Worried -NO HOUSE SALE AND WANT TO GO

[Guest grants]

Hi don't post very often but always on the site reading others comments.

 

We have our visas and was hoping to go between January and March. The big problem is we have still not sold the house. It has been on the market since end May and we have had 2 offers one early on, 30K below asking price, which was quickly rejected. We then had another offer, 25K below asking and we asked them to come up slightly but they refused so we declined that offer.

 

Then the Northern Rock thing happened and it has gone very quite. There is another prospective buyer who is keen on the house but they have also got to sell. The media is predicting gloom and doom in the property market and saying the market is going to crash which is fine if you are buying and selling but when you are trying to release your capital it is a total nightmare and we could see all our equity go down the pan.

The Estate agents have assured us the price is right at present and it is well presented etc but there are just no buyers around at present.

 

Is anybody else struggling with house sales? It just might make me feel better to speak to others in the same boat.

 

Jan Midwife

Shane Insurance Loss Adsjuster

Oliver 13

Gabriella 9

[Guest Roo1]

Hi Jan,

 

I know how frustrating it is! I'm here in Adelaide and have my 3 bed house still to sell in Manchester. The day I put it on the market, someone offered 18 thousand below the asking price and I declined. In hindsight, I wish I'd accepted.

It seems the market is dead through out the U.K, which is totally opposite to here. If a house isn't snapped up within the week, you start to wonder whats wrong with it!

 

At the moment I have my U.K house tennanted. But that too hasn't been without problems. My last tenants took my washing machine and lawn mower, blew my electrics and flooded my bathroom. This new tenant has been in 2 weeks and already snapped my light switch and buggered up the lock on my front door. My house was perfect when I left and now I believe looks sad and tired, so no wonder no one wants it!

 

I'm sorry I couldn't have been more positive with this post! But I guess you can take solace that its happening to others around you, not just you.

 

Good luck and I hope you get a break through soon.

 

Judi x

[Guest dglamoore]

Wow Jan cannot believe that house has not sold - both the house and the area are gorgeous

 

Fingers crossed that things pick up for you soon and a buyer comes along for you so you can get out here for a bit of summer so you don't have 2 winters on the trot like we did

(even if winter here is lovely in the day!)

 

Lisa:cute:

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

I always say...you think the getting the TRA and visa bit is stressful, the house sale bit is far far far worse!

sarah

[Guest grants]

Thanks for your replies.

 

All we can hope is that the market does not crash and the interest rate reduces soon so that people are given more confidence to buy.

 

If not we will be coming soon for a reccie to validate visas which will be good but will also eat into any capital we have. Still I have got to try and think positively as it is driving me mad with worry. After going through all the stress of obtaining the visa the house selling is definitely worse.

 

Jan Midwife

Shane Loss adjuster

Oliver 13

Gabriella 9

[cormcvcr]

Hi there,

 

sorry to here your stresses about your house, so close yet so far away!

 

Hopefully things will sort themselves out for you, there will be a buyer out there somewhere!

 

Good Luck and keep us posted.

[Skittle]

:confused:I agree - the house selling process is most definitely the worst part. We are now on our 3rd sale of our house in the UK. I suppose we are fortunate in a way as we had 3 people who wanted it but all had to sell their houses first. We've managed to get the full asking price too - but as they say 'never say you've sold it until you get the money in your hand'.

 

We're crossing fingers, toes, anything really, that the sale really will go through this time.

 

It's a decision you have to make Jan - do you leave your house empty in the UK and hope you sell, rent it out, or sit tight until you have the money in your hand. It's a decision only you and your family can make.

 

I wish you well.

 

Karen

[Guest JulieG]

Hi Everything you have said is the same for us. house been up for sale since July only had 1 viewing this is the most stressful part of the whole process. There is nothing happening on the property market here (Nottingham). We are going to rent out as we want to go as early in the new year as we can. Hope this is a little comfort you are not alone. Good luck

[Guest ceri]

hi Jan, sorry to hear you cant sell....that makes me really worried, as we are just putting finishing touches to our house before putting it on the market in dec/jan. we hope to sell and go into rented untl we move to oz in Jan 09. we have to sell our house just like you to be able to go . Good Luck and keep us updated.

Where are you thinking of moving to in Adelaide...any favourite suburbs?

[Guest grants]

Hi everyone.

 

Feeling much better today as believe it or not we may now have sold our house. :jiggy:

 

However there is a catch. We are doing an exchange with a couple who are really keen on ours but have also not been able to sell theirs. This means we buy their house, release our capital but keep our mortgage which is tied in with Northern Rock for 10 years at a rate of 4.75%. This will enable us to avoiding the £12500 early redemption fee we were going to have to pay back to Northern Rock. It does mean we will have a little less to bring but we should be able to rent the property which is a modern 3 bedroomed terraced and should bring in enough income to cover the mortgage. We will initially move into it and just tell Northern Rock we are downsizing (hopefully none of you are Northern Rock Employees!!).

