Are you moving house?

That's right Oopsadaisy, you're only a cash buyer if you have the money to complete a purchase without having to sell a property and/or obtain a mortgage.

Madeleine45 my goodness you really do go to great lengths.
I already have 4 family members living in the area and have spent time there they are all really comfortable there. My daughter is an administrator for estate agents and is keeping a good eye on things. So I am aware of what’s going on.
Thanks for the advice.

have moved 19 times as an adult both here and abroad and the last move was from my lovely house to this ground floor flat , in the middle of covid so no help from the normal sources. So here are some ideas that I have gleaned over the years and hope that they are helpful.

Once you have decided on a particular area you would like to live in, get the local paper for that area delivered to you every week, or whenever it comes out. You will certainly get the value of having it over time. So as you look at it week by week you will then get to see patterns and information that you wont get from the estate agents. If you keep seeing a particular road mentioned in articles about fights near a pub or endless roadworks complained about etc, you can make a note in the thumbs down list. Perhaps there are some gardens open in a road that looks really good.

I get two notebooks and put the same information in each. One you put away with your documents so that in the future if you need to refer back to something you can easily find it, with appropriate dates etc. The other is your one to keep with you as you go along, so you have an instant referral to check against.

Do you know anyone who lives in that new area, or do you have friends whose family live in that area? Once you get to the stage of seeing possible roads or specific houses that appeal being able to ask a local person for any details about it is very worth while. For my previous move we saw a house that looked very possible, but I wondered why it hadnt already sold and so thought it was worth the effort of a personal check out. I got organised and wrote out a list of different traffic down one side with a time across the top and then took myself in the car with a picnic, coffee etc etc and had radio 3 to keep me company and just put ticks into the appropriate boxes as the day went on. A bit of a pain to do in a way but it was actually very worth while, as it became very clear that this road was used as a rat run and was very busy from about 7-10am and 4-7pm. I then found out - from the said paper - that there was to be some major road works not far away and this in the end decided me not to go ahead with buying the house. When I passed it in later times was glad that I hadnt moved there.

Do you have a particular hobby? if you belong to any club, gardening, bridge, wi , etc have a look in the library of your new area. They always have the up to date information about clubs etc and contact numbers. That way you can see if there is a club or group that you might look to join, but that as you get nearer moving you might contact for advice, i.e. the gardening clubs I have always found very helpful and they will know the soil and what grows well etc .

Another thing I have done quite early on in the search is to look around for a local b@b and then deliberately stay there in the winter or a very non holiday time, not christmas or easter where there will be extra things happening. You want to see just how the town works on an everyday basis, and again you can just walk about in the centre or drive around and see how easy it is to park or get to shops or hospitals etc.

This may all sound too much effort and an expense but I have always found it has been worth it, and the good thing is that if you have spent even 3 days stopping there you have already found out basic things like where the good butcher is and which cafe you like. Also , especially when I have moved long distance , or when I had everything coming from storage I chose to stay bed and breakfast for two nights , either side of the actual moving day. So that was for long distance moving , but even for short distance to stay b@b the night of the actual removal works well. That way, you do not have to do the beds first when you are really exhausted and emotionally drained by the day. If they do evening meal too, even better. That means you can work at your own pace, in your new house, knowing that at 6pm you are going to leave the mess, lock the door and go off to have a shower and a nice meal and a rest. You can go back to do a bit more if you have the energy or just leave it until the following day, when a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast puts new heart into you and you will work much better and faster then.

The important thing in your new place is as soon as possible put a comfortable chair, probably looking out at the garden, a decent light you can read by, and the radio or music or whatever, so that that is your escape corner you go to whenever you feel overwhelmed, tired, or cannot just see what you need to do next. So long as it is turned away from the mess, it will give you a breather.

Hope this doesnt make you feel worse about the move. I write it to help you feel you are still in charge and that these things, whilst not legal or specific house buying things can be a help to you. One last quite a crafty but useful thing you might do, is if you do not seem to be getting anyone looking at your house , to get a friend , who is not local, to go to your estate agent and give a description that would fit your property and ask what is available in your area. If the estate agent gives a good idea of your place fine, but if they dont put it forward or miss out the features that you feel are the important ones, you could try sending a second person in later so that you have a couple of times to compare, but you may then discover that the estate agent is not doing a good job for you and you could change plaaces. When we were moving about 60 miles away and were not getting many properties being sent to us, I went thee and looked in the windows of the estate agent, saw something very possible and then went in and asked if they could check the details and information I had left with them. They did so and when I asked why this place had not been passed on to us, he said well he would have done but first they were being given to someone who was selling through them as well. By this time we were a cash buyer and I told him that and he had missed a good sale etc. So it is worth just checking out if you are being treated properly. I hasten to say that the great majority of people we dealt with were very helpful and this was an unusual situation. I have always kept again a small notebook with each room of the house having a few pages to itself. Then every time you decorate or whatever this will have the sizes and lengths of curtains etc etc . Very handy , if like me , you have champagne tastes and beer money! Sometimes have found good curtains in a charity shop or rolls of wallpaper in sales etc. So also put things in like which floorboard you can take up to look at pipes etc. When I have liked the person buying my house, I add at the back, the names and adds of electricians, plumbers etc that I have uwed and the local butcher baker shop info. They will make their own minds up but it is usually appreciated to have that for the first few weeks. Good luck with the move and let us know how things go on

