Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Thanks everyone, when my contract arrives tomorrow I'll contact my surveyor, he is popular and busy. In the meantime I'll try and find out about the age of the bungalow - I do hope they didn't build the extension over the drain!

Would not be too worried Shandy, many an extension that was built over drains were done carefully and properly. Can remember many years ago when my Brother and Sister in law had this done at their house, all carried out with checks from local authority and the tiled flooring in their extension had an area that could be picked up for anyone to gain necessary access to that drain. Unless it was pointed out no-one would even know about that when looking at the flooring.
The bungalow does not look all that old, maybe 70's or 80's..
exciting that you are getting the contract so quickly. Have you any idea as to when the present occupiers hope to be able to move?

Hi Franbern, I've just downloaded the Title and plan - was built on the Duke of Northumberland's land and there's a 1936 covenant, it's older than I thought. The plan is so different to the station plan, I'm going to be living in a tissue box The owner is returning to Scotland to be near her parents, I don't know what her timescale is. Off to hang the washing up, pressed the wrong button and it took foreverr.

Shandy the bungalow should be well built then!

Hi all. Can I join you.
We put our large family house on the market on Friday and have already had 3 viewers.... No feedback yet, hopefully tomorrow.
We are aiming to downsize now that there are only 2 of us.
So it's a constant whirl of keeping this place clean and tidy while searching and driving around.
It was DD1 who encouraged us to take the plunge as they had fallen in love with a house and sold theirs to the first viewer. Turns out that they can't get a mortgage on the dream house because it has spray foam loft insulation.... Who knew?
DD2 is also hunting.

Shandy, some of the best built home property was that from the 1930's. I had intended to make this point at the end of my last post, but it would be irrelevant. My last house was 1930 built, could not be faulted structurally and over the years internal (and external with extensions) meant that no two houses in my Close was at all similar. Sounds better and better for you.
Pittcity always a delighted when more people join this thread. Between us, over the past couple of years, we have been through just about every problem and stress resulting from home selling and buying. Can all too well remember that needing to keep home spotless for viewers (and there is only me living there). I assume you are intending to stay in the same area, which will make things a little easier. Hope all goes well for you and your daughters. Do keep us informed and share your annoyances and vexations.

That's good Pittcity. I assume you're in a popular part of the country.
Just because you're downsizing remember you still need to get the most you can unlike the days when could could all "work" our ways upwards.
I remember the keeping everything clean bit (not easy with 2 big dogs), but luckily we had the deal sewn up in 4 days. Hope it goes well for you.

shandy at that age you definitely need a full structural survey

Yes Ellianne our main reason for downsizing is to get a bit of spending money for holidays etc.

I beg to differ franbern re extension over a drain. It was a structural engineer highly qualified expert witness who advised me and he also advised me about the lathe and plaster ceilings and the single skin walls etc and that was a 1930s house. It may well be a good bungalow but it is always good to get the advice from a well qualified person, rather than opinions. Just because a building is still standing does not mean that refurbishment has not been designed to make a lot of money for the seller and hide a wealth of problems for a potential buyer. Remember it is always `buyer beware`

Pittcity, welcome to the thread, lovely to have someone new on here. I hope all goes well for you

Craft one is right. Best be aware of potential expensive problems so that if necessary you can adjust your offer if there is something really expensive. Jerry building has happened in every era, or extensions and alterations may not be up to standard - as we discovered on taking down the dining room ceiling to find that the 1970s extension had no insulation at all!

When we brought first house 1980. We only had the mortgage survey done. Learnt a hard lesson. We couldn't afford the more expensive one. A builder had brought the 1908 terraced and done it up!!!!. When we took the wood chip paper off walls needed re plastering we did it ourselves couldn't afford to have any one in. A grant became available as the windows where single glazed had them replaced ,quarry tile floor in dining room had to be replaced due to damp, and few other things done all covered by the grant. We had a home buyers survey done on our 2nd house built in 1972. Learnt our lesson.

Shandy as the bungalow is that old I am with the others have the full structural survey done. It's more expensive but will save you money in the long run. Also if there is something terribly wrong you can withdraw your offer. I know it means starting to look all over again but you do not want to end up with all the problems you had with the station.

Are they growing cannabis? Or are they keeping reptiles or snakes?

