To those selling in these difficult times Part Deux. AKA sellers support network!

WheelieWood

We have a cat flap fitted in a UPVC double glazed fixed-panel that's beside (& matches) our front door. (The cat flap is in a UPVC section, not through the glass).

Our plan has always been to leave the cat flap there until our sale is completed, at which point we'll offer to have it removed and a new UPVC section fitted at our cost (assuming the buyer doesn't want a cat flap).

However, the cat is now "enjoying" his new life as an outdoor cat, following repeat offenses of sleeping in the new baby's bed (thankfully before she was born), which makes me wonder whether we should go ahead and have the cat flap removed now.

Is a cat flap likely to be off-putting to anyone who is seriously interested in the house?

monkeys_bunny

i would say if someone was off put by it then they would point it out when you could say "we shall remove it" but, if you really want to sell the house and are going to remove it anyway then remove it now to stop any offputness (word i just made up of course) that may occur at all. but thats just me

Karmacat

Hi Wheeliewood!

To anyone with serious interest in the house, probably not. But what about somebody with a passing interest, and that passing interest grows? The house I want to buy now, I dismissed it at first, but having seen what else is on the market and had a rethink, I *really* want it. Maybe if they'd addressed some issues, I wouldn't have gone away ..... and they'd have got a price £8k higher than its currently on for. I don't know. But at the very least, you could make it clear asap that you're willing to remove it.

TheBrutalTruth

not_loaded wrote: »

Some people have to move and get on with their lives. The banks don’t seem to realise that. :mad: They got taxpayers money, our money, as a bail out, and they’ve sat on it.

With all due respect I think you misunderstand the magnitude of the problem. UK banks are essentially bankrupt. Whilst the taxpayer has guaranteed the deposits in most of them and pruchased shares in others to shore them up, this does not remove the problem. The amount of money we have directly put in, which may seem large to ordinary punters such as ourselves, are in terms of the overall debt and the international money markets (where our banks source their funding) a drop in the ocean. The money hasn't really been sat on, it has gone into the enormous black hole of debt. I don't have the numbers to hand, but I believe that RBS alone has liabilities exceeding that of the UK annual GDP by several multiples.

Perhaps it would be useful to imagine the money markets to be like the ocean and the banks to be a boat that we are all currently sitting in. Usually the ocean naturally pushes you this way and that, but in a functioning and well structured boat we can weather the storms. Unfortunately there has been a really bad storm recently, the motor is bust beyond repair and the hull has sprung a leak. Luckily you were able to bail out the boat and repair the hull sufficiently so that the boat is still floating and just about seaworthy. Nevertheless you are now sitting in a broken boat and are at the mercy of the ocean, which is going to take wherever the winds and tides take you. Your response to this is to go onto the deck and shout to the winds "What this boat doesn't understand is that I need to get back to shore and get on with my life!". Believe you me, the ocean doesn't care and the boat is in no position to help you. That is the situation we are all currently in.

4Chickens

Well, it is nearly 12 months since this thread started. Where are we all now? Have we bought, sold, given up, gone round the bend? It would be nice to hear from Pawpurrs as she is our leader.
I will start, the rest of you join in if you wish.

I put my house on the market in August 2008 - 3 bed Semi
Sold my house March 2009
Bought next house March 2009 - 4 bed detached
Completed and moved 29 May 2009

Do I regret moving? No, but ............................................



Do I regret buying a bigger house?

Yes, every Saturday when I have to clean it from top to bottom.

Oh and another thing; before you buy your next house, count how many internal doors it has because when you come to paint them you will wish you bought a smaller house. Our house has 16 internal doors and I have painted every one of them BOTH sides (hmph, grrrrrrrh)

Some funny moving stories would be good.

WheelieWood

monkeys_bunny wrote: »

if you really want to sell the house and are going to remove it anyway then remove it now to stop any offputness (word i just made up of course) that may occur at all. but thats just me

Karmacat wrote: »

But at the very least, you could make it clear asap that you're willing to remove it.

You know just typing that question out, I figured out that I knew the answer already, but thanks for confirming it for me.

The cat flap is on its way out!

elona

Surveyor came round yesterday for two hours and then met our buyer outside.

Have now found she wants completion by 21st May:eek:

Got deeds out of the bank and took them to our solicitor and phoned her this morning to agree completion for 21st and contract to be ready as soon as possible.

DH sees someone on Saturday who might consider renting to us privately as there is nothing suitable in the town just now.

We have been for sale for two years - started at £280K - reduced to £265- then to £239 to be realistic- finally sold for £230K (we hope).

Whatever happens we will have to grit our teeth and get on with the sale and move so we will eventually be able to get something we really want. I don't want us to panic and offer a peak price for something we do not love and then for prices, stock market etc to crash.

Lots of good luck vibes for us sellers and fingers crossed.

Karmacat and Wheelie

I got asked what was the lowest price we would accept too - offered to meet in middle and finally got a couple of thou under that so not too bad.

Davesnave

cindiedunkley wrote: »

Well, it is nearly 12 months since this thread started. Where are we all now? Have we bought, sold, given up, gone round the bend? It would be nice to hear from Pawpurrs as she is our leader.
Some funny moving stories would be good.

I think you will find pawpurrs over on the house renovation thread. Last seen on P147:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1186031

As for us,

We 'sold' four times @ £368k, £360k, £330k and £300k from September 2007 to December 2009. In the end, we got creative and retained an area of garden, which we are now in the process of selling to some land-locked ex-neighbours.

We moved into rented with the intention of buying in Wales. Having gone through the mill ourselves, we were only interested in properties where vendors would get real and deal. Nothing doing on the properties that appealed, many of which are still on the market.

However, in May 2009, we spotted a smallholding in Devon requiring a rapid sale. It offered great value, so we bought it. There was an attempt at a gazump, but the vendor had integrity and valued our cash buyer status, so stuck with us.

We are now enjoying 'retirement' here, working out how best to use our 5+ acres of land and what to do with the house, which is sound, but lacking in style. Much of the garden and orchard was chest high in nettles and brambles, so it's taken 8 months to get all the vegetation under control, the trees pruned and the rubbish cleared. We are starting to make progress.

The local authority seems positive about our plans to radically alter the house here, so we will get the builders on that in another year or so, though it will mean we'll be living in a mobile home for a while. At least we have somewhere to site it!

Funny moving stories? No, but our plant collection took five 200 mile round trips in a 3.5 tonne van to get here, so there was a time when we had to drive that distance just to do the watering!:eek:

Karmacat

Elona - thanks for the confirmation on the pricing, you've been at this a long time, I hope it goes your way now.

Wheelie - I hope it goes well for you.

Dave - thats fascinating! I'd love that, but I don't think I could take the physical work any more. Love to, tho.

kst101

Hope it goes smoothly elona

How long does it generally take to find out whether a valuation done by mortgage company is OK or not? Had ours down last Friday and hoping it will be OK. I know the buyers want to complete quickly but not sure quite how quick it will manage to be.

Have had letter from solicitors saying they are drafting the contract and we have filled i fixtures and fittings list etc. Need to start thinking about packing things up a bit I think but am being quite head in the sand about it.