Houses

[stripeyfox]

23 minutes ago, Adster said:

Is anyone going through the house buying process at the moment?

 

Me and my partner have finally saved up enough for a 10% deposit and we have a decision in Principle from Halifax to start looking. We're looking between the 150k-165k price range. In the month and a half we've been looking, only one decent house (to us) has come up. We put an offer in for it and was rejected as the owner took a private sale instead despite saying they had no interest in the house.

 

All other houses we're interested in are frigging sold after like 3 days being on the market. Why on earth are houses selling so quickly? I might be naive but I thought at the beginning we'd have enough time to view, mull it over for a little while (it is a big commitment, after all), check out the surrounding area and all that, but you simply cannot.

 

Maybe we're being to picky? I think we have a right to be, as this is planned to be the house we plan to live in for the rest of our lives (at the moment, anyway).

 

Homeowners - how long did it take you to find your "dream" home? I'm getting rather frustrated there seems to be a lack of (good) houses in our price range at the moment. I've got instant email alerts on rightmove and zoopla. Do all houses get added to Rightmove/Zoopla or should I got round all the locate estate agents as well?

 

Any help is appreciated.

I've literally spent longer choosing what to eat in a restaurant than choosing my first house!

 

 

 

[Innovindil]

22 minutes ago, Adster said:

Is anyone going through the house buying process at the moment?

 

Me and my partner have finally saved up enough for a 10% deposit and we have a decision in Principle from Halifax to start looking. We're looking between the 150k-165k price range. In the month and a half we've been looking, only one decent house (to us) has come up. We put an offer in for it and was rejected as the owner took a private sale instead despite saying they had no interest in the house.

 

All other houses we're interested in are frigging sold after like 3 days being on the market. Why on earth are houses selling so quickly? I might be naive but I thought at the beginning we'd have enough time to view, mull it over for a little while (it is a big commitment, after all), check out the surrounding area and all that, but you simply cannot.

 

Maybe we're being to picky? I think we have a right to be, as this is planned to be the house we plan to live in for the rest of our lives (at the moment, anyway).

 

Homeowners - how long did it take you to find your "dream" home? I'm getting rather frustrated there seems to be a lack of (good) houses in our price range at the moment. I've got instant email alerts on rightmove and zoopla. Do all houses get added to Rightmove/Zoopla or should I got round all the locate estate agents as well?

 

Any help is appreciated.

Just had an offer accepted on the first one I looked at. In retrospect it seems crazy to buy the first one we looked at, but we've been searching online for months for ones that tick all the boxes and nothing. This one came up, literally ticks every box, lots of space to play with, fairly low maintenance garden and within spitting distance of my brother and his missus which works out well. Think this one was up for 4 days before we had our offer accepted. 

 

Really not a lot going onto the market right now, definitely makes it hard to find your perfect home, stick with it though, got to be worth it in the long run. 

[stripeyfox]

25 minutes ago, Adster said:

Is anyone going through the house buying process at the moment?

 

Me and my partner have finally saved up enough for a 10% deposit and we have a decision in Principle from Halifax to start looking. We're looking between the 150k-165k price range. In the month and a half we've been looking, only one decent house (to us) has come up. We put an offer in for it and was rejected as the owner took a private sale instead despite saying they had no interest in the house.

 

All other houses we're interested in are frigging sold after like 3 days being on the market. Why on earth are houses selling so quickly? I might be naive but I thought at the beginning we'd have enough time to view, mull it over for a little while (it is a big commitment, after all), check out the surrounding area and all that, but you simply cannot.

 

Maybe we're being to picky? I think we have a right to be, as this is planned to be the house we plan to live in for the rest of our lives (at the moment, anyway).

 

Homeowners - how long did it take you to find your "dream" home? I'm getting rather frustrated there seems to be a lack of (good) houses in our price range at the moment. I've got instant email alerts on rightmove and zoopla. Do all houses get added to Rightmove/Zoopla or should I got round all the locate estate agents as well?

 

Any help is appreciated.

Also, don't get to hung up on the "dream" house. Everyone is different, but I wanted a quiet area, not really "on the way home" for people on a Saturday night. Good school nearby if possible (although this drives prices up). Decent, but not too huge garden. On drive parking. And not in too much need of decorating / building (because I'm a lazy bastard and crap ay DIY).

