On The Move

**britbunny** · 01-26-2010, 10:12 AM

Hi everyone,

I didn't know where to put this, so I put it here! We have just accepted an offer on our house, about £1500 under the asking price which is great. I know it's early days and there's much stress and anxiety to go through but all the looking online and dreaming about our new place is finally starting to firm up a little. I'm trying to not get too excited as things do go wrong, but fingers crossed!

**ilovechocolate** · 01-26-2010, 06:31 PM

That's good news!

**miss_thrifty** · 01-27-2010, 10:21 AM

sending ya good vibes your way.

**she who can not cook** · 01-31-2010, 04:04 AM

Where would you like to more to??

**Dutchie** · 02-01-2010, 02:25 AM

What great news, especially in these difficult times.

We have also been thinking about moving but since around 10% of our small neighborhood of 120 houses is up for sale and have been for almost 1 year, we're going nowhere.
It used to be that houses in our neighborhood never even came on the market since they were sold by word of mouth.
How things change.

But really, many many congratuations!!!

**britbunny** · 02-01-2010, 05:41 AM

Yes,

We were pretty surprised to have someone round to view so early in the year. We did have a new kitchen fitted before Christmas so I think that's what made the sale. So it is worth the money. We had reached a point where we didn't know if the house would sell at all, there are some properties hanging around for well over a year now. I guess we are just a little more realistic with our price and ready to sell rather than hoping someone will buy for what we would really like to sell for. If that makes sense.

@ She who cannot cook We are moving to Lytham St Annes near Blackpool.

**Dutchie** · 02-02-2010, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by britbunny

@ She who cannot cook We are moving to Lytham St Annes near Blackpool.

Have you found a house there yet?
What kind of house would you like?
Something near the sea/golf course or are they too expensive?

**britbunny** · 02-02-2010, 08:35 AM

Hi,

We viewed 9 houses at the weekend and have another 3 to see tomorrow. It is pretty expensive so our new place is going to be either ugly or small, we just have to decide which, lol.

We have seen one house we really like but it is over our budget, but the estate agent is talking to the owner about whether they'd come down in price or not. Apparently she sold a house a couple of weeks ago for £100,000 under the asking price!!! We've also had it suggested to us that the owner of one of the houses we're looking at tomorrow will take an offer "substantially" below asking price. So we shall see.

In terms of location, the house that's over budget is right near Royal Lytham Golf Course (my eldest brother loves golf and wants us to buy that one so he can come and stay when The Open is on in 2012). The other we're keen on is near the centre of St Annes, but is closer to the sea. My main priority is that I'm within walking distance of the shops, whether that's Lytham, Ansdell or St Annes and that I'm in walking distance of the sea. That's why I want to be there after all :-)

We're not too concerned about the look of the property, we currently live in an Edwardian terrace, so it's huge with all the original features, high ceilings etc but we're looking at bungalows, townhouses, mews, 1970's link houses. It'll be fun to have to think of a new decorative style so I'm looking forward to that aspect of it.

Thanks for asking, I shall keep you informed of all the happenings. The survey is taking place on our current house on Friday, hopefully all will be well and it'll be quick and as painless as possible (fingers crossed).

**Dutchie** · 02-02-2010, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by britbunny

Hi,

We viewed 9 houses at the weekend and have another 3 to see tomorrow. It is pretty expensive so our new place is going to be either ugly or small, we just have to decide which, lol.

We have seen one house we really like but it is over our budget, but the estate agent is talking to the owner about whether they'd come down in price or not. Apparently she sold a house a couple of weeks ago for £100,000 under the asking price!!! We've also had it suggested to us that the owner of one of the houses we're looking at tomorrow will take an offer "substantially" below asking price. So we shall see.

In terms of location, the house that's over budget is right near Royal Lytham Golf Course (my eldest brother loves golf and wants us to buy that one so he can come and stay when The Open is on in 2012). The other we're keen on is near the centre of St Annes, but is closer to the sea. My main priority is that I'm within walking distance of the shops, whether that's Lytham, Ansdell or St Annes and that I'm in walking distance of the sea. That's why I want to be there after all :-)

We're not too concerned about the look of the property, we currently live in an Edwardian terrace, so it's huge with all the original features, high ceilings etc but we're looking at bungalows, townhouses, mews, 1970's link houses. It'll be fun to have to think of a new decorative style so I'm looking forward to that aspect of it.

Thanks for asking, I shall keep you informed of all the happenings. The survey is taking place on our current house on Friday, hopefully all will be well and it'll be quick and as painless as possible (fingers crossed).

Want some more visitors in 2012 (LOL)?
The 2009 Open was in Turnberry which is literally just around the corner from where I was born and grew up and where my parents still live. DH so desperately wanted to go but it didn't pan out.
He WAS glued to the TV for most of it though.

If the estate agent got the price of that other house down by 100,000 pounds (don't know where the pound sign is), what was the price to start with - it must have been A LOT!!!!
The house that is over budget, is it doable or is it WAY over?

What's a 1970's link house?

The last time I was in St. Annes was more than 32 years ago - so it must have changed a lot.

When you say ugly or small - do you mean ugly on the outside or inside or both. Isn't it possible to re-do 'ugly' if the price is right.
(My God I sound like my mother - she always loves changing ugly houses into small palaces.)

Do you expect any problems with the surveyor on Friday and will you get the results right away or have to wait?

I hope you don't mind me asking all these questions, I just love talking about houses especially in that part of the world - lots of fond memories for me.

