Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Shandy some sort of worries are part of the role of home ownership. On of my AC who works in Mental Health, insists that whereas too much stress is likely to be damaging to mental and physical health, a small amount occasionally can actually be good for you and keep you mentally aware.

All my children used to laugh at me when I used to say (when on my old house), that I needed to keep money aside for expensive emergencies such as maybe having to have a new roof. They now quiz me as to what sort of 'emergency' I still insist on keeping money for in the flat!!! After all, a new roof would not be my responsibility now.

But even in flats I know unexpected occurs. A daughter of one of my friends, purchased a lovely 1-bed flat close to the school in which she works a couple of years ago. Raised the mortgage with help of parents and some extra loans, was intending to pay these extras off with her top=up earnings as a A level marker. Of course, that was unavailable last year as no A level exams were held. THEN....to make matters worse she and the other flat owners all had a letter asking them for three grand. The Maintenance Company to whom they had been making payments had gone into liquidation and a new company taking over said that no necessary repairs had been carried out for several years and now needed to be done urgently - hence the £3,000!!!

So, get someone in the check your floors, and you and hopefully, you could find it is not as bad as your imagination is letting you think it is.

I have had a new carpet laid in my very large bedroom earlier this week, and in a couple of weeks that company is coming back to lay new flooring in my spare room. Same local firm that laid the beautiful Karndean floor in my Living room and hallway. Carpenter booked to change a couple of internal doors (expensive job as these all have to be fire doors). Then, I can sit back next year (or so), as nothing else requires doing. So, I will be saving up to have my kitchen completely re-done. Do wonder if this will ever actually happen, think I enjoy the planning and may baulk at actually getting it done.

I must report that I am really enjoying not having a car. No problems at present. As I am away this weekend for a few days in London and only needed a small weekly shop on Monday went to Sainsburys on bus which stops right outside the flats, taking my large shopping trolley. Very easy and relaxed. The local Community bus (dial-a-ride) is booked to take me to the station tomorrow for my train journey up to London. I noticed that petrol has risen (again) in price and just thought how glad I was that I did not have a car to put any in. I have started to tidy up my garage - need to get some shelving put in there.

Do hope all those on here still in that stage of selling/buying/moving are managing to get things done.

Thanks Josianne and Franbern, I've recovered this morning! It was silly of me to be so upset about it, the bungalow is 90 years old and there was something in the survey about the damp proof course being breached by the solid brick path to the back garden. I've had two wisdom teeth out over the last two weeks and it's left me a bit wobbly, luckily only the hygienist tomorrow.

I hope you have a good weekend away Franbern, wishing you dry weather. I'm glad you aren't missing your car - or the expense. My handbrake has gone again so I can't park on my drive until the garage can fix it, he hopes to squeeze me in next week.

I also wish everyone good luck with their sales and purchases.

Thanks Josianne and Franbern, I've recovered this morning! It was silly of me to be so upset about it, the bungalow is 90 years old and there was something in the survey about the damp proof course being breached by the solid brick path to the back garden. I've had two wisdom teeth out over the last two weeks and it's left me a bit wobbly, luckily only the hygienist tomorrow.

I hope you have a good weekend away Franbern, wishing you dry weather. I'm glad you aren't missing your car - or the expense. My handbrake has gone again so I can't park on my drive until the garage can fix it, he hopes to squeeze me in next week.

I also wish everyone good luck with their sales and purchases.

Seeing double! Problem posting

And the saga goes on ..... EA just informed us vendors not selling this month due to problems with paperwork ! Well that's what they've told her. Solicitors have no idea what's going on. Give up.

kissngate sorry you are being messed about. Are you still going to wait or pull out and look elsewhere. How long has it been since all this started? Personally I don't think the vendors are going through with the sale. When where you supposed to exchange contracts?

