Get a grip !

Skint_yet_Again

£20 petrol in the car this morning. 

Call from estate agent. Cheap house has been sold before I even had a chance to see it. 😢

So fed up. Have taken a day off work tomorrow & booked a hair cut at 10am. Not working now until Friday afternoon. 

MovingForwards

There will be others.
Enjoy your day off and pamper, they're both well deserved.

Skint_yet_Again

Had a cut & blow dry plus tea and sympathy from my hairdresser £26.50. Popped to Mr T on the way home for more salad, toilet rolls & kitchen roll. Also got a pack of burgers and had one for lunch with salad 😋

A 2-bed house has come on the market at my cash budget of £250k and I have booked a viewing. Better area than the last one at £220k. Fingers crossed that it doesn’t sell before I see it! 

MovingForwards

When are you seeing it? Can you sneak in before / after work or get an hour off and make up the hour the next / previous day?

Appointment was worth every penny having that physical ear listening.

Shopping sounds great, burgers are a must at the moment 😊

Skint_yet_Again

They are doing a viewing day. I will be the second person to see it. There is no negotiation on viewing days / times unfortunately. The cheap property that has sold was full
of viewings on the viewing day (Tuesday) so I couldn’t get in & they were booking extra viewings for this Saturday, which as it turns out was too late. 

I am working out my budget to see how much I can offer as “cash” without a mortgage. It will be about £5500 over the asking price of £250k. If I want it I will need to offer the day I see it. 

The more expensive property on at £260k is not worth £10k more in my opinion. I will still view it but if I like it I may offer the same £255,500 cash with flexibility to exchange/ complete when they want & no mortgage. 

Just trying to work out strategies as the market is so fast moving when property does come on that you want you have to be ready and I’m a bit of a ditherer! 

Chrystal

Being chain free is normally a massive bonus to the seller.  Make sure your EA lets them know that you are a cash buyer and also chain free.  Might just sway them in your direction.  Wishing you good luck. XXX

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks @Chrystal. At the moment I am in a chain with my son buying but we can complete any time. They are waiting for me to find something to buy so I can see if I need to port any mortgage with me. 

Talk about ups & downs, swings & roundabouts! The cheap house is back on the market and the EA has just phoned (very vague) and booked me in again for tomorrow. I will ask for more info at the viewing. This one is on at £220k and I would have money left over to invest if I go up to max £225,500. 

It’s raining here now. Had a lovely dry & cool walk earlier with the dog. Bumped into my 2dogs friend so walked with her. It’s her last day at work before she moves away from the area in 2 weeks 😕

MovingForwards

Take a tape measure, note pad and pen to jot down things, shows you're seriously considering the property. 

All you can do between now and viewing day is take a few trips to the road/surrounding roads, if you're not already familiar with them, get a feel for it all.

Keep looking carefully at the listing / photos and see if you spot anything to take a proper look when viewing or if you get the warm fuzzy feeling and start planning where you'd put your stuff.

Look at g00gle / 3arth photos of the house / garden and see if anything has changed or requires a closer look when viewing.

Makes seeing a property so much easier.

I know you want the option of porting, but consider the ERCs as part of the purchase and if any of these properties are not right, cut your losses, sell yours and buy the right one, even if it means a small mortgage with a different lender. It will take some pressure off.

savingwannabe

Am keeping my fingers crossed about the house. My friend who lives close to you has had a bug too which sounds similar to yours. Something is doing the rounds she works in a school and was ill and had to take days off. Hoping all goes well with the viewing. 

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks MF & SW. 

I didnt get the house this morning as I was outbid. I didn’t love it and didn’t think it was worth a £10k mortgage. It was on at £260k and I offered £255,500 cash with no chain. 

No-dogs friend came with me & we went to wertherspoons for late breakfast. Fry up & unlimited tea for 2 was £11.37. Then we went for a wander round the shops and then my friend bought us both a cold drink in the pub. 

The cheap house this afternoon needs a lot of work & possibly a new boiler. The Estate agent couldn’t answer any of my questions. The owner has gone into a home but it looks like some bodge-it diy has been done with water pipes coming out of the ceiling & through the outside wall plus a tiny boiler under the sink not sure if that is just for hot water. Water cylinder for hot water in bathroom cupboard, but no boiler for central heating. Electrics coming out of the cat flap. 😱 They said they will get back to me on monday. I think I would need to spend £10-£15k & if I offered £5k over the asking price it would then be way over the ceiling price for the area. Bids are being accepted on Monday

Bought a box of 4 magnums £3.50, triple cooked chips rtc from £2.75 to 50p, large steak pie rtc from £3.75 to £1.35 and shepherds pie rtc from £3.50 to £1.37 from co op. I am cooking the steak pie and chips and will freeze the remaining portions of the pie. The rest went in the freezer.