Anyone else having a nightmare trying to find a home?
Discussion
I've been looking seriously for a year or so now, and it's so very difficult. I'm looking in an incredibly popular city centre location where houses come up rarely, are expensive (for the city), and go insanely quickly. I've tried for 6 so far, and failed on all! 1 i got very close to completing on (and had a mortgage app accepted), but pulled out due to the work being too much, and being in a different financial situation. Another i got accepted on, but then they told me about the subsidence... and 4 more i've failed to get accepted on. I'm in a very good position, renting, massive deposit, ready to move as soon as possible, but flexible on time scales. This whole situation is so very frustrating! The last two i've been rejected on have been over asking price offers, and the last failed because the vendor ended up doing an effective house swap with someone.
Is anyone else going through something similar?
It's almost tempted to just give up and go on a very long holiday.
Is anyone else going through something similar?
It's almost tempted to just give up and go on a very long holiday.
Viewing another place next weekend, so at least property is beginning to come on the market more frequently now.
1hr open house, 20+ people already booked in to view, and the only house the agent was really getting calls about on the day it went up. The advert went up with incorrect details (didn't even get the street correct), no photos, and no descriptions of rooms. They expect to sell with only the 1hr open house.
It's competitive out there!
Thinking of starting to bribe estate agents (and i'm not so sure i'm joking about that anymore!).
1hr open house, 20+ people already booked in to view, and the only house the agent was really getting calls about on the day it went up. The advert went up with incorrect details (didn't even get the street correct), no photos, and no descriptions of rooms. They expect to sell with only the 1hr open house.
It's competitive out there!
Thinking of starting to bribe estate agents (and i'm not so sure i'm joking about that anymore!).
Mobile Chicane said:
However this is also a ploy by agents to get an 'auction room' atmosphere on the day so that people will bid up.
If people were left to view at their leisure they'd see the property for the dump it probably is.
Oh i don't doubt it's all a big ploy.If people were left to view at their leisure they'd see the property for the dump it probably is.
I've viewed quite a few before in the street though, so know what to expect/look for
It's the same street as the one i nearly bought before, but an end of terrace larger property.I've just been browsing the council mapping website and found this property i'm viewing had planning permission granted for a small extension. This is single storey, and to take a 3x3m kitchen to 4x4m. This was granted last November, and not mentioned by the agents. Seems odd that someone would sell so soon after getting this granted.
Any thoughts on what to do? One to raise with the agent maybe?
Any thoughts on what to do? One to raise with the agent maybe?
Hoofy said:
Perhaps they did it to make the sale more attractive. Previous owner got a double storey extension planning permission. I cba with it though.
A fair point Seems to be an extension that would cost a fortune to do and wouldn't be worth it though. I can't imagine it being any less than £20k to go 1m out of 2 walls (and thus having to support the second floor with beams), some new roof, windows, rendering, new kitchen, moving doors. I do know just about zero about this though, it's entirely guess work, but still seems a highly pointless extension on a small house with a tiny garden!
This house is on a street where all the other houses are smaller and this is an end of terrace that is 20% bigger. The small houses go for 230 and have all needed work, so more like 240. There is a house the same as this one on another street that went for 240 a year or so ago. So wouldn't surprise me if this is now over that 250 boundary!
I've already demonstrated i'm a good buyer (mortgage in principle, proof of funds, solicitor setup, etc...). Is there anything else i should do?
This area is either big family houses, or tiny ones. There isn't much in between, and the small houses very rarely come up for sale, so if this one is missed it could be months before another comes up. The only others that have come up are on a busier road with awful parking.
I think i've reached the point where it's all just numbers, and it's all affordable so why worry too much. :/ Maybe this is a dangerous place to be though.
This area is either big family houses, or tiny ones. There isn't much in between, and the small houses very rarely come up for sale, so if this one is missed it could be months before another comes up. The only others that have come up are on a busier road with awful parking.
I think i've reached the point where it's all just numbers, and it's all affordable so why worry too much. :/ Maybe this is a dangerous place to be though.
Edited by Matt.. on Monday 10th March 18:29
Just been to do a second check of the property, one obvious potential problem is electrics. It has an old fuse box. What steps should i take with this? Should i get an electrician to check it? (or someone else?), and will this cost? and when do i do it? It will no doubt be raised in the survey as 'electrics need checking'.
I see there are rumours of stamp duty reform in the budget... Would be nice if that happend! Don't think ill bank on it though!
What should I be doing now I've been accepted? My solicitor is ready, but it's in a chain. Should I just get the solicitor doing searches, and wait for mortgage application/survey until the sellers find somewhere and are accepted? I will obviously speak to my solicitor in the morning to get his thoughts.
What should I be doing now I've been accepted? My solicitor is ready, but it's in a chain. Should I just get the solicitor doing searches, and wait for mortgage application/survey until the sellers find somewhere and are accepted? I will obviously speak to my solicitor in the morning to get his thoughts.
Finding the place has been VERY hard, so i won't let it go over this.
Chain is now complete, so i'm applying for the mortgage later today.
Not sure what to do with electrics as i know it's an issue, but i also don't want to scare the sellers... it's a tricky one.
As a random point, i was checking rental prices the other day, and flats in my current building go for £200+ a month more than what i pay. I haven't had an increase in rent in 6yrs(!). My mortgage is going to be approx what my current rent is, so it makes is slightly easier to accept!
Chain is now complete, so i'm applying for the mortgage later today.
Not sure what to do with electrics as i know it's an issue, but i also don't want to scare the sellers... it's a tricky one.
As a random point, i was checking rental prices the other day, and flats in my current building go for £200+ a month more than what i pay. I haven't had an increase in rent in 6yrs(!). My mortgage is going to be approx what my current rent is, so it makes is slightly easier to accept!
I have a feeling i'm in for a long one here. I still have the fear the chain will collapse at any moment. I've just had the valuation back, which surprisingly is just over what i've offered. I say surprising as it's way over what they've gone for before, and i was fully expecting an under valuation as that's what seems normal at the moment. Hopefully everything can move on a little with this purchase now!
The market is ridiculous right now. The house i'm progressing with now i've offered well over what i really should have done. However, i have been looking for far too long (years), and the number of suitable properties that have come up this year is 3, and one of them is this house. At the moment i just feel like money is draining away with renting and the amount of money sat in my bank account, so it somewhat makes it more palatable. I am massively surprised the valuation came back more than i offered though. From what i've been hearing elsewhere that isn't the normal situation. Just got to hope it all comes off now. It's my first house so it's hard not to get a little excited by it all (first house, but not the first one i've gone through the buying attempt with). I've got the Sketchup plan done which really helps checking space (i'm getting good with Sketchup with all the houses i've tried to buy!). I do have the continual fear that the chain will collapse though!
I have now received my survey. It's about as pointless as i feared! Things like rating the heating and water heating as serious issues that need to be investigated urgently, but then stating that the reason for this is that they weren't on. Brilliant. However, it is actually better than i thought in terms of potential issues. So that's a good thing! Far less red 'this needs urgent attention' bits than the last one i had done!
Far less red 'this needs urgent attention' bits than the last one i had done!Edited by Matt.. on Wednesday 23 April 18:02
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff