I’m starting to feel out of my depth . I would stop the whole process but I now want to lose the roof problem.
I don’t have much in savings, my money is all in the house.
What do people think about buying an apartment?

@Downsizerboomer how much are you losing with the low offer compared to the price of having the insulation removed? I would investigate that before I accepted any low ball offer

@Downsizerboomer would you be willing to share a link to the apartment you're interested in? We can maybe say whether it looks a reasonable investment for you.

I have had estimates. I’m not losing much more than it would cost. I have bedrooms in the attic and it was recommended to me that the roof would have to be done from the outside also the buyer has agreed to have it done after I move thus saving me a lot of hassle.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/174690197?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

It would release a bit of money for me where’s a bungalow would cost nearly as much as I expect to get for my house.

What great views @Downsizerboomer It’s a nice apartment that you could make your own. Doesn’t look like there’d be a lot of work to do just decor your own style. The leasehold is 999 years from 1978 - so that’s great! The ground rent is £125 per annum and no management fees! Again great! Looks like you’d be responsible for the drains though & external painting. If the location is good then I can see why you’re considering it. You’ll obviously have ppl above you who could be noisy - quite different to the bungalow you were hoping for. I’d really give the ‘ppl above’ a lot of thought. If they scrape chairs etc. Could be annoying. I’d try to view when they are likely to be home.

I wouldnt baulk at this apartment at all for all the reasons given above by PP. What I would wonder about is how that big patch of green is used between you and the sea and what the vibe of the other people in the community is. Just wondering whether this is a peaceful neighbourhood or whether that green turns into an intense free for all (sorry just paranoid as Ive lived in so many very busy places).

It's a lovely flat, @Downsizerboomer looks ideal as a retirement home for you.

Llandudno is a quaint seaside town. It could get very busy in summer with tourists, but you could argue that's better than it being a complete ghost town! It can get very windy during the winter months.

also check out the hospitals dentists and GPs to make sure you have a good comfort factor about medical facilities. You could ring up a couple of surgeries and ask if they have capacity if you were to move there.

keep us posted!

@Downsizerboomer how exciting - and sensible- you are making the move. The whole process is daunting for everyone, you are not alone. The flat looks like it will be lovely for people watching! I am moving away from a similar sea view and spend way too long watching everyone walking up and down the beach!
Do you have any friends/ family nearby to support you?

Thank you for your replies. Yes, I do have friends in the area and it’s nearer to my family. I know the area well. At the moment I live in a three storey house with a big garden and my daughter says it’s in the arse end of nowhere, so essential to drive. I would be happy to be somewhere a bit busier with shops. Good bus and train to pop back to see friends too. I’m just like other people on here now, a bit overwhelmed that all the decisions are down to me and I could mess it up. Definitely considering the flat so as not to stretch myself financially.

@Downsizerboomer
we we moved in February to a seaside town. We got our removal company to keep our stuff in their van across the weekend. We were moving from Scotland to England with two legal systems. We exchanged in Scotland on the Weds afternoon and completed on the Friday. In England, we exchanged later on the Friday and completed on the Monday. Maybe your removal company could keep your stuff at their HQ across a weekend like ours? When it come to removal companies maybe choose one with a medium to big fleet so they can tie up a van without impact? Also removal companies like work at the start of a week.
Are any of the flats around Airbnbs? Could you stay in one to try it out? Also, good to check no Airbnbs potentially above. But it sounds a great situation and solution.

@Mum5net
Thank you. That’s helpful. I will need the money from my sale to clear so it’s a good plan to sort that with the removal company

Ive been quiet as not much movement until very recently - late survey outcome for my buyers requested a £5k reduction which my agent negotiated down to £2.5k and now working on completion dates in the next couple of weeks. So relieved!

Sold at the beginning of April and we are now on week 11 so it’s been reasonably quick too.

sending good wishes to those still waiting updates x

So the house we originally offered on came back 2 weeks later to accept our offer, and we're now more than 2 weeks into the legal stuff. Our side seems to be going well, searches done, mortgage offer received, survey booked.

But our solicitor hasn't received the draft contract pack yet, and our surveyor noted that the vendor put off the survey till next week for some reason - booked weeks ago, they're definitely at home and have kids in school.

We're a bit worried that they're dragging their heels, as they're moving into a new build / major renovation not ready till November, and are meant to be moving into rented for a completion asap. Or that there's something wrong they're trying to cover up before the surveyor gets in.