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Oh dear - Shandy57 - that sounds really awful and a deliberate masking of a problem. Surveyors should be wise to that - the one who came to our house moved a chair off a rug and checked underneath ...! Hopefully easily sorted but understandably upsetting .
Everyone seems to be having mixed fortunes in the moving game - how stressful it all is. My poor DD has waited months and months to move as the retired couple she is buying from are having a bungalow built and it’s been delayed again and again
- was meant to be September ! Still no date . She and her partner are being really kind and patient as the couple are not in good health but they have lost money on missing out on the stamp duty reduction and their buyers are very cross and upset. Not easy with for DD and partner with jobs in adolescent mental health and an 18 month old. Meanwhile my other DD is divorcing and also trying to move with a toddler and a full time job, and ongoing health problems . Both DD’s will hopefully be within 10 doors of each other ! We are also moving from being 3 hours away from them to 30 mins - just had a structural engineer confirm house is sound but the garage needs to be re built so are waiting to hear about what we think is a reasonable reduction in asking price - it’s an empty inherited property. Everything is taking an age as professionals are so busy !
Meanwhile I’ve sold loads of unwanted things on EBay - made nearly 500.00 ! Still a way to go with things we don’t want but my DH is now ‘on board ‘ with downsizing . We are moving from a rambling 4 bed to a tiny 3 bed so stuff must go ! I’m looking forward to a downsized house but a max sized life near my children and grandchildren !
Keep strong everyone and try to stay positive - it’s an incredibly hard time and outcomes are uncertain but it will pass and sooner or later we will be where we want to be or have reconciled to staying put .... off for booster jab now so wish me luck !

Kissngate, I'm sorry to read your news, but at least you are still at least £10K up, I've noticed prices here are still rising. Good luck, I hope you have some positive news on exchange/completion soon.

I'm feeling a lot better about my damp floorboards today, I have invited my surveyor to come round to analyse the problem. I checked the airbrick and it is completely clear - and I must have had 10L of water in the dehumidifer this morning. I don't go in this room much so it's not me breathing!

Good luck to your kids marymary62 and hope you don't have a reaction to the booster. My daughter will be 26 in January and buying her first house next year, she has sent me a photo of one she liked - EPC is E. She has a healthy deposit so could buy new, I've advised to only look at C gradings or higher. Hopefully her boyfriend's parents will be advising too as NI is new to her.

Having decluttered ruthlessly to move here, I still couldn't resist a 1930's Falcon ware cup and biscuit plate in Oxfam. I did resist the lovely butter dish, I won't be hosting big dinner parties in the future

Good luck to everyone on here

Good luck Mary and to your 2 daughters.

I'm still waiting for news of the extended lease being returned from land reg. It's so near to Xmas now that I'm not sure if I should stop pushing and wait till after Xmas, the people buying mine have said they don't want to move a week before Xmas, nor do I. Not sure if they are saying get a move on

My neighbour has been having the same delays as me. She messaged me last night to say they are moving next Friday, but their moving co. can't do that date. She said her husband will have to do it on his own then! I replied to get another removal co. as when I did that, with then husband, it took us 24hrs, no kidding! Hell!

My house has gone up by at lest 10K, but I had to give 10K above the asking price to get the garden flat I wanted

marymary said ^My poor DD has waited months and months to move as the retired couple she is buying from are having a bungalow built and it’s been delayed again and again
- was meant to be September ! Still no date . She and her partner are being really kind and patient as the couple are not in good health but they have lost money on missing out on the stamp duty reduction and their buyers are very cross and upset.^

I'm so glad we cannot have this situation happen here. When an offer is accepted and contracts signed on acceptance of that offer the settlement date is set in stone so to speak. On the settlement date the house becomes the new owners and they have total access. In your case it would be the vendor of your daughters new home that would have to move out and find somewhere to live instead of stopping the chain until they were ready to go.
Your system certainly makes the already stressful process much more so.

We too are waiting for our apartment to be built. It won’t be ready for a year so we are going into rented accommodation until then. I think that is only fair to our buyers, and that it was one reason why our buyers offered over the asking price. The cost of renting accommodation is covered by the extra we got for the house.

Evening all, I hope those of you waiting for news don't have to wait much longer.

I had the surveyor back today. It is dry rot in the bay window area in the front bedroom, but he doesn't think it extends to the full room. Culprit seems to be a supporting joist that touches the outside wall, it's nothing to do with the gutters or damp proof course.

