What's more stressful, buying or selling?

Full_of_angst

Just wondering what other's found most stressful - buying or selling?

For me I find the selling aspect most stressful as I don't have any control over it at all. The buying part seems easier to me as even if the vendor pulls out I feel more confident about finding another house to buy than I do about getting another buyer through the door of my house.

I'm sure everyone will have a different view, I'd be interested to hear.

pawsies

Selling- people criticising your house, having to clean to a top standard, worrying about whether anyone will even look!, there's so much to think about!

At least with buying I get to nose around loads of properties, no commitment, I can always walk away if vendor won't haggle etc. I have far more control over the situation. Plus, I don't need to consider estate agents as much! (Although stamp duty can be stressful)

I_have_spoken

Buying, IMHO. Always the fear you've blown £££s on dud and missed why no-one else will touch the place.

MarkBargain

I'd agree with selling. Doing the necessarily jobs in the house to make it saleable, choosing an estate agent and negotiating a fee, tidying up for the photos, having viewers, fielding low offers which the estate agent may encourage you to take; then once a sale is agreed the stress of delays, answering survey questions, and the risk of the buyer pulling out or renegotiating the price at the last moment.

There is more to lose when buying though as the solicitors fee is higher due to the searches etc. and you have to pay for the survey even if the seller decides to pull out.

My sympathy to anyone buying and selling at the same time, or worse in a chain!

bristol_pilot

I have sold and I have bought, though never at the same time.

I found selling straightforward, I was no longer living in the property - had already moved into rented as needed to move for work - and just left everything to the agent and solicitor. No problems at all, any risk was the buyer's.

I found buying far more stressful - wasting time viewing unsuitable properties, risk of gazumping, surveyor not turning up, seller changing their mind, would the mortgage offer be pulled at the last moment? All the risk was mine.

grifferz

I've never sold, am currently buying and feeling it quite stressful, so I'd naturally say buying.

I have read on here though that after offer is accepted but before completion, buyer has spent a lot of money already and is totally reliant on seller doing their bit.

Even after exchange, something could go wrong and if the seller has no money to make them worth suing then buyer loses out the worst.

There is a recent thread on here about a seller who is unable to complete because they never bothered to get their tenants out, and it sounds like a nightmare for the buyers.

There was also the epic Welshwoofs thread where a seller changed their mind, but the favourable outcome Welshwoofs got was probably more to do with the fact that Welshwoofs could afford to wait (wasn't facing homelessness) and the sellers definitely had the money.

So from all that I have read here I would have to conclude that buying is more stressful.

chickaroonee

Both at the same time I'd say.

gazter

chickaroonee wrote: »

Both at the same time I'd say.

Thats what im currently doing. So many balls in the air. Something goes wrong, it all falls apart.

I_have_spoken

Both at the same time I'd say.

Last year I sold a house in England and bought in Scotland with their different legal systems for transactions, needing bridging finance to cover between settlement date in Scotland and completion date in England. Oh, and moved job and arranged removals between properties 350 miles apart and stayed in a B&B for 3 weeks after starting new job while awaiting getting the keys in Scotland...

chickaroonee

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Last year I sold a house in England and bought in Scotland with their different legal systems for transactions, needing bridging finance to cover between settlement date in Scotland and completion date in England. Oh, and moved job and arranged removals between properties 350 miles apart and stayed in a B&B for 3 weeks after starting new job while awaiting getting the keys in Scotland...

Did you have a breakdown afterwards?!

I_have_spoken

Did you have a breakdown afterwards?!

Crazy times! Getting the phone call that I'd completed in England was a mighty relief, as by then I was living in the house in Scotland. I guess things helped -

1) Scottish solicitor was excellent and was on top off everything about the contract and missives, as I knew very little about buying in Scotland.

2) No kiddies to attend to, so very late night driving on A1/M6/M74 was OK as was stopping in B&B and 95% of stuff could be packed well in advance.

3) Sold to a BTL LL as they were proceedable with no-chain to risk collapse and consciously took a knock on the £ sale price as the trade off.

4) Bridging finance was 0% loans from family

5) Modern comms of mobi, emails, laptop reading scans, sending "fax" etc.