 

Take care of your practical issues and the house will become your dream hosue.

 

[Wymsey]

It's advised that, before making offers and moving in etc, to have a good look at the place - in terms of if there's any damage/poor paint jobs etc; as if you find any before putting an offer in, you can inform the home agent this and as you haven't put an offer in yet - it's their responsibility in getting it done without you getting financially involved.

Edited 26 July 2017 by Wymeswold fox

[Finnegan]

23 minutes ago, Adster said:

Is anyone going through the house buying process at the moment?

 

Me and my partner have finally saved up enough for a 10% deposit and we have a decision in Principle from Halifax to start looking. We're looking between the 150k-165k price range. In the month and a half we've been looking, only one decent house (to us) has come up. We put an offer in for it and was rejected as the owner took a private sale instead despite saying they had no interest in the house.

 

All other houses we're interested in are frigging sold after like 3 days being on the market. Why on earth are houses selling so quickly? I might be naive but I thought at the beginning we'd have enough time to view, mull it over for a little while (it is a big commitment, after all), check out the surrounding area and all that, but you simply cannot.

 

Maybe we're being to picky? I think we have a right to be, as this is planned to be the house we plan to live in for the rest of our lives (at the moment, anyway).

 

Homeowners - how long did it take you to find your "dream" home? I'm getting rather frustrated there seems to be a lack of (good) houses in our price range at the moment. I've got instant email alerts on rightmove and zoopla. Do all houses get added to Rightmove/Zoopla or should I got round all the locate estate agents as well?

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

I accept if you want to take my advice with a pinch of salt because we actually did a U turn and didn't buy in the end but we got all the way to having an offer accepted and applying for a mortgage and survey etc before hand. 

 

My biggest piece of advice would be:

 

People talk a lot of shit, select who you listen to. 

 

Everyone is an expert on house buying. The second they know you're a first time buyer, out come all the old cliches. People that probably haven't moved houses in twenty years want to tell you all about what you should do and buy. **** them all off. 

 

Biggest myth of all: "when you find the one, you'll know" or "don't just settle, wait until you find somewhere you really love." Oh **** off. 

 

It's a pile of bricks with a roof that's either in a shit area or a good one. 

 

Have an idea of what you're looking for, we knew the specific floor plan we were after, three bed, dining room, living room separate, hall way, kitchen off the dining room, patio out of the dining room. Easy. 

 

Found stacks of them in LFE and Enderby, didn't "love" any of them just picked the one with the most modern kitchen, newest boiler and the least terrible decorating. 

 

You walk round someone's house and it's just that - someone's house. It's not yours and it isn't go to be until you change it extensively. 

 

So keep your expectations sensible, stop being anxious if you don't "love" it - it's just a building. 

 

Regards time on the market, pretty much all the ones we looked at were taking their sweet time to sell tbh so it probably depends on how in demand the area is. 

 

We had plenty of time to stop and consider our top four or five choices and by that I'm talking a week or two. 

 

 

[Adster]

Thanks all. I think we're just frustrated as we found a home that was perfect for us, only for the vendor to pull the plug because they'd agreed a private sale a few days before despite telling us they'd had no interest in the property! I really don't like the dishonesty in this business also, lots of liars whether it be the estate agent or the vendor, I really don't know who is lying!

 

As we really didn't know houses go so fast (this one was in Hinckley on the Hollycroft estate), we were really enthusiastic about it and thought our offer would be accepted. Perhaps a bit naive on our part because when the agent told me they rejected our offer and already agreed a private sale, we were gutted.

 

Safe to say we've already learnt lots on the house buying process and we'll just keep looking without rushing into a decision. Thanks for all the help guys. It's much appreciated.

[stripeyfox]

26 minutes ago, Adster said:

Thanks all. I think we're just frustrated as we found a home that was perfect for us, only for the vendor to pull the plug because they'd agreed a private sale a few days before despite telling us they'd had no interest in the property! I really don't like the dishonesty in this business also, lots of liars whether it be the estate agent or the vendor, I really don't know who is lying!

 

As we really didn't know houses go so fast (this one was in Hinckley on the Hollycroft estate), we were really enthusiastic about it and thought our offer would be accepted. Perhaps a bit naive on our part because when the agent told me they rejected our offer and already agreed a private sale, we were gutted.

