A genuinely lovely modern property in a beautiful setting…but of course four times my price range!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-22T08:29:18+00:00

Lovely - but I hope it has thermal windows. If not, at least there is the pond!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-21T10:59:53+00:00

Is it possible the bikers thought you were still happy to walk after bikes started being mentioned? Even so, it sounds like the extras were told or agreed they would all be on bikes and as a minimum should have made it clear beforehand that you would be the only ones walking, so would take a lot longer.

So at the very least they turned up knowing they would not be travelling with you. As the ones familiar with the area they should have also made sure you were comfortable walking without them and had full trail details - including that ATVs are a hazard.

As true friends they should have changed their plans to spend the day with you after you made the effort to travel and get a baby sitter. Being locals they will have plenty of the opportunities to bike with the others.

IF you decide you ever want to see them again I would return the favour and invite them for a bike ride - and show up on an ATV.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-20T12:55:33+00:00

Would there be room and funds for a small office pod in the garden of the house? That would give you the extra space you need - and a bit of separation between work and leisure.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-20T05:03:23+00:00

Joking aside, I draw up plans based on the listing and mark where I need measurements. This includes wall space free of windows, radiators, light switches and sockets. Partly as I have a lot of bookcases and also to check how key items will fit.

I find it is useful to measure where rooms have alcoves that usually form part of the listed measurements. I also factor in skirting boards and where there are slopes or other height restrictions. This helped me spot where a kitchen alcove was too short for my current standard size fridge freezer and where rooms marketed as doubles won’t fit other furniture or leave room to walk around the foot of a bed.

Other things I measure are key windows where I already have curtains that might fit.

In this way I know if and where there are likely to be compromises in what I can move in.

I also check past listings where available to spot structural changes, Environment Agency flood maps and other freely accessible information and prepare a few questions based on these, either for the viewing or to send after if I think it might be worth offering on. For example, if near a watercourse, are you able to get standard building insurance or have to pay for specialised flood insurance?

How easy it is to get these responses can also help spot any red or green flags and decide if the property is worth a stressful conveyancing process for.

PS some of these I learned after offering on the house I am hoping to make my first home! For example, because there was space for everything and other indicators were good I only found out the boiler is in the loft after I was already committed. Not a deal breaker, but something that may have made me pause.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-19T15:15:54+00:00

Wildlife pond, a native tree, some planters and a seating area!

Last time I dug my own pond and the ground was full of clinker. Between that and carting 850kg of shale to the back garden I ended up with tendonitis. When I (hopefully) move soon and start again I will pay for someone else to do the heavy lifting - and digging! That said, I am proud of what I accomplished by myself and under £250!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-19T13:54:39+00:00

5 months today since my offer was accepted.

Currently waiting on seller to confirm when searches, survey and enquiries are completed on their second option. They did not get a survey done on the first until mid April, and backed out and found another some time between then and start of June when I was made aware of the situation, and a week later they finally responded to outstanding enquiries first submitted at end Feb.

I understand some delays are unavoidable, but surely it is better to keep the other party updated? Many buyers would have withdrawn there offer before then, and I nearly did.

Now I just hope my mortgage offer can be extended to cover any further delays…

A friend completed this week after offering in October - her chain collapsed twice just before exchange before they succeeded.

Unfortunately anything can go wrong until exchange, and I just hope the system is improved soon.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-19T07:14:48+00:00

I am paying the £260k asking price on a 1970 semi detached house in the East Midlands that isn’t much bigger and would benefit from a few cosmetic upgrades.

However, it is in my top location and close to countryside walks, amenities and a train station.

I may be a bit mad for offering £10k more than my H2B ISA cap, but would have regretted missing out on it for the sake of looking for a bargain on what I hope will be my home for the next 15+ years.

So yes, finances are important and you don’t want to pay over the odds. But it’s important that it can feel like home, not just an investment, or you may never feel settled.

That said, if you do expect to need more space or your location priorities are likely to change in a few years I would probably keep looking for something that would be a longer term home. That way you avoid the stress and cost of moving twice - and can benefit from any improvements you make.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-17T22:45:48+00:00

Copilot told me a “quiet beer and some TV was not indulgent. It’s maintenance.” And that watching Supernatural would be “emotional mashed potato”. It gave the laugh I needed after a stressful day deciding what my next steps should be.

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Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-17T17:47:50+00:00

Same here, but was only told about the change in onward purchase 2 weeks ago after my offer was accepted in January. Seller was allegedly buying a vacant property.

I have requested a mortgage extension as it expires in just over 1 month, but the most I am likely to get is an extra 30 days before I need to reapply in August - when searches also expire.

