[markkellaway]

Hi All,

Just thought I'd update everyone with the progress of our last hurdle before booking flights, arranging for shippers etc, the house sale.

The house has been on the market for about 10 weeks now, with a few viewings but no flood. The first people to see the house, just a couple of days after it went on, were a Baptist Vicar and his wife. They really liked the house and came back soon for a second viewing, after which some officials from the church came round as the church were looking to buy the house for the vicar! We got quite excited about this as it would be a cash sale, and we found out that they were in rented accommodation until August, which would be ideal for us as a moving time. A few days went by and the vicar offered on the house, but £15k below the asking price!!! :wah Of course I said "no thank you" to this and we thought that was the last we had heard of the vicar.

Last week another couple saw the house and fell in love with it, so much so that they offered the full asking price, this before they even had their house on the market. We said that we were happy with the offer in principle but that w would not take the house off the market until they had a buyer etc. They then came round to see the house again with the children and stayed for 3 1/2 hours chatting. We were so excited that it seemed things were fitting in to place. :cheers

About the same time as the above the vicar came back, we were amazed, and offered £10k below asking price, still too low to consider even for a cash sale. :no

Anyway we get to this week, and the vicar comes back with an offer only £5k below the asking price, effectively offering the price we thought we would get anyway. Again this would be a cash sale. Now we are torn, we have met the other people and they love the house, but they need to sell theirs. Even now they have an offer on their house but as yet the chain is far from solid. :uhoh

The upshot of this is that we have decided to accept the vicar's offer. I feel like a bit of a git because the other people will be upset but we have to look after ourselves. If all goes well over the next couple of weeks it is "NZ here we come!!!" in August. :clap

Sorry if this is a bit of a long post, just thought I'd share our experience. And are we nasty for going with the cash buyer? :roll:

Thanks for reading,

Mark. :P

[Jennie & Rob]

You despictable human beings - what a way to treat buyers.....!
:laugh


Only joking Mark & Anne - of course you have done the right thing.
Absolutely. We had a buyer 9 months ago but they had not sold and they have still not sold. We bent over backwards for them, putting the price down, etc. but they still could not go through with it and we ended up with completely different buyers.
We are delighted for you - this sounds great. Hope all goes according to plan and we can meet up in August.
Jennie & Rob finally exchanged today :nice1

[markkellaway]

Jennie & Rob,

Thanks, and congratulations on the exchange!!! :clap

Mark & Anne. :P

[kiwidollie]

Mark I think you are doing completely the right thing. :nice1 :nice1

Selling houses in this country is a minefield. If you are lucky enough to have a cash buyer - snatch his hand off!!! :mrgreen:

I understand how you must feel about the other people but like you say, you have to do the best for you and yours.

Good luck I say and I hope it all goes well and you get off to NZ sharpish. x :nice1

Our house goes on the market so will you keep your fingers crossed for us?

Cheers

[kiwidollie]

That is supposed to read "our house goes on the market tomorrow".

It's late.... I'm tired ...

[markkellaway]

Kiwidollie,

Our fingers are crossed already!! Good luck.

Mark. :P

[debnjohn]

Mark,
ABSOLUTELY the right thing to do. May the force be with you
:nice1
Congratulations all round to Mark, Anne, Jennie & Rob.
Things are getting mighty real, eh ?
John.

[Jennie & Rob]

"mighty real"

I am getting a feeling of 70/80's disco moves here "You make me feel, mighty real...."

Scarey all this stuff though isn't it?

John - how did your interview go?

[Diny]

Of course you've done the right thing !!!!

Hope all goes well for you. We're right in the middle of all the back and forth bits that go hand in hand with selling a house ..... it's driving me mad !!!!!

Good luck.

Diny

[debnjohn]

"mighty real"

I am getting a feeling of 70/80's disco moves here "You make me feel, mighty real...."

Scarey all this stuff though isn't it?

John - how did your interview go?

Interview went very well, thankyou. :nice1
John
PS yes classic track by Sylvester (showing our age, Jennie)

[Danpoll]

Mark and Anne,

Go for it, an offer when you still have a place to sell is not an offer its more a gesture of intrest, and the last thing you want to get into is a chain, survival of the fittest when it goes to house buying the strongest win.

fingers crossed

dan

[Diny]

an offer when you still have a place to sell is not an offer its more a gesture of intrest

This is very true.

You could always give the family the chance of paying a nice chunky, non-returnable deposit :nice1 Ask them for exchange of contracts within a couple of weeks then wait until their property has sold before you go for completion. Somehow though I think they'd turn this idea down flat.

Don't beat yourself up, it's the first party across the finishing line. What's that they say about dog eat dog?

Diny

[leslie]

is family prepared to cover the many thousands expenses you will encur if the whole thing falls through at their end?

what is that expression - only the rich can afford virtue ???

[markkellaway]

Hi All,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know you are all right and we are correct to go with the cash buyer, but can't help thinking of the people who so wanted the house. As people keep saying to me, it's just a business transaction.