 

Safe to say we've already learnt lots on the house buying process and we'll just keep looking without rushing into a decision. Thanks for all the help guys. It's much appreciated.

Don't get your heart set on anywhere. It isn't complete until the day you move in and there are a number of things which can derail any purchase - someone else in the chain pulling out, problems with mortgage or survey etc.

 

As Finnegan says, people talk a lot of crap. When you look round, it is someone else's home, not yours. It is just bricks and a roof - no need to get sentimental.

 

Focus on the practical things like location, commute to work time, schools, shops, parks, traffic noise, foot fall of people walking past and make an intelligent decision with your head based on the factors which are importatnt to you rather than a decision of the heart or gut feeling.

 

[Finnegan]

Yeah like, let's say you go somewhere and fall in love with a house and it's amazing and you realise it's because the kitchen in there is absolutely immense. 

 

OK, fair enough, so remember that and keep it in mind for when you're decorating or refurbishing your kitchen  in a few years time. 

 

Once you have the house you're only limited by your imagination and budget. 

 

Of course, if you find a home that's already great then it's a bonus because it saves you some cash and time on doing it up but it really isn't the be all and end all. 

 

Is it big enough, is it in area you want to live in and is it structurally sound. That's about it. Don't sweat the rest. 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

1 hour ago, goose2010 said:

How long has it been on the market? how many offers you had? is 1k going to make a massive difference in the grand scheme of things

Thanks but the post was a year old.

 

 

[goose2010]

52 minutes ago, Adster said:

Thanks all. I think we're just frustrated as we found a home that was perfect for us, only for the vendor to pull the plug because they'd agreed a private sale a few days before despite telling us they'd had no interest in the property! I really don't like the dishonesty in this business also, lots of liars whether it be the estate agent or the vendor, I really don't know who is lying!

 

As we really didn't know houses go so fast (this one was in Hinckley on the Hollycroft estate), we were really enthusiastic about it and thought our offer would be accepted. Perhaps a bit naive on our part because when the agent told me they rejected our offer and already agreed a private sale, we were gutted.

 

Safe to say we've already learnt lots on the house buying process and we'll just keep looking without rushing into a decision. Thanks for all the help guys. It's much appreciated.

Hinckley is mental for it currently i dont know why but it is. We went to look at 3 on Hollycroft all pretty average but decent, before we had even had chance to discuss it we had the estate agents ringing us telling us there was an offer on the table and if we wanted it to act fast!

 

Head for the Swallows Green estate mate best in Hinckley

[Soup]

Buy the worse house on the best street is better than buying the best house on the worse street was said to me years ago. I didn't really understand at the time but after countless house purchases it turns out that was a fantastic bit of advice.

 

 

[The People's Hero]

Finners is basically right. I would say that in my experience, by the time my wife and I have both veto'd a few and set out our own 'tickboxes', its only left a few houses within the right areas on each occasion. I've been fortunate enough on both occasions of buying houses (I move in to the second tomorrow) that we've been in a position to just about afford what's ended up being in our eyes the 'ideal' home.

 

I would therefore just argue with Finners a bit that I do think sometimes you 'just know' but that happens because you've already done your research and know broadly what you want and when you turn up to view its just validation that it does indeed tick the boxes and isn't falling apart.

 

 

[Adster]

12 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Yeah like, let's say you go somewhere and fall in love with a house and it's amazing and you realise it's because the kitchen in there is absolutely immense. 

 

OK, fair enough, so remember that and keep it in mind for when you're decorating or refurbishing your kitchen  in a few years time. 

 

Once you have the house you're only limited by your imagination and budget. 

 

Of course, if you find a home that's already great then it's a bonus because it saves you some cash and time on doing it up but it really isn't the be all and end all. 

 

Is it big enough, is it in area you want to live in and is it structurally sound. That's about it. Don't sweat the rest. 

Thanks a lot for the advice. House wise we only really have been looking at the structure as that cannot easily be changed without professionals coming in. We also do not want a house in a urban location etc. It's just a shame that within our price range not a lot seem to come up at the moment. Hopefully it'll pick up shortly.

 

One other thing for current homeowners - did you only look on Rightmove/Zoopla or did you also go to the estate agents? I just naturally assume currently that they'd put all properties on rightmove/zoopla, as it would make little sense not to.

