Buying/Selling a House Support Thread

[WDWFOREVER]

I saw a thread like this on the US Community Board and thought it would be nice if we had our own!

I have lived in my house for 20 years and had no intention of moving ..... however, last week coming out from the judo club where DS goes we saw a "For Sale" sign on a bungalow. The road happens to be our favourite in the area and backs onto a huge park so is unoverlooked. The part of the park the bungalow backs onto is quiet. We viewed last Thursday and put an offer in that evening. Estate Agent has been round to our house today to take photos and start marketing it.

I'm really excited, but nervous too. I have various health issues and a bungalow would be perfect as stairs are becoming a bit of a problem. However, its hard to imagine anyone else moving in and living in "my" house! Am I the only one who thinks that way?

 

[KayleeUK]

No plan's on moving......yet! I hope everything goes smoothly for you

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Keep your humour - look forward to living in "your" new house - and make sure you take everything with you from your "old" house (ie lamps, plants from the garden etc). It's the little things that make a house a home

Fingers crossed it all goes through smoothly - what a fantastic opportunity for you

 

[richard3330]

Great Idea! We have just moved a few weeks ago and it has to be one of the most awful and stressful experiences ever.

Good Luck with trying to get the bungalow - lets hope your house sells fast and everything can be all sorted a.s.a.p!

Richard.

 

[Enright78]

No chance of another move for us! Moved 14 times in 25 years and I am not moving again!!

However, hope all goes well for you!

 

[profdsny]

Boy, great topic. We've been in our house since before we were married. Now we have one moved out, another in college, and two still home, though the nights that both are here for dinner is rare. We found a house design we really liked, in Celebration, and would like to build on a bigger lot. We were out this morning looking at places to build. But, after 26 years in one house, it's real scary. I think we'd do it, but it makes me real nervous. I told someone a few years ago that if I won one of those lotteries for $50 or 60 million, I'd build a big house, and recreate our present one as the master bed-room, or owner's retreat as they are now called.
We've been lucky that we've never been one of those who have to move every year or so for their job, but now, it's real strange. Like preparing for a kid's wedding I guess.

 

[WDWFOREVER]

"For Sale" sign is going up today ... took my DS over the park yesterday evening on his bike and had to walk past the bungalow. It was so quiet as we walked down the road that it was like being in another world compared to where we are at the moment, just about 1/3 of a mile away. No cars racing past (we live in a long road which is used as a cut-through).

However, I am still feeling shaky as although I know the move would be excellent for us, I'm still having trouble with the idea of moving out of our home. I just hope we are making the right decision. Its nice to hear that others (Profdsny particularly) feel the same way as we do. Good luck to all those trying to sever the ties from a much-loved home! Just think, we have lots more memories to make in a new one .....

 

[neo's white rabbit]

Originally posted by WDWFOREVER
Just think, we have lots more memories to make in a new one .....

I think you should hang on to that thought, your life is you and your family - not the bricks and mortar - and that comes with you when you move We sold 2 properties that were special, as our children were born in them, but we survived!

I doubt any of us here would say the whole rigmaroll of buying and selling property isn't an absolutely stressful business (we did 5 moves in 5 years including buying/selling/buying/selling/buying) but are very happy where we are now.

Just post here when you feel like screaming...Good luck.

 

[BevS97]

I have moved quite a few times in my life, the last 2 as a family I have felt quite emotional about leaving our house, but I find that as soon as we are out the door all our attention focuses on the new house and the old one is forgotten. It does help that we don't have to pass the old ones very often.

My dh's grandma used to live on the same street as his mum, when she died, they sold her house, and the new owners ripped out the entire garden (and I think most of the insides) and redid everything to their taste. Much as we are doing to this house we now live in. My mil was devastated, she had just lost her mother, and watching people completely change her house was very difficult for her, particularly the garden which had been a great pride of her mothers.

Bev

 

[Janice]

We moved to where we are now last June, leaving behind our bungalow that we had renovated over 18 years or so - and it was a bit scarey. But, once we were packed up and on our way to the new house (which is 190 miles away and in a totally different environment) - I couldnt wait. Having been here almost a year now, I can honestly say that I dont regret the move, wished we'd made the decision sooner and cant see us moving back ever.

My biggest wrench was my children. They had both moved out anyway, but still lived in the locality so were therefore always popping in and were close by. But............now when they come to visit, it is for weekends, there is very little for them to do here, so we get to spend all the time together and so in effect I see them more and they love having this retreat to come to if they need it.

We go back to Canvey now and again as my brother still lives there and so do our friends, but I get scared of all the rush and huslte and bustle of the vast volumes of traffic and still cant believe it can take you 3/4 of an hour to do 3 miles, EVERY night of the week and yet here - it takes me 15 minutes to get to Bury St Edmunds - 15 miles away!

