Any one else noticed hardly any houses on the market for sale

Angela_D_3

MovingForwards said:

Octothorpe said:

MovingForwards said:

I've just done a 40 mile search from where I used to rent and there's over 1500 properties currently for sale, again up to the maximum amount I could have borrowed and the respective 15% deposit. Dropping the budget down to what I actually decided to set when looking there's 714 properties within a 40 mile radius. 

That's just on one platform, let alone checking others.

Options are keep looking in whatever radius you've set, or extend your radius like some of us did.

With kids settled in school and job commute that's not an option for everyone.

40 miles is a MASSIVE search area! 😂

I had a 80 mile radius search over several counties when I was looking, then whittled it down based on train costs, as my salary wouldn't get me the mortgage needed for a £180k flat close to work and friends. Instead I compromised and moved further out knowing my train and bus commute or drive will take a while.

Even by the time I retire I still wouldn't have spent the difference I've saved by living further away from where I work in commute costs.

Which is fine if you only have yourself to consider 

peterhjohnson

Are there any over-priced houses in the market that are not selling? I once put in (and repeated) a sensible offer on such a house. Vendors said "no" and dropped the asking price but still got no offers. A week after that, they accepted my offer :-)   I suggest to start looking a little above your price range for houses that are over-priced. There will be far less competition for them :-)

MaggieMags

It’s the same where I am. Very little is coming onto the market, and the houses that do are often selling before they’re even advertised, or they go way above asking price. It’s crazy. It feels like the worst possible time to finally be in the position to buy our first home! I wish we could widen our search area, but we’d really struggle - I have a degenerative condition and rely on family to help when my husband isn’t home, and our son is disabled. The hospital specialising in his condition has to be easily accessible as we’re there on a weekly basis. It’s really stressful. 

Murphybear

Davesnave said:

Being where I am in rural Devon, almost all the houses for sale in my village in 2020 sold due to the mass 'escaping to the country' that went on. Normally, that wouldn't have happened as we aren't in the most convenient of places.

So, whatever one sees here currently is just the dross left over. A few  have gone early and disappeared quickly, but canny sellers will wait till May when the place looks lovely and the bloody tractors have finished ploughing and chucking muck everywhere!

Having lived in rural Devon myself for a few years you have my sympathy 

MovingForwards

Angela_D_3 said:

MovingForwards said:

Octothorpe said:

MovingForwards said:

I've just done a 40 mile search from where I used to rent and there's over 1500 properties currently for sale, again up to the maximum amount I could have borrowed and the respective 15% deposit. Dropping the budget down to what I actually decided to set when looking there's 714 properties within a 40 mile radius. 

That's just on one platform, let alone checking others.

Options are keep looking in whatever radius you've set, or extend your radius like some of us did.

With kids settled in school and job commute that's not an option for everyone.

40 miles is a MASSIVE search area! 😂

I had a 80 mile radius search over several counties when I was looking, then whittled it down based on train costs, as my salary wouldn't get me the mortgage needed for a £180k flat close to work and friends. Instead I compromised and moved further out knowing my train and bus commute or drive will take a while.

Even by the time I retire I still wouldn't have spent the difference I've saved by living further away from where I work in commute costs.

Which is fine if you only have yourself to consider 

Which I don't.

JamoLew

peterhjohnson said:

Are there any over-priced houses in the market that are not selling? I once put in (and repeated) a sensible offer on such a house. Vendors said "no" and dropped the asking price but still got no offers. A week after that, they accepted my offer :-)   I suggest to start looking a little above your price range for houses that are over-priced. There will be far less competition for them :-)

Absolutley - 6 of them within 200 yards of where I sit.

They were built by an independent builder - have a pretty good finish but are up for 350k

A house 4 doors up just sold for 280k

Granted the one that sold is 10 years old - both have 4 bedrooms, but here's the big difference - none of the new ones have a garage

They have been on the market 6 months (maybe a little more) --- so yes, I would say they are over-priced

Davesnave

Murphybear said:

Davesnave said:

Being where I am in rural Devon, almost all the houses for sale in my village in 2020 sold due to the mass 'escaping to the country' that went on. Normally, that wouldn't have happened as we aren't in the most convenient of places.

So, whatever one sees here currently is just the dross left over. A few  have gone early and disappeared quickly, but canny sellers will wait till May when the place looks lovely and the bloody tractors have finished ploughing and chucking muck everywhere!

Having lived in rural Devon myself for a few years you have my sympathy 

Oh we're used to the muck, and the bad state of the roads nowadays, which wasn't the case years ago. I wonder how many of those who have bought into the rural lifestyle recently will stick with it when the novelty and fear of living in the cities wears off though.

thriftytracey

Davesnave said:

thriftytracey said:

I am worried we won't find a suitable property in North Devon.  We have quite a few specific requirements.  I really don't want to have to go into rented.  I hope now that Spring is here (although it is snowing today!) more properties will become available.

Nobody does, but it's how we managed to buy the right place in Devon with a list of 'must haves' as long as your arm. Took 9 months to find it, and might have taken even longer if we hadn't been very bored and quite brave.

Did you go into rented?  We have two dogs and a cat so it may be difficult to find a property.  

Scotbot

Octothorpe said:

MovingForwards said:

I've just done a 40 mile search from where I used to rent and there's over 1500 properties currently for sale, again up to the maximum amount I could have borrowed and the respective 15% deposit. Dropping the budget down to what I actually decided to set when looking there's 714 properties within a 40 mile radius. 

That's just on one platform, let alone checking others.

Options are keep looking in whatever radius you've set, or extend your radius like some of us did.

With kids settled in school and job commute that's not an option for everyone.

40 miles is a MASSIVE search area! 😂

It is not about distance it's about time. I commuted 10 miles to my secondary school which took 45 minutes train then short walk at both ends . My 2nd and 3rd jobs I commuted 25 miles,  motorways against the flow of traffic so took around half an hour. 

Davesnave

thriftytracey said:

Davesnave said:

thriftytracey said:

I am worried we won't find a suitable property in North Devon.  We have quite a few specific requirements.  I really don't want to have to go into rented.  I hope now that Spring is here (although it is snowing today!) more properties will become available.

Nobody does, but it's how we managed to buy the right place in Devon with a list of 'must haves' as long as your arm. Took 9 months to find it, and might have taken even longer if we hadn't been very bored and quite brave.

Did you go into rented?  We have two dogs and a cat so it may be difficult to find a property.  

Yes, with 2 cats and 2 ferrets. If you have animals it's essential to meet with the agent to prove you are not a mad cat person and maybe offer to cross their palm with more silver than usual. Also, don't expect pristine, newly decorated properties and maybe be willing to go out of town.

Doing that in a small city, we had 3 properties to choose from in 24 hours: one conventional semi that was OK but decorated in an 'interesting' style involving lots of purple, a commodious part-home part-office place out of town and a run down 4 bed detached with storage heating and massive tandem garage. We took the latter as it held all our furniture and saved on storage costs. Nearly froze to death, but it was good training for having big holes and missing ceilings in our current property in the winter of 2014/15!