Are you moving house?

My journey is so hair raising, one minute I’m on a runaway train the next the slow boat to China 🤣

Sago

Grammaretto

I know, I think that too Allira and I won't get a home report but because it's a private sale, I want to know what to ask.
I don't want to sell it too cheap nor to be greedy. It is a unique house, 200 years old.

Be very careful and take advice from your solicitor.

It is up to your purchaser to have any surveys done.

I sold once privately, the purchaser pulled all kinds of tricks, she even asked me for 3K cash before we exchanged contracts, she wanted a reduction on the purchase but would still borrow the full amount!
I told her a firm NO and reiterated that as a solicitor herself she could be disbarred for pulling such a stunt.
She threatened to pull out but I stuck to my guns, the sale proceeded eventually.

If Grammaretto is on Scotland the vendor pays for the home report (in the region of £500+Vat depending on many variables). If it's a private sale a Home Report isn't necessary but if the property is advertised anywhere a Home Report must be done. It will point out obvious defects that are clearly visible and the surveyor will take random damp readings, he might even get his binoculars out to look at the roof. It's not in anyway a structural report. It will make recommendations for mortgage funding (the with holding of funds until necessary repairs are complete) and give a valuation (based on sold values of neighbouring properties - easily found online). It also includes an assessment and energy report and improvements that can be made.

Grammaretto

I know, I think that too Allira and I won't get a home report but because it's a private sale, I want to know what to ask.
I don't want to sell it too cheap nor to be greedy. It is a unique house, 200 years old.

Your solicitor may be able to guide you re an asking price, or you could get an estate agent round (no need to actually instruct him) they'll give you an idea before you have to sign any contract. If you are happy with what they say add 20% on top (you can negotiate down, you can't negotiate up)

Grammaretto

I know, I think that too Allira and I won't get a home report but because it's a private sale, I want to know what to ask.
I don't want to sell it too cheap nor to be greedy. It is a unique house, 200 years old.

You should be able to get three estimates at no cost from three different estate agents. You don't have to proceed with them but it will give you an idea of valuation.

Thanks everyone.
I had 2 valuations a couple of years ago when I first decided I had to downsize but they were both very vague with £200k between the upper and lower.
I spoke to an estate agent this morning and he is coming on Monday to give me a verbal valuation, as you've described.
This way I can settle on the price I want. I hope. 🤞
I am in Scotland.
I have an added complication because I have applied for planning permission to build a house in part of the garden. This wouldn't impact too much on the big house but it means changing the title and could affect the asking price, if I get permission. I should hear soon.
Even assuming I get PP I'm not convinced I want to live in my garden but it could be an attractive selling point I suppose. .

It's so time and brain consuming isn't it. And that's without all the decluttering of a lifetime.

Grammaretto

Thanks everyone.
I had 2 valuations a couple of years ago when I first decided I had to downsize but they were both very vague with £200k between the upper and lower.
I spoke to an estate agent this morning and he is coming on Monday to give me a verbal valuation, as you've described.
This way I can settle on the price I want. I hope. 🤞
I am in Scotland.
I have an added complication because I have applied for planning permission to build a house in part of the garden. This wouldn't impact too much on the big house but it means changing the title and could affect the asking price, if I get permission. I should hear soon.
Even assuming I get PP I'm not convinced I want to live in my garden but it could be an attractive selling point I suppose. .

It's so time and brain consuming isn't it. And that's without all the decluttering of a lifetime.

It would probably make a significant difference to the selling price if you have planning permission in place.

I now have 2 similar offers 10k off the asking price this going and fro img is giving me a head ache. Hows everyone else doing?

To ing and fro ing is giving me a headache 😂

tanith well done. We have one offer and two more hovering, but each one is dependent on the people concerned selling their own house, an offer chain rather than a selling chain.

Thanks Monica one of my offers is cash offer from a developer and hes just asked for chainfree as a condition of sale I'd have to rent. The other is subject to sale of a property. I don't want to rent so I've said no.

It's so fraught with decisions tanith.
Are there more viewings?

I had an EA today who has told me my house is very hard to value. I knew that already. He did say I should get a home report but also find out if my private buyer has the funds to pay!

You're not wrong Gramarretto no more more viewing yet but the agent expects more. It can't be easy to find that out if they don't want to tell you.

Well I had another lower offer today and found out the house I really liked is sold not to me. So I decided to accept the cash offer but making it clear I’ve not found a house yet and he will have to wait till I’m ready as he seems in a hurry and I definitely won’t be moving out to rent take it or leave.

I wish we had an offer, our three potential buyers have all been in touch with our estate agent to say that they want the house and as soon as they get an offer themselves they will be back.

