Is anyone moving now?

[thecrow]

I'm jumping into the thread now with the hope that by contributing I'm not jinxing our purchase and sale...

We sold for slightly over the price that we wanted for the house, and then managed to have an offer accepted at asking on a place back in my home village. We were the first viewer and the seller agreed to accept our offer there and then, and not take any more viewings. It is a big step for us (3 bed semi to 5 bed detached, 2.5x the square footage) but we're hoping it'll see us through for the foreseeable future.

We have had a pretty good run of it to be honest; the process is probably three months in and both our buyers and our sellers are being cooperative and reasonable. We're now entering what should be the final steps before we exchange, including me accepting a couple of indemnities on our sale that both we and the buyer agree aren't needed (but the lender feels different).

We should have no reason not to complete before the end of September, but are trying to get in well before that for various reasons. I found out that our solicitor is going away for a week next week (and this could well be the week that we are in theory all in a position to exchange) - I'm surprised that there's no real plan or expectation it seems from them to cover while he's away. Is that reasonable or should I be expecting them to arrange cover?

[Chamon_Lee]

cayman-black said:

Flooble said:

It's directly relevant though as the Londoners moving out to the country have driven prices up at the extraordinary rate we have seen. So the people living and working nowhere near London are being affected - they just don't know it yet, unless they are trying to move and being outbid by people for whom an extra £50K on the asking price is nothing (compared with the local where £50K is a years' salary).

If there was a mass reversal of the exodus, we'll see a collapse in prices as rapid as the inflation (okay, maybe not quite as rapid as the market doesn't work like that).

I know of two people who have upped sticks and moved away from London. One is now looking at moving back. So there's some relevance ...

This is absolutely what going on right now and i wonder how many will return when they realize there are no street lights in the country and it's black everywhere amongst many other things.

I agree, I think too many have fallen into the trap of this is the new way of doing things. It just won't be for the majority of people. I suspect at most people will have 20% flexability and the rest of the time they should have their back side back in the office. The main positive out of all of this is there is no longer the taboo of taking a few days a month to work from home.

Many around me assumed they would be perm working from home or spending the majority of time working from home. They are now being told well get your back side back in the office all be it politely.
My wife works for the big 4 and due to the projects and clients they work for, they expect them to be on site or in offices when needed and current restriction are a huge stumbling block. As soon as those restrictions are lifted I fully expect clients wanting people on site and in offices etc.

[Mr Whippy]

thecrow said:

reasonable or should I be expecting them to arrange cover?

If you’re months in, a holiday at some point was expected, especially in summer holidays.

I expect the solicitor isn’t critical if all the work is done. And one of the helpers is capable to progress to completion from exchange.
If it’s pre-exchange and critical work needs doing then maybe they can pass it on?

Ultimately it takes as long as it takes. Until exchange anything can happen.

[Mr Whippy]

Chamon_Lee said:

As soon as those restrictions are lifted I fully expect clients wanting people on site and in offices etc.

I’ll be honest but GPs sat doing emails or phone calls is boiling my piss.

If I were paying professionals who then think they can sit at home and get paid the same, not offering all the convenience or quality of an office visit, then I’d be going elsewhere.

All these people saying ‘this is the future’, well I won’t be doing business with them, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

[Blown2CV]

Flooble said:

Blown2CV said:

back to the house moves eh... we hope to move in Sept... searches due back before end Aug, Surveyor booked for 27th aug, deal done on fixtures and fittings etc.... supposedly all progressing well and not looking like it's way off target for the ideal month of move.

conveyancers tho.... ours has multiple offices around the region in which we live. They did have one in Knutsford, which is where we are, but they shut the office and merged the team in with another office in Wilmslow. They didn't even bother to let me know, and I only found out when i turned up at their door to post a load of paperwork. The lender is moaning now as they have 'de-listed' the old branch (they treat each branch as a separate solicitor on the approved list) and had not been notified either of the change, so they will take a number of days to process the 'change of conveyancer' (which it wasn't, it's even the same guy). This has held up the formal mortgage offer going onto the portal. The conveyancer was a real dhead about it and was going off at me saying it shouldn't make any difference as if it was my fking idea to move offices and my fking process and policy that the lender was following. Are they all s?

Now conveyancer throws in that he's having a baby and will be off sometime around mid-Sept! Life happens i guess. I am hoping the 'lawyering' will largely be done by that point. I hope it's his first kid and he has a real shock coming

Good luck! Glad you got somewhere. Kids can turn up early. I'd ask them now what their plan is for handover when he leaves. Or ideally get it handed over anyway!

Cos the cynic in me thinks their plan is "ignore everything until he's back".

i did ask him that, said congratulations and happy for you and all that. He replied "my work will be covered". Literally all his email said. Prick.

[Blown2CV]

Mr Whippy said:

Chamon_Lee said:

As soon as those restrictions are lifted I fully expect clients wanting people on site and in offices etc.

I’ll be honest but GPs sat doing emails or phone calls is boiling my piss.

If I were paying professionals who then think they can sit at home and get paid the same, not offering all the convenience or quality of an office visit, then I’d be going elsewhere.

All these people saying ‘this is the future’, well I won’t be doing business with them, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

depends what it is. I want to spend my time travelling to see clients (even though most aren't ready to receive) and not travelling to my own employer's offices for largely pointless reasons.

[thecrow]

Mr Whippy said:

If you’re months in, a holiday at some point was expected, especially in summer holidays.

I expect the solicitor isn’t critical if all the work is done. And one of the helpers is capable to progress to completion from exchange.
If it’s pre-exchange and critical work needs doing then maybe they can pass it on?

Ultimately it takes as long as it takes. Until exchange anything can happen.

