Home Buying in the U.K

How exciting for you all... getting new houses!

I'd LOVE to move house!!   Too many kids/not quiet enough in my area. 
We just cant afford it, and DH isnt keen anyway.

Good luck... hope it all goes smoothly. 

Hey Ashley... Congratulations!!!   You beat me...
We got our mortgage offer but the surveyor took a little bit longer for the full building survey than he said he would.  I went and picked it up in person today and for £879 it sure isn't much.  I did my careful research too as I had heard that many surveyors are quite different.  Oh well...  the estate agent was putting the pressure on and now my husband is reading the survey, so... we will see.  I don't like the sound of damp...  Does anyone have any experience with damp???  We are getting quite a deal on the house because of the condition that it is in, and we really cannot afford to buy a house but £271,000 in North London for a 3 bedroom midterraced is pretty good, right?  Maybe I am having cold feet.  We could sign tomorrow if we want to...Any advice out there?
Debi

That price for almost anywhere in London is a good price.  As for damp, I think all you'd have to do is have someone install damp proof...I'd call around for estimates...use your survey to figure out what has to be done & do research on the costs of it.

Onetiger's advice is good.  Also, if there's anything pointed out in the survey (like damp), try to get an estimate on repairs or treatment.  It isn't too late to still negotiate the sale price down more, according to repairs & such that needs doing (that should have been done by the previous homeowner).  To do that (last minute price negotiations for repair after a survey) is very common here -- we had more money taken off the sale price of our home at the last minute for electrical and roofing repair that needed doing.  The seller wasn't happy (of course!) but that's the way it goes.

We had a regular home-buyers survey done (not the full building survey because it was only 35 years old and looked to be in reasonable condition) and the surveyor had different sections for different parts of the house and 3 columns next to each item.  The first column meant something was really in need of repair quite soon, the next we might be able to sit on for a while but may need attention and the third meant it was minor and he was just flagging it up as something that potentially could be a problem down the road.  We talked on the phone with him as he was happy to discuss.

It was quite useful to have that so we could focus on the particular bad bits and have some people quote on the couple of things.  The worst were a couple of double glazed windows that were shot that we talked the sellers down a bit on.

I would call the surveyor and speak to him about the damp problems and anything else you're concerned about.  He might be able to better describe to you the situation.  He might even know who's good at solving the damp problem.  If the seller knows you're serious about this and worried it could be a major problem they may be willing to move on the price.

 Thank you all so much for your reassurance.  I did call the surveyor and discussed the damp issue and feel better.  The estate agent is putting pressure on and making comments related to the housing market going up this month and us getting lucky to have an offer in that is below asking price as the seller could now get the asking price.  He seemed to be insinuating that if we thought of reducing our offer as a result of the survey, we had better think twice.  Should I be be intimidated???   Is this normal for the estate agent to do?  My husband is feeling that the seller really may turn around and say forget it and go for asking price of £289,000 but I doubt it myself, I just think the agent is worried about losing the sale.

Thank you all again, you are a great team of helpers!
Debi

The estate agent obviously will want the commission.  The seller probably wants to make the sale due to the big hassle of starting over.
But it is a very emotional thing.  There is a certain amount to be said about standing your ground and negotiating will come into it.  It's kind of
a feel thing.  It depends on whether you would be absolutely heart-broken to lose this particular house or whether you can summon up the nerve
to really take it to them.  It's a negotiating game.  I don't want to say to do one thing or the other because it will be down to you as to what you
feel is right but I would try to put yourself in the seller's shoes - having said that I have heard of people pulling out on things for absolutely no reason whatsoever except for a "weird feeling" but there's nothing you can do if you get someone wacko like that anyway.

Hubby and I are in the process of buying a house now.  We'd origianlly intended to do so later this year, but our landlady decided to sell our flat so we moved it up.  So off to his hometown (Coventry) we went.

Found a house we love (2nd of ten we looked at last weekend) and made an offer.  Our original one was too low and their agent suggested £97,500 would be ideal (asking price was £99,950).   Rather than haggle back and forth, we decided to offer £97,500 provided they left the cooker.  Our offer was accepted, our mortgage application is moving right along (already agreed in principle)and we have a solicitor. 

For anyone looking to buy in Bedfordshire, I recommend talking to John Doyle at The Mortgage Practice in Leighton Buzzard (they have other offices as well).  He's been great for walking us through the process, arranging solicitor for us etc. 

Hopefully this will all be done by the end of May, when we have to be out of our flat.  If not we may end up staying with my in-laws for a bit.

Congrats Jenni!  How exciting!

Great news! Congratulations to you both!

I recently purchased the book, Buying a Home in Britain (2005-I believe), and it has a ton of helpful info. We'll be starting the house hunt soon after we arrive in the summertime.

I hear that there are property agent search companies that you can use to help find a home and then facilitate the whole process.  Has anyone out there used such a company?  Thinking I might consider when I start searching for a place later this year.  Particularly since I really don't know London that well and with prices going up, I might need someone to really find me something that I can afford and also like.  Particularly since, whatever  I buy, I plan to be there for the forseeable future.  Unless of course, I get married or something.