Georgesgran

DD1 in the property business says all prospective buyers are cash buyers, whether it’s cash in the bank, from a mortgage or hidden under the mattress (joke) - it’s whether or not they’ve a property to sell that makes the difference.

Or their buyer has a a property to sell. In fact just how long the chain is.

Georgesgran

DD1 in the property business says all prospective buyers are cash buyers, whether it’s cash in the bank, from a mortgage or hidden under the mattress (joke) - it’s whether or not they’ve a property to sell that makes the difference.

But if you tell the Agent that you are cash buyers, the moment your offer is accepted you need to provide proof of funds and send them bank statements to prove that the ‘cash’ is actually in your account, then they will accept your deposit and continue with the sale.
If you don’t have all of the money sitting there in your accounts, then to them you are definitely not a ‘cash buyer’.

DD1 in the property business says all prospective buyers are cash buyers, whether it’s cash in the bank, from a mortgage or hidden under the mattress (joke) - it’s whether or not they’ve a property to sell that makes the difference.

I wouldn't argue with anything you said *Franbern, except possibly letting Estate Agens do the viewings, unless you want them to.

I began letting the agent do the viewing, but ended up with so many queries, I have found that it is easier to do them myself. I know the house and the area so can field questions about what the village is like, I can also quickly suggest ways the house could be used to meet what he viewer is looking for.

Thanks for that Franbern perhaps you’ll pop back with advise now and then. So far all paperwork has been done online all the ID stuff anyway so I’m ready to go on sale as soon as I give the go ahead. I’m in no hurry and take on board not to get invested in a property till it’s signed and sealed.

Six years ago Karmalady started a similar thread her, and this eventually ran to many thousands of posts over the next year. At that time, she was having a a bad time with her move. Several of us, all at that time in a similar process, became quite close friends and supported each other during this horrendous time of selling/buying. I was in my very late 70's at time, and trying to sell my house on the outskirts of East London (an area I had always lived in), and move down to Somerset to a flat.

This was pre-pandemic, and the problems that people have reported here were similar to those we had. I was actually having removal companies come round to give me quote, so near to completion were things, when my buyer suddenly pulled out for spurious reasons.

Eventually, all that little group made their moves, and all happily. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my life.

As I am now the voluntary secretary to our voluntary |Management Company, I have to deal with Solicitors every time one of our 25 flats is sold so I can really see that bad and slow as things were back then, it is so much worse now. Solicitors seem to take forever to reply to the most simple questions, and usually is a clerk (not the actual solicitor), making the reply or asking the question, and equally often not very accurately!!! (eg: recently I was asked why a document that has to be done every 5 years, did not have a more updated version than the 2022 one sent to them!!!).

I would say be very aware that Estate Agents, will often give a high valuation in order to get you to go with them on a single EA basis. Then they will come back to you in a few weeks saying the property is overpriced and telling you to reduce it.

Try to use a Solicitor close to you, this means that any documents can be dropped in by hand rather than have the worry of posting them.

Use the EA 's to do viewings of your property. Maybe 2nd viewings can be done with yourself.

A real 'cash' buyer is one who has the money for the purchase in total in their bank, and do not need money from the sale of their existing property for this purpose. A 'mortgage free' purchaser is one who will use the proceeds from their sale to purchase the property.

Be prepared for disappointment - until contracts are actually signed and exchanged, nothing is definite.

Keep going - when that wonderful removal day does actually arrive, it can be the start of a really good part of your lives

GOOD LUCK

winterwhite

Best wishes to all the movers on this thread. My problem is different. DH and I are being nagged (no other word) by the children about moving into some form of retirement complex with care if needed! They're ganging up against us.

DH is frail and I have some mobility problems and poor vision. We're in our early 80s. Last year we gave up the car and rely on taxis and home deliveries. I think we do jolly well. Certainly we rattle around rather but we're now used to and enjoy the space.

