Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

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

Happy first anniversary in your new home Franbern!

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.

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

craftyone that link goes to Sunderland?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

shandy at that age you definitely need a full structural survey

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, 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.

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 the bungalow should be well built then!

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.

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?

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!

I knew a couple who were getting divorced. The husband didn't want to sell the house and every time the EA arranged a viewing he would take a long soak in the bath so no prospective buyers could see the bathroom!

also my husband had a lot to do with refurb of council properties ie new walls etc. Many of this type are not mortgagable. PRC bungalows have a lot of issues,poor load carrying, weak structures, often were bought cheaply for cash, the PRC panels removed and replaced with block or brick etc. A homebuyers report may be sufficient, I don`t know. You could do with speaking to a surveyor anyway to get a date booked. I expect they are very busy

I would want to know the age too shandy, very early could involve eg lathe and plaster ceilings, extensions could be built over drains etc. My surveyor, other property that I looked at, uncovered the fact that the extension had been built over a drain and she had something over the top to hide the fact. My SE friend said never to buy anything built over a drain. structural surveyor uncovered the fact that there was lead pipe, that the garage was single brick and my friend said it would get damp in winter. You could do with knowing if the walls are cavity or not, if they are foam filled or not or with removale insulation as wall ties can rust and cause damp, which is easily hidden by the barrier paint but would appear later

Personally,I would get the full structural survey