Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 3

Liljan hope your move goes ahead ok. We were hoping to complete on 1st November and our buyer said no later. But when house we're buying said ok, then 15th then 20th. So we lived in our small sited touring caravan with 2 dogs for 3 weeks. Furniture went in a storage container. One dog was pregnant due on 2nd December had pups 10 days after we moved. Still trying to get straight here but then we have forever now we've actually moved.
All the best mosaic so pleased for you getting a nice rental.

I have no idea how I have put a picture into my post. Yes, it is one from my picture file, but did not download it or anything.

Today I have joined the local library, sorted out a problem with the Council about registering for Council Tax on line. Their error originally, but despite a phone call, two emails and three letters nobody sorted it out - five minutes face to face and all done!!! Also, done application for my local bus pass.
Also had my garage door finally turned into an electric one, which will be of a great help as I found it very heavy and cumbersome.
Realised that living in a flat I need to change some of my regular way of doing things (in the house), eg: with washing machine in kitchen just across hallway from bedroom, do need to gather all my washing in my arms (as I used to do to take downstairs to Utility room), but can now just take the small bin with dirty washing in it from bedroom to kitchen!!!
Hope you have some good news Liljan.
Mw - you are moving forwards, slowly, but at least you have a better idea as to what you want to do.

Finally got it working Whiff, I'm not that impressed, it's a bit stiff to use. One box down, 39 to go! Lovely to have your shower room to look forward to, the shower at the rental has to be revamped before we move in as it's leaking into the kitchen. Makes sense to have them on the ground floor, really!

My daughter has been to see a 'room' today so she may be moving out before I move. Off to collect her from the local station, train delayed, some poor soul again has been hit by a train and all services were disrupted.

Grammaretto I'm amazed the house is being marketed, what a waste of your time. I have alerts from various estate agents, if you register on their websites and supply the details of the property you wish to acquire.

We went to view this house on DD's behalf. It's in a dreadful state. It's been empty for 15 years. Ceilings fallen down. Dry rot. The garden looked amazing for wildlife with trees growing up at the windows. How would you let a house fall into such a state? You wonder if the owners are so rich they forgot they owned it!
It would be best to knock it down and begin again but too expensive for a plot of land. Ah well back to the drawing board.
How do you make sure you get alerts when a house comes on the market?

Hope you got the tape dispenser working Mosaciwarts. I'm old school tape and scissors. And constantly lossing the end.
My bathroom fitter came this afternoon and measured up for the new shower room and the new doors. Asked him to take all the old loft insulation out and put new in. Doing all the work at the end of March as I wanted. Says I can stay here whilst they do the work. But will see if how I get on with the mess. I can stay with my daughter.

Hope everyone has had a good day.

Just having a break. I have watched the video on loading the tape dispenser twice now, and still can't do it Going to have a coffee and try again.

Hope you have good news in the morning Liljan, and 10 January is your day.

You will be in a strange giddy state Liljan, I imagine. I hope everything goes as planned and you only spend one night in an hotel!

That's a good theory about the auctioneers's brochure crafty
It would look splendid on the front cover.

My DD keeps sending me "houses to buy" links. The latest is an idyllic rural cottage which needs complete restoration and isn't safe to enter! Ever practical DD. Closing date next week too. I told DH and he says "go for it!!!"

My sellers estate agent phoned me about the completion and half hour later my solicitor phoned to tell me. Never heard from my estate agent. Collected the keys from the estate agent who handled the sale. Just went in told them my name and handed me the keys it was very anti climatical. ( If that's a word). No welcome to your new home or anything. The vendors had left a card and beautiful orchid in the kitchen for me. Flowers lasted a long time.

My Solicitors office telephoned me to tell me that purchase was completed and I could 'pick up the keys' to the flat - three hours after we had been informed of this fact by the EA's. !!!! Removal company was nearly finished in moving all furniture and boxes in at that point!!!

that auctioneer sounds keen, he will want to put your property on the front of his property brochure and what good advertising that would be, it will attract very many people and will raise chances of more people wanting to buy

Almost there Liljan

Niobe that was nice, thoughtful

When we got the call from our solicitor that all was complete on our purchase we phoned the sellers estate agent to pick up the keys at their office but they said someone would meet us at the house with the keys. When we got there the husband and wife who owned the agency were both there with a huge hamper for us. It contained 2 mugs, teaspoons, tea, coffee, biscuits, toilet rolls (!), cleaning materials and some homes magazines . From the logos on the mugs and the inclusion of the Wren catalogue we assumed it was a subsidised advertising ploy.
We also had our box of mugs tea,coffee etc but we appreciated it anyway.

Liljan fingers and toes crossed for you.