They say this because they don't live very close and 'worry about us', esp one of us dying leaving the other to rattle around even more. That's inevitable wherever we are it seems to me, and a solution will be found for whichever one it is when the time comes. I don't want to cut short our life here for somewhere small. I wouldn't know where to begin searching for such a place or weighing up the pros and cons of the whole idea. Head firmly in sand.

Has anyone else been under such pressure?

Hi Winterwhite.. If you are coping well and love your home I would resist the pressure to move.. Moving is tremendously stressful.. Much though your DC love you it is not their decision to make.. Just keep saying no firmly and politely!!

winterwhite

Best wishes to all the movers on this thread. My problem is different. DH and I are being nagged (no other word) by the children about moving into some form of retirement complex with care if needed! They're ganging up against us.

DH is frail and I have some mobility problems and poor vision. We're in our early 80s. Last year we gave up the car and rely on taxis and home deliveries. I think we do jolly well. Certainly we rattle around rather but we're now used to and enjoy the space.

They say this because they don't live very close and 'worry about us', esp one of us dying leaving the other to rattle around even more. That's inevitable wherever we are it seems to me, and a solution will be found for whichever one it is when the time comes. I don't want to cut short our life here for somewhere small. I wouldn't know where to begin searching for such a place or weighing up the pros and cons of the whole idea. Head firmly in sand.

Has anyone else been under such pressure?

In answer to your last question, my former neighbour was under intense pressure from her four adult children to move closer to them who were all in the Kent/London area.

They would not let it drop. She knew they really wanted her for childminding reasons which she did not feel inclined to do on a regular basis.

Anyway, she moved to Kent with her partner, beautiful house but they missed Norfolk and were not happy. He became very ill and she had already nursed two husbands through terminal illnesses and felt she could not do it again as she was much older.

His family came and took him away and she sadly took her own life. The loveliest lady I ever met.

Primrose53

My husband had a very serious stroke at end Nov and for the first time yesterday, suggested that we may have to move.

We love our house but we still don’t know whether he will be able to walk so he is thinking we should sell our house and a small house we rent out and buy a bigger bungalow.

We would like to stay in our village as it is a great community and has everything we need. Several shops, bus route, nice countryside and walks, not far from coast and other towns.

It will all depend on how my husband progresses obviously.

Hi Primrose.. could you find a building plot in your village, sell your small house and start building the home that would suit your needs?? You could supervise the building until you need to sell your main home to finish finance..

Primrose I wish your husband a good recovery it takes time after a stroke. No harm in making tentative plans.

My husband had a very serious stroke at end Nov and for the first time yesterday, suggested that we may have to move.

We love our house but we still don’t know whether he will be able to walk so he is thinking we should sell our house and a small house we rent out and buy a bigger bungalow.

We would like to stay in our village as it is a great community and has everything we need. Several shops, bus route, nice countryside and walks, not far from coast and other towns.

It will all depend on how my husband progresses obviously.

Letting go of this house where my late husband and I had such happy times is such a wrench for me but with encouragement I’m getting there.
Grammaretto I wish you luck with your possible buyer and what a deflating comment by the other one.

I hadn’t realised that agents will inform buyers who express an interest in a certain area when a house is about to come on the market it’s called ‘off market sales’, not sure how that works.

I love the story of your Pickfords' move Sago! wouldn't that be nice.

I don't know how I feel about showing people round. I've had 2 valuations. One was wonderful maybe I've already said this but the second told me if anyone bought my house, they would pull it down and build flats!

I really hope the person who has told me he wants my house, will buy it though my DC think I should put it on the open market.
I feel that would be very stressful. It's such a unique property so could take a long time to sell and meanwhile, the curiosity factor, everyone would want a nosey.

Grammaretto, my move was 12 miles, from a small village with a village hall, good community and allotments. Two buses a day and they did not go far, no shop, doctor etc. I moved to a small old market town, which is growing and I live just 10 minutes walk from shops, 5 minutes from buses, 15 minutes from the surgery

It was a very good move for me eg my energy costs just £92pm.

