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!

Oh incredible news @2longinthetooth im so pleased for you, and it’s given me hope!

after yet more internet sleuthing I’ve guessed the email addresses for the head of estates for the company, and sent them a pathetically desperate email just begging for them to get back to the solicitor, it hasn’t bounced back so I’m hoping it’s landed 😂😂😂

@HouseMoveRound2oh thats at least a little win and given hope. Again if we are doing something at least it feels we are closer to the finishing line.
Thanks for the positivity, I will be on tender hooks all week for the exchange Friday. Im still feeling very indifferent about it all, like its not real, all the fun has been sucked out of it. Ive now the added problem of finding an Airbnb, there is 1 available until xmas week, if conveyancing goes on longer for the purchase we will be homeless for xmas. So will have to go away for the week to devon or something. I know my husband family will be accommodating but we all got multiple dogs. At the moment Im like of course its going like this, just what I didnt want. So I guess 1 day at a time, worst case scenario we can eat xmas sandwiches in travellodge.

We also have entered Limbo Land. 5 weeks waiting for the seller’s forward enquiries to be concluded. They’re buying an ordinary detached house in a well established area and a street where houses often sell. What on earth can be the hold up, apart from lazy solicitors. Our has been very efficient.
Fingers crossed for Friday 2longinthetooth

Flat is finally back on the market. Hopefully we'll be back at the stage of frustrating enquiries soon enough! Sending strength and good wishes!!

No updates here today. I really want to know either way before the weekend so I can crack on with the packing.

God, it's all so shit, isn't it? My buyers were transparently planning to reduce their offer post survey, which they duly did, in spite of us making it clear we wouldn't be going below our floor price. They won't show us the survey findings, merely intimated that they expect us to take full responsibility for anything that might go wrong in a 1930s house. They're already getting a serious bargain, compared to other houses of this type and age in the neighbourhood, and I can't afford to knock anything more off.
I'm not worried about losing them as buyers. Everyone who's viewed the house has been interested in making an offer. I would like to buy the place we've offered on, and obviously that will go kaput if these ones pull out.
But above all, I want not to have to deal with estate agents, conveyancers, surveyors, or any related professions, ever again. I'm sick of having to wonder who's actually being straight with me.

I wouldn’t knock anything off if they’re not even telling you why with estimated costs etc detailed.

@JohnBullshitIve been there in that situation yrs ago. They wanted 10k off after the survey. Estate agent said the guy wouldn't show his survey. He was saying the property was damp. There was no damp. Theres only a few things that boils my piss and this is one of them. Other people trying to take advantage of you knowing you are under pressure. For me no onward purchase is worth being screwed by some chump. I kindly told him to f off and he did. You do not under any circumstances want to be conveyancing with a chancer. If they are that devious to pull a stunt like that, they will pull another right before completion asking for more money off. I remarketed the house and it sold without a hitch.

some absolute chancers out there, we’ve been in a state of anxiety around buyers requesting last minute reductions, but thankfully that’s the one thing that hasn’t gone wrong this time.

Mind you the current buyers had a pretty hefty reduction at the point of offering, but to be honest when it’s up front I can respect that as everyone knows where they stand and can make an informed decision, it’s the last minute game playing that is so unscrupulous

Honestly no wonder bugger all happens quickly. After 16 weeks of bollocks conveyancing we have now found a new home to buy, yey you,d think. However when I spoke to the solicitors thinking great they have all my info we can get searches under way. Oh no. That has to be a separate file. I said im with you conveyancing already, my identity has been checked etc. Nope it has to be started from scratch. So ive had to fill out all my correspondence which a solicitor already has. I have to do identity checks which ive done. Have to show proof of funds, um hello they are coming from yourselves. I understand if we were changing terms like divorce etc but nothing has changed, my bank account is the same as 16 weeks ago ffs. Its 2026, we have computers that can do absolutely anything but we cant process a sale and purchase together using the exact same details. I would understand if my sale file had closed but its still live. This is my rant today as I get ready to go to the solicitors armed with the same documents I submitted 16 weeks ago. Plus I casually mentioned that this purchase should be easier as its just us and the seller, no chain, no mortgage. Oh no minimum of 10weeks for conveyancing. I said yes if there are problems of course. Nope minimum if 10 weeks. I asked why when searches will be back in 4 weeks and my survey will be done well before that. If nothing is flagged surely we dont have to wait another 6 weeks doing what fgs. All I got was we will try. So whats that bs all about. I cant do another 10 weeks, plus that puts us into xmas week so then it would be middle of Jan. I just cant.