**britbunny** · 02-02-2010, 09:34 AM

No, I don't mind at all, it's good to chat about it.

I've been told that if we live close to the golf course when the Open is on we'd be able to rent out the house or any off street parking we may have. Could be a good money spinner, lol. But we will be open to visits I think :-)

The over budget house was about £18k more than we would like to pay. I get the impression that agents are "managing expectations" in that many people seem to have an amount they want to sell for and want to market at that price regardless of what things will actually sell for. Many of the houses we've been looking at online were reduced in price this week, so it appears that agents just reduce the houses as a job lot after x amount of time. How Carly negotiated that huge reduction I will never know, she is very efficient from what I've seen so I guess she just has all the tricks to get her % from the sale. Let's put it this way, I wouldn't sell with her in this market, but I am glad we're at the other end of the negotiation!

The other thing is that most of the places we've seen have been vacant. A combination of buy-to-let properties where the renters have dried up and the developer is just trying to get their money out and are prepared to take a hit. The others are places where people have died or gone into nursing homes. The latter are the people hanging on for more money, if there's cash to divide between a number of siblings they all seem to want their share.

A link house (I'd never heard of one til last week) is where the houses are joined together by the garage only, so the street goes house, garage, house, garage if that makes sense. When I say "ugly" I mean on the outside, very bland and grey. But when there's a garden there are always opportunities to make things look more pretty. In terms of interior I think there's always a way to make things work.

The survey on Friday is only a very basic homebuyers report rather than a full structural survey so I doubt anything will come up at all. We have had some water issues caused by a leak under my neighbours house but it has been resolved. The survey that's taking place is pretty much just to prove to the bank that it's worth the amount we're selling it for. So we should be alright.

I'm not sure what happens in terms of the result of the survey tbh, I guess it's just wait and see. I don't think I'll fully believe someone is going to buy our house until after this has taken place. Maybe they'll want to renegotiate the price, who can say. It's all just wait and see.

**Dutchie** · 02-04-2010, 03:09 AM

How did the viewing of the other 3 houses go yesterday?

Anything for you?

**britbunny** · 02-05-2010, 04:36 AM

Hi,

Thanks for asking.

The viewings went well. Apart from the first Estate Agent got lost on his way to the property (which is less than half a mile from his place of employment). First house had "bags of potential" but we couldn't have moved in without work taking place first - it had no kitchen at all, lol. So I think they're being VERY optimistic with the price.

Second house was the one I spoke of the other day. And we do like it a lot. It needs much more work than the photographs suggested. I think their idea of "presented to a high standard" is very different to mine. It needs lots of work but is liveable while we get it done. So we put a very low offer in to show willing, knowing it would be rejected and it was. But it gave the agent chance to sound them out (and lower their expectations a bit) so we are prepared to meet them half way with the price, we'll go up £7,000 if they'll come down the same amount. The house has been on the market for around a year and there has been no other interest. So I think we're in a good position, if not we'll walk away and find something else!

We didn't get the the third house, we had more snow and the agent was up in Lancaster and couldn't get back in time. Typical.

I am currently waiting for the surveyor to arrive to do the survey on our current house so I'm hoping that goes well, it's just a matter of waiting! I'll keep up updated if anything happens. Have a good weekend.

**Dutchie** · 02-07-2010, 06:46 AM

Just saw this, so sorry for not answering before now.

I hope for you that the owners of the property lower their price and their expectations. If they lower it, will you go for it?

Is the 7000 a lot compared to the asking price or is it such a high percentage that they may not go for it? In other words would it be realistic for the owners to lower it?

What kind of house is it?
Will you be able to get any work done before you move into the house (assuming of course that you get/buy it)?
Is this the house near the golf course?

Sorry for asking so many questions again.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

**britbunny** · 02-07-2010, 07:57 AM

Hi,

Well things have been turned upside down yet again! We have stepped away from the house we had put an offer in on due to somewhere we looked at yesterday!

The house we WERE interested in was on the market for £165,000 and we had offered £151,000 which was rejected. We were told they would probably accept around £155-157,000. We would have been able to live there while the work was underway so that wasn't too much of a problem. Having the work done prior to moving in wouldn't really have made financial sense so that wouldn't have worked out for us.

We viewed a house yesterday which is on the market for £160,000, on the same street as a house we really liked but was too expensive. It's a nice comfy but not all that exciting house. It's not all to our taste but everything is finished well and we would be more than happy to live with it for a fair old while. DH said to me after we'd viewed it that he would really like it if we moved somewhere that we didn't need to start work on straight away. And I think that's worth a lot. Just being able to move in and get settled without builders and more stress would be great.

Plus it's within walking distance of more things so that would be good for me - it's very near Royal Lytham golf course! Not too far from the sea front and near plenty of shops and things, so not to be grumbled at.

So in short, DH is going to stick an opening offer in for the comfy but less exciting house tomorrow.

**Dutchie** · 02-08-2010, 03:02 AM

I am so excited for you.
How long has this house been on the market?
What will be your opening bid - around 150,000?
Maybe even lower if it has been on the market for a while?
Are there still people living in the house?
Are they in a hurry to move?

(We once got a great deal on a house because the owners were still living in the house and we had heard via via that they had already bought another house and needed to get rid of the one that we were after. We made a ridiculous offer and they accepted.
The house was for sale for 149,000 plus costs which across here amounts to around 10% of the sale price. We offered 115,000 and they pay for the costs. They took it.)