I can also tell you a personal tale. Our main family home, we advertised in the paper for a family home, vale of glamoragan. It was a lovely looking home, 4 bedroomed detached, white rendered house in a quarter acre garden. We went to see it and were overwhelmed by it all. We lived hundreds of miles away and could only see it the once. Husband may have gone to see it again as he opened an office in s wales before we moved. The owners were lovely, gave us tea and biscuits, allowed us to use the loo, you just couldn`t have a poke around at that time

We did not employ a surveyor. It was a good price and we snapped it up. It was so cold in there at night, so we had loose fill rockwool insulation put in and husband insulated the loft space. Much warmer. Later that winter, the damp on the chimney wall started to manifest, we saw scraps of it over our bedhead. We stripped the covering paper off and yes there it was, the wall was wringing wet

Render can cause its own problems, not allowing a house to breathe and hairline invisible cracks allow rainwater in. That render was the problem. Husband called in a very large building company that the structural company dealt with and the whole house was given an external new wall, with that all important gap. That remedial work cost an arm and a leg, in spite of mates rates, It was very effective for the whole time we lived there. In the whole scheme of things, that house was a wonderful buy but older houses need a very good poke around by someone with all the modern technology. We bought it in the 70s and we think it was built in the early 40s

ps, we needed somewhere to live, fast, all legals and mortgage completed in six weeks and we went in with eyes open. Was a most fantastic village to bring up the children with the top rated comp in wales

Morning all.

My dog woke me early this morning and when I took him out the car windows were wet. If I was still in the station I'd have been running around 'drying' all the windows with kitchen towel to hide the condensation from viewers. Glad those days are over!

Welcome Pittcity, and the very best of luck with your sale. Don't be disappointed by viewer feedback, some people say the most ridiculous things and it makes you wonder if they read the details at all

Have a good day all

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I've just emailed my surveyor - on holiday until 2 November. Not having much luck this morning!

craftyone that link goes to Sunderland?

Shandy, I may be wrong but think a covenant from 1936 does not necessarily mean the house was built then. New houses can be built on land with old covenants on.
A lot of buyers these days use the results of a full survey as a means of knocking down the price agreed. I think this is much more common than withdrawing due to survey.

I had a full survey done when I purchased my last house in 2003. Lots of words in it, but did not tell me very much. As has been said, as floor coverings, etc cannot be taken up for these, there was just the usual warning that they had not been so no knowledge as to whether or not there was any problems there. Made the point that it was NOT an electrical survey - so would not accept any responsibility for any problems there. Pointed out that the bathroom needed work and probably an update (well I had noticed that in my viewings as it was in two shades of green), Kept on making the point that if there were any trees close by there could be a future problem. I kept it - still have it - did wonder why earth I had spent that money.

However, when I sold the house, the purchasers had a (as well as their mortgage survey) a very full survey. Man was at the house for nearly five hours. I now think that this was to do with the extension they wished to build as soon as they moved in. But, my goodness, he was thorough. Even made me turn on the Central Heating and checked every radiator!!! Sat in the garden with powerful binoculars looking up to the roof. I was sure they were going to try to use his report to get me to lower the price, but after nearly a week of nerves and stress I was told that the report contained nothing they were not expecting.

Obviously, with the flat I had no survey - seemed a bit pointless and a waste of money. I have no responsibility with the actual building. The only thing it might have picked up was that the motor on the fan for both the bathroom and en-suite had died. But, the cost of getting this replaced (which I have now done), was less than any survey would have cost to tell me that.

Shandy, you will probably be happier to have a survey carried out. Do not forget that these really do try to pick every problem (small as well as big), as they need to ensure that 'their back is covered' with regard to an future litigation if they miss something. Obviously, your solicitor should be ensuring that certificates for such things as replacement windows, central heating servicing, any electrical work, etc.etc. are all in place - these are very important and, whereas, such a nuisance when we are selling, are so really good when we are buying.

Happy first anniversary in your new home Franbern!

No email with a contract yet. If I don't hear by the end of the day I'm going to phone tomorrow.