Thanks all. No, they won't be getting any movement on the price from me. If they dig their heels in, I'm perfectly happy to stay put for now.
@2longinthetooth that really pisses me off, all that repeating of work because time has passed. Yes, still the same person here. And why does DH need to provide further proof of legitimate funds because a small pension lump sum has landed in his account since we last did so? We already had enough in savings to buy a slightly more expensive house, and they've seen that. It's trivial, I know, but every time an email lands you imagine for a brief wild second that it'll be something useful.
And don't get me started on the damnfool queries. No, we don't have building consent or approval for our extension, because there is no extension. There never has been. That's the shape of the house. See, next door is exactly the same. Come round and see for yourself. Dickheads. Did someone get AI to take a look at the plan and dream up some stupid shit?

oh my god, that is top-tier pointless bureaucracy @2longinthetooth making tasks just for the sake of it.

@JohnBullshit I have had that too, questions about my non existent loft conversion. The rooms on the third floor are large and have been there since 1890 when the house was built and next door is the same. My own solicitor keeps raising questions that I already know the answer to about the house I am buying too and then we wait ages for a response. I am very glad I won’t be doing this again!

@HouseMoveRound2I know, the lady on the desk was like can I have 3 months bank statements. Why? the money for the purchase is coming from yourselves from the sale. Ive no money for the house purchase in the bank. You havent given it to me yet. Its just box ticking exercise. You can have statements of how often I visit Aldi if you want.

@JohnBullshitomg thats crazy. This is why the process is so long winded. Sent me an enquiry for a slight crazing to the glass in the log burner. The fella that cleans it yrly says its safe, it does that, the glass will not break. In fact the glass has been like that for 3 winters and im still here to tell the tale. I sent all the documentation he gave me and it states on there it has no impact on the usage of the fire. Why ask for the f documentation if you dont read it or believe it. Mind boggles. Spoke to a great surveyor today and he's said solicitors love to make a drama out of nothing.

I found out today one of the enquiries in the chain holding it up is a response from a management company. I think they are notoriously slow.

@Sadteacher aw thats frustrating. Its not like you can contact these people and say hurry the shit up please.

@2longinthetooth 😂

Does anyone feel their life is in other peoples hands? We are relocating to a new town. Or not…?! If only I knew!

Yes I am with you on the powerlessness @Sadteacher similarly to you we are having to engage (or not, because they don’t answer emails) with a company to resolve a boundary issue, and the problem is they just don’t care how long it takes as they are entirely emotionally detached from it. It’s an extra layer of beaureaogcracy which just adds to the dehumanisation of the process 😫

@Sadteacher1000% we are to exchange tomorrow and I never been so irritated. Im snappy and tired. Ive been plunged into surgical menopause and currently I feel my patience is as thin as a fag paper. Can't remember ever feeling this pissed when I bought or sold. Our lives in their hands. Ive spent weeks with zero info. Ive now zero emotion, I want to cry but cant. Went to view the new house and she must of thought I didnt like I like the house. I cant muster the energy. The process is so prolonged it doesnt feel you will ever get there. Like you say am I moving, am I not. I mean when this is all finished its taken us half a yr to move house.

Shit though it is, it is nice to have people who understand @2longinthetooth @HouseMoveRound2
If we exchange soon I don’t think I’ll actually care. Lost all enthusiasm .

I agree. I am so fucked off with the whole thing, I genuinely don't care whether we move or not. We've done it a few times, and it's always been a bit of a stressful process, but I sometimes wonder if being older makes me less willing to put up with the shit. Or is it just worse now? I always did most of the donkey work before, and didn't really notice it, other than the waiting around and occasional bit of chivvying. Now it's just endless reels of pointless hassle.
I don't remember being excited about the house, even. The location, yes, but that's because DH has been keen on lots of other places I absolutely do not want to move to. But I also like it where we are. I feel like everyone with their hands out to take money for doing fuck all can piss off. My house is paid for and I'm stopping here.
Sorry, long day, and gin.

agree @JohnBullshit ive bought and sold during horrendously stressful times (including an international move during Liz Truss’ mini budget where visas were delayed and I was completing a masters 🥴), but this is the worst stress I’ve known.

genuinely don’t think anyone would actually be doing anything if I wasn’t checking and chasing, and yes the fact that we are paying through the eyeballs for this fuckery is incredibly jarring. People seem to be shamelessly disengaged from any sense of professional responsibility.

@HouseMoveRound2 this is what i think as well. I cant think of any scenario where you pay thousands out and receive such poor service/communication. I was moaning about this to my surveyor (infact I moan about it to who ever will listen). He said when the banks crashed, they gov scrutinized the whole process and found circumstances where the solicitor could have intervened, stopping people from spending way over their means. So they tightened up procedures and now solicitors have to jump through various hoops themselves. That is why the whole conveyancing timeline extended. It doesnt excuse the lack of communication.
The house that im purchasing uses an app that allows all parties to seethe latest info. Its controlled by the estate agent fir obv reasons but it gives you some knowledge of what is happening behind the scenes.

@2longinthetooth hope today has brought good news.
My day has brought no news!