Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

yes, I agree. Both my sisters went through the whole selling/buying process in half the time it took me. The potential of a pulling out right up to exchange, yes it does add incredibly to the overall stress

Do agree with Karmalady, regarding the whole stupidity of having, maybe, an hour when making the largest and most important purchase of our lives.

BUT....this is directly due to the very bad laws in England and Wales on property purchase. IF....a system where once an offer was accepted that became a legal contract, UNLESS subsequent investigations brought to light serious problems, think that people would be far happier at letting the purchaser back into the property a lot more.

At present, the feeling is, that if that happens, all that it will involve will be the would-be purchaser trying to find something/anything to blackmail the seller into lowering the price.

shandy, worth reading, no idea if this concerns your area but possible. 3.2.2

www.banksgroup.co.uk/core/uploads/Hydrological-and-Hydrogeological-Assessment-Text-1.pdf

Maybe, at least, you can use the link to help you find sources for background information

You may well find the burn on this map

www.banksgroup.co.uk/core/uploads/Figures-and-Photographs-1.pdf

I have been thinking about this `anxiety` about letting a professional in to look at potential building work. The biggest buy of ones life and we are expected to look around maybe twice with a view to spending such a lot of money.

My sister in aus is now for sale after 9 months in her new home, yet again, after the danger of a very close bush fire. I hope they sell soon and maybe finally get peace in a safer area.

Shandy is there anything at all in your local searches that mentions the `muddy hill` by your home. It is the end bungalow and perhaps the nearest to an unsuitable `wet` area. Perhaps you can dig deeper into its history to find something from when it was first built, a hydrology report perhaps.

share.octopus.energy/crisp-cat-36

Yes he'll have to go with British Gas at first, then he can switch. He'll get £50 off with the link, if you log into your account you've probably got the link too? It's at the end of the account details?

Shandy57

I have a £50 off Octopus link if you'd like it Shinamae, I've got a great fixed deal with them.

I'm glad you have reached a decision Nana3. So have you exchanged?

Furious with myself, took my dog out the front for a pee and my elderly cat rushed past me. I've been here a year and she's never done it before, she can't get out of the back garden so is always safe. Full moon I suppose!

Thanks Shandy,I am with octopus myself but apparently my son will have to go with whoever is supplying the property at the moment and that is British Gas and I have started another thread about the problem is I have had getting through to them or rather not getting through to them!! ?‍♀️?

Oh SHandy that article makes it all sound so very simple. Love the optimism -' 8--12 weeks to get to Completion,' 'can negotiate up tofour weeks between completion and exchange.' When was this written, back in the last century I imagine.

It WAS like that decades ago. When I moved in 2003, I had four weeks between exchange and completion, good time to arrange removals, getting stuff to charity shops, aranging assistance, etc. etc. WHen I moved in 2019, I asked, the same Solicitor for this amount of time, and he laughed at me!!! Said I would be lucky to get four days!!! Indeed, too often now exchange and completion actually take place on the same day.

And it is more common for sales to take anything upto six months from acceptance of offer to Completion.

Of course, there is no actual contract until AFTER Contracts have been exchanged. Up to that moment, any party can just pull out without any reason. For sellers this can mean being let down right at the last moment, and having to pay Solicitors fees for abortive sale. For would be purchaser it can mean having to pay quite high fees to Solicitors who would have carried out all searches, etc, as well as probably having paid for a survey.

When your property is 'Under Offer', you are not obliged to anything with regards to the purchasers, With the exception of permitting their own surveryor and/or mortgage company surveyor to come in to your property, that is it. Everyone else wishing to visit for any reason has to be only with your express permission.

Ball park costs for doing major work can be done using Surveyors reports, etc.

Nana3, glad you will have someone with you, be quite adament about the price you are selling for. Do not get involved in too much discussion with the seller or builder. As for things like working, but elderly, items needing changing, well that is a normal part of going into any existing property. You, the seller, do have to answer on forms honestly as to whether items are working, and also provide proof of regular servicing for things like boilers. But any replacement of these items should not be considered in the sale price.