Wishing you well on the challenging times ahead Mosaic, my situation seems short lived compared to what you are going through.
We are now spending our final night here, only things left are the mattress, a few dishes and the cleaning basket for the final spruce before the removal company does a final pick up in the morning. Had a bit of a disaster with the removals today where they managed to take a chunk out of a wall when moving our bed, they also managed to drop a box of toiletries on the stair carpet which of course spilt, I scrubbed the carpet while my husband went in to town to buy a matchpot of paint to do some touching up,....rescue mission accomplished! We spend tomorrow night in a hotel before entry (finally) on Friday. Our Solicitor called today to advise us that there has been a change in relation to the pick up of the keys for the new house, the Sellers Solicitors are not based in the same town as where the house is and it had been agreed that we pick up keys from the Surveyor’s office, we are now being told that once monies are received by the Solicitors they will call an”Agent” who will then arrange to meet us at the house with the keys. They have assured us that the Agent will be free to meet us and not be tied up elsewhere when the call comes through. So please all keep those digits crossed just a little bit longer!

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Crafty, you are uncanny! Your vision of MW as Boadicea on her white horse was exactly as I had envisioned her!

mosaic things are moving now, finally. Yes, there will be challenging times ahead, no doubt, but once this house has gone and funds are released you will be in such a strong position.

Have been thinking of you whilst at work today, remembered it was survey day, and I’m relieved the outcome was positive.

Can’t tell you how glad I am that by this time next month you will be cosy and warm in your little rental. Chin up, love, nearly there

Thanks for the hug Whiff, I spoke to my daughter about the beetles today and she said 'can we not talk about it'. She views it as negative.

The buyer does seem to be messing me about doesn't he, it really irritates me when he tells the EA he 'will look at more quotes'. He has no idea of good local tradesmen as he's 300 miles away, and I doubt his surveyor, who is fifteen miles away from me, has any idea either, but he is accepting the quotes the surveyor provides as rote. Did I tell you I asked my surveyor if he could come and value the house? Sadly he doesn't do it, unlike the buyer's surveyor he hasn't got EA qualifications too.

I have talked to the auctioneer, he actually owns the business and is linked to fifty nationwide estate agents including one local to me who I'd have to register with. He actually rang me on Monday, his first day back apparently. I checked with my EA for the notice period which is three weeks, so I think I'll have this month to get organised, then see what is happening. I think I told you my solicitor's Mum had a heart attack late December, I haven't had to contact him yet as nothing has happened yet. I can't run two homes for long - I can hardly believe the oil has gone down 200L in a week, I think the wind might have made the Aga work too hard yesterday.

I've just come from chasing two tiny mice out of the front door. I was playing football with my dog and he suddenly lay down at the fender, sniffing it. It's a big cast iron U shape, hollow, one of the only things not pinched from the station in NER days. I put my dog in the other room and lifted it up - three quality sweet wrappers, chewed to bits, and a teeny mouse! He ran off behind the grandfather clock and I got the torch, bless, he had his mate with him! Much hand clapping and gentle poker waving got them out. Couldn't bear it if my cat got them.

Have to empty my freezer and give it away, having something homemade, brown and lumpy, no idea what it is!

This man seems to be messing you about. Have you had time to talk to the auctioneers. For your peace of mind you need answers. Even if he goes through with buying your house it could be months before completion. The way I understand auctions things are all done within a certain time frame. At least you would know exactly when everything would be finalised. At the moment you are at the wim of this buyer.
At least you have the rental. It will be strange living in a smaller space but if you are like me I rattled round my old house and now I am cosy in my bungalow. Housework is done in no time and cheaper bills. I hope you have a good night's sleep in your bed tonight. Sending to a hug.

Hi Whiff, I've just had an exhausting time finding and uploading my P60's to prove my income, renting certainly isn't straightforward. They wouldn't accept my bank statements because my name isn't showing on each sheet - ? TSB don't print your name on each sheet. I went paper free so I could download the statements in PDF - but it takes a month to be actioned Exasperating. The agency then told me to ring the bank and ask them to print some out for me with my name on. I haven't ordered duplicates for many years but remember they cost quite a bit per item. Ridiculous, so glad I'd done my 'filing' and found the P60's quickly. At last I'm finally 'credit checked' and have 'passed' the reference checking.

I don't know if the buyer is completely dodo dead yet Whiff, all a bit of a blur with my aunt going into hospital on 19 December. She has now done a list of emergency contacts, but is upset one of her two POA friends has gone to Australia without telling her!

I do think the buyer has timed this strategically. It all happened on Monday 16 December, my head was full of Christmas too. The EA rang and said having seen the survey he wanted to offer £50K less, ie £305K. I was really angry and said to forget it, but she said he'd spent a lot of money on the survey, was keen, and it was worth seeing if he'd up his offer. She rang and he came back with £330K which I said I'd accept. She then said she wanted to try for a bit more and asked him for £335K.

