Buying a home and don't know how anything works

[WouldBe]

Three years, three weeks and one day after the fire that destroyed our block, we are finally completing on our new house tomorrow. *

It's almost a year since the offer was accepted, eight months since it has been empty and I now have 6 weeks of building work to organise and oversee, which is a bit daunting, but by fuck I will be relieved to have the constant mental load of dealing with it all lifted.

The endlessness of it has been really, really hard to tolerate for all three of us - so I am just fixing now on looking forwards to the work being done and us finally being able to start putting down some roots and feel settled.

And erm, keeping my fingers crossed that the fucker doesn't fall down five minutes after we move in.


*We may well not get the keys tomorrow mind because as per that just didn't occur to anyone else to sort out until I took it upon myself but I will take that as the final wholly typical example of how the whole thing has played out. Tbf, I'm just relieved that there is now a plan cos I was seriously fearing another three years could pass before I got my hands on them.

Hope it all goes smoothly, it's about time.

 

[cesare]

Blimey sheo! I will do big celebratory hugs once you have your keys

 

[hash tag]

If anyone deserves it to go well tomorrow sheothebudworths it's you. Good luck and hope it goes well.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Where in the world is Artas Solicitor


Nobody fucking knows where she is or what she’s doing

 

[baldrick]

Went to go and look at some houses at the weekend. We're not planning to move until next year but I've been making lists on Rightmove for months and just wanted to make a start

Discovered how fucking tiny 3 bed new builds are - my god there's no storage and no room for a decent bed in any of the bedrooms. Even with the specially designed showhome furniture I was shuffling sideways round the wardrobe (which had sliding doors because there's no room to open a cupboard)

Have mostly ruled stuff out rather than ruled houses in. I really wanted to go and see a converted church but it was already under offer

How many houses did you go and see before you found the one? I feel really out of practice, it's like a decade since I've done this

 

[Puddy_Tat]

How many houses did you go and see before you found the one? I feel really out of practice, it's like a decade since I've done this

bought somewhere in 1994. from what i can remember, maybe looked at maybe somewhere between 6 and 12 places.

current place i rented to start with then bought as the landlord wanted to sell up round the time i wanted to buy somewhere

 

[Thora]

Went to go and look at some houses at the weekend. We're not planning to move until next year but I've been making lists on Rightmove for months and just wanted to make a start

Discovered how fucking tiny 3 bed new builds are - my god there's no storage and no room for a decent bed in any of the bedrooms. Even with the specially designed showhome furniture I was shuffling sideways round the wardrobe (which had sliding doors because there's no room to open a cupboard)

Have mostly ruled stuff out rather than ruled houses in. I really wanted to go and see a converted church but it was already under offer

How many houses did you go and see before you found the one? I feel really out of practice, it's like a decade since I've done this

Bloody loads and got to the point of exchange on three

 

[moonsi til]

I have bought 3 properties & current one viewed the most houses prior & going to guess about 10. I had an offer accepted March 2020 on house I was selling then the world went sideways & there wasn’t much that I liked in my budget so I viewed houses outside of what I wanted ‘just in case’ & ended up with clearer understanding of what I did want so it was a helpful process.

 

[Leafster]

Went to go and look at some houses at the weekend. We're not planning to move until next year but I've been making lists on Rightmove for months and just wanted to make a start

Discovered how fucking tiny 3 bed new builds are - my god there's no storage and no room for a decent bed in any of the bedrooms. Even with the specially designed showhome furniture I was shuffling sideways round the wardrobe (which had sliding doors because there's no room to open a cupboard)

Have mostly ruled stuff out rather than ruled houses in. I really wanted to go and see a converted church but it was already under offer

How many houses did you go and see before you found the one? I feel really out of practice, it's like a decade since I've done this

I think I looked * at 4 houses when I eventually bought my current place. I actually put on offer on the first place I saw but I didn't offer enough. The next 2 just weren't suitable when I looked at them. Then I found this place.

There were two others that I'd booked to see but they went under offer before I could see them.

* I spent a lot of time narrowing it down by looking at all the details on Zoopla and then looking at google maps and finally doing walk-bys or drive-bys of the potentials to get a better idea.

 

[Elpenor]

Went to go and look at some houses at the weekend. We're not planning to move until next year but I've been making lists on Rightmove for months and just wanted to make a start

Discovered how fucking tiny 3 bed new builds are - my god there's no storage and no room for a decent bed in any of the bedrooms. Even with the specially designed showhome furniture I was shuffling sideways round the wardrobe (which had sliding doors because there's no room to open a cupboard)

Have mostly ruled stuff out rather than ruled houses in. I really wanted to go and see a converted church but it was already under offer

How many houses did you go and see before you found the one? I feel really out of practice, it's like a decade since I've done this

I looked at a few newish build ones in a new town near Exeter called Cranbrook aka Crimebrook. Didn’t bother with any actual new builds as they were too overpriced for me to consider

But my observations from the ones I did see which were built from 2018 onwards were too many bathrooms for my needs, not enough storage, small plots and tiny rooms. Not a house to move to if you have lots of books for example

 

[danski]

I have to step in for new builds here.
Yes, lots are small and shit but there are some decent builders making sensible homes. Probably not many and likely not in your area but they are out there.