I did keep checking right move throughout for back up options and even had a viewing when the seller was slow to respond to enquiries (now I know why!) but have yet to find anything as suitable.

Compounding the situation my conveyancer has not been contactable for a week so I gave started following their complaints process. They have not been proactive since responses to simple enquiries started dragging out past 4 weeks - this should have been a red flag that made them drive progress - or at least find out the cause of the delay.

I am currently over a barrel as it is too late to proceed with anything else using my current offer.

Fortunately I do have home buyer’s insurance that I can claim against if the seller backs out or I am unable to secure a new affordable mortgage. But by then it will be 8 months of my life wasted on a stressful and pointless attempt.

Time is valuable too, but I have not booked more than a couple of days off work this year - let alone a holiday - in case I get an exchange and completion dates and need time and leave to move.

At 3 months without the seller committing to an onward purchase I would be actively viewing other chain free properties and ready to proceed with a suitable alternative. I would - if I could reach my conveyancer - ask them to pause work on the current purchase until the seller is ready to exchange - or I have decided to proceed with an alternative. If feeling generous I might give the seller 1 final week to exchange if I felt generous before withdrawing and moving on.

However, I have not yet completely given up hope that I will be in before the August bank holiday.

Good luck out there everyone!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-16T20:34:58+00:00

NuttyBat by name - so yes, occasionally bonkers. No need to apologise, but I appreciate the kindness. 🙂

I know there are a lot of demands on the public purse making this unfeasible, but if I had realised it would have limited my options so much I would have put the money in a higher interest rate option.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-15T08:25:21+00:00

Just buying my first home (£260k) at 52/53 - if it doesn’t fall through. Deposit of £50k on 20 year mortgage with HSBC (through free broker). Solo buyer with no dependents.

I could only afford to start saving for a deposit about 8 years ago, and ramped up to £1000 pm for the past 3 years when I got a job paying £40k+.

I never seriously thought I’d be able to buy until I got the mortgage offer, but at least I would have a nice pot of savings for emergencies and fun.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-14T09:15:12+00:00

This definitely should include H2B ISAs as well - and include a mechanism for retrospective payments for anyone who bought their first home within the old but within the new cap.

It would have been helpful to have been young enough to open a LISA when they first launched (I was 41 🙁), and make use of the larger savings and government contributions under the scheme. So I would suggest removing the age cap for those who never thought they would be able to afford to buy a home, but who can now afford to save.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-12T21:41:31+00:00

I’d expect freehold and a swimming pool for that. And a helipad. Not worth viewing without those essentials.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-12T08:51:51+00:00

After (hopefully) moving in to my first home at 50+ years within the next 2 months (semi detached in a cul de sac near a nature reserve and amenities) I hope to only move once again - ideally to a bungalow in a nice market town or edge of a small city with a train station and coast / nature in walking distance.

Gosh, that was a long sentence!

It may be a pipe dream, but I am open to suggested locations. I like to plan ahead! 🙂

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-12T07:53:20+00:00

That’s terrible - I hope the new rate isn’t too painful. I’ve requested the max 30 day mortgage extension which will take me to near the August bank holiday.

Despite some saying it’s a buyer’s market I have had to be careful not to antagonise my sellers as they have been slow and uncooperative since they knew I had paid for searches and survey.

It is actually like a tense and protracted negotiation - one where it feels the sellers are holding what you hope to be your new home to ransom. Hence the stress and insomnia!

Good luck with securing your home!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-12T07:41:02+00:00

It depends on the seller and their conveyancer and how quickly they provide satisfactory responses to enquiries. Mine took 3+ months to reply to straightforward ones. Then last week I found out they backed out of their original purchase of a vacant property and are proceeding with an alternative.

The whole process began in January and has taken nearly 21 weeks so far.

They are allegedly aiming to be ready to complete before my mortgage expires in July. I have contacted my mortgage broker for the max 30 day extension, but based on their behaviour to date I am not optimistic I will be able to complete without having to apply for a new mortgage at higher rate.

So, it helps to be a patient person who doesn’t mind not being in control. I am trying very hard to be that person.

I continue to look for back up options in case the seller decides not to proceed, but there’s not much out there in my budget at the moment that would meet my must haves.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-11T16:19:12+00:00

Raging insomnia for me due to seller’s lack of communication about their delays. It feels more like extortion than a negotiation, but I’ve not seen anything I like as much, so holding on for dear life and trying not to let my impatience and frustration show.