 

14 minutes ago, goose2010 said:

Hinckley is mental for it currently i dont know why but it is. We went to look at 3 on Hollycroft all pretty average but decent, before we had even had chance to discuss it we had the estate agents ringing us telling us there was an offer on the table and if we wanted it to act fast!

 

Head for the Swallows Green estate mate best in Hinckley

 

I think it's because of the Crescent being built in Hinckley. I personally think the Crescent is terrible but I've seen houses close to the Crescent at very high prices. I'd love to stay in Burbage but it's impossible for us to afford a decent house here! We have broadened our search to Stanton/Sapcote/Outskirts of Nuneaton. The missus has totally ruled out Barwell/Earl Shilton although houses there are dirt cheap and I think the new estates would be nice and peaceful (and also mostly not anywhere near the center of each place!).

[Finnegan]

I only used rightmove tbh. 

 

Estate agents are all absolute cvnts that won't stop phoning you for days after you go for a viewing. 

 

[goose2010]

2 minutes ago, Adster said:

Thanks a lot for the advice. House wise we only really have been looking at the structure as that cannot easily be changed without professionals coming in. We also do not want a house in a urban location etc. It's just a shame that within our price range not a lot seem to come up at the moment. Hopefully it'll pick up shortly.

 

One other thing for current homeowners - did you only look on Rightmove/Zoopla or did you also go to the estate agents? I just naturally assume currently that they'd put all properties on rightmove/zoopla, as it would make little sense not to.

 

 

I think it's because of the Crescent being built in Hinckley. I personally think the Crescent is terrible but I've seen houses close to the Crescent at very high prices. I'd love to stay in Burbage but it's impossible for us to afford a decent house here! We have broadened our search to Stanton/Sapcote/Outskirts of Nuneaton. The missus has totally ruled out Barwell/Earl Shilton although houses there are dirt cheap and I think the new estates would be nice and peaceful (and also mostly not anywhere near the center of each place!).

We were looking at Burbage, the misses is from Burbage and it did take some talking around. Dont blame you ruling out Barwell and Shilton we did the same although there is some really nice houses / areas but we were jsut concerned about when it was time for us to sell.

 

Only decent thing about the cresent is the Cinema! Hinckley is just perfect for a commuter that doesnt want to live in one of the cities.

 

Are you happy with the mortgage offer from Halifax? As we used a mortgage advisor from Your Move in Hinckley (top of Castle Street) and he was spot on got us a great mortgage and wasnt too expensive.

 

 

[Adster]

2 minutes ago, goose2010 said:

We were looking at Burbage, the misses is from Burbage and it did take some talking around. Dont blame you ruling out Barwell and Shilton we did the same although there is some really nice houses / areas but we were jsut concerned about when it was time for us to sell.

 

Only decent thing about the cresent is the Cinema! Hinckley is just perfect for a commuter that doesnt want to live in one of the cities.

 

Are you happy with the mortgage offer from Halifax? As we used a mortgage advisor from Your Move in Hinckley (top of Castle Street) and he was spot on got us a great mortgage and wasnt too expensive.

 

 

Yeah no offence to anyone living in Barwell/Shilton but I've been both places plenty of times and both places are not great I'd rather not have my eventually children go to their schools also. I hope that doesn't sound too bad

 

I was happy with the amount offered from Halifax. The missus isn't a massive earner at all therefore we were happy with the amount offered to us. It definitely gives us a good foothold to get a decent sized 2-bedroom or a 3-bed. Ideally we'd like a three bedroom but if the house is really good location/school wise we'd get a 2-bed.

[Finnegan]

To be honest, this is one time where you should be honest and just be as snobby as you want. 

 

Go to the best area you can afford. 

 

I've lived in the west end for eight years, got no problem with the place, but if I'm parting with my hard earned then I'm getting as far away as I can. 

 

We could afford to look in LFE so we did. Not going to start apologising to people from Braunstone because we didn't stop to look there on our way through. 

Edited 26 July 2017 by Finnegan

[The People's Hero]

Used Rightmove, but it should be worth noting that most properties on rightmove are with an agent anyway. All of them in fact. You can't get on rightmove without one.

 

We actually found agents quite useful, but that said I work in an industry where there is a lot of 'agency' and various parties working on commissions. You just have to get them to take you seriously and to an extent keep them on a tight leash. You can eventually get to a point as a buyer/seller/both where the agent actually really needs you as the chain might be worth a lot to them. Its just about manoeuvring yourself in to that position.