Do let us know how it goes. Remember, it is still, very much, a sellers market at the moment.

When my purchasers pulled out so late, (I was getting quotes from removal firms at the time), it worked out very much to my advantage - as within four days the house was sold to another purchaser at a higher price and the flat I had wanted to purchase was dropped by ten grand.

If I was buying a nouse that needed work done, I would get a ballpark figure from a builder before exchanging. If I was not allowed to bring a builder I would, without hesitation, withdraw from the sale. Nana, the buyer will need to know, it would be very odd if they bought without any idea of potential cost going forward and how they could adapt the house to suit themselves

Absolutely gorgeous `almost hot` day here, jobs done and quick walk to get fruit and tea. I have been looking all over for my favourite yorkshire gold tea and there it was, very happy

Nana3 has your house been priced lower than others in your road to allow for the renovations?

What were the estate agent quotes like? My house was priced to reflect the work that needed doing, but as it was unique in the area I could not quote any comparisons.

Before the buyer's builder comes do some research on comparable houses on the Zoopla/RightMove 'sold' house prices.

You might like to read this article on conveyancing. Your buyer has had her survey, which shows commitment, but until exchange the sale is not secure. Good luck.

www.which.co.uk/money/mortgages-and-property/home-movers/selling-a-house/conveyancing-when-youre-selling-ajyg85n9w17c

Nana3 your estate agent is wrong and you run the risk of your buyer wanting to pay less or pulling out all together. Hope I am wrong but it's a possibility. Hopefully it will all go ahead but please be prepared for the worst.

Shandy57 I did sign the form from our solicitor about the sale so I asked my estate agent today and she said no we haven't exchanged.

Good luck Nana3. As you haven't answered I assume you haven't exchanged yet, I am glad you will have someone with you.

I felt very uncomfortable alone with my buyer's surveyor, who spent six hours in my big old house. He was a revolting man and asked to 'go for a wee'. Who does that?!!

Good morning everyone sending my best wishes.
To update our situation about our buyer coming to the house with her builder; my estate agent rang me and has made it very clear that this is something I should allow, anyway they are coming on Wednesday evening. I will make sure someone is here with me as dh will probably be working, thanks for that advice.
Glorious day here too, think I need some fresh air and sunshine.

Franbern

*Shinmae*, congrats. to your son. First time house owner! - going to be a big learning curve for him over next year or two.
Could I ask why you say, so definitely, NOT BT for internet, etc.? I use BT, as do many of us in these flats, no problems, and following information on another site in GN, I recently contacted them about their new and special 'Home Essentials' Package, which I now have, and makes this cost far lower than any other I could find.
Quite misty here this morning - the type of mist that looks as if once burnt off, will result in a glorious sunny day. Our U3A drama group is having an extra meeting this morning at the hall where we will be actually performing out current production at end of April. Am being picked up by another member to be taken there.

Thank you, it is not his first time buy, he sold his first house a couple years ago and he’s been looking ever since. He’s had a few disappointments but has now got this bungalow but Santander wanted a quarter of the value of the bungalow for a deposit and that was 67 1/2 thousand pounds!!
In this area we have found BT not good at all we have a company based in Dorset I think it is called Jurassic and I was paying £35 a month for 100 megs or whatever it is, and they’ve just half the price to £17.50 and upped the mags to 150, I dare say BT is different in different parts of the country…

Shinmae, congrats. to your son. First time house owner! - going to be a big learning curve for him over next year or two.
Could I ask why you say, so definitely, NOT BT for internet, etc.? I use BT, as do many of us in these flats, no problems, and following information on another site in GN, I recently contacted them about their new and special 'Home Essentials' Package, which I now have, and makes this cost far lower than any other I could find.
Quite misty here this morning - the type of mist that looks as if once burnt off, will result in a glorious sunny day. Our U3A drama group is having an extra meeting this morning at the hall where we will be actually performing out current production at end of April. Am being picked up by another member to be taken there.

