Help calm me. House buying and selling stress *Part 10*

It is nice to see you on here Georgesgran, you are doing the right thing in gently forward planning and gaining information.

I’m joining this thread too, but only as a reader. DD2 has a lovely bungalow just outside of Newcastle and has been talking about moving and had a valuation on it and a couple of other properties she and her DH own last August. The bungalow is perfect for me as they had it modernised before they moved in and have recently extended the kitchen and created an extra room from the garage.
I live on my own about 25 miles away from her and DD1 and I know they’d like me to move closer to them for ‘mutual benefits’ (although I suspect more theirs, at first!)
Anyway, my decorator is coming the first weekend in March to tackle my lounge and he’s also booked for the outside when the weather picks up, so I’m planning to get a valuation, as a starting point.
The downside is her bungalow will sell a lot easier and faster than my bigger house, which might cause them problems further up the chain. I’m wondering if I could secure their house with a later life mortgage, then pay it off when my house sells.
However, I haven’t mentioned anything to her and the whole subject seems to have died a death or been put on the back burner. I think they’d like to move before DD2 starts school in 3 years time.
At least DD1 is in the property business, so I’ll get free advice on some areas of selling and buying.

Good luck Jackaranda, nearly there

I’ve instructed solicitors, filled in a million forms, unearthed dozens of certificates and guarantees to be included in all the paperwork…
I said “villages” meaning small towns attached to Bristol. I shan’t be keeping the car so am acutely aware of the need of proximity to public transport, shops, doctor, etc.
I made a passing comment about house sales taking no more than 12 weeks; apparently the EA has told the buyer it was a deadline! Not complaining.

All the very best to all you movers, keep your goal in your sights and hopefully you will be settled in your new home soon and can put behind you all the stress and worry. We are moving 460 miles to be closer to family after 30 years of living in the same house. We have a big photo of them on our fridge door to remind us why we are doing it.
We accepted a realistic offer on our house 2 weeks ago, a good buyer with a one person chain. I have first-stage decluttered the house and DH is in charge of his domain - garage/workshop. He is finding it very hard to make decisions and is finding the physical effort of decluttering exhausting.
I took your advice and found a good estate agent and solicitor locally, and this has been invaluable for regular updates and problem sorting.
So our sale is chugging along ( but I still have the long fixtures and fittings form to contend with) and I feel reasonably in control there. But we cannot find anything to buy - so difficult at such a distance and the houses we like are liked by many others too.
We are hoping to extend our completion date a little to avoid spending too long in temporary accommodation. We are now looking at very-nearly-finished new builds, some of which have a move in date around Easter. But we can't commit a deposit to any of these until we have actually exchanged on our sale. More sleepless nights ahead I think.......

I second what Fran says about public transport, we have had a few buses added to the timetable here and it is ok but not brilliant, compared to when buses ran frequently. It will be worth looking at the timetable and frequency

Just to add that my EA was outstanding, it was my niece who owns the agency and they employ a legal secretary because much help is needed in the final stages prior to exchange. My solicitor was recommended by her and also outstanding but always to remember that we are the ones who have to actually do the information-gathering and form filling and filing

I did have to drastically cut back on my leisure activities, to concentrate on clearing, getting-rid, cleaning etc. The kitchen was easiest in a way because I worked downwards and left shelves empty and washed. I got rid of a lot and I feel for my dear neighbour widowed 18 months ago. As an example, she has drawers crammed with old cutlery and is finding it dreadfully hard as a lot came from her mother

GM it will feel as though you have a long time but believe me, it passes in a flash. It is just as well that women have brains that can multi-task

Karmalady's experience is a good reminder to all, that whenever you have ANY work done in your home, do ask the Contractor for appropriate certification. This means anything electrical, window replacement, new flooring, new cmbi-boiler, regular servicing on boiler/CHeating, chimney sweeping, new roofing, etc. etc. All of these should be kept in a special file ready for whenever that property goes onto the market,as Solicitors will require it.

The purchasers solicitors will be asking many questions, about your property, and the area around. Do ensure that you know the boundaries, and if any private roads then have knowledge as to exactly who owns them and responsibilities for them.

The Fixtures and Fitting form that you will be required to complete means that once you have put something on that, it MUST be left. Do note that you must not leave bare wires or overhead lights without any bulbs in them. If you leave stuff other than that listed it could be counted as rubbish and you could be charged for having it removed.

GranMattie if you are moving to a village, do make sure there is some sort of public transport running there. Many of these services have been severely cut back in Somerset, and as we grow older we have to accept that we may need to give up driving at any time. No matter how lovely your home and village may be, not being able to get into town (in your case, Bristol), whenever you wish would not be good.

I see that you now have the selling paperwork GM, time to organise a selling file and a buying file, both with dividers. The selling process has changed very much within the last few years

One of the items in your selling pack will be a long form about what you are leaving and what you have had done. Don`t overthink this form eg I put down the extra sockets installed by an electrician who never left the certificate. I ended up having to pay a hefty insurance indemnity. These forms are to cover all bases ( especially solicitor liability)

You will lift some stress once these horrid forms are done

GranMattie how wonderful that you have an offer so quickly on your house. And, half term is only a couple of weeks away. Have you got a long chain???