Good luck with your move I am sure that you will be so glad you did it once you've closed the door on your old home and opened up the whole new world that will be your new one

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Just showed the first people round our house. Thankfully they were very complimentary (why was I worried about what they would say?!). Have had a call from the agent to say that someone else wants to come and look tomorrow evening at 7.00pm. So at least it looks like there is interest in our type of house.

Thank you to those of you who have posted positive thoughts about moving. I am really worried and it helps to hear from others who have done it already.

Unfortunately for us, we would only be moving two streets away so are likely to pass our old home fairly regularly .....

 

[profdsny]

Actually, we live about a half mile from the house my parents bought about the time I started high school. They moved a few years after we were married, in 1979. It's been owned twice, and I've been lucky enough to go back in and see it under each owner. The people who live next door were there when my folks owned it, and introduced us to the owners on times we'd be out walking. It was great, but weird.
On the other hand, a few years ago a guy rang our doorbell, and told us his father had built our house in 1940. I invited him in, of course, but looking around, saw that the house couldn't have been a bigger mess if we had hired someone to make it that way. He stayed awhile, and talked about the place, had some old pictures, etc. I told him next time he was going to be in town to let us know, so we could have it more presentable. Never heard from him again. I'm sure he was disappointed, but had we time, it really would have looked good. Just one of those saturday mornings.

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Had another two people round yesterday. Estate agent rang this morning to say they were both impressed and one wanted to chat things over with his family over the weekend and hoped to be in a position to make an offer on Monday. I know estate agents are good at putting a good spin on things so I took that with a pinch of salt. Still, it would be nice to think it was true ....

Have a good weekend everyone.

 

[KayleeUK]

Fingers crossed for you

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Well we have now had about 12 different sets of people traipsing through our house but no offers yet. Just hope it doesn't take too long so that we lose the bungalow.

I know you are bound to get a few odd people through when viewing but couldn't believe one couple yesterday. They waltzed in, he seemed to have a mobile phone stuck to his ear most of the time and then while they were in the garden I stood in my kitchen and saw her spit on the grass!!! I can't believe I didn't say anything. What I should have done was shown them the front door but I was alone in the house with DS9 so I just ignored it and got rid of them as soon as possible. What a wimp.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us - we desperate not to lose the bungalow.

Jackie

 

[richard3330]

Originally posted by WDWFOREVER
I know you are bound to get a few odd people through when viewing but couldn't believe one couple yesterday. They waltzed in, he seemed to have a mobile phone stuck to his ear most of the time and then while they were in the garden I stood in my kitchen and saw her spit on the grass!!! I can't believe I didn't say anything.

Wow, I can't believe they did that! How rude. We had some strange people when looking at our house too. One couple bought their dogs inside - we like dogs (have 3 of our own) but was a bit shocked when they brought their 2 massive German Sheperds in through the door liked they owned our house (they didn;t even ask first!) If we had been scared of dogs or not liked dogs I would have been very angry. We have small westies and a cavalier king charles and their labradors wouldn't stop barking and growling at them .

Fingers crossed for you, hopefully the bungalow will still be there and hopefully there will be no more strange viewers!

Richard.

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Wow - did they know you had dogs? You could have had a serious allergy or just been plain terrified as some people are.

I think I am probably less annoyed at their behaviour yesterday than I am annoyed with myself that I didn't say anything. It does explain why things like TB have started to get hold in this country again though when you see the way some people behave.

Thanks for your positive thoughts.

Jackie

 

[WDWFOREVER]

We still haven't had a serious offer on our house yet and I am really worried that we may lose out on the bungalow. Told the estate agent today to lower the price in the hope that we can attract more people. Apparently the housing market has slowed and there are more properties available at the moment.

Please keep your positive thoughts flowing this way .... I really don't want to lose out on the bungalow ....

 

[SidB]

Originally posted by WDWFOREVER
Apparently the housing market has slowed and there are more properties available at the moment.

That's just agent-speak. If they can't shift it go elsewhere. Agents always push properties that are new to their books. Just remember that they are working for you. Some of them think they're doing you a favour. Be firm with them.

 

[WDWFOREVER]

The thing is SidB, it isn't just agent speak. The papers this week have been full of bits about how the housing market is slowing down.

They do seem to have worked hard for us so far. Been in quite a lot of the local newspapers, its on the internet. I have to say I have friends who have had a really rough deal with estate agents but the one we are with seems good. Also, the bungalow we want is up with two agents so our agent is trying even harder to sell ours because that way he gets two lots of commission. He does have quite an incentive.

Having said all that, I will certainly keep what you say in mind. I expect a lot for my money, and that includes when I am paying for a service! Must be all of those trips to America. I used to put up with poor service but not any more. Thanks for your input - I really appreciate it.