The black mould on the chipboard flooring in the back bedroom is condensation. He recommended I have a gadget installed in my loft to control the humidity here, which is 86 every time I put the Aldi dehumidifier on.

I feel so relieved. I do think surveyors should have the power to lift carpets when doing a survey, I'm glad the curtain fitter didn't go through the floor!

Place is a tip now because I had to move everything to pull the carpets back, but no-one is coming, so I'll replace it all at the weekend!

Oh Shandy what a shock re the Dry Rot. Hope it will not be too pricey to get fixed. Does seem strange that we can pay a lot of money to a surveyor, but then they seem to have no respponsibility, when they miss something like this. That wonderful clause about not being able to lift floor coverings etc.

I am recovering from my trip to London. Yes, it allwent well and did manage to eet up with several of my old friends, but it really is much too much for me now. Railway Assistane is very good, but I do get stressed out at each stage of the journey as to whether they will actually be there and if I will be able to make mjy connections.

My journey there was as follows
1. Community Bus (Dial a Ride), to local station
2. Train to Bristol
3. Put in wheelchair at Bristol to go across to get my train to London
4. At Paddington, met with electric buggy (rather late), to take me to Underground entrance/
5 Two different uderground train
6. FInally met up with friend at restaurant, her daughter put my case in her car for safety and then met us when we had finished and drove me to my daughters house.

I do get myself vdery stressed worrying at so many arrangements and how easily it can all go wrong. Met up with three of my friends (different days). and had a lovely trip to Ikea with daughter looking at Kitchens =-which were far better than I expected.

It is taking me several days to recover from that trip (think the best part was when I walked back into my flat!!!!! Have decided that I will be doing such a trip in future my once a year. Will be going up there after Christmas but have now amdended it to one day to go, one day there and third day home again, and not meeitng up with with anyone.

Am now having carpenter sortingout to external doors replacing them with glazed ones (and one sliding). On Monday my flooring people will come to do their final job in my spare bedroom.

I intend to have the whole of next year with NOTHING being carried out in the flat. A whole year off!!! All that will be left will be a new kitchen which I need to save up for and will not be before 2023.

Surveyors can lift carpets if the owners agree but they never bother and their reports always make it clear they haven’t done so. However what they can and should do is jump up and down on the floor to test it and I suspect this would have lead to your problem being suspected and further investigations undertaken Shandy.

Hello Franbern,

I'm so glad you had a nice time on your trip. I've just realised I'm going in ten days and must start thinking of what to take. Unfortunately I'm missing my daughter, she returns to Belfast the day before I arrive I think I'll feel the same as you and be glad to be back. It does feel such an effort with the pet care too, but I must do it. I've known both of these friends since 1973 and I do treasure them both, it's been a long five years since we last met. I am also going to see my friend's 86 year old Mum for a very short front door flower delivery too.

I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait for the floor to be inspected and then fixed, or the PIV to be installed, but am glad I had the curtains made and the problem was found before it got any worse. My surveyor said he has £2M of work on his desk and is unable to action many of the projects due to a lack of materials and trades, so I'm just going to be patient.

I hope your door and floor work pleases you. I've realised the vendor might have bought this very very thin carpet because of the doors. I won't be replacing until my dog goes over the rainbow bridge - he's had an accident on my new rug!

Have a great weekend.

marymary Why doesn't your DD, complete on her sale, I presume she has exchanged on her purchase, and rent a property.

In a similar situation this is what we did. Temporarily without a house, there will be no mortgage to pay, so renting is not an additional expense.

DS and DDiL did something similar when they had a buyer, but the move to a new job and area became uncertain, they wanted to upsize anyway, so they let the sale go ahead and rented for a short period until their situation became clearer.

My goodness what a journey you had Fran I wouldn't undertake that. I am just 30mins by train to London or 45mins by car, but I really dislike going up there now, have prev. in-laws there so do visit 2 or 3 times a year.

What a shame you will miss your daughter Shandy by one day! Enjoy your friends.

