House Buying Is More Stressful Than Divorce, Death or Bankruptcy

[Ella77]

Oof. Big mistake. Huge.

[Derek Nimmo]

Also, housing an ageing relative on a top floor seems...short-sighted. Unless there's a lift!

[Lola]

Yes they’ve not thought that through, have they!

[Derek Nimmo]

Ooh, I've just had a call from my EA - the people whose house I've offered on have had an offer accepted themselves, and it's on a property without a chain.

Seeing as my buyers aren't in a chain either, surely that has to make the whole process smoother...?

[lazzbo]

Fingers crossed, Del!

We lived with my gran in our house and it worked out extremely well for all parties, so it's not necessarily The End Of The World for your pal.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Good luck Del! That’s the position we were in 10 years ago. It certainly seemed to help!

[emma_p]

Although we were too and it didn't end up going very smoothly. I think we were unlucky though.

[Little My]

The top floor of a townhouse seems like a very poor choice for a granny flat. We keep ours on the other side of an ocean.

We ended up throwing two grand at the "problem". That was the quote from the experts that came in to inspect, and we had the buyers sign to say that was an end to our responsibilities in the matter and refused to be on the hook for overseeing the work (which their realtor had asked, even though they would be the ones living there!). I totally begrudge paying it, but we simply need to move on.

Still waiting on closing. Should go through any minute now..

[Estrella]

We submitted an offer on a house yesterday, with the condition they pulled it from the market and didn’t go ahead with their open home today. They said we had to up the $$$ for that to happen, which we rejected. So now we are waiting. It’s a great house so I’m sure they’ll get a higher offer today but we don’t want to spend more as we are getting near to the top of our budget. Keep everything crossed for us/send turtle power please!

[Estrella]

We upped our offer slightly (but not as high as their counter). They got another two after the open home, and have been considering them overnight. We will find out today if it’s ours

[Estrella]

The husband is working in Western Aus just now so there’s a two hour time difference. I’m hoping we hear by lunchtime as the outcome determines what we’re doing this afternoon (ie getting the house organised for real estate photos next week or not!) I feel sick. I want the new house so much!

[Estrella]

We got it (subject to selling ours)

[Estrella]

Should be. Our real estate reckons first open we’ll be under contract at the price we want. Just the issue of getting photos booked in. Plus getting onto our broker to sort finance and things on the new place.

The new place is an older, but renovated, lowset house on half an acre. We will need to redo the laundry and bathrooms at some point but it has a brand new kitchen. Means moving to a new suburb. Kids can walk to school, we can walk to the local pub and shops (which we can’t here), it’s close to a really good high school too.

[Glint]

Congratulations Est, for a smooth sale of yours.

[Scooter]

Yay Est! Would love to see it when you’re ready to share.

We’re plodding on with our design. It’s getting g bigger and bigger but I can’t wait to get on with it now!

[rosy]

Congrats Est!

[Kenickie]

Congrats, Est! I think being able to walk to at least one shop and pub makes a huge difference. It would be a real deal breaker for me.

[Toast]

Congratulations, Est! I agree about the pub and shop too!

My vendor is no further on with finding anywhere, eight weeks later. She still has her original offer in but the owners of that house can't find anywhere. She offered on something else but that fell through. She's suggested a couple of times that she would move in with her daughter but when I asked her when this might be she went quiet and now her dad has died and the council have messed up the paperwork my solicitor is waiting for, etc.

I've found sonewhere else that's bigger, cheaper, in a better location and is chain free. It needs work (and I would obviously have to do all the paperwork again as well as sort out another survey plus there is the cost) but I'm thinking it won't hurt to look.

[Derek Nimmo]

It absolutely wouldn't Toast - do it. And massive congratulations Est!

I wanted to see somewhere else over the weekend (in a far more preferred location for me, but with one fewer bedrooms, and trickier parking) and by the time the bloody EA got back to me today, they told me that it was already under offer (not a huge surprise).

I keep on veering mentally between thinking I've got a great house under offer which I can make properly lovely vrs but it's not quite in the right location, and I'm not necessarily quite ready for a suburban life. My gut is being uncharacteristically quiet about it, annoyingly.

[Little My]

It's a tough decision.

Toast, no harm in looking!

Congratulations, Est. Good luck with you house sale.

My sale closed with no further hitches, and we haven't heard anything else so we hope that is an end to it. Money in the bank. Done.