Help, calm me. House buying and selling stress

We moved 18 months ago from UK to Ireland. In the Irish system you have to put down non returnable deposit so we were on the hook for around €40,000 loss if we did not complete. God that was stressful.

You do here too, its the exchange deposit. Its just that here it often happens close to or even on the same day as completion.

I dont really know what part of the process should be changed to after exchange instead of before though?

What would be the point of surveys and checks if you had already paid your deposit?

I am going to order 4 appliances for my new house today, just need to check the lead times first. I need the freezer and fridge within days of completion, the other two will do a bit later. The same company that I have used before, a nice little run out in the car, maybe have lunch at the local craft shop
I am not backing out of exchange/completion so ordering is a pretty safe bet. The shop will store until I am ready

Hall here is full, including a bag with stuffed-in clothes, undies, bathroom stuff and nightwear and an aerobed. If I stay home then I keep looking at the net, for e mails. Need to get out, get some lunch out, need a break

nothing again today, ziltch, so another 3 or 4 days of waiting before I might get that e mail saying that the paperwork is in, very frustrating and my house is so messy now. So I kill time, today put a deposit on a very good dishwasher and I will replace the one in the property which is, quite frankly, rubbish, had lunch out, was the only solo in there

Sorted my tools for taking with me. Spent 90 minutes gathering all the remaining garden bits together, very heavy pots and outdoor furniture and corten troughs. Happy that I managed to lift a very heavy leisure battery down from 5` to the ground, without dropping it, yikes, never thought of that, it would have put a hole in the floor. Solar lighting in the store is now disconnected, maybe that was foolhardy and I was lucky but at the same time pleased that I managed

Reason to keep at it is that I have the removals costs. He has agreed an hourly rate for 2 men, van and fuel. Makes sense then for me to take as much as I can in my own vehicle, could save a fair bit of money, if I have enough time to do several runs

Shall I keep salt washed stone pots, they are very heavy even when empty?

My big salt glazed pots are being re-homed to family tomorrow. 6 of them and I will do a tip run, to get out of the house, get rid of some plastic troughs. This killing time is oh so hard.

I hope there is news on my new house next week, that stress is almost worse than the selling stress. I must admit that I am again having too short a sleep at night, I know I am stressed, not sky high but low level and continuous

Another week ahead and again am full of hope for exchange on the new house but it is out of my hands. I do find things I want the builder to do before exchange, like neater floor edgings and taking out an integrated appliance. He is very good but it is nice to have the exchange leverage, to get it done before completion

Two more packages packed, both using the vac packed bags in a handled case from lakeland. I bought them 7 months ago when on special offer, bought loads to protect my wools at first, then saw the beauty for packing and stashing when I get there. 1 jumbo packed today and 1 underbed size. The spare duvets, pillows and mattress covers. I have 2 bags left

Now I have a phone/internet dilemma. I have had no mobile signal for 9 years and have made do with only an old emergency phone for the car. Landline is not fully connected on site and I have to access my banks and e mails. Would 4g be enough? I will have to buy a phone and catch up what everyone else has learned. That on its own is scary

Agree about mortgage companies pulling out.
A dd's mortgage offer on a flat was pulled at the very last minute because of a (supposedly) absentee freeholder.

We were going halves with her, and despite our saying that we were going to buy the FH, they wouldn't budge.

The estate agent at the time said they were looking for any reason to withdraw offers.

If we hadn't been in a position to go ahead anyway, that sale
would have fallen through.

As it turned out, the freeholder wasn't 'absent' at all - just hiding a few miles away under another name, because of debts attached to the FH! We had to use a tracing service to run him to earth.

May not be relevant to this case, but when we were selling a flat last year, we were bombarded with questionnaires about historical minutiae which we couldn’t answer. Eg a Tree protection order last listed in the 1950s. (The flat was built in the 1970s) it turned out to be a stalling exercise by the mortgage company who wanted the deal to go through in the next financial year which suited them but not us. As soon as April came, they exchanged and completed within days without answers to all their impossible questions. Good luck Craftyone?