That link didn`t show the correct area so I had it deleted

Gosh the year has gone by so quickly Franbern, you are very well settled and happy, good to see that your decision was right for you and happy home anniversary from me too

Ellusivebutterfly , yes old covenants can be a minefield, hence the services of a good solicitor and surveyor, to establish boundaries on ground and below ground. In a way new build is much easier and often a surveyor is not needed but new builds mostly come with covenants too and a small management cost as most have eg communal parking and green space

If I had the money and expertise, I would build my own house on my own site, one with established planning permission. That house in that village went up x 6 in value over the 30 years. It sold when house prices had started to slump 2006 and we had a buyer waiting for her mums probate. It took 6 months of patient waiting, then we went to rented for 2 months and onward to a new build town house in 50 acres of woodland. We still had enough cash left to save for the future and by golly how useful that has been

That town house sold for a big loss, it was the housing recession, then we bought the eco house, a lovely detached house in a lovely very small village. That house made no money but looking back over the 10 years, we lived there free,no rent. I didn`t break even because I had paid a lot for a singing and dancing kitchen, booked when my husband was alive. In hind sight I should not have had the kitchen but c`est la vie. Without the kitchen I would have broken even

That makes me rather determined not to upgrade anything here in the future. If dd in wiltshire moves then I would go too, depends how far.

yes shandy, at this stage you have to start to be a nuisance. EA should be helping this to move onto contract details

Gosh this is a very busy thread! May I dip my toe in these waters too please?

Purchased my current home in 1999, it's a 1930's build 3 bed semi in a very quiet bit of NW London. It's about to go on the market as the soon-to-be-ex husband (STBX) decided to skip out almost 9 years ago after another woman (we were 27 years together, 23 years married - and the other woman was, it turned out, only flirting, horror stricken at STBX thinking it was serious - oh, and YES, still not divorced, I said if he wants it, he sorts it).

I've lived in this house with our son since, although DS moved out in 2017; my constant requests to the STBX to get bum in gear and sort out divorce/selling have been ignored, I've been running a pretty expensive 3 bed house on my single income (he's paid half the mortgage) and half the debts he ran up without my knowledge (what a gem, eh?). He's now met another woman and is living with her and her teenagers (off the record as her ex would stop paying for the house etc) .... Muddy waters ... well rid.

And back to - I'm getting the house ready for sale, can see a few problems in movement with some minor cracks here and there. I insisted on the full survey when we bought but 22 years on, this is where we are.

My dilemma. I'm 62 in a few months, working full time in SE London (currently working from home). With the house sale, paying off the mortgage and the division of property funds, I won't have enough to remain in the area. I earn a fair salary, not good, not great, but OK. And, of course, I'm a WASPI woman, no state pension until I'm 66. And I have psoriatic arthritis, currently on red book medication and inject myself weekly so I don't seize up like the tin man.

Do I buy somewhere teeny on a good rail route to my office which is going to involve pretty costly train fares and a longer commute (living in London I get free Oyster travel although with Covid that's only after 9.30 now).
Do I rent somewhere near "home" which will be ultimately the most costly option, but will allow me to have an easy commute, with the hope of buying somewhere in maybe 2-3 years.
Do I give work up and buy somewhere cheap and live on what I can save on house purchase?

All options mean I won't be able to save anything towards retirement. My boss is pretty impatient about getting staff back to the office, my meds mean I've been on the NHS Shielding list; I went back 2 days a week in August and September until Boris (who he voted for) said if you can work from home you should ....

My ultimate dream is to have somewhere small in a friendly area - town over village thinking long term with transportation. I long for a dog (STBX "gave" our family dog to his GF earlier this year when he "didn't" move in with her).

And so, I present my quandary. Have I missed any options? I honestly can't think I'd be saving anything by continuing to work for the next 4 years with train travel. Boss is not happy with the working from home (many calls late in the afternoon to check colleagues are still working, video chats at all times, etc - really disappointing, I've worked there 11 years). Which, I guess, is another factor, being treated as a lightweight when I take my job very seriously.

I haven't approached the boss yet about the above, until I know what sort of offers come in on the house it's hard to make firm plans. A pay rise would help but I know "times of Covid" will come into play.

Gosh, long post! sorry, but I don't feel I can unload on family who would worry on my behalf. Friends are probably too close to see the issue clearly without the baggage of how I've been ill-treated by the STBX (my parents gave me a lump of money to buy this house and it hurts that STBX takes that to the new woman and her kids, money left to me by my Mum gone on the house, etc).

The split isn't 50/50, a small % has been tipped my way because of health issues.

Throw some thoughts my way, if you can. I'd be grateful. I'm sick of worrying, frankly - and the house might not even get any offers ..