Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Merlotgran and all other potential sellers.

Always negotiate on the agents fees.
Having bought and sold a lot of properties we have been amazed at how lazy some agents are.
We offer to pay on a sliding scale.
For example a sale agreed within 6 weeks full rate, 6-12 1/4% less etc.
This seems to focus the staff.

Your property sounds as though it may have a lot of potential, could you maximise it by applying for planning before you sell?

It’s also worth spreading the word locally, a private sale can save you a lot of money..

Good luck.

* merlotgran* I’m assuming that your property doesn’t have an Agricultural restriction on it?
The problem with you applying for planning is if it is refused, then what do you do? Best to let the new buyer sort out planning, they might have Local Authority Contacts and may know what will be passed without any problems , plus they will get what they want and not what you have specified.

Shandy, you have done an amazing amount of work but at least you are in your new home and can take your time now.

Whiff, I'm sorry you wish to leave the thread as you have been one of the contributors for a long time. I think it is better to be warned of possible pitfalls of moving, but not all agree. Like most of us here, my move was long, slow and complicated as well.

Franbern
I will NEVER, EVER, go through this again.
My thoughts exactly ? All of them, estate agent, solicitor, freeholder made what should have been a happy experience an absolute bloody nightmare.
On the day we completed I was driving to the bank when I received a call from the solicitor. I was waiting for the traffic lights to change. My stress levels were so bad that my right leg wouldn’t stop shaking: I couldn’t use the accelerator.
I got there in the end.

Sago Our property had planning permission for rebuilding the bungalow with a bigger footprint than the current one. We decided not to go ahead at the time so this has now lapsed but there is no reason to believe it won't be granted again.

We had no problems getting planning permission to convert an existing building into the annexe which is as big as a one bedroom bungalow. Both agents who gave a valuation agreed that there is also scope to develop the field as rules on greenbelt land are constantly being reviewed.

There is no agricultural restriction, Oopsadaisy.

Shandy I feel worn out just reading of your exploits! Congratulations you are in and can take as long you like to unpack.

Just got an email from my solicitor telling me I have a charge for abortive house sale of £200 plus vat! I replied that this should be paid by the party pulling out at the last minute! Also messaged my [late] buyers telling them the same.

QuoteFranbern I agree about getting the law changed and have said this to my solicitors & [late] buyers. I was going to contact my local MP, but if a petition was put up that would be far better and we could all sign on here.

Morning all, I was woken up by the rumbling of a bin being put out, and rushed out in my dressing gown to do mine, seller hadn't told me!

When I came back in noticed a wet patch where my dog had been lying - I hope it's just old age and/or stress, I'll monitor it. He's 12 and a half now. Put the kettle on and suddenly heard noises in the cupboard. Now I'm used to mice rumbling around in the station, and just thought 'oh hell' because I'd put my candles in there .... next thing my cat emerges from the tiniest gap next to the washing machine, with a face full of cobwebs! I'm not even awake properly yet! Stuffed a bag into the hole, hope she doesn't try to go in there again.

Yogi I'm sorry about your bill, unfortunately I believe you will have to pay it unless your contract with the solicitor declares no sale, no fee. Other posters have suffered similarly on here.

House selling and buying is torturous, I am sorry you have suffered this upset. Onwards and upwards.

Enjoy your day everyone One of the joys of living here is that I can take my dog for a walk without driving, I just walk out of the front door.

Shandy - I am sitting here, feeling totally exhausted just reading your post. So, very well done. Just so happy for you that after all this time, and all the ups and downs and worries, you are now settled into your own, new, easy to run home again.

There is no rush to unpack, although I am sure you will want to get on with that. Best Mothers Day pressie your son could have given was his own presence and work.

My packers did seem to use an enormous excessive number of boxes, often only putting two or three items in them. They marked them as to which room and we could not believe how many 'kitchen' boxes there were. They filled my smallish kitchen here, quite literally from floor to ceiling with other still stacked outside in the hallway. I knew that I had been pretty drastic and strict as to what I was bringing with so felt that I had to get on with the job of unpacking those, so that I could get into the kitchen to reach the fridge, etc. I must admit, that tired as I was after the move, I had difficulty sleeping the first few days here, and did lot of unpacking during the early hours of the morning.

Looks like you could do with changing out the freezer shortly, for a automatic defrosting one. Better things to do in life than manually defrosting these machines.

Do hope you cat and dog are settling in okay. At least you know the area and your little dog can still have his daily walks on the beach he knows. Funny enough, I had the smoke alarm here beeping at me a few days after moving in, It was set into the ceiling, and I just disconnected it totally, and hung up one of mine I had brought with me that just goes onto a hook at any convenient place.

One of my worst experiences in the first week, was when a bulb blew out in the over-fancy hall light. I then went out, thinking to sort it out on my return, got back home in darkness and discovered it had 'tripped' the fuse - problem was I had no idea where the fuse box was!!!!