 

The whole business is a bit of a pain in truth. I'm far from an expert.

[The People's Hero]

Just now, Finnegan said:

To be honest, this is one time where you should be honest and just be as snobby as you want. 

 

Go to the best area you can afford. 

 

I've lived in the west end for eight years, got no problem with the place, but if I'm parting with my hard earned then I'm getting as far away as I can. 

 

Well could afford to look in LFE so we did. Not going to start apologising to people from Braunstone because we didn't stop to look there on our way through. 

 

Oi! My Nana lived in Braunstone!

 

ps Hope you're well.

[Adster]

18 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

To be honest, this is one time where you should be honest and just be as snobby as you want. 

 

Go to the best area you can afford. 

 

I've lived in the west end for eight years, got no problem with the place, but if I'm parting with my hard earned then I'm getting as far away as I can. 

 

We could afford to look in LFE so we did. Not going to start apologising to people from Braunstone because we didn't stop to look there on our way through. 

 

I do have that approach. You know how touchy some posters can be on FT though..

[SpacedX]

2 hours ago, Finnegan said:

Is it big enough, is it in area you want to live in and is it structurally sound. That's about it. Don't sweat the rest. 

Not quite - increasingly buyers are getting screwed by leasehold purchases. You buy the house but the developer owns the land. In such cases extreme vigilance is required because the ground rent can increase exponentially making subsequent sale of the property almost impossible. They don't tell you that bit.Total nightmare scenario usually associated with new build...in which case chances are it isn't structurally sound either!! 

[Guest]

I've bought a lot of houses and many of them could be classed as "dream" houses at the time.

 

The most important criteria is where it is located. You can't move the house and you're in it until you can sell it. Make sure it is where you want to be, make sure it has the amenities that you want where you want them (some you want close , some you don't) and check out the neighbours and the neighbourhood. Probably less important in Hinckley but view later in your buying will be very important. 

 

Secondly the space (internal and external) and lastly the interior and room layout etc... that can all be changed if you have the space, vision and money (or time).

 

That's my twopenneth.

 

edit: if houses are selling quickly that's a good sign, it means they are value for money and desirable. You just need to make sure you know where and what you want, with that and a mortgage in place you can make your mind up quickly.

Edited 26 July 2017 by Guest

[Costock_Fox]

3 hours ago, The soup nazi said:

Buy the worse house on the best street is better than buying the best house on the worse street was said to me years ago. I didn't really understand at the time but after countless house purchases it turns out that was a fantastic bit of advice.

 

 

Did something similar with my first place, bought the smallest house in Costock a tiny village and then sold it for a 20k profit 2 years later.

[RODNEY FERNIO]

5 hours ago, Adster said:

Is anyone going through the house buying process at the moment?

 

Me and my partner have finally saved up enough for a 10% deposit and we have a decision in Principle from Halifax to start looking. We're looking between the 150k-165k price range. In the month and a half we've been looking, only one decent house (to us) has come up. We put an offer in for it and was rejected as the owner took a private sale instead despite saying they had no interest in the house.

 

All other houses we're interested in are frigging sold after like 3 days being on the market. Why on earth are houses selling so quickly? I might be naive but I thought at the beginning we'd have enough time to view, mull it over for a little while (it is a big commitment, after all), check out the surrounding area and all that, but you simply cannot.

 

Maybe we're being to picky? I think we have a right to be, as this is planned to be the house we plan to live in for the rest of our lives (at the moment, anyway).

 

Homeowners - how long did it take you to find your "dream" home? I'm getting rather frustrated there seems to be a lack of (good) houses in our price range at the moment. I've got instant email alerts on rightmove and zoopla. Do all houses get added to Rightmove/Zoopla or should I got round all the locate estate agents as well?

 

Any help is appreciated.

Ever thought about popping a letter into the letterbox of houses you fancy ? Explain your interest and circumstances and obviously give your contact details.

The chances are people may not get back to you and may not even read what you've said ... but you sound a genuine couple so who knows ?

Nothing ventured .. nothing gained..... they might not want to sell their house but might know someone who does and then avoid the parasites that are known

as estate agents..

[The People's Hero]

1 hour ago, FIF said:

I've bought a lot of houses and many of them could be classed as "dream" houses at the time.

 

 

No comment necessary guys! Draw your own conclusions.