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

Oh Liljan, I haven't uncrossed my fingers, and hope it happens. Hope tomorrow's packing and removal goes well for you xx

Thank you everyone for your encouragement, clearly from what you all write, my situation is all too common Whiff It’s so disappointing that you went to the trouble of highlighting the issues and it fell on deaf ears. Fran & Jane as you say, Solicitors can at times be the cause of uncertainty, delay and added expense rather than resolve the issues and move on, this has certainly been the case with us. Fram We/our Solicitor appear to have offended the guy from the Council today who felt that we should be accepting the letter which was sent even although it couldn’t say beyond doubt that the works did not need a building warrant. He ended up having to trawl through their archives for original application and was not best pleased, but we do have something in writing now that we can keep with the title deeds for when we sell if we ever get to the stage of owning this house. The result today is while the sale has not yet been finalised, we are heading in the right direction, however it appears that the Sellers, their Solicitors, our Solicitor and the guy from the Council have all become majorly hacked off in the process! On a more positive note, the Removal Company arrived and cleared over half of the house. They are back for another full day tomorrow and just maybe we’ll also get the sale concluded...fingers still crossed!

Went outside with my daughter's riding hat on just in case a bit of masonry got me (pimple on a haystack, but hey!), noise against the window was just a plastic flowerpot luckily - not so lucky was the 'shatterproof' greenhouse glass panels I meant to take down to the bin have blown over and shattered everywhere. Luckily I keep my cat in at night. Can't ever sleep when it's like this. I've just broken the lock on the platform door trying to bolt it against the wind. Won't moan, only four more weeks!

Evening all, I went to bed and got up again. The big bad wolf is huffing and puffing out there, I'm scared to go outside in case my 'balls' blow off! Big garden gates are swinging around so I've had to padlock them loosely with a chain so they can move, rather than break.

Just popping in to say I did do the 'references' for the rental form wrong, and have now had to do 'open' banking with an FSC accredited 'credit agency' so they can access my accounts to prove my income. Apparently, you can only download bank statements in PDF form if you are paperless - and I still like to check my receipts off with a pen. Rather than faff about photographing all nine pages of three months statements as it has to have my name and address on, I thought I'd try it. This renting lark is a completely new ball game to me. Also seems I have to buy my electricity through 'Octopus' when I move in. Better go, something outside has just hit the window. Stay safe everyone!

These moving horror stories keep coming!
Poor Liljan I really hope it can get sorted for you soon and you make your move.

Whiff thanks for writing those letters. I'm sure some seeds are sown in their minds and one day we will reap the benefits. My friend managed to get a stupid rule changed by challenging the NHS. It wasn't in time for her but for the future.

My DD is still house hunting. There is little on the market for first time buyers where they want to live, unless they have a lot of money.

When I bought a flat for my son it all went through in a straightforward way then, once he'd moved in, we were told that the block needed a £1,000,000 roof repair!! We'd had a survey done and been told all was well. Needless to say, I made a blistering call to my solicitor who'd organised it all. In the end the the vendor offered compensation and the factors did very well and got a large grant from a government body (it was a listed building) and I didn't have to find too much extra to pay but it was a very stressful time indeed. Real due diligence is worth doing. Boring paperwork can be vital.

Solicitors do seem to be the main problem these days when buying/selling. When I moved this time, I used the same large, local company when I moved in 2003 . I queried the enormous amount of paperwork and questionnaires this time around that had not been there 16 years back. Was told that it was due to the increase in litigation in this country - and Solicitors were now covering their backs, to prevent being sued. Seems they are more interested in this than in actually serving their customers.
I lost one buyer, right nearing completion time, due to THEIR solicitor frightening them off the purchase. A mult-international petrol station was fairly near the property, been there for many decades, lots of local properties had been bought and sold during that time, and a care home had been built a few years back on one side of it and a block of five brand new flats o the other side.
However, my purchasers solicitor made noises about leakages in the ground (never been anything like that) - and they pulled out of the purchase due to that.
Funy thing is that this never came up with any other solicitors.
My Solicitor then tried to frighten me off purchasing this flat, as they told me that the Land Registry was not properly complete with regards to the garage that went with it. Asked me to sign an indemnity letter regarding this. Asked if I still wished to go ahead and purchase.
In fact there was no problem - except they had not read through the Land Registry papers properly -it was all there. Just needed a bit of sorting out of the photocopied papers they had received from the sellers.
Out of interest - has anyone ever heard of anyone actually claiming on those Indemnity Insurances that seem to be so popular these days? Do wonder if these are just another money=grabbing idea dreamt up by solicitors and insurance companies.
Liljan my thoughts are with you. Do hope you can move this week and once in, the sheer horror of these last weeks will quickly disappear.

Liljan We had something similar in a house move a few years ago only we were the sellers. Our solicitor had not picked up when we bought the house that the alterations had not been passed by the Council. This was found out when we came to sell. The Council were very snotty and refused to re-inspect in the time frame needed. It was resolved by us taking out an insurance policy to protect the buyers in the event that the alterations didn't comply. I can't remember how much it cost but wasn't expensive.

Good luck.

Liljan sorry you are going through this. It's not fair or nice how people are treated moving house. After my second buyer pulled out I wrote to my then MP to see if they were planning on making the whole process easier , quicker and fairer. She passed my e mail to the housing department who wrote to me and stayed that no government has plans in the present or future to change English or Welsh housing buying selling process. Did point out it is something that effects every adult of any age and walk of life but they just don't care. Aged UK asked in an open letter is there a campaign they could champion I suggested this issue but was told they only take on something they can win.

