The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

Pyxis

Also wiith regard to you viewing, there's nothing to stop you going round to look at the outside, suss out the road, (and the neighbours!:D), and the immediate amenities, as that will help consolidate in your mind what you like/don't like, not just about the house, but also about where it is,etc.

No harm in finding one you like before someone has put an offer on yours. If you get an offer on yours, there's nothing worse than feeling you've got to find somewhere yourself, etc.
If you find one you like, you don't have to put an offer in there and then; you can express an interest, etc.

I suppose the thing is to try and be detached from it all, but that's a lot easier said than done!
I've only bought four times, and only two were actually my homes, and I never mastered the 'staying detached' bit!

michaels

Our TV plug socket, aerial point, lan connection, plug strip, Wii, set top boxes etc are all hidden behind the wall mounted tv. the sound bar and Wii receiver are balanced on top and the woofer is wirelessly at the back of the room although it does have a wire from it to the socket.

Our printers are either cable or wirelessly on the lan but also somehow can magically be printed to from out on the street via the cloud. Similarly the front door bell and lock.

Jackmydad

PasturesNew wrote: »

Mine aren't due to start until Saturday at the earliest...

I've looked at houses I could buy ... but not going to start phoning agents until next week... maybe I'll have had no viewers!

In my area I am one of three houses "like mine" - modern, 2 bed, terraced .... all on at the same price. One's new to market the day before mine.

Mine holds up well against them, but each has unique 'features' that makes them different. One sod's only gone and got a sunroom on his, but he's mid terrace (from memory). *sighs*. My "purchase killer" is location. Although I'm on "the right side of the road", my surroundings mean a lot of people will simply say "no" as it's not on a road/not in an estate.

Have to see now... what happens.

There is a nice one I've spotted to view - but it's not got some things I really want. I really want a conservatory ... always wanted one, never had one. The one that "looks nice" has no garage (parking for 2-3 on drive), no conservatory, no utility... and it's top of budget so no spare to get them myself. It was on at £315, but was reduced to £308 last week.... but I think I'm being sucked in by the "lovely look" of it (new 2016) and I want more "useful spaces".

Make an offer based on what you can afford, and what you would want be able to afford to alter.
You might be surprised what people will accept. Apart from anything else house money isn't "real" money to a lot of people. £10k is another so much a month on the mortgage.
Whatever they can always say "No"
My OH is extremely good at price negotiation. She has people like estate agents, and car salesmen going for anxiety therapy by the time she's finished with them.

Pyxis

I know someone who sent her friend to knock at a few neighbours to the house she wanted to buy, saying that she was interested in the house for sale, and what was it like living in that street, the area, etc. Just general questions. She found that was a good way of sussing people out, as well as any gems they might come out with!

silvercar

Pyxis wrote: »

I know someone who sent her friend to knock at a few neighbours to the house she wanted to buy, saying that she was interested in the house for sale, and what was it like living in that street, the area, etc. Just general questions. She found that was a good way of sussing people out, as well as any gems they might come out with!

Not sure I would have the confidence to do that, however easy it sounds. I thought PN doesn't like social interaction, I'm not sure she would go knocking on strangers' doors.

Jackmydad

I'd at least go and suss the area out. make sure that there isn't a sewage farm next door, and that the neighbouring houses appear to be growing plants in the front garden, and not old sofas and bicycle frames.

chris_m

Jackmydad wrote: »

I'd at least go and suss the area out. make sure that there isn't a sewage farm next door, and that the neighbouring houses appear to be growing plants in the front garden, and not old sofas and bicycle frames.

For the initial sussing out, Google maps and Streetview are very handy. When I was planning on moving, they helped me eliminate several candidates and highlight things on which to focus when I did get to have a real look, Thanks to them, I was only looking properly for two half days - which was handy since I was looking 300+ miles away from my then home..

I cam up with a list of candidates, conveniently all with the same agent. On day one I did a drive-by of my preferred candidates, which eliminated one because the photos made it look far better on the outside than reality. I then went to the agent, to find that one of my candidates was no longer available but that they had two new instructions which hadn't made it onto Rightmove by my last look.

They took me to two that afternoon, one new instruction and one which was low on my list and arranged for me to view the rest the next morning. As it happened, for that list the agent took me around them in precisely the reverse of my preferences and the final one, my preferred candidate, ticked all my essential boxes so I put in the offer there and then.

Later that afternoon I got the call that my offer had been accepted then, shortly after, got the surveyor arranged and settled down for the wait for everything to go through.

Three months later I moved in

Things were helped along somewhat by me being a cash buyer and not needing to find a buyer for the flat at the same time.

GDB2222

Can anyone help me, PLEASE?

We are meeting friends from USA tomorrow morning (flight due to arrive at 10.30 at Heathrow Terminal 2). Does anyone know what the immigration queue time is likely to be at that time of day?

Border Force have a target of under 45 minutes, which they claim to achieve over 90% of the time, but there are reports in the news of it being up to 2.5 hours. I appreciate that there's no conflict between those two statements, but it still presents a problem for us, as I would rather not hang around at the airport for hours waiting.

Any ideas, anyone, please?

silvercar

GDB2222 wrote: »

Can anyone help me, PLEASE?

We are meeting friends from USA tomorrow morning (flight due to arrive at 10.30 at Heathrow Terminal 2). Does anyone know what the immigration queue time is likely to be at that time of day?

Border Force have a target of under 45 minutes, which they claim to achieve over 90% of the time, but there are reports in the news of it being up to 2.5 hours. I appreciate that there's no conflict between those two statements, but it still presents a problem for us, as I would rather not hang around at the airport for hours waiting.

Any ideas, anyone, please?

Look at what flights are arriving just before yours, if there are a few large planes coming in from India it could be long. If there are mainly flights from Europe then it should be fine.

Also depends on the passports of your friends. GB passports would be quick.

Generally Heathrow at that time of the morning is OK. and terminal 2 is a lot better than terminal 4.

If you are driving from home, I wouldn't think of leaving until your friends tell you they are off the plane. Circling Heathrow waiting for a landing slot is common and even when on the ground there can be delays waiting for a gate to disembark. Heathrow car parks are expensive, you want to spend the shortest time there as possible.

silvercar

Our neighbour's house is being scaffolded and windows covered in newspaper. I assume their claim against their builder's insurers for work done 12 years ago is being dealt with. Not totally happy with living next door to an empty property and one where work is going to happen.