Estate agent is dealing with it anyway, that's what he's paid for! :yes

So, in August we'll be :exit

Mark. :P

[Simon & Emily]

Hi everyone,

I'm a bit late catching up with this thread, but you're doing the right thing to go with the cash buyer Mark. As everyone else has said, you have to think of your family first.

Jennie and Rob - congratulations on exchanging - you're getting so close now!

Emily

[Jo and Andy]

Go for the solid Sale Mark,

It is your family's future that is important you are not responsible for theirs, think of the poor vicar in his rented accommodation if it makes you feel better.

Good luck.

[leslie]

yes, it is a business transaction in theory. it is also your home, with all that entails, so its a v emotional business transaction. thats why @£$%^&* estate agents can make it a v traumatic one too.

we've just had a recently retired architect & wife through ours and they are v keen. problem is, they have their own house to sell. my reply to her beseeching look? you never know...

if someone offered us a largish wedge of cash as part of the waiting deal so we could move on with our own lives we'd consider it. nothing in life is free so why should selling your home be? the add-ons like wait periods are a part of the package - an asset - and they cost. they shouldn't cost you. experience dictates that people who ask for charity are often the least likely to reciprocate...

[Danpoll]

I think people are wise enougth to know how the cookie crumbles, that its nice if someone does take it off the market because you have expressed an interest. But, rarely happens anymore. I had an offer from a lovely woman who said this is the house for me I want this we will pay you cash for the fridge etc but they had a house to sell a month later she lops 5K to sell hers to get mine, but she was blown out by the ftb's that came along, she knew the score. And 5 months later shes still not got a sniff of selling. I never felt any remorse to her. you put your money where your mouth is or someone else will.

Dan

[Diny]

We're selling our house ourselves - no *%$)+%$@*& estate agents involved. The downside of this arrangement is that there's no 'official' body acting as go between. Our buyer has always 'seemed' genuine but she's really half soaked .... a total Dolly Daydream. You'd ring to ask her whether something had been done and she's say ....'oh - I suppose I better get round to doing that'. All well and good when there's no time factor involved.

Anyway - we carried on advertising the place and had a picture ad in the local paper on property day. Her mother saw the ad & phoned her and within a very short time she was on the phone to us. She was in abit of a panic thinking that we'd pulled out. We told her that we were just hedging our bets (if that's what you call it).

Maybe our imagination, but things seemed to shift up a gear since then and her side of the proceedings seem to be moving alot faster now :nice1

Still not at all prepared to rest on our laurels. It ain't over until it's over !!!

Diny

[Dave & Sandra]

Got everything crossed for you and PB Diny :clap

[Diny]

Thanks Sandra

Can't wait until life takes on just a tad of normality again.

Hope all is well with you.

See you soon.

Diny

[markkellaway]

OK, the vicar wants to proceed, looks like the wheels are in motion. They are coming round tomorrow to negotiate on the items we can leave that are not included in the price. :mrgreen:

Mark. :P

[Danpoll]

what the candles and cruxifixes

Dan

[markkellaway]

OK, met the vicar and has wife yesterday. Very nice people and, more importantly, they spent the whole time saying how much they loved the house and that they had made the right decision. The Arsenal wallpaper in Andrew's room almost tipped it the other way but we managed to avoid that! :laugh

It's with the solicitors now, and for the church to get mortgage sorted and survey done etc. :nice1

Hopefully it won't fall through now, where has that "fingers crossed" icon gone?

Mark. :P

[Soon2baKiwi]

Hey Mark - GOD is on your side, how can you go wrong??? :laugh Congratulations.

10 days after changing our estate agent we've gone to sale agreed today :raebanana First Time Buyers who've already been gazzumped on another house so their mortgage is in place and they want to move quickly. We're looking at 6-8 weeks to completion :eek

[kiwidollie]

Soon2bakiwi we need some buyers just like that for our house hee hee!!

:yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

[leslie]

you managed to sell a house with arsenal wallpaper to a vicar! wasted talent, shouldn't you be embezzling from the UN or something...

[markkellaway]

No, I think it was the mirrored ceiling in the master bedroom that did it!! :uhoh

Ok, that was a joke really, honestly, it really was....

Embezzling from the UN, from recent events that might not be so difficult, hmmmmm!?!

Mark. :P

[leslie]

the brains part requires keeping it from nzis!

[markkellaway]

Hi All,

Quick update, the Vicar called the other day, things are moving ahead but still no firm date for the survey, and hence a firm exchange date. I'll leave it a few more days then start pushing a bit.

On another note, our passports came back on Friday with their lovely residence visa's and RRV's, it really was a great feeling, no longer a "conditional" offer but a real, tangible, thing that allows us to LIVE in NZ!! :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

Things are really getting there now, the car is sold, the house is (hopefully) sold and the passports are back. Not long to go 'till we're on that plane! :nice1

Mark. :P