My neighbour finally moved yesterday, They were parallel with me, re buyers pulling out, problems with purchase property etc. But opposite in that they eventually sold at top price hike, but still had their property at the lower price. She threatens to pull out when there were problems along the chain, was phoned back same day with moving date for the next week!

It's looking like my move could be before Xmas! On one hand I want to stay here and put up my tree on the other I just want this over with. 1st Dec 2020 I sold, 2nd Dec 2020 I purchased [stc] and I'm still here

Good luck Yogi, thinking of you and sending positive thoughts.

Yogi so hope you will be able to put up your tree in your new home. A whole year - a long time. Just be good when it is all successfully achieved.
In my post I said external doors, should have read Internal doors (one to kitchen being made a sliding glazed one and one to Living room being changed for oak colour glazed one).
I have been unwell for the last couple of days, pretty sure it is just my body telling me to calm down and rest. Has been pretty intensive for past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, whenever I am overtired or run down I develop a deep throated cough. Have had to cancel joining my daughter and her family for a family meal tonight. I will not feel like it, and do not think restaurant will want someone coughing in there. She popped over to pick up her card, etc. this morning. Yesterday, all I wanted to do was sleep. Feeling a little better today but still not wanting to do anything but relax. Am taking a LFT, although almost definite this is nothing to do with Covid.

Oh Franbern I hope you are feeling better soon. You never cease to amaze me with your travels back to our neck of the woods. I count my blessings every day that our daughter and family took the plunge to move down here after the first lockdown. We have all family members within a few minutes now, so no more 4 1/2 hour car journeys.
Good luck Yogi, the closest we ever moved before Christmas was December 17th. We put a stop on unpacking any boxes after 22nd.
Hope you are enjoying your trip Shandy.

Thank you ladies. Wish you better Fran

Any advice please re hiring a cleaning business to do a deep clean of the house I am selling. Problem is that it cannot be done once my furniture and 'stuff' is moved as my purchasers will be moving in the same day I move out. So the deep clean will have to be done a day or two in advance, working round all my boxed things. Also as move is scheduled for 3rd December, there may be loads of mucky footprints, and leaves (maybe snow), dragged in during the removal. I don't want to leave a messy house for the new owners but cannot see how, with the same day turn around I can ensure that it is immaculate?

PS I consulted my friend who used to be a domestic cleaner and she said that if the new owners are the complaining sort they will moan to all and sundry that the house was left in a terrible state regardless of how clean it was, whereas if they are reasonable people they will understand the difficulties.

We completed our move by the skin of our teeth. Buyers were keen to complete and we agreed a date, sorted out the removers for a 3 day job to Scotland, then their mortgage provider started demanding more and more evidence from them. We eventually exchanged contracts at 3pm on a Friday afternoon after our solicitor had threatened to pull the plug, then packed the following Monday and moved on Tuesday! Very happy in the new house but it’s now a great challenge to find tradesmen to do jobs, never mind get hold of materials. Oh well, onwards and upwards!

Granny23, are you buyers going to live in the house as it is? If they are intending to have a whole lot of building work done straight away, there really is not point in the deep clean. If they are not, then get it cleaned the day the packing is being carried out, then keep you vaccum cleaner and just go over anything as stuff is taken out. Most removal companies are pretty good at laying down floor coverings when it is wet.

tidyskatemum - you time table was the same as mine, my solicitor finally telephoned me at 2 pm on Friday afternoon to let me know thmat contracts had finally all been exchanged (they were signed on the previous Monday). Packers came in on Monday and drove off with my home!!! FInally check round by me and my son Tuesday morning and I was off to my new home. Yes, it is strange having to completely re-build that local tradesman file. Do have a look on websites like Next Door for help with this. Also do not be afraid to ask neighbours. Two years in and I am still collating all that information. BUT......at least you are in and teh horrible part is all behind you now.

Good luck Granny23, I hope you have a dry day for moving.

I was a bit miffed to find my vendor had moved out the day before as I would have done things differently if I'd known.

I thought of you this morning Franbern, hope you feel your old self now you've rested, I'm doing a 'run through' for next Monday and looked on my phone for my 'digital railcard' - not there! So lucky I checked, not sure why it had disappeared.