Thanks purpledaffodil, that was very interesting. I am just killing time for a while, no way can I make this house look neat and tidy at the moment so no point faffing. All I can do to eat sensibly, sardines on toast right now. Keeping my strength up. I know I can handle one full load at a time in my yeti minus seats. I will only pack things that are not too heavy for me. I can get a lot in there, a few loads will clear my house so I can see ahead better, for the removers

Good morning, crafty one. I’ve been doing everything on my phone, including banking, since selling my house in October. But I did need some help in setting up the banking apps. And I did need a much better phone than the one I had!

Going back to your reply to my post several days ago. I apologise if it looked as if I ignored you, The house I pulled out of didn’t have any certificates except an outline p,anning permission. It was in a piece of garden belonging to a big house and I can only think the original owner had erected it himself. The people I was buying from had bought it for cash and had not been bothered. No building regs sign off, no electric certificate, not even sure the chimney for the wood burning stove had been lined. And as it turned out no connection to main drains. Nothing!!

You sound pretty on the ball in spite of the stress?

Killing time eglantine that is all, I have been killing time since october, when I was supposed to be exchanging on the new house. Solicitor is good and on the ball, does not want me to have future problems with sewer adoptions. Builder is very good, has agreed to some things that I asked him today. Obviously wants me in, I will be a good agent for him, he knows that. Works both ways. I am first in so everybody else`s solicitor will have a much easier job

Thank goodness I kept my allotment, albeit a half, not a weed in sight right now and somewhere very beautiful and tranquil to be.

I saw thin wires in various places, I think for potential alarm system. Would you get one? Its quite tempting to think that the doors and windows will be protected while I am in bed. I will be the only one on the site for months

Ahhh, my EA says that more questions are coming my way, same with my buyers buyer, she is getting more questions. Now I feel as though I am being pushed towards exchange and completion on my house here. Oh to regain that tranquility that I used to have. I feel as though there is going to be a slow motion collision. Stress levels right up again

I slept on this and tbh slept well for a change, realising that I call the shots. I have a lot to do, to move to my new house in stages, archway here and need to us a lwb lower top van. I cannot put my workshop stuff into the garage until I have laid my foam matting floor, will be an easy job for me, then I will set up 9 feet of 6 feet high versatile chrome shelving, so I have somewhere to put boxes. This is a major part of my plan. Then the removers can take over but in the meantime I will be going back and forth, shifting goods, like lamps and lampshades and small things like breadmakers

I will be paying the removers by the hour, so it makes sense for me to get as much easy light stuff there as I can. All this was in my plan and I had the offer on my house mid february, wanting now to exchange mid april. I was thrown by that, ball is in my court and they will be lucky to get mid may

I feel back in control and will wag my own tail

I hope that does not mean that mean you will deliberately delay the exchange.
Sorry, but that is how it reads.

of course I will delay the exchange on my house, to suit me, I don`t think 12 weeks wait is unreasonable from start to finish. My house, sought after, I am not worried and neither should they be worried. Very short chain and I will not be pushed, end of

sorry, I know I am hogging the board.

Another pack arrived today from my buyers solicitor via my solicitor. It sent me into a tizz again but I have sorted it and signed and got various signatures from other people. No hurry to return this, normally I would do a 16 mile round trip but maybe go on friday. I was also asked for £80 for an insurance indemnity for something done by a professional who never left the paperwork. I got pee`ed off by that, I am leaving fantastic extras for this person, including a very good top of the range washing machine, almost new curtains and blinds etc. It seems to be all give from me at the moment and I thank heavens for wonderful supportive neighbours

I just need that one piece of paper for the new house and it will be all systems go re the buying.