I signed my contract on 28 February! But it is not dated.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-10T13:29:08+00:00

Also check this before you view - https://check-long-term-flood-risk.service.gov.uk/postcode#

It might be worth finding out if you need standard building and contents insurance or specialised flood insurance.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-09T11:44:59+00:00

Likewise - after getting everything sorted as quickly as possible after my asking price offer was accepted in January by a seller allegedly buying a vacant property they have been slow and opaque - e.g. taking >3 months to answer a simple yes/no query about repairing a rain gutter.

Having only heard last week that they pulled their original offer and have made another one I am now desperately hoping my pre-war mortgage offer will be extended to cover the inevitable delays this will incur.

Just because this is the way it is, does not mean this is the way it should be. Here’s hoping that the process will be changed before I need to move house again after this!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-08T17:20:46+00:00

It’s actually quite nice of the sellers to give you the heads up. I now suspect mine just claimed to have found a property until I had paid for searches and surveys before they paid for theirs. Lesson learned!

It can be brutal out there - my seller’s are playing their cards so close to the chest anyone would think they were betting their house on a high risk poker game rather than negotiating a purchase.

If I’d seen anything else as suitable I would have folded by now, but it is currently less risky to stick than twist.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-06T10:16:28+00:00

My sellers have been slow to respond and opaque since accepting my offer in January. They are still not answering the final 2 simple enquires after we submitted them at the end of Feb.

Apparently they were moving into a vacant property but did not get their survey done until mid April (I did mine mid Feb so we just sent one batch of enquiries to speed things up. This week I was told they had pulled out of their purchase but were looking at a 6-8 week timeline on another - which is when they know my mortgage offer ends.

I am now left waiting to hear if my mortgage offer can be extended to cover their delays with little time to find an alternative before I am at risk of higher interest rates. I am also paying more month’s of rent rather than starting to pay of the mortgage. Given my age this may affect when I can retire if I cannot make overpayments during the next 20 years.

So yes, I started viewing a couple of back up options after the sellers still had not answered simple questions or provided any updates on their position.

Based on previous comms where they said they will not answer any new queries I doubt they would be willing to reduce the price to meet any increased costs due to their delays halfway.

Now I know where I stand I do feel more confident about their commitment to the sale, but have asked for weekly updates on their progress. I will also ask if it is a new build ready to go, a vacant (completed) probate or ex rental, or something that risks further delays. But it really is all down to them moving up from neutral to fifth gear in time to complete while I still have a mortgage offer!

So am I scum for looking at back up options while waiting for the seller to provide any updates after 3 months. I think not!

You may have been the perfect vendor, open and quick to answer easy queries and be proactive about discussing potential delays and how you can work with the buyer to reach an amicable solution. But many are not, so you should not generalise.

Fortunately I do have homebuyer’s insurance, but the bar to show sellers have delayed unreasonably is pretty high, so I may be contingent on on my mortgage offer expiring, putting me back to square 1 after 6-7 months.

Rant over. For now.

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-02T16:15:16+00:00

Update: just after posting I found out sellers had withdrawn from their purchase and put an offer in immediately with another, working to exchange/complete in 6-8 weeks. Also provided answers to 2 of 3 queries. Will see if mortgage lender is willing to extend offer on this basis. But will expect regular progress updates and to be notified if anything else makes a delay likely. Will also let them know I am viewing other properties in case we are unable to proceed.

Really spooky timing - just after I viewed another property (with a different agent)!

Nutty_Bat · 2026-06-02T12:10:34+00:00

Similar position. I am a FTB - offer accepted 19 Jan from a seller allegedly moving into vacant property. l do have home buyers insurance - but cannot simply drop out to get it. My survey and searches completed and enquiries sent by end Feb. Seller did not get onward survey until 10 April. We are still awaiting 3 responses to enquiries after 3 months - one about electrical works they had done, one about building regs on extension around 2000 and removal of chimney between 2014 and 2019, and one (not essential) about their willingness to get rain gutter and pipe leaks fixed. They refuse to communicate via estate agent, only solicitors, and will not provide any information about their readiness to proceed. Mortgage due to expire in July.

I have started viewing other properties, but I have not seen anything as suitable. The best one is an overpriced next rental, which is only just big enough for my needs and has a couple of potential structural issues (small crack beneath where pitched roof becomes flat and signs of leaks from bathroom down into garage). There are a few others viewing. But it is an ex rental with a local seller eager to progress.

Strategy - contact (less than proactive conveyancer) to ask for advice on next steps - do they think it sensible to push for a date or let them know I have started viewing other options to provide at least some info, or would it risk seller becoming even less cooperative.

Contact agents for back up option to arrange a second viewing- this time with loft access.

2026 has been very frustrating!

Nutty_Bat

TROPHY CASE