So, my advice to removers is to check the position of the fuse box in your new property immediately!!!!!

I also am sorry that Whiff has taken a comment so badly and feeling it was directed at her, when it was just a general comment on other peoples experiences. Not sure why she does not wish to be further involved on here, we have all become virtual friends over this last couple of years, Pitym as her own experiences were also useful for other would-be movers, but none of us on here can really 'walk on eggshells' when writing a general comment, and I do note that she had previously taken umbrage about something or the other. hopefully, as her health improves, she will return.

Yogi Surprise that your Solicitor has sent that bill to you so quickly,, normally they usually just add it as an extra expense when your property does eventually sell. However, as he/she had the contract with you, legally it is your expense and nothing whatsoever to do with the people who pulled out. This is something else that needs to be reformed, but as it is now, no contract is actually made until such time as Contracts are exchanged, I know that many MP's have been asked to raise questions on this legal system previously, and all get told that there are no plans to reform it. Needs more than just getting it debated, not sure what - we really need someone with the knowledge and expertise to help out. Wonder if Martin Lewis would lead and help.???

My nightmare didn’t end when we finally moved in.
I received a court summons for non payment of council tax.
My buyers solicitor hadn’t registered the property with the land register.
It appeared that my buyer hadn’t moved in for some months so hadn’t seen any post.
To give my buyer his due: he was a young lad who had obviously never dealt with council tax etc.

Merylstreep how horrible for you. I must say, that within that first week of moving I sent letter to the Council covering my new flat and also to the Council where I had previously lived informing them. Advised the Council where I had lived of exact date new owners had taken possession of property and gave their names.

Did cause problems with new Council as they replied quickly and sent me a Council Tax bill, with information that it should be paid on-line, and I then set up an account according to their instructions. Only then, did I note that they had made out the bill incorrectly, for Flat 1, and not for my correct number,. Phoned them and got told that they would have to send me a new bill, which they did, but then could not sort out an on-line account, as it kept telling me that my email address had already been registered (Yes, it had - to their incorrect account!!). It finally took a visit in person to the Council Offices for this to be sorted out. Grrrr.... Council Tax!!! But, at least, I did get written confirmation from the Council at my previous address confirming I was not longer resident there.

Just back from walking the dog and there was a funeral car at one of the neighbours on the main road. Nice old lady, I knew her, apparently had been back and forwards to hospital with blood problems and caught Covid Long established family in the area.

Talking of council tax, I'm sure I did it. I came to the bungalow on Thursday with all my admin files, and put them in the wardrobe. When I went into the bedroom on Friday I couldn't get near it and still can't, I'm starting on the kitchen today, fed up with bald jacket potatoes . It is time the government made it easier for us to inform their departments we are moving as they are so keen to keep tabs on us all. Before my dog walk I had to hold on for 40 minutes to inform HMRC of my change of address. I did try on line last night, got to the last question, and they 'couldn't verify my identity'. Luckily I'm with giff gaff and get a lot of free minutes, but would have cost a fortune on my Talktalk land line.

Honestly I just want to sit down and watch tv, the boxes are so heavy. I've made a list of where they will be, I just can't face humping them around yet. There aren't any cupboards here at all, I'm going to have to be very inventive storage wise!

Shandy, there was only one, quite small fitted wardrobe in this flat when I arrived. I was aware of this in advance. But at my house I had a six door one in my bedroom and a 3-door one in the main spare room there. I had prepared and spent a whole fifteen pounds on Argos before I moved on hanging rails on wheels. But a lot of my clothes were kept in boxes and suitcases for the first couple of months until I could have new wardrobes, etc built for me.

Storage in the kitchen, (Coming from such a large galley kitchen with so many cupboards and drawers), also proved 'fun' to sort out. But this really is all the excitement of settling in somewhere new. Remember, nothing has to be totally permanent, you are going to be there, hopefully, for very many years. So, if things have to be left in (clearly marked) storage boxes for a few months, it really does not matter.

Funny that so many people do not think of writing down important information like when bins need to go out, when window cleaners, etc come round. Would say I did not leave my purchasers any sort of present, but did leave Welcome card, and a full list of those details, including local buses.

At the flats we hand out a WELCOME PACKAGE ENVELOPE which contains all that sort of information.

I solved the problem of lack of storage by having new shelving installed. Open shelves put in the kitchen, why no unit had been put in above the sink goodness knows.
I also had shelves put in the under the stairs cupboard and the cupboard on the landing.
I also had part of the attic boarded and a bigger entry to it with a pull down ladder.
Of course I didn't have these done immediately ,but a month or so after I moved in.
It did help to find a home for possessions that I wanted to keep, but would not use on a daily basis.
The landing cupboard is where I keep all the towels, toilet rolls etc.