 

There is always the worry we will not have a tenant and mortgage would not be paid but long term I think this could be good move as I really don't think properties will crash horrendously, as it is predicted by the middle of this century this country will have 75 million people so demand is going to be too great for properties to fall long term.

 

If anybody else is in the same position and having difficulty selling maybe you should think about doing a similar thing.

 

In answer to Ceri we are hoping to move end of March and hope to live in Blackwood or Eden Hills area. Our friends moved early September and are living in Hallett Cove in rented as they had not sold their house before leaving. Their children aged 13 and 15 are going to Blackwood High school which is going well so they are now lookinhg o move to this area as they have said it is a good place to live.

 

Cant wait to go so fingers and toes crossed now this property sale goes through without any hitches. We need to speak to Northern Rock and then decide on sale prices. Of course we are going to have to pay solicitors fees estate agent fees and stamp duty but still not as much as the £12500 early redemption fee. Tying ourselves into a 10 year deal was a good idea at the time but 12 months later we had an even better idea of emigrating to Australia. just a shame the Australian idea didn't come before the mortgage deal.

 

Jan Midwife

Shane Loss Adjuster

Ollie 13

Gabby 9

[Guest Richard & Amanda]

Hiya,

 

We are in the same boat as many of you here.

House has been on the market since 5th Sept - just got in there before I needed the dreaded HIP pack!!!! Had 1 viewing so far with no feedback obtained from the agent....they can't contact him apparently! Warrington is flooded with 3bed houses at the moment!

 

Anyway we are trying to get out of the contract with our estate agent now, don't feel he is offering the service promised. I reckon we have another 3-4 weeks before the market well and truly dries up for Chrimbo.

 

If we don't sell this year we had thought about taking it off the market completely and starting again in the spring. My winter pansies are looking a little sad now, must start thinking about planting the daffs just in case!

 

It really is stressful trying to keep the house minimalist just in case!!!!!

[Guest Leanne & Mark]

We are putting ours up straight after x mas. i think we might go with mutiple agents from the off set so as to up their enthusiasm with any luck!! Just hope we don't look to desperate!!

 

Grants thats a bloody good idea, it may just be a great selling point on our house, that we are willing to buy some ones smaller property, plus gives us something to come back too if we really have to.

[cribber]

Like many people here the house sale is our last major hurdle.

Things were going great, the house was sold at near asking price until the chain collapsed last Wedneday!!!!

 

We now find ourself going through it all again, keeping the house immaculate and having to disappear for viewings. Has 3 viewing in 2 days which was great but the feedback wasn't so good.

 

Very mindful that Christmas is approaching and guess that if we don't sell before the end of the month we'll be out to Adelaide around Christmas without offloading our place, and then what do you do????????

Reluctant to rent it out but unless we have an offer and a firm chain we may have no choice!!!!

 

Paul.

[Hayshake]

I guess we are another couple caught in the house selling process,

Since we put our house on the market at the start of July, we had 2 viewings and then the disastrous floods in Gloucestershire, (we didn't get flooded by the way) August was dead, 5 viewings in Sept & Oct, 2 very positive and agent thought we would get offers, but not forthcoming, Northern Rock, and the announcement this week that the whole UK market is overvalued by 25%, just great!!.

I left booking flights until the last minute, hoping for a sale, and had some difficulty getting a flight. Finished up with Royal Brunei Airlines. These fly into Perth, where some Aussie friends, who we are staying with for 3 nights before flying onto Adelaide with Virgin Blue.

All this to validate our Visa. Having said that we are on a one way ticket, and will book a return from Aus. when hopefully a buyer comes along for our house.

Not an easy time as we fly out on Sunday 28th, and there seems so much to do and organise.

However I am confident that all will work out well in the end.

[Guest laurajarrett]

Hi Jan & Shane

 

Unfortunatly we are in the same boat, the house market is c*&* at the mo.

We have to validate our visa's by the 14th Nov 07.

We could have spent $9000 on a 3 week holiday but we thought it better to keep the money as a mortgage fund and let our house out for 1 year to a company called Northwood. They have a package that will pay your rent/mortgage reguardless of a tenant. So that is what we are doing. We also applied for the meet & greet service and goverment rental, which takes the pressure off of our money situation a little as it will cost us between $160 - $220 dollars per week all inclusive of bills and furniture for a 12 wk only rental.

 

Keep your chin up there is help out there if all else fails.

 

Good luck and maybe see you in Oz

 

Laura & Jarrett

[Guest swampo]

We are alos in the same position, almost there with our visa approvals, house on the market and the market has gone DEAD. I agree, this is more stress full than the waiting bit. Lets hope that this interest rates are lowered and that there will be a new interest in the housing market very, very soon.