Did your cat come back Shandy & is she alright?

My little dog kept getting into the garden that backs onto us. Kept blocking it, he still managed to get in there, now he can't. But as we have excavated a lot of earth for our shed base [loads of worms, yes all saved] we have put it up the back and no matter how many times I block it off my little dog finds a way up there

Morning all, bright and sunny today. Had a lovely dog walk at 6.30 pm last night, it was still light. Glad to say my cat came back quickly. The road is very quiet at night luckily.

Hope all house sellers/buyers have good news today.

I spoke to a neighbour who has lived here for 54 years last night, and found out that children used to play on the site of my bungalow when it was agricultural land - they used to call it the 'muddy hill'. She thinks there used to be a burn here, which would explain the wet. I've just ordered a 1926 ordinance survey map and need to buy a magnifying glass too!

Have a good day everyone.

Nana3 My first buyers came round a couple of times to measure up and then brought a builder round to give quotes and measure up. They were knocking the breakfast room into the kitchen also other similar works. I had no problem with that, it didn't take long. But they pulled out when my purchase fell through. The next purchasers did the same measuring up, 3 times, but no builder. Think you have to let them.

As for the boiler, if they want new that is up to them, not you, as you've said it works well. I told my purchasers that my double oven was very old, was in situ when I first moved in 16yrs before and at the time I said ' first thing I'm getting is a new oven'. But then on using it found it worked well and then never bothered.

I have a £50 off Octopus link if you'd like it Shinamae, I've got a great fixed deal with them.

I'm glad you have reached a decision Nana3. So have you exchanged?

Furious with myself, took my dog out the front for a pee and my elderly cat rushed past me. I've been here a year and she's never done it before, she can't get out of the back garden so is always safe. Full moon I suppose!

I'm not going to let any builders in, it would be too stressful. Thanks Whiff and Franbern.
Thanks also to karmalady and Shandy57.
Best wishes Shinamae.

My son picks up the keys tomorrow. I am so happy for him.?I will be going with him to read the electric gas and water metres and ring the different companies, I have already sorted the council tax and house insurance. So after utilities it’s just a TV licence and the Internet provider which definitely will not be BT… hope everything goes well for all of you either buying or selling on here…???

Yes, I agree with Whiff, Once contracts are exchanged, then let the builders in, not before that. The price that they are paying will take into account work that needs carrying out. Their survey will also give them some idea of what must be done.

They do not need to start to get different quotes until such time as they are actually owners of the property. Be polite, but say NO......

When I sold my house, the final buyers, had what must have been a very expensive detailed survey carried out. He was at the house for many hours and checked everything. After I moved they then did not move in for three or four months, but had extensive building work carried out. So, assume that this survey was to ensure that this could be carried out, and they would also have got an idea of the cost of that work.

The flat here, that has come back on to the market so late, actually works out financially a benefit for our Management Company. We do all work for that on a volunteer basis, but do charge Solicitors for work involved in anyone selling/buying. So, we have received the money from the Solicitors from that aborted sale, and will then be, eventually, contacted by whoever are the Solicitors for any new buyer and will charge again, for all the paperwork they require.

Nana3 my experience isn't positive I let my second buyer bring her window man in as she wanted to change all the windows. They didn't need replacing. And let her brother come and see the house. He did nothing but criticise my old home. I should have thrown him out. But she said she really wanted the house. The next day she pulled out of the sale. 4 days before we where due to exchange.

As you have accepted a lower price I wouldn't let her builders in until you exchange contracts. As she will either offer a reduced offer or pull out if you let her builder in.

@nana3, I also agree with allowing people to have trades to come in to quote for the buyer, and I'd also watch them. What are they going to look at?

My buyer didn't ask, he just quoted huge sums for works he'd been given by his surveyor, I knew local trades wouldn't charge that much. I hope you have exchanged too. It is still a seller's market, I still look at MSE and people are still offering over asking price. Don't reduce any further, I am sure you were priced to reflect the work that needs to be done.

Sorry you've got to sell again Franbern, good luck.