House Buying Is More Stressful Than Divorce, Death or Bankruptcy

[Pippedydeadeye]

We have been valued, and it was in line with what we were expecting/hoping for, but the house C liked is already under offer, as if yesterday, apparently. We’d tried twice to get a viewing and they never asked if we were in a position to buy, just if we were on the market, which is annoying because how would they know we’re not lottery winners/independently wealthy? Anyway, I’m happy with the outcome, C has gone into a bit of a sulk.

[Ella77]

He really does sulk at the drop of a hat, doesn't he?

[Marth]

I need to book in an EPC. I'm tired already lol

Marth, if it helps, I used Landlord Certificates for an EPC on my flat in London earlier this year. It was £53 for a two bed flat. I did a bit of research at the time and that seemed to be a normalish price.

Thanks, Froozy. I paid £50 inc VAT. The nice man came around today and it's done and online.

Sounds like a good outcome for you, Pip. Will C be actively looking now do you think? It wouldn't have happened anyway if you hadn't been into it, so tell him to cheer up love

[Pippedydeadeye]

It would been nice if they’d let us view it before when we enquired about 10 days ago and let it be totally our decision. I’ve given him a talking to and explained that the things he thinks he wants, we don’t actually need anyway. He wants a massive garden; hates gardening.

[speedy gonzalez]

Good news for you then PIp!
Mr Speedy dropped in on his mum yesterday. We discovered she'd been round to see our new house but couldn't get in the garden. This was a shame apparently as she really wanted to see it. However, she was able to see all their boxes stacked up ready for the move. The current owners haven't even moved out yet. Apparently, she didn't go right up to the house !

[speedy gonzalez]

Going to box up some more of the lounge this weekend and I think that's it till we get a date. We've got boxes everywhere in the lounge as Mr Speedy keeps bringing them home from work. So they might as well be boxes that contain stuff. Mr Speedy is giving me suspicious looks about the number of boxes we need for my cookbooks. I know these things I'm a library assistant! Small book case - half a shelf per box.
Also started making a box up for new owner with bin day dates, instructions for oven, warranty for boiler eytc.

[Marth]

Going to box up some more of the lounge this weekend and I think that's it till we get a date. We've got boxes everywhere in the lounge as Mr Speedy keeps bringing them home from work. So they might as well be boxes that contain stuff. Mr Speedy is giving me suspicious looks about the number of boxes we need for my cookbooks. I know these things I'm a library assistant! Small book case - half a shelf per box.
Also started making a box up for new owner with bin day dates, instructions for oven, warranty for boiler eytc.

Is a date imminent, Speedy? I've got 16 booked in for viewings at the weekend . The cats are going to SB2's dads for a day out!
I'm looking at Bristol, but there's not too much I want to view (that I can afford). I cant go down this weekend anyway, so will make contact and keep looking.

[Cosmopolitan]

16 viewings! Good lord.

[Rosa]

16 viewings! Your flat has always sounded really lovely though, Marth, so I'm not surprised.

[Tsu]

That sounds promising, Marth.

[bramblerose]

That's good going Marth but as Rosa says, your flat has always sounded lovely.

[Rebel Pebble]

That's great Marth! I hope you get a good offer quickly.

[Marth]

16 viewings! Your flat has always sounded really lovely though, Marth, so I'm not surprised.

Thank you. It's alright, but it's a mad market here most of the time, and especially now because of the stamp duty freeze.

Lots of youngish first time buyers from Stoke Newington/Hackney etc, and the Warner flats are always popular I believe because they are purpose built with their own front and back doors, although they are Victorian,

It's actually really pretty cool around here these days, moments from the William Morris Gallery and so many nice cafes, pubs etc, but only 15 mins to Kings Cross/20 to Oxford Circus on the tube.

Blimey, I don't want to move now, I do love it here.

[Rebel Pebble]

Purpose built maisonette beats converted house every time.

[Rosa]

Blimey, I don't want to move now, I do love it here.

[rosy]

16 viewings is amazing, I hope you’ll love Bristol just as much!

[speedy gonzalez]

Going to box up some more of the lounge this weekend and I think that's it till we get a date. We've got boxes everywhere in the lounge as Mr Speedy keeps bringing them home from work. So they might as well be boxes that contain stuff. Mr Speedy is giving me suspicious looks about the number of boxes we need for my cookbooks. I know these things I'm a library assistant! Small book case - half a shelf per box.
Also started making a box up for new owner with bin day dates, instructions for oven, warranty for boiler eytc.

Is a date imminent, Speedy? I've got 16 booked in for viewings at the weekend . The cats are going to SB2's dads for a day out!
I'm looking at Bristol, but there's not too much I want to view (that I can afford). I cant go down this weekend anyway, so will make contact and keep looking.

Thinking that a date must be coming up in the next few weeks. There surely can't much more stuff to read through and sign! I think we're just waiting on results of a few searches and the results of the survey on the new house. I think the remaining search results are just things like flood risk and planning applications nearby. We're checked these ourselves anyhow.
Started boxing up so we have an idea of how many more boxes we're going to need.
Good luck with the viewings.

[speedy gonzalez]

Survey back and nothing to be concerned about. Just a few remember to keep these areas maintained/checked. So things like the flat roof, guttering etc but they are fine at the moment. He couldn't see when the boiler was last checked but we know from the seller documentation that it's last year and we're getting our gas engineer in anyhow as we're thinking of replacing it and getting a new one.

[Marth]

Survey back and nothing to be concerned about. Just a few remember to keep these areas maintained/checked. So things like the flat roof, guttering etc but they are fine at the moment. He couldn't see when the boiler was last checked but we know from the seller documentation that it's last year and we're getting our gas engineer in anyhow as we're thinking of replacing it and getting a new one.

Excellent. Hope that's all that's needed now (bar paperwork and handing over large sums of money)

[Beena]

That's all sounding very positive, Speedy. Fingers crossed for you! 16 is amazing, Marth.

My head hurts with our purchase. I don't really know what to do. WWYD?

I can't work out if our vendors are either very naive, or trying to hide something. They say one thing, do another. Nothing ever seems to add quite up.

The Property Information form was a long list of 'no' - no works done, no guarantees, no issues, no problems, nothing to see here.

Except they have had work done. If you search online, you can see the photos of the house when they bought it. And the agents particulars when they last thought about marketing it. And the agents particulars this time, which lists work done. Denying it on the solicitor's paperwork is absolute insanity.

Our solicitor has spent months chasing things, trying to get information and certificates out of theirs. The latest is that 'not touched the electrics' according to the Property Info is actually 'major installation work' in reality. With an unregistered electrician. Who didn't put it through Building Control. Which isn't a problem according to their solicitor - and can we exchange next week as they want to get moving? (No, no we cannot.)

On Monday we asked them to arrange this year's boiler service. They responded by sending through photographic proof that a service was carried out just before lockdown. Except the way they've framed the shot nips off the year from the date. Ordinarily you'd take it on trust, but we've already had last year's service report and it's the same company, same paperwork. If the new photo is to be believed, the company have not only dropped their prices in the last 12 months, they seem to have reverted to using an old ledger, judging by the invoice number.

And then we had a call to say that they've booked the service in next week. WTAF?