[Guest Blackcat]

Hi, we arrived here nearly 3 weeks ago and have also not sold our house, very worried, but glad we have still come. We have only had two viewings since May and were fed up waiting and decided to book the flights anyway and hope. It is now up for rental and for sale, going to be sooo frustrating as not going to be able to buy here for ages, but just have to hope that it will sell, is there any news of an interest rate reduction yet? Hope so maybe that will help. Good luck to everyone in the same position and yes it is very stressful, Gina

[Guest jill wright]

Hi Ceri

 

Sounds like we are at the same stage as you,putting finishing touches to house and for sale sign to go up in New Year.Lets hope we are both lucky and sell quickly .Good luck to everyone else who are in the same boat

 

Jill Phil Lucy Daniel Thomas (west yorkshire)

[Guest rockola57]

Hi Jan,We too have house for sale here,only had one viewer,we need to go out end of july o8,as its now march i cant see this happening.reluctant to rent house out till sale,and we need to sell to buy in Adelaide.The only solution i envisage is for me to stay till sale is completed ,whilst my wife Sue (who has a job to start in july)goes out with the rest of the family.So to sum up,we are in a similar vessel,however ,i think we know deep down that all will end well in the long run,dont despair,its just a price you sometimes have to pay for a better life. GOOD LUCK AND ALL THE VERY BEST.Billy and Sue.

[Guest grants]

Hi all,

 

We have now sold the house but bought a smaller one so we are living in this until we go. The people who bought ours were really keen on ours but did not have a buyer. We decided to buy theirs which was a small 3 bedroomed modern terraced and one that will easily be easy to rent.

 

We intend keeping this house and renting it out as it meant we avoided the £12500 early redemption fee we would have had to pay on the mortgage. We have released the equity and just transferred the mortgage. We are off for a reccie on 17th May for 17 days and then will hopefully move in September before the start of the Uk school year. This may well be an option for all of you struggling to sell houses.

 

Will let you all know how our reccie goes.

 

Jan Midwife

Shane Insurance loss adjuster

Oliver aged 14 (not keen on going!)

Gabriella 10

[Guest Nicky&Andy]

:unsure:hi were just waiting for an ok with our visa, before putting our house on the market,

now very worried, as we planned to go aug time 08, (depending on a sale)

personally, i wouldnt go with out sellin my house, i would do a recci to activate my visa, and return to sale, i dont want any loose ends left behind me. but good luck with whatever you decide, its one of those things where only you know whats right for you

[Guest the garnetts]

we recieved our visa last april 2007 house on market since we have have even reduced it by £15,000 still no takers, told alot of 7 yr old 4 bed detached in area and not selling does any one know if anyone wants a lovely house in wakefield west yorks

 

[Guest sprayer]

We are about to send our visa application off and have just put our house on the market. We were going to wait until visa passed but thought as the house market has slowed down we would put up early. If we sell we will move in with MIL.

It has been on market for 1 week and we have had alot of people drive past and stop but only 1 viewing and they havent sold there house yet.

[Guest nickey and neill]

hello there!

 

just going off track a bit but just wanted to say hi to the grants as noticed on your signature that you have a 14 year old boy who is not keen on going!

 

we too have a nearly 14 year old boy who is exactly the same and making life very difficult at the moment! i appreciate its hard for them but you also know that in 10 years time they will turn round to us and say why didnt we move and why didnt you just make me go!!!!

 

i havent even put the house on the market yet as still sprucing it up but this bit seems easier compared to the problems with teenagers!!

 

good luck to all you house sellers... im sure yo will et there in the end!!

[Guest helen & co]

Hi, I'm a newbie on this site, but read it nearly every day. Just want to add my views to this thread.

 

We've sold the house, Hurrah , but trying to get this guy to exchange contracts is turning into a marathon, when he came to view I told him that we wanted to come out to Oz in January and that we wouldn't drop the price any further (we'd already come down 10k) he was fine with it. But trying to get this chap to exchange contracts is so difficult, in January he had a few queries about the sewers!!!!!, no problem everything was resolved. In Feburary he tried to get us to drop the price, after much discussion (we said no) that was resolved. At the end of Feburary we had all set a date for exchange and on the day his solicitor realised he hadn't paid his deposit.......... which he then did the following week by cheque (which had to clear)......then last week a date was set for exchange, I thought its going to go through today there was nothing outstanding and for the first time in ages I allowed myself to get excited and look forward to our new life............. but we didn't exchange guess why!!!!.......... because the idiots mortgage offer has expired and he has to get a new one:mad:

 

So we are back to waiting, and putting all thoughts of Australia out of our heads, once again living in limbo, until this house exchanges.

 

Sorry for the rant but sometimes you've just got to get it off your chest. I agree with everyone this is the worse part of the whole emigration process.