 

[Boudicca]

My house is finally under offer, took a while and some negotiation once the survey was done. I'm buying a smaller, modern house around the corner from me and it's the only one I viewed. I'm not in love with it but it ticks all my boxes, right area, garage, small garden, well looked after but very dated, needs a complete overhaul. Oh and it's really ugly from the outside which will be a challenge.

There's a chain but we are aiming for completion on Jan 5th so I'm going to have to stay on the back of my solicitor to make this happen. I think it's going to be my buyers solicitor that is going to cause problems - 39 enquiries (including the same one twice) and they've got the wrong end of the stick about my garage conversion, so loads of stuff about planning and covenants.

 

[baldrick]

I looked at a few newish build ones in a new town near Exeter called Cranbrook aka Crimebrook. Didn’t bother with any actual new builds as they were too overpriced for me to consider

But my observations from the ones I did see which were built from 2018 onwards were too many bathrooms for my needs, not enough storage, small plots and tiny rooms. Not a house to move to if you have lots of books for example

I do have lots of books sadly. A whole room of them in the current place. It does seem a bit silly to buy a house on that basis but what can you do. I don't think I'd want to get rid of many/any.

I have to step in for new builds here.
Yes, lots are small and shit but there are some decent builders making sensible homes. Probably not many and likely not in your area but they are out there.

I was being a tad unfair - there are a couple of developments near where I currently live that have sensible sized houses. But that's not where I'm looking to move! I do like looking at all the pristine decor and shiny kitchens though

 

[hash tag]

When we bought our current flat, we looked at two others. One was offered to others as they were not in a chain and we were asked if we would like to out bid them.
I said from the outset, we would not do this. A few weeks later, the other buyers pulled out, were we still interested; I told them in no uncertain terms we were not.
The other flat was on two floors, a huge size but we said no, it was above a fried chicken shop.
We are looking to move now, well not really. We have viewed two places. One was too small and the other ha lots of little bits of walls with nooks and crannies and windows.
it would not have worked as it would not take our collection of books and cd's.
If we were to start looking now, we would need garaging for one car and some sort of parking for two others!
It is going to be a very tall order when it happens.
PS. The majority of new homes on the markey now are very small with very small, virtually non existent gardens - in the South, it's the land that costs all the money so this is how
profit is maximised. Also, most homes are identikit things, with little thought or imagination. Also, you will pay a premium for all the white goods etc. included.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Tentative completion date of the 23rd twitches

 

[xenon]

Haven't posted on this for months but I am dangerously close to buying a flat. Signing pre contract thing in the next few days hopefully.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Money is moving around, absolute fucking worse time of year and not when I'd like to be moving at all but an end may be in sight.

Current plan is to get keys and move after new year if all goes well.

 

[Artaxerxes]

 

[cesare]

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Hurray and congrats!

 

[shakespearegirl]

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Fantastic news…

 

[Artaxerxes]

Keys on Friday, I’m just so fucking exhausted.

Everything is just hitting at once this month

 

[cesare]

Keys on Friday, I’m just so fucking exhausted.

Everything is just hitting at once this month

It's a tense stressful and draining time, and so is Christmas. Hope you manage to get some time to relax over the holidays.

 

[Elpenor]

Congratulations and I hope the moving day goes as well as can be expected

 

[shakespearegirl]

Keys on Friday, I’m just so fucking exhausted.

Everything is just hitting at once this month

At least you want spend Xmas stressing out over whether it’s going through

 

[hash tag]

Congrats. Where and when is celebratory house warming?

 

[xenon]

So, I've bought a flat. Completion happened today. Won't be moving in for a little while, need to sort a few things out, decorating, furniture etc. Have not got the key yet, arranging with vender when to collect. But legally it's mine now.

 

[cesare]

So, I've bought a flat. Completion happened today. Won't be moving in for a little while, need to sort a few things out, decorating, furniture etc. Have not got the key yet, arranging with vender when to collect. But legally it's mine now.

Congrats!

 

[baldrick]

Well done xenon - how exciting

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

12 months on from buying my flat and a £2.5K bill that seemingly should have been paid as part of everything when I bought it has appeared. Everyone talks of the joy of owning your own home, I still wish I’d never bothered, the whole thing is nothing but stress.

 

[Riklet]

12 months on from buying my flat and a £2.5K bill that seemingly should have been paid as part of everything when I bought it has appeared. Everyone talks of the joy of owning your own home, I still wish I’d never bothered, the whole thing is nothing but stress.

Can you contest it? Who's it from? sounds strange.

Do you really find it that stressful? This is life. Take a step back. Its just a bill! Even if you take a year to pay it probs not much will happen. You have somewhere to live and it's yours, youre well lucky.