When I was doing that move 150 miles away, I did use RightMove a lot. So, I could see flats that I thought might be of interest to me, and arranged viewings on them well before I came over here. I could get in six viewings a day (a bit tiring, but all were within less than a mile square area) - so allowed around one hour for each with half an hour between to travel. So, viewings at 9.30 am , 11.00 am, , 12.30 pm, 2.00 pm, 3.30 pm, 4.45 pm

kept a folder with me into which I could put EA's brochure, and also had a clip board with me, on which I had already put the queries I had on each flat.

Hope you have a very successful halt term trip to Bristol

GM I think that Fran is perfctly placed to advise re apartments, she eventually found the perfect apartment home for herself. She has a lift and a garage and a nice outside space where she can grow a few things and sit in the sun. It is also sunny, safe , companionable and warm and importantly, they are self managed.

grandMattie glad you accepted an offer but unfortunately it's now a waiting game. Hope you fine your next home. But remember to look past what's there and look at what you can and are willing to have done. I got fed up of hearing people say I don't like the colour . My bungalow didn't have a kitchen just the cupboards and managed with a toaster , microwave,kettle and slow cooker for 3 months until my new kitchen was in a working. Shower cubicle was wobbly but at least the shower itself was good. Managed with it for a year before my new shower room was fitted. Looking at the old pictures of my bungalow when I viewed it to now it's completely changed including the outside. But I love it here and for all the stress and tears selling my old house it was worth it.

Joseanne look forward to seeing pictures of your new kitchen . Doesn't seem 5 mins since you moved in. Time flies by.

I’m going for two outlying villages, Henleaze or Westbury-on-Trym. A bit less up themselves apparently and far less hilly, an advantage in coming years…

Josieanne, excellent progress, it does sound very satisfying

GM congratulations, Clifton is beautiful with lovely vistas. Yes it is scary on your own, a good surveyor will help support you and so will your solicitor and of course your Bristol family. Scary and exciting and an adventure

Ooo Clifton is nice, might I recommend a restaurant called Little French, 2 North View, Westbury Park. It isn't at all pretentious and the food is very good.
It will be nice for you to be closer to your grandchildren.

Joseanne, my DD and her family live in. Clifton, so, yes, that is why I’m moving across the country.
I’m going over at half term for viewings and discussions.

Yesterday I stripped the kitchen wallpaper and sanded the wall. This morning I will put the final coat of paint on the skirting boards and door frame and this afternoon the wallpaper will be hung. It is a very dark sapphire blue with art deco fans so I had to paint navy stripes where all the joins will be to avoid any plaster showing through.

Well done, brilliant news grandMattie, the first hurdle accomplished. We will keep everything crossed for you. You will certainly miss your DH's professional input, my DH has accountancy qualifications and did all ours, but step by step you will get there. I hope you quickly find somewhere suitable in Bristol to keep you focused on the end goal and the new chapter in your life. Do you have grandchildren down that way?

Viewers put in an acceptable offer early evening so I said yes. I’m going to instruct my solicitor this morning.
Very scary doing it on my own; DH did all that having been a bank manager.

Oh, absolutely. The living alone takes up much more if my emotional energy than anything else.

oh that is very good GM. I know you often have visitors and seem to have several rooms with furniture, I was getting worried. Time flies once you get that ball starts to roll

I was pondering whilst making a green tea, the furniture I had re-homed from my last house. A large dining table and chairs, a welsh dresser, a big sideboard, a bed, a tall wide bookcase, two chests of drawers, 3 large comfy armchairs and more. I never sold anything, they went where they were needed

It was not just downsizing to move house, it was downsizing for me to live by myself and after being widowed

What amazing advice, thank you!
My EA is lovely and very helpful. He has sold this house several times! Curiously hisDM’s maiden name is the same as ours!
I have an excellent sense of size, and with so many moves all over the south, no longer have any furniture I am attached to.

It is a problem if you take too much furniture to a smaller property. It has to be put into the property on moving day and then you have to find someone who will remove it, in an unfamiliar area Thinking ahead is key to reducing stress on moving day. Being surrounded by boxes is enough of a challenge, never mind big bulky furniture

GrandMattie - you do not really have to make furniture decisions until you know to what you are moving. Mind you, part of the fun of moving somewhere new is starting again with furniture. Of course there may be items that you really do not wish to part with.

However, even if you end up taking items that you afterwards decide to get rid off - no problem, everywhere has charity shops. etc.

Joseanne Personally I would go with the tops. Think they finish the units off. I did not have that to take into consideration in my kitchen as, obviously, my ceilings are nowhere near as high as yours are. So all my units finish with less than half an inch to the ceiling.

DM, you will have to decide exactly what furniture to take. I realise that you don`t have an apartment in mind yet but you can often find apartment room sq footage via the layout diagrams, and compare that to the sq` you have now. Obviously hit and miss right now but it may help you decide what furniture eventually needs to be re-homed, not yet but when a buyer is proceeding. It helps to detach yourself mentally

Now for something to do when you have had enough of clearing

Work out a scale eg 1" to equal 1 foot., write it down Salvage some card eg cereal packet and begin to make little cutouts of furniture that you definitely want to keep ie maximum width and length, use the same scale throughout. Label and keep them carefully in an envelope or ziplock

When you have found your apartment, use the same scale on squared paper (stationer) to do a room outline with pencilled doors, windows and radiators. Then use the furniture cutouts. I did this and had to re-home even more than I thought. I could have brought too much and been stuck in a nightmare situation.