He asked to sleep on it Monday night. On the morning of Tuesday 17th she rang me to say he'd withdrawn by email over night, but she'd phoned him for a chat, and he still wanted the mortgage survey (happening at 12.30 pm) to go ahead.

I think it was Thursday 19th, the same day my aunt collapsed, the EA rang to say the buyer had been told the mortgage company wouldn't agree to lend him the money without a damp/timber report from a PSA or something approved specialist - and they were closing down at 4 pm on Monday 23rd December. They'd got me some numbers to try so yet again he was interrupting my time, I should charge him. It was all horribly rushed, but I agreed to a) book it and b) pay for it so I could keep the report, and ask the surveyor about these 'beetles' the surveyor had commented on, more than once. They were unable to come until today, nice man, but again I had to get up early to walk my dog, lock him in the car, and have someone poking about the house.

I wonder if they will give him the mortgage, and for how much, if they do. I'll see what happens, I'm going to stick yellow post it notes on the few items I need moved down to the cottage and relax for a while. I'm sure I will end up at auction.

hehe, I am now seeing Boadicea Mosaics on her big white charger, leading the run into battle with a great bit flag and we are all galloping behind her. That is the energy that I am getting now, what a great turnaround

yes same here whiff and it still continues

mosaics you have a second wind, its having the definite objective that is good. You know what you are doing now and negative has become positive and we can sense it in your posts. You have taken charge of your destiny

Mosaciwarts you mention your buyer. I thought that was dead and you were going to sell at auction. Glad you are geared up for packing. It will unearth if you anything like me stuff that I forgot Ihad. Also things that will hold memories of your husband. But remember you take memories with you things are just things and can be let go.

Had a busy time emptying boxes in the garage so far emptied 9 with 4 boxes of things for charity. Thought I had sorted all out before I moved. When I empty the rest no doubt there will be more for charity .

Keep on keeping on mosaics!

Hello all, hope all is going well for you today Liljan. So glad the wind has dropped for you, I had to come down and sleep on the sofa, the chimneys were singing so loudly.

My damp/timber specialist has been and gone.

The person that was coming originally rang in sick, so he was covering, and shocked at the size of the job as he'd been booked in for another survey at 11 am. He worked really quickly and efficiently and I'm pleased he finished, he said if he couldn't he would have to return. As I've paid for the survey I was able to speak to him, he loved the house, and I am reassured about the 'beetles' downstairs being brown bread as my late husband would say. Sanding the floors just shows where they were in the past, our seller was adamant he had eradicated them. He hopes to have the report sent through by the middle of next week, he's off on Friday because his poor daughter has to go into hospital for a root canal, argh! Now I know what is involved in having a crown, I'd never ever have one again, would rather eat liquidised food!

I wasn't happy when the EA rang about the buyer's mortgage company requesting the report, when she said it will highlight any 'emergency' works that need to be done, I perhaps mistakenly got the impression I might be expected to foot the bill. I have managed to distance myself a bit now, and have been thinking about the language being used about the survey. 'Emergency', 'Salvage', 'Immediate' - I do think it's all a psychological game. The house is priced to reflect these 'works' and I'm moving because it is pointless for me to do it, the house is too big for me alone, and too expensive to run. I also don't want to deal with trades people on my own. It's been a horrible experience so far and has only just begun, I'm sure worse is to come. I'm grateful to those of you who reminded me of why I'm moving, and it's reassuring to know the feeling disappears quickly once you move.

I also want to thank you craftyone for the link to the packing boxes website. After much fiddling around with mm measurements, which I'm not good at, I decided on the 18 x 12 x 12 inch boxes with hand holes. Including delivery, I have 40 boxes, 12 tapes, and two tape dispensers. On another 'packaging' website just 40 boxes was £72.00! I had already bought some from Lidl, far too big for me. Thanks for saving me a heap of money.

Ironing board out, have clothes to sell on ebay!

Liljan, thinking of you, its almost beyond bearable. Scenarios like this ensure that people will never move again, even to downsize

4 weeks mosaics, it will go in a flash and I say good to that.
Octopus energy are fab, the cheapest with the best customer service. I changed to them and they then recommended a cheaper tariff for me.

While sorting, put essentials into a large plastic box with handles, like a see through(18litre) really useful box with a lid. Put a good torch in there, a couple of screwdrivers, marking pen, masking tape to write on, steel tape measure, paper ruler and pencils, a notebook for ideas, dates and notes. I bought a laser measure, was invaluable for measuring rooms to see if furniture would fit. Into another of these boxes put the eating essentials for 2 people, t towels, mugs, glasses.