Yes I've got no problem with him taking holiday - God knows I could do with one too No problem there. The main thing really is that whatever the last bits are that need wrapping up to enable us to exchange (and then actually do the exchange) may need to happen the week he's off. And I'd rather not lose a week if we can avoid it.

[MDUBZ]

After feeling like we would never find anywhere for months due to lack of supply things seem to be moving. Our buyers have exchanged, and the people we are buying off of have found somewhere chain free and vacant.. I must confess on 1 hand I was hoping for short a delay to save a few quid before moving but on the other glad things are now moving. all seems promising and I’m getting quite excited at the prospect now.

The other good news is that interest rates seem to have dropped quite a bit since we kicked off the process in Feb; I can get a 5 year rate lower than what I was quoted for a 2 year rate 6 months ago.

Obviously a house purchase Is probably the biggest transaction we likely make and it has taken much studying of what has become THE spreadsheet to have the confidence to make the move. Is it just me? I’ve anchored onto the monthly payments of my 1st mortgage ( which were a stretch 15 years ago); the new payments make me want to at >4x the amount of the original payments, even though they are a smaller percentage (just) of net income. I know I need to consider Inflation and salary increase etc over this time but I’ve found this a really difficult thing to reconcile in my head. I’m glad I spent time understanding my finances and my mortgage advisor ( who is a mate) has been great too tbh, wish I’d got myself organised a bit sooner it has been quite a cathartic process.

I also wish I hadn’t gone with the estate agent I did though; worst 6K I’ll ever spend.

Edited by MDUBZ on Friday 20th August 09:51

[cayman-black]

Don't feel too bad about the agent as none of them are any good, complete aholes in my view.

[Frik]

I certainly wouldn't be recommending ours. To mention just two of the issues amongst many:

- They over quoted the area of a similar neighbouring property so ours looked worse value
- They decided to return our key one Friday evening without telling us. At least that was their plan. Instead they managed to drop it in the letterbox of the aforementioned neighbour in an envelope with our house number on it. The neighbour very kindly brought it round to ours when he found it, equally unimpressed with their incompetence.

[Fast Bug]

Our estate agent was great, I'd happily sell through them next time. They have a progression team that chases everyone up and down the line, you don't speak to the agent that sells your house again once it's sold.

[Petrus1983]

The supply seems crazy low - but prices stable. I’ve decided to put my place on the market even if it means not having anywhere permanent to live for a moment.

[nick30]

Petrus1983 said:

The supply seems crazy low - but prices stable. I’ve decided to put my place on the market even if it means not having anywhere permanent to live for a moment.

I have mine on at what I think is a decent price so hopefully will be out soon but we have to be prepared to have a long haul wait. Otherwise it would be the polar opposite to sell quick stay with FIL who is 86 until we find the right place.

[biggbn]

Finally had guy in to do our home report and valuation, hopefully house on market next week. All getting a bit real now, still not seen somewhere in budget we really like but houses seem to be coming up thick and fast up here!!

[davidc1]

Signed with an estate agent on tuesday of last week. They wanted to do the photos and 3d tour next wed. So 8 day hence. I cant do this date and we settled on this coming fri. So 10 days to get a photographer round.
Thia all seems v tardy and slow ? What do you guys think.
Idont want to piss my vendor off who is with the same estate agent.- this is the reason i went with them so were invested in2 sale and would push things along better.....

[Mr Whippy]

Those 3D things are a laser scanner, so a fairly big job, then it’s all processed.
It must be a full day of work all in with a £20,000 bit of kit, plus software etc.
I expect it’s contracted out but not sure. And maybe they’re very busy... I see some pretty mundane houses being scanned.
It’s quite bonkers really as 5 years ago it’d have cost thousands to go laser scanning houses.

But if your agent needs yours sold to get their chain with their other client completed, then ultimately this is their delay so no one can complain at you.

Plus you’re probably too late for stamp duty saving now, so no rush, no risk of daft behaviour by anyone now.
Your in the loop with the same agent as the person you’re buying off... that seems like a good place to be!

[davidc1]

Thanks mr whippy. So not unusual and not my delay..... lets hope my vendor does not get upset.

The estate agent is selling my house and my vendors. Hoping that will concentrate their efforts to make it happen. 2 paydays for them....

[Mr Whippy]

To be fair those 3D things are awesome on a strange/unconventional house which doesn’t read well... or were great in lockdowns.

But right now, if your house is ‘normal’, and has a decent set of summer pics and floor plan, I’d be wanting a viewing any way.

I’m not sure 3D is needed or worth waiting for if it’s indeed the delaying factor... unless you have the aforementioned unique layout that lends itself to 3D.

[nick30]

davidc1 said:

Signed with an estate agent on tuesday of last week. They wanted to do the photos and 3d tour next wed. So 8 day hence. I cant do this date and we settled on this coming fri. So 10 days to get a photographer round.
Thia all seems v tardy and slow ? What do you guys think.
Idont want to piss my vendor off who is with the same estate agent.- this is the reason i went with them so were invested in2 sale and would push things along better.....

Stick with it and be patient, nobody needs to be upset

[crookie]

Supply is so low down Surrey way.

We're making the move out of London, and put our SW flat up for sale at what we felt a punchy price (as we weren't in a hurry). Flat sold within a week for full asking (this was in June). We are scanning Rightmove every day (and have been for circa 4 months now) and very little is coming up (and our search area is quite broad). One house met most of our criteria, but at top budget and offering £20k over asking we were top 'you're not close to the best offers'!

We have now exchanged so will be moving into a relatively cheap rental to continue our search. Hopefully the market will calm a little, more stock will come on (hopefully with September looming) and being chain free gives us a competitive edge.

Crazy times!