Good luck to all of you, for those who find it emotionally very difficult. The walls seem to release you once you have finally taken the decision to move

I agree about the stress moving incurs! We had been debating moving for around a year, but couldn't bring ourselves to do anything about it as we love our home, which is in a lovely village in beautiful countryside. I felt we should start to think about the future, as my husband is severely sight impaired so doesn't drive, and we have 3 buses a day that don't go anywhere we might want to be. Also I have had lots of hospital appointments after getting cancer 3 years ago, and our nearest hospitals are 50 or 100 mile round trips. I have had lots of offers of support, but prefer to be as independent as possible. Last Sept, a couple knocked on our door & said someone had told them we were considering moving, and if so, could they buy our house!!! We felt this was the prompt we needed! Sadly they cancelled their offer later on, so we put the house with an agent and have managed to sell it pretty quickly. We want to move back to the area, 75 miles away, where our family live (and we lived for 40 years before coming here 10 years ago. There is not much for sale that ticks our boxes but we have found a house so hoping all will go through! My husband in particular is very sad about the whole thing - a head versus heart dilemma - though he agrees that he would struggle living here on his own, if it came to that. Part of our current stress is that we have seen 2 potential houses, one house we really liked as it had a wow factor, but the second , which we have gone for, is in a better location, with better buses, social opportunities, facilities etc, being in a village location as opposed to a commuter area of mainly houses but no shops etc. Hoping we have done the right thing, and soon the sleepless nights will disappear!!!

tanith

Monica sounds like you are doing viewings yourself? I don’t think I will do that as I fear if I don’t ‘like’ someone I won’t them in my house, how daft is that! Good luck with todays viewers. Onwards and upwards.

i am quite happy doing the viewings. The estate agent is more than happy to do them, but I feel I know more about the house and can answer questions better. I am quite good as working out their family and wants and showing them how the house can meet them. One viewer wanted to know about the arranements for maintaining the short access road. we share with 2 other houses. I had the answer, I don't think the estate agent would.

I have viewers doing an unacompanied walk round the house at the moment. I always offer this, after a guided tour, only a few take it up.

I'm not moving house but wish I could. I've been here 16 years now and it's too long. I enjoy new environments and new neighbours etc. I simply can't afford to move, and probably haven't enough energy anyway.
Good luck to those of you who are moving. It can be stressful, so best wishes.

I’m upsizing too as my eldest daughter is going to live with me for now. So 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with one an en-suite with a wc downstairs. One I just found online is detached newish also has a garage and utility a real upgrade from my little 2 bed semi. Houses are so much cheaper out of London. Garden is too big but as I’ll have a bit of help on hand not unmanageable. We shall see.
It’s nice getting others ideas and experiences.

Our viewings were while we were on holiday.
I have finally met our buyers.

We are packing now, it’s hard work.

When my husbands company moved us (many times) they provided us with Pickfords to pack and unpack, hotels, etc.

I didn’t know how lucky I was!

I once sat in the hairdressers in Newcastle upon Tyne and the hairdresser asked if I had any plans for the afternoon, I told him we were moving that day, the packers were in and I was going to go home then set off to drive south to an hotel near our new home, I was 24 and didn’t think it was at all unusual!

I didn’t even have to clean the house, it was all done!

I cannot imagine how much it would cost now!

Fortunately we are fit and able so I’m thinking of all the money we are saving.

That sounds perfect for you Karmalady you don't say how far and from what you moved?

Good luck M0nica I hope someone commits to buying soon.

The downsize house I am viewing next week is quite large, 3 beds 2 bathrooms, 2 public rooms, a conservatory and garage. Plus an accessible attic. It's expensive too but doesn't have a leaky roof, more than an acre of land with trees to worry about and big energy bills.

Some friends sold their house very quickly. It was in tip top condition. The agent showed viewers round while the friends went on holiday for a week. When they returned it was sold! She told me it was stress free and she didn't even need to tidy up the place each day.

I love my house and moved myself in 2019, did all my own packing, downsizing etc, I was 72

I decided to go for good insulation and easy maintenance, so I bought a new build from a well respected local builder. I chose the situation very carefully, bearing in mind, situation, shops, buses etc

I bought bigger than you would expect and most definitely wanted stairs and storage for my many hobbies, also garage and decent sized, private garden. I have all of that

4 bedroom detached and all the rooms are used, I now have a dedicated sewing room, health room, storage/ spare bedroom and main bedroom. I don`t need 3 toilets nor a bath but the bathroom is only for visitors and is not in my en suite, which has a large walk in shower

My advice is to look at your actual needs, hobbies, future hobbies, guests etc. To increase my vegetable-production needs, I have also got a local allotment

Moving is very stressful, especially when the buyer says they are cash buyers but then need a small mortgage. We had a very dedicated thread which morphed into several continuation threads over time, we all helped each other through the process and all ended up in happy homes

This is such an interesting thread.
I wish I had the courage to move as it
would free up 1000’s in equity and make my retirement far more comfortable.
But……I worry about things like, what if I really regret it? what if I can’t make any new friends? and quite a few other things.
Living just outside London the facilities are great, ( transport etc ) so I’m used to that.
I think I’ll just save up for a nice caravan somewhere & have the best of both worlds.

Best of luck to you all on your exciting new moving adventure.