In our case we are willing to move out whether we have somewhere to go to or not. Short term we can stay with DD, longer term we would need to rent, but our requirements for a property are quite constrained so we know, having lost the house we really wanted that ticked every box, some compromise will be necessary, but there isn't much wriggle room.

Not sure what to do now or in what order. Do I just go ahead and book a home report? Do I discuss with my private buyer? Should I share with him the suggested valuation I have just received from the EA?

I'm inclined to sleep on it.

Best thing to do, despite agency costs is to put it in the hands of an estate agent and get them to do the negotiations for you. negotiate a lower fee because they have not had to pay for any publicity or expend any time finding you this buyers.

I'm inclined to agree with you M0nica. The EA has offered and will know his job.

Grammaretto

Thanks everyone.
I had 2 valuations a couple of years ago when I first decided I had to downsize but they were both very vague with £200k between the upper and lower.
I spoke to an estate agent this morning and he is coming on Monday to give me a verbal valuation, as you've described.
This way I can settle on the price I want. I hope. 🤞
I am in Scotland.
I have an added complication because I have applied for planning permission to build a house in part of the garden. This wouldn't impact too much on the big house but it means changing the title and could affect the asking price, if I get permission. I should hear soon.
Even assuming I get PP I'm not convinced I want to live in my garden but it could be an attractive selling point I suppose. .

It's so time and brain consuming isn't it. And that's without all the decluttering of a lifetime.

We’re currently in the process of downsizing to a two bedroom bungalow from a three double bedroom house and your quote about the declutterring of a lifetime made me laugh!

We’ve been in our house for 38 years so we’ve got lots and lots of ‘stuff’ Every morning I wake up thinking ‘where / what am I going to tackle today’ and it’s so hard. There are so many memories in every room and I haven’t even tackled all the family photos which I know we haven’t got room for. I’ve put enough stuff on Vinted and EBay to actually open my own shop and we’ve given bags and bags of things to the charity shops but there still seems so much to go at. Part of me wishes we hadn’t started the whole thing at all!

I went to my local cancer research charity shop yesterday with clothes, shoes and decorative china it’s not easy letting some of this stuff go.
Just a question regarding my sale would you consider a higher offer once you have accepted a cash offer? I may be in this position today. I was thinking I’d ask the the cash buyer to match the higher offer but if it’s a substantial amount and he won’t what would you do? and yes I know it’s ‘bad form’

Our supposed cash buyers are messing us around, they will not communicate!
Our solicitor is beyond frustrated.
We are all ready to go!

The EA has apparently seen proof of funds but I’m not so sure.

Ask your solicitor to get confirmation that they are using the funds the EA has seen proof of to buy your house Sago. Our last buyer had the funds but actually wanted to use the proceeds of sale of another property that he told nobody about. Lying b*stard.

Personally, tanith, no as I am a person of my word - but I think you might have been hasty accepting the developer’s offer. No harm asking if he will match it but if he does, be prepared for him to chip the price at the last minute because paying full asking price means he will get less profit.

DD hopes to exchange tomorrow on a house she had an offer accepted on a year ago. The seller had failed to mention that there was a tenant in the hosue with a fixed date contract running to 28 February 2025.

The house was her dream house and she could only afford it because it is rundown, so she held on, so miraculously did her buyer.

Tomorrow at 2.00pm DD and us will be outside the house with the EA to go in to confirm that the tenants have gone and the house hasn't been left a tip. We will then phone her solicitor, and, hopefully exchange will take place. Completion will be dependant on the house being completely cleared. Having been round the house while the tenants were in occupation. I suspect the sellers may need to get skip in after they have gone to dispose of everything they leave behind.

Grammaretto

I'm inclined to agree with you M0nica. The EA has offered and will know his job.

Have you got a solicitor, they should be able to handle the negotiations and tie the deal up. You'll need one anyway, l wouldn't use an EA as well.
I'd tell your potential buyer to make an offer if he wants it. It's not worth getting a Home Report for the valuation, it may work against you. The home report surveyor won't have any more relevant info to go on than your EA who said it was hard to value. If they go in lower than you think you're more or less stuck with it.

I've seen a house I like in my price range, in the area I want. It has a flat roof which the EA says was refurbished in Nov 24. It's the flat roof which is making me hesitant, but I know it will get snapped up if I dither for too long.

Advice from anyone with experience of a flat roof house would be very welcome.

Thank you OldFrill that's helpful.
My solicitor sent me to a surveyor.

We discussed HR and surveys and she, the Surveyor has now said she
thinks I should get back to my
solicitor!

My potential buyer says he's happy to pay the price I ask, (I would be happy with a midway point between the 3 valuations I've already had)