I hope your removals company sounds good. Unlike Pickfords who I am still fighting . It's in the hands of the
ombudsman now. So hopefully get some satisfaction.

Hope you have some good news by the end of the day. With you in spirit.

Just a quick update on our move, we’ve spent another day on the “rollercoaster” Our Solicitor emailed the missives over to Sellers Solicitors (he spent part of his weekend drafting to include the retention) and we approved on Sunday. Sellers Solicitor sent letter from Council stating that building warrants were unnecessary “providing works complied with Section...”. Would we accept that as Sellers had decided not to go with retention. Our Solicitor wrote back stating that no one had inspected works so how would we know works complied...and so it went on throughout the day, so still in limbo, our Solicitor is going to call Council himself tomorrow. Removal company also called, they have been pretty good and have said they’ll not see us stuck if our belongings have to go into storage, they’re here at 9am tomorrow (just realised that’s actually today..unable to sleep) to begin packing us up. Still got everything crossed that all will work out in the end. Really enjoying reading about all your virtual move, picking up tips but sorry I can’t help just yet, got my hands pretty full at the moment!

I have lots of bubble wrap, packing tape and even tape with Fragile on it. I’m ready but mine’s coffee not tea please. Any biscuits?

There you are, Ladygrans, whiff will provide us with sustenance to keep up our strength, spirits and morale. We shall indeed be happy and productive virtual movers

I'll draw up a GANTT chart to keep everything on track.

Oh this is fun. I'm great at packing. And can keep everyone supplied with home made soup , sandwiches and yummy cakes.

You see, I would never have thought of that, Gram. Good job I’m only in charge of the teapot. Oh and making sure that mugs and kettles are not packed. I am becoming very excited now, Ladygrans. MW you will have to have us synchronise our watches on moving day, so that we can sit by the iPad and virtually urge you on. I will of course virtually keep you nicely hydrated.....with pg tips

I could sweep and hoover up when it's all out of the house and clean those marks where the pictures were.

Ooooh Ellianne that’s fab. Right that’s two for the virtual moving party. Anyone else want to join us? I’m sure Crafty will be along soon with her wheel barrow!

Those PG tip ads were funny and surely no one really took offence in those days.

I'd volunteer to label boxes, I have clear round (teacher's) writing and I'd have them all stacked in numerical order!

Yes Jane, that’s exactly what we need. Such a shame that we all live in different parts of the country, and some of us are still working. We would have you shifted in no time, us grans. Those of us who are organised can supervise the lists and load plan the removals. Those of us who are strong and muscular can lift the heavier furniture and I could make the tea......anyone remember the pg tips advert when the chimps we’re moving the piano".........?

MW - not a new idea but I found it really helped, when faced with our big move, to take time first to draw up a list of actual jobs that needed done. Really it was just breaking it all down into manageable chunks. It took the stress out of it for me to see the tasks being crossed off on the sheet(s). Eg you've got 7 days to get organised and 70 tasks so if you do 11 a day that'll give you a bit of contingency time and you'll have the satisfaction each evening of having done well that day and not having to keep lots of jobs bobbing about in your head and maybe forgetting them if you see what I mean. I just like getting it down on paper so I know where I am and feel in control.
I think we need a GN trip to visit and help out!

You are all so reassuring. I hope the first move you make mosaics works out seamlessly from now on.
You won't know what to do with yourselves once the pups go sazz1
I do like being alone in the house again after it's been riotous.

My visitor has just gone on her way and DH is at work so it's just me.
I began scaling down at the weekend (my new words for downsizing) my possessions and sold 2 pieces of equipment which I will never use again but even that was hard because they were part of the younger me and it's the realisation that I am getting older and my life is different now.
Heaven help me when I really downsize!

We had been in our previous house for 34 years when we sold it. When we accepted an offer and I told my neighbour that the house was sold she asked me how I felt. The only word that accurately described my feelings was "gutted"!

I thought that the actual moving day would be traumatic but once the removal van was loaded and had departed it was no longer my home, just an empty shell. I did go round the house and bid a goodby to each room before we locked up and left but then the excitement of the new house took over. I pass our old house often on visits to Glasgow but home is definitely London now.

Mosaicwarts I know you will be busy sorting but remember to have a rest in between and have plenty of drinks. When you have a million and one things to do the basics of life sometimes get forgotten. Just think how lovely it will be in the cottage . I know you still have the worry of selling your home but you will soon. I think your husband would be pleased with you moving. We take our memories with us. I know for me I don't miss my old house one bit. When I accepted the first offer on my house I had mentally let it go. Not easy but it's only bricks and mortar.

Craftyone hope your sisters are safe. It must be a big worry of all the family. My daughter in laws brother and sister live just outside Sydney.

Liljan hope everything gets sorted out for your move today.

Have a good day everyone.

I haven’t posted in ages but I am glad you have made such progress Mw. We moved 4 months ago and have had streams of visitors. Every bed was full between Christmas and New Year, despite some rooms still having piles of boxes. We have another couple coming tonight. The builders will be back shortly to finish the the dining room and then we can get fully unpacked.
We still have lots of stuff to get rid of, despite so much going beforehand.
Good luck to all who are going through it - you will get theee in the end!

You are doing well mosaics, completely right about the chunks. Its a challenge but you will end up feeling so proud of yourself. Project manager extraordinaire!