House Buying Is More Stressful Than Divorce, Death or Bankruptcy

[Mountain Goat]

It really is! Congratulations everyone, it's all really happening now.

[Derek Nimmo]

Exciting news Toast!

Have you started looking a little more in earnest now Goat?

[emma_p]

Well that is great news and you're moving on an excellent date ;)

[Mountain Goat]

Not really: the area I'm looking has gone really cold since the end of the stamp duty holiday so probably going to wait till NY now and hope it picks up then. Plus the bloody water ingress into the dining room wall is still happening so we're in the midst of getting people to quote for that - I will probably get the house valued once we've got someone lined up to sort that (so I know it's going to be done/what's going to be done) so I can present it as something that will be fixed before it's on the market.

There is one house that's come on that I am in total daydream mode about. It's more than we want to pay and a bit out of the way so probably not a great idea in reality, and will be sold by the time we're ready to buy but it's nice to finally see something that makes me emote, after weeks of NOTHING.

[Lily]

Congratulations, Toast!

[Skips]

Valuation is this coming Monday and everything rests on that. We've got very little in savings so everything will come from equity. Probably not the best plan, but it's all we've got really. We're both totally fed up of this place and have been for a while, but prices have been rising and I'm hoping it's enough.

[Mountain Goat]

Do you have an idea of what you think it's worth Skips, or are you quite in the dark?

[Chicky]

Congrats Toast!

[Skips]

I think I know, but as we haven't finished the decorating and the garden is half done I'm not sure if I'm over reaching. I've taken a look on places like zoopla but I don't know how accurate they are. Our green light minimum is £10k less than they say we should get. Obviously if we got more it'd be great.

[Mountain Goat]

That sounds positive. We're in a similar boat, I have an idea of what I think we should get based on similar houses in our street but..ours has a ropey kitchen and bathroom (better now than they were a few months ago) and am I deducting enough or too much because of that? I don't know.

[Rebel Pebble]

This thread is getting exciting! Fingers crossed for everyone.

[Derek Nimmo]

I'd definitely get a couple of EA valuations now Goat, they may well tell you it's not worth waiting til you've done the work. And if they do advise you to sort it first, no harm done.

[Mountain Goat]

Good point, thank you. It probably is better to just get a sense sooner rather later, I'm just a bit mortified by the bubbling paint behind my dresser. But they are estate agents, not people sent to judge my maintenance skills.

[F'Artiste]

Fingers crossed for the valuations. We have one next Friday, and a couple of second viewings booked in. Prices in our area keep rising though, so I think ultimately we’ll have to branch out to a different area. I’m hoping that my own estimation (based on what houses have sold for in the last few months, and what recent ones have gone on for) is correct, as that would give us a few options.

[rosy]

Congrats (almost) Toast and good luck Skips, Goat and F’arts!

[Estrella]

Yay, Toast! And good luck to everyone else.

We have got our keys and are starting to move stuff in. There are a few issues we need to raise with our solicitor tomorrow morning though. To the point where we are going to ask to withhold money at settlement which is a bit stressful. And the house was so dirty. I literally spent all day yesterday cleaning. But I love the house so much. And the kids are enjoying the space outside so much. They can’t wait to sleep there.

[Estrella]

I took 5 mins to sit down here earlier. The pool was also filthy so we are having to run the robot constantly and have to sort the chemical balance. It’s so bare so I’ll have to make it pretty.

[Leap]

Look at that I’m sorry it was so filthy. It’s so common there must be people who just stop cleaning as they get closer to moving out, which is vile.

[Livilla]

Lovely pool, Est!

[emma_p]

These people who leave their houses filthy It is not cricket.

It looks great though (especially from wintery London )