This is a message for Craftyone, who is so stressed trying to move!
I am desperately trying to move from Scotland to England,
and there are two things making it impossiblew withouy help or a lot of money!
First of all, buyers want to move quickly, and will not wait for the time it takes to complete in England, but the really ridiculous fact is, that in 2019, Scottish solicitors insist on being paid by cheques! On top of this, the seller must wait a week for the cheque to clear!!! So, unless you have money in the bank, so you can rent for a week, you are stuck where you are! Add to this, thge ridiculous, outdated, HIP, and I have no choice but to remain in Scotland.

city 84, none of that applies to me, very different circumstances. Just stressed with co-ordinating everything, sorting, packing, downsizing. Getting obscure questions from my buyer, waiting for a doc for my purchase and living surrounded by packaging and boxes for far longer than expected

Cannot you sell first, then rent while you look, rather than try and co-ordinate sell and buy at the same time, which must indeed send your stress levels through the roof

Indemnity insurance IMHO is a modern day rip off. Having bought and sold several times in recent years it's getting worse. Don’t blame the buyer or the seller. Soliciter’s have endless list of question that require answers and or certificate. No certicate seems to require an indemnity. Each indemnity seems to range from £30 to £150. What a scam. But you agree cus you’re trying to sell your house. Somebody should get Ester Ransom on to it.

Yes I agree specs, the modern day rip off

Another week and no paperwork re the new house. I have to go by what my solicitor advises, just in case of that slim chance that sewer requisition goes wrong and it makes my new house unsellable. Yes she is cautious but I have to comply

So I am not wasting my time this weekend, my yeti is almost a van with the seats out and I am capable of taking lots of the smaller stuff. I decided not to involve my garage when I am loading my car and everything portable by me is now in my sitting room, as well as the hall, study and snug and I still have space to sit down and watch the likes of mommie dearest

My tool boxes are in here and I am going to sort them once and for all. I have dismantled my scroll saw off its stand and I will take that, feel safer anyway because it is precious to me. Somehow I have to turn what could have been a long negative weekend into positive

Feeling stressed again this morning, no reason except the time factor, waiting for that important bit of signing off paper, nhbc and a utility. Trying not to twiddle thumbs, yesterday was bad enough, so just a bit of heavyweight tweaking, to help the removals van team. I shifted all the RU boxes marked garage, into the garage and they are now stacked neatly. Everything now in the garage to the garage

Silly me, thinking again, how not to waste space in my car. Awkward packages like costco bags containing large lampshades. They have to go high up, nothing on top. Hard rectangular shaped boxes and wooden things at the base. Brought the matching rugs down, rolled and tied already, they will work in a base row

I am so worried about getting out of this house in time. Too far to the main lane, too far and too low for a big removals van. Lighting a candle later, got to do something to try and get that important exchange phone call this week. Earth energy, maybe that will help someone to get that paper shuffled

Oh the little things, I can get the ID ready for the bank, will need to travel and get them to transfer the money. I now need forward completion as soon as possible. Please let it be in a day or two

I've just returned from my birthday treat with my friend - any news today?

Happy bithday mosaicwarts

It has been a horrible few days, not knowing exactly the stage the paperwork is at and now my solicitor is on holiday for a week, luckily she has asked someone else to handle my conveyancing, so I have been able to e mail back, stressing the importance of letting me know of developments. Any news at all about the sewer adoption. Ignoring the sewer adoption would be bad, could lead to all sorts of problems in the future

Nothing all day except trying to sort what is sorted and 10 minutes ago new build EA e mailed me, saying that the paperwork has been signed and is at the utility, she thinks there will be a fast turnaround. I hate the way I have become so single minded and boring, no-one here to discuss it with, so my siblings and friends get it all, my offloading. That EA is lovely, yes she has a job but is so considerate and I am eternally grateful for that news

Fantastic, thank you for the birthday wishes, I am feeling a bit glum being alone this birthday. So nice of my friend to take me out, she was also really helpful when Steve died.
My daughter texted from the Cambodian island she's on - they weren't expecting her so she was left to do diving theory with another unexpected girl whilst the instructor disappeared under the water!

I am glad you are feeling you are getting somewhere, yay!

I have a septic tank which I share with the porter's cottage I'm semi attached to (previous owner owned both properties so septic tank in that garden not a problem then) and must remember to show any future surveyors, apparently new rules regarding discharge and luckily we meet the regs.

Off to eat my birthday chox and watch Widow - wonder how accurate it is