The nervous wait to exchange....

toshj · 17 Jun 2019 at 10:10

fastwunz said:
Yes get specialist advice. Effectively trees (once mature) take water from the soil at a pretty constant rate. Removing a tree or adding a tree upsets the equilibrium and this can have a detrimental affect on the footings and foundations. Some trees are much worse than others (willow, eucalyptus for instance) and their root systems can cause havoc with old clay drains in particular.

The BRE have papers on trees and their correct safe distance from houses in relation to their height etc. Well worth a look if you can find it.

That's most useful advice, thanks!

It's a massive fir tree it seems, and takes up a fair amount of the back garden. There are quite a few other medium-sized trees in the neighbouring gardens (the garden's aren't wide) and also a couple of others at the end of our. I'd hope that these helped with the soil balance, but I'll definitely get a specialist in to take a look before we do anything. We're about 50m from the Thames, so it's bound to be a special case.

HungryHippos · 23 Jun 2019 at 23:22

Things seem to be progressing well on my sale/purchase.

My buyer has nothing to sell, and the people I am buying from are going into rented (last time I checked anyway!).

Aiming for a mid-august completion, but I'd like to complete a bit earlier if possible.

Can anyone comment on when exchange of contracts may occur in the process? I assume it's reasonably near to the completion date, as there is no going back once the exchanges have occurred. I am keen to get things locked in

Scotteh · 24 Jun 2019 at 16:25

No idea what the norm is for England, but I'm currently buying in Scotland.

Offer accepted 11th June, I expected exchange of contracts (or concluding missives in Scotland) by the end of this week with entry mid July. That's with no chain though.

Hoping it gets finalised this week so I can put notice in for current rental property otherwise I'll either have to risk it and put in notice without guarantee or pay an extra months rent.

Martynt74 · 24 Jun 2019 at 16:33

Russinating said:
Noice. We were offered our sellers bed and mattress, if that wasn't just weird generally they also wanted £1200 for it...

That's not as weird as when my wife was selling her house and the buyer specifically asked to BUY her bed and mattress :\

Rroff · 24 Jun 2019 at 16:37

A lