Drawing a line under the debt. Take two.

Drawingaline

Well the viewing on Monday went well, and today we had two offers on the table. Both investors, both offered 5k under, we went with the one who viewed on Monday as I felt the one on Saturday was a bit odd and apparently kept on about the 'current climate' and the 'economy' and may be a bit troublesome. 

I really wanted a FTB to buy this house, it is ideal. The parking isn't great, but better than some areas, and there are very few houses of this size that have parking. There is one opposite that has a garage and it is on for 50k more! I spoke to the EA and he said FTB always have unrealistic ideas to begin with, and then in a couple of months he will end up buying one like ours. Anyway as long as this goes through a family will rent it as it's a lovely family home. And I am trying to detach myself from here now. 

So we have secured the onward purchase we want. Spoken to the mortgage advisor and am getting two quotes for solicitors. The offer we accepted has already out across there solicitors details. I am wary as investors can be inclined to try to drop the price last minute, and we are literally at our max. My dad has offered to pay the fees, but for a variety of reasons I want to save as much as I can towards them ourselves. 

It's a small chain, the investor buying ours, the house we are buying, they are moving back home (abroad) so fingers crossed things move quickly, but I am realistically thinking end November at the earliest, and possibly Jan. 

So exciting times here, and stress levels are coming down slightly, it's been a mad rollercoaster of a fortnight 😂

Drawingaline

And I absolutely must chase the plumber to sort the boiler now 😂 also going to email the builder who we had around to look at our leaking porch to see about getting the porous bricks sealed. 

Drawingaline

Gah, why is adulting so hard! Mortgage advisor wanted us to use their solicitor, but the reviews were, tbh, horrendous! EA recommended a couple of local ones, one contacted us with a quote, it's a little higher than I wanted, and I have dithered for nearly two days. But this morning I have bitten the bullet and emailed to instruct them. Now to tell the Mortgage advisor 😱 

Been pulling all the paperwork together for the mortgage advisor, just waiting for hubby to be paid tomorrow as that's his first full payslip at his new salary. So hopefully the application will get sorted next week. Not being able to go into the office is hard, I am not very technical at all, trying to download bank statements to send was interesting! Took photos of everything else, will see if that's ok. Have printed out the mortgage advisors 'contract' but we are nearly out of ink, hope it can be read ok.

Beginning to wobble a bit over it all now. We will have 1k left over from the equity when we move, and that's without paying any of the fees out of it 😱😱😱 really hoping our buyer doesn't try and push the price any lower. We need to find approx 8k in fees. I called the mortgage company to check our penalty fee (we fixed for five years last sep 🤦) and it reduces to 4% on 1st Nov, and it's highly unlikely we will be ready to go before that, I am thinking end November at the absolute earliest. So that's over 1k drop. Still worried we are over extending somewhat though. But we can just move into this house and do nothing (as long as nothing is actually broken, like the boiler was when we moved here!) So we can sit tight and build up our savings again. If we don't have enough for all the fees I know my dad will let us have them, but really want to save as much as possible. We are totally capable. So a quite summer here, quite glad nearly everything is shut tbh!

Kitten prep is all done and on the final countdown now 😱 have built money into our budget for ongoing costs, but on a plus side the breeder said she has reduced the (expensive) tinned food so what we have in will last a long time 😂 they come with four weeks insurance so have been getting some quotes, but no rush to decide. I will have the costs of neutering (booked in for early September) and microchipping set aside when I get tax credits tomorrow, and I have saved £200 towards any excess for the insurance. So while we may need to find 8k in fees we should be in a good place for everything else so we can at least concentrate on saving, saving, saving!!! 

Car is due MOT next month, so my plans may come crashing down 😱😂😂🤦

Drawingaline

Chose local solicitors, not the mortgage advisors suggestion. Already feeling better about it, she called me yesterday, sent through the paperwork quickly, and has answered two emails  I sent today with a few queries. 

Sent last lot of documents to mortgage advisor (hopefully) so fingers crossed the application gets done next week. Filled in most of the solicitors paperwork so will get that posted back on Monday, and they want £500 upfront (going to raid husband's ef for that 😂) and need to arrange to go into the office with id which is an absolute pain as we can't just drop in we need an appointment. Really beginning to worry about the size of the mortgage, but worse case there are cheaper houses out there and we can get the fees from dad if need be.

My boiler concerns seem genuine. Can't find a certificate for it anywhere and the solicitors said it isn't registered. But annoyed as the plumber is definitely Gas Safe registered, but I get the impression he isn't the best with paperwork as when the boiler broke in warranty we didn't have a vital piece of paper then. He sorted it out for the manufacturer to come out. Hopefully the buyer will get it properly checked with them wanting to rent it out. Just hoping they don't try to knock any money off. 

So tomorrow is going to be a quiet day, need to conserve petrol, and then Sunday morning is kitten day 😺 

Monday I will be posting paperwork, transferring money to the solicitors account, chasing mortgage advisor, contacting plumber re boiler, need to message an electrician to fix the flickering landing light and the handyman about sealing the bricks above the porch. Phew, busy busy! 

The accounts all look good, but it will be spendy time over the next month, once the mortgage is approved (if! 😱) Will need to book a homebuyers survey decided it makes sense to go ahead with one. Going to be a quiet family summer, few day trips to local woods etc, picnics and playing with kittens 😂

savingholmes

Great news that you have a sale and a place to go. Hope it all works out for you with the penalty fees. 

Drawingaline

Thanks.

I was proactive and have emailed an electrician and the handyman. Will see what they say. The roofer who said it was the bricks that were the issue not the porch roof quoted £200, but the sealer is about £40 a tin, could do it ourselves if we were ok with heights. Which I am not, nor re the teens and husband can't climb ladders due to pins in his ankles from a footballing incident a decade ago! My dad is an ex fireman and great with ladders (he has some fab ones lol) and heights, but at nearly 77, I am not tempting a broken hip 😱😂 will see what the handyman says, I know he has done pointing and exterior decorating, so if I buy the sealer it will just be labour to pay.

Will call the plumber on Monday, and then call every day until he commits! He is a fab guy, but coming up to retirement, and a bit too nice, over books himself I think. When we move I will have to find a new one, well until the boy qualifies anyway, he is still determine to become one!

Drawingaline

Today is KITTEN day 😺 omg they are so so cute. They are just shy of 14weeks old. One is a bit smaller than his brother but he was the one who walked out of the carrier like he owned the place 😂 the bigger one is a lot more timid, bit I think it is all a bit noisy with the kids, while they are used to lots of cat siblings and aunts, there was only two humans in the breeders house. Hubby was rather then with her Maine Coon who she will be breeding in a year/18months, so we may be back for another one yet 😂 will have plenty of room if we get the larger house.

On the house front, not a lot to report. Hoping our broker gets our application done and sent by the end of next week, have dipped into the mortgage board and timescale seem to vary from two weeks to around seven weeks 😱 with my self employment it might be a little on the longer side.... Am a little concerned we won't get what we need. There are other (cheaper) properties but they will all be in a chain and I like the fact that it is just our buyer, us and the ones selling to us. Still feeling a little nervous about the size of the mortgage and how we will cope, but I keep thinking, this will be a long-term home. And worse case we would have room on the ground floor for mil to live if need be, bedroom, shower room and lounge and adapt utility room to a small kitchen. We wouldn't be looking to move for at least 20years, and will be overpaying the mortgage as much as possible. But us knowing that we can be good with money is not the same as persuading a bank to lend us it, right? 😂

Anyway, will keep on plodding and see where we end up!

savingholmes

Good luck with the kittens - I'm sure they will be a handful and joyful. I've never done that stage as we got rescue cats but our puppy was lovely but very hard work. Hope you get the mortgage sorted quickly.

Drawingaline

Still waiting to hear from our broker, am assuming he has everything he needs atm and is busy working on our application. Our solicitor has been brilliant at answering my emails which is filling me with confidence. We are taking a trip to the office next Monday with our id. It's been hard to get things together for hubby, not having a full driving licence can really be a pain. And because I do all the banking all the utilities are in my name 😂 he is on the tax credit award and we have printed off a bank statement so will see what they say. But there must be loads of people in this position. Our mortgage statement is due in September, so the old one is too old 🙄😂

Kittens are very cute. Smaller one is chatty, loud, bouncy, cuddly and will be a little demon I think 😂 the bigger one is a lot more timid, likes hiding and is much nervier in general. Think he likes his own company. but they are I reacting together fine. Kids are totally smitten ❤️

bd80s

Oof just reading everything you've been doing has left me breathless  
How exciting that everything has come together with the house so quickly for you! Love that you've done so much and had time to become smitten with your kittens
And your weightloss too, busy busy girl!  I need to find your motivation, haven't been half as productive over the last month as I was before  
How was Hamilton?  I never know if I fancy it or not....