Hi Franbern, thanks for the reminder of your clothing rail, I made a note of it at the time. There aren't any coat hooks here at all, perhaps the owner always hung it in her wardrobe but after a wet dog walk, I won't be doing that!

I feel a lot better, I've unpacked a few boxes and bags and will have to rehome a lot of my things, I can't even get the 'turkey plate' in the cupboard.

It's a lovely day so another half an hour and I'll go to the beach.

I meant to say the Doctor sounded really fed up when I phoned yesterday, I felt embarrassed but did plough on with the conversation as it hurts, and has done for months. Making people feel a pest really isn't on is it, pandemic or not. I had to send a photo and she rang me back - an odd circle of broken veins has appeared.
She said it could be a 'swollen vein' and to get some ibuprofen gel, and to watch out if it feels hot or becomes very swollen. I'm afraid I've been overeating to the point where my thighs meet - so it could just be friction, ha ha!

Shandy I bought 3 tent type wardrobes from IKEA, £10 each. I like the idea you can zip them up and hide the clothes inside. They now live in our loft after we sorted out proper wardrobes. I need to pop up there soon and sort the spring/summer clothes out to bring down, and transfer the winter stuff back up there.

Just got back from jumping through hoops to register at new GP surgery. Now have to wait to see if they'll accept us. Thank God we've had our vaccinations!
One load of boxes and packing stuff has found a new owner courtesy of Facebook, so there is room for the robot vacuum to do his stuff.
We have a fabric temporary wardrobe but DH has put it in the garage and it's behind a pile of boxes, so it's wash and wear for the foreseeable. Lucky we're not going anywhere!

My landlord has just been round with a beautiful pot of flowers and a card! He's caught me out as I've not had internet access, I told him to expect some flowers from Bloom & Wild. His wife is called Jules, and there is a bouquet called Jules I'd intended sending. All organised now but I'm sorry it wasn't already done.

Feeling very stressed because friends want to come up and stay. I will buy one of those wardrobes for the spare bedroom, thanks for the heads up. When my husband died I put 7 of his family up in the house and didn't have time or even think of making wardrobe/drawer space. I'll never forget the look on his counsins face when she leant over me at the dinner table and said 'there's a tenner in the chest of drawers'. I think she thought she was in a hotel! Nearly killed me making four beds up, as well as organising food etc - emptying drawers was the last thing on my mind!

Excuse the mess Shandy, these are they.

Here

Thanks Ellianne,I'll ask my son to go in and get some for me. I have five suitcases of clothes and two blue zippy ikea bags of jumpers/coats. Need a cull!

Had a bit of luck in that DH knows a man who knows a man. We have had our locks changed at a fraction of the cost and he's coming back to do a few more niggly jobs. His Dad is a master carpenter, so maybe our wardrobes and bathroom cupboards will be affordable.

Morning all, I hope everyone is well.

Woke up because the cat was clawing at the bag I've stuck in the hole in the kitchen. Talking of cats, the acquaintance that helped me bungalow hunt told me yesterday that she won't be taking her adopted neighbour's neglected cat to her new home, because she wants to 'go on lots of holidays'. She also said it wouldn't be fair to move her from the country to the town - she's obviously justified this abandonment in her own mind. I will be unavailable to her in future, I think she is cruel and irresponsible. I can't bear to think of the poor cat crying outside, it's really upset me.

I feel a bit better about unpacking today as I made a bit of progress yesterday, and have cleared some floor space. I was getting panicky about my friend visiting, but I haven't even had my first jab yet - so I've got over twelve weeks to get straight.

Enjoy your day

Morning all

Lots of post to read! How lovely to be able to walk out your door Shandy and onto the beach! My new place is a 10min walk away & lovely park is 12mins [3-4mins in car] Still holding my breath for more news on the paperwork going to my solicitors from theirs. I was told it will then be 3 weeks to completion.

Yes I do pay that £200 'no sale' bill at the end, but bit of a shock to get it, thought the email was going to be; 'sorry for upset' instead a blooming bill along with the stress of losing the sale!

I received a very nice hand written letter from the buyers that pulled out. Saying their mortgage was at an end and the people buying theirs's mortgage offer ended on the 31st, so they panicked! I did say 'not too late, I can still book my removal van' but they said; 'too late now' She said it was to be their dream home

I was awake at 4am, really didn't think I could go back to sleep, thought to get up for a cuppa, but did finally drop off again till 6.30am. It's worse at night as the terrifying scenarios goes swirling round your head. Shingles still very painful.

Back to read rest of post after making a coffee...

I had the same buyer pull out twice! The second time they offered they promised me that they would not let me down again, but they did! She rang to apologise, which was brave of her, but I am afraid I did not let her off the hook and (very politely) told her what I thought.