Hippygran2

Hi everyone, I can see we all have problems re: houses/mortgages etc of varying degrees. Just want to wish everyone 'Good Luck' on their journey towards living in NZ. I know it will be all worth it in the long run.

Just doing a bit of dusting, window cleaning etc etc ready for house viewing tomorrow - as you do!! Thought about getting breadmaker out and making a loaf tomorrow but is that a bit too nafffff!!!!! Fresh coffee and baking bread and all that c**p supposed to help sell your house - I don't think!!!

Cheers

Joan
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iwannagonow

Don't get the coffe out Joan...it would put me off...I can't stand the stuff!

I don't think you need to go mad, just a good air freshener will suffice

Good luck for your viewing...let us know how you get on xx

steelblue

Hi everyone,

It felt as if we were all alone in the house selling doldrums, but a quick read of your posts and we soon realised we are not.
Our house has been on the market since the end of October with not one viewing. I feel for all of you in the same boat as us.
My OH has a job offer which will be open until June, then who knows. I can already feel a grovelling email to his new company coming on.

Keep smiling, it will get better.

CarolineSwan

Best of luck for today mmmm i love smell of bread cooking, reminds me of my gran , she always making it

fingers crossed for you

caz

Hippygran2

Well, my OH has made a loaf tonight as we were out of bread virtually. May have to make one for me tomorrow - gluten free that doesn't quite have the same lovely new bread smell, it's rather bland actually but hopefully we might get away with it.

Let you know how our viewing goes - it is a lady who has sold her own house (subject to contract) so no chain there then!!! Fingers crossed.

Cheers

Joan
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Batty

Good luck Joan (and everyone). We're living in interesting times all right!

Hippygran2

Hi folks, well, wev'e had our viewers round - a young couple in their early thirties, I would say - her house is sold, his is going to be rented out so they are looking to buy a house together. They seemed to like the house very much, made all the right sounds - oohs and aaahs but is it really what they wanted, hard to tell. May hear something from the estate agent on Monday. After seeing our house they had an appointment to see another one.

Starting to get used to this selling speil. When they have asked us where we are moving to, we have said to the east coast, letting them think we meant Norfolk or Suffolk not the east coast of NZ. We have avoided saying we are emigrating as I have read on this website of people facing difficulties at the last minute when buyers want to drop the price even further/add other complications etc etc. Don't want to seem secretive etc but would let them know of our situation after completion.

I feel like I need some comfort food right now, like a bag of Revels or some Thorntons fudge - WHAT DIET!!!!!

See what next week brings eh! Good luck to everyone, we'll all get there soon, I'm sure.

Cheers

Joan x

weejie

Joan,we haven't told the estate agent where we are going either for the same reason.......just said we are moving out of the area into the countryside!! to give the boys a better life And for the same reasons you cite as have heard some tales of people trying to lower the price at the last minute. You are not alone.

Phyl x

cleverchap

Our house failed to sell before we left the UK and it was quite obvious the market was falling so we dedceided to hang on to it and rent it out. The local council are acting as agents and have signed us to a 24 month agreement. So long as we keep to the 24 months (not really a problem) we also receive a 1000GBP welcome bonus. Combine this with a below market average management fee as well as recent interest rate falls and the mortgage is easily covered.
N.B. This is not the same as signing your house over to the council and they will put whoever they have on their waiting list into your property, they only act as agents and the tennants will be fully credit checked and referenced.

Hippygran2

An interesting option I have to agree. Have never heard of councils doing this type of thing before. Obviously it has so far worked well for you.

Cheers

Joan
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cleverchap

Hi Joan,
Its through Exeter City Council, not sure if all councils are doing this type of scheme yet or if its a pilot. I stumbled on to it whilst looking for renting solutions and it has worked out very well. My property had to have gas and electrical safety certs as well as approved smoke detectors fitted and a few other things done to bring it up to an approved standard but an EU grant was provided by the council and covered all costs so I just signed the paperwork and let them get on with it. The local council also pay 50% rent if the property is empty at anytime during the agreed period.
It sounds crazy but they just wanted to literally give me money for nothing so I let them!!

Best of luck with the sale of your property and I hope you make it over here before to long.

steelblue

Hi Clever Chap

Whilst chatting to the energy assessor who produced the 'HIP' on our property in June last year, she told me that shortly all rental properties will have to have this regulaion too.
Aparently it will be a yearly report (for EU standards !!) to help prospective 'renters' make an informed choice on the property rental market!.

Have you heard about this? Aparently it should be introduced sometime this year.

If we don't sell, we too will be looking to rent. Not a path we were hoping to take..

Cheers
Steelblue's OH

MOSO

I noticed at the weekend that Northwood Estate Agents do a 'guaranteed rental' scheme. It's on www.northwooduk.com. It appears they take their fees out of the rent - but they guarantee to pay rent even if the property is empty so it could be worth investigating.

Our Estate Agent just called to say the people who came on Saturday (the first viewers since Oct) don't want it - so it's back to the drawing board...again... Our Agent wants to come round tomorrow to discuss 'marketing strategies' so let's bet on how many seconds it takes him before he tells us to drop the price again...and there still won't be any buyers around!

lyndanchris

Hi,

Sorry to hear your bad news, I know how you feel. It is so frustrating at the moment because all you want to do is move forward and you are being prevented from doing this by something that is in many ways out of your control.

IMO dropping the price is not necessarily the answer as these people who came to see your house would have known what the asking price was before viewing so if they were informed that a cheaper price might be available it does not seem like they would have been interested anyway. The house must not have been right for them or their lifestyle, so what does price have to do with that?

I had a phone call from my estate agent asking me to drop the price but I answered NO!!!! The people who have viewed my house have not mentioned anything about the price not being right for them only that the property is not suited to their needs (equestrian).

Keep smiling!!!!!! someone is out there and looking for what you are selling.......just may take them a little while to find you!!!!!

Hippygran2

I agree with you there, price has never been mentioned by the viewers of our house or the estate agent. I think you know instinctively whether you have a feel for a house or not and if it is really what you are looking for.

Yes, the right person is out there, so please come and find us, pronto!!!! Umm!!

Cheers

Joan
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