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Original poster

Just put in an offer on a house. Scary!

56 replies

BudaBones · 28/10/2009 09:56

First time ever. Put in offer that I know is lower than owners want but am hoping that we can meet halfway. We can be very flexible on taking possession and they are waiting for a house they are building to be ready so we are hoping that they will be sensible enough to realise that avoiding possibly having to rent something short term and moving twice may sway it for us.

Very nervous! Only other property I have bought was a new build which was a very different process.

OP posts:
Frrrightattendant · 28/10/2009 09:58

Gosh Buda, it does sound nerve racking! I hope it goes very well and you manage to get it.
Are you very keen on this house? What's it like?

Themasterandmargaritas · 28/10/2009 10:00

Is it in Taunton as you wanted originally? Are you excited about the whole being-back-in-blighty thing?

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 10:06

Hi Frrright! Very nerve racking! I am keen on the house. It has fab potential. It is Edwardian with a big garden and fab big rooms and high ceilings.

The masterandmargarita - Hi! It is in Taunton - right on edge though. Am VERY excited about being back somewhere normal!

Is it too early to be looking at home decor magazines????

OP posts:
Themasterandmargaritas · 28/10/2009 10:19

I love Taunton, it's a great city.

It is so nerve wracking waiting......how long will you have to wait until they get back to you do you think?

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 10:29

Estate agent said he would try and get back to me this morning.

I can't think of anything else right now and am supposed to be getting organised for having people over for dinner tomorrow night. Keep trying to write my shopping list and failing miserably. Have at least planned a menu.

Aaarh. My nerves can't take this!

OP posts:
somewhathorrified · 28/10/2009 10:48

Relax, you may not get a response today. Remember that this is your opening offer, if the vendors go for it that's great, but normally it's a backwards and forwards haggling time that can take quite a while before an agreement is reached.

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 11:02

Don't say that somewhathorrified! My nerves couldn't take it!

Right - am off to Tesco.

I do know I need to be patient but I am not very good at it. I also know they will probably turn down our first offer.

OP posts:
Frrrightattendant · 28/10/2009 12:00

Oh it sounds gorgeous. I thought for some reason you were in Budapest!

I hope you get some response asap.

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 12:22

I am in Budapest Frright! But we are moving back to UK summer of 2011. I know it seems a bit early to buy a house but we have been looking for 3 years now and this is the only one that ticks almost all the boxes. It's only been on the market since early Oct and they have had lots of interest.

House also needs a lot of work doing to it so plan is to plan it all out and get it done next summer/autumn-ish. It's huge work to be done - the type where people move out and rent somewhere else if they can afford to. We are already renting here so makes sense to do it all next year and then have it ready for when we move back.

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OrmIrian · 28/10/2009 12:35

Hurray! Can you link to it so I can drool on your behalf?

Keeping things crossed for you buda!

Frrrightattendant · 28/10/2009 12:53

Oooh. I think it sounds like a perfect plan.

Good luck xx

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 13:04

Do I want to link to it????

Oh sod it. OK.

Here it is!

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OrmIrian · 28/10/2009 13:09

That is lovely! It is very like the house I lived in as a child - same age and style. But it was to the N East of Taunton. It is still my dream house TBH but way out of my price range now .

And you are quite near the Quantocks for lovely long walks. And very near school.

francaghostohollywood · 28/10/2009 13:19

Oh it's very pretty!!!
I didn't know you were moving back to the UK.
I used to live 40 mins from taunton

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 13:22

Thanks Orm! It is my dream home too and far far removed from what I grew up in which was a 3 bed semi in a housing estate on the wrong side of Dublin. It's nice and big and could have real wow-factor but is not too big iykwim.

We had thought we would want villagey or outside Taunton as you know but talking to friends with slightly older children they said they spend all their time driving them around and the children just want to be in town. So I think it will work. And it is walking distance to school and there is a safe cycle path too for when DS is older. The current owners children went to the school as did the previous owners children!

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 28/10/2009 13:27

buda - I have friends in Taunton with 2 boys in their teens and now they are a bit older they can get themselves around independently which they couldn't do in a village. Simply not having to worry about getting them to and from school is a huge bonus. They always seem to be busy - mainly with sport-related activities.

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 13:31

I think you are right. DS is only 8 now but given how fast the last 8 years have gone I am sure it won't be long before he is wanting to go off on his own.

OP posts:
Frrrightattendant · 28/10/2009 14:33

Wow

That is some house!!

It's amazing. Nice part of the world too.

Squishabelle · 28/10/2009 14:43

Buda - that house is lovely but what is so bad about it that it needs huge amounts of work? So much so that any occupiers would have to move out?

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 14:51

Thanks Frright!

Squishabelle - there is one tiny bathroom with a separate toilet and a shower room on the ground floor. We want to make what is now a dressing room into an ensuite bathroom and we also want to create a big family bathroom by removing an airing cupboard that is between the toilet and existing bathroom which means removing or moving the immersion heater and maybe putting in a combi boiler. Also the kitchen is really nice but very small and we want to make a large open plan kitchen/dining area. I can see it all in my head! It COULD all be done with people living there of course but would be a building site for ages.

OP posts:
Themasterandmargaritas · 28/10/2009 15:21

I hope you get it.

somewhathorrified · 28/10/2009 15:59

what a great house! The works you were talking about shouldn't take a good builder more than a couple of weeks to do btw. SOOOOOoooo any news yet?

Original poster
BudaBones · 28/10/2009 16:09

No news yet.

Phone just rang and I got all excited but it was only my neighbour.

I suspect they may be making us sweat because of the low offer. Oh well.

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 28/10/2009 16:40

Oh BTW I happen to know a good builder

somewhathorrified · 28/10/2009 16:44

Not necessarily, they may be trying to work out if they can afford to accept your offer. Take the time to think about what you can reasonably afford incl building costs. I've always quite liked this time of house buying, as it's all abit of a psychological game: how long you leave it between making each offer, how far you push your luck with the offers you make, using house defects and your financial position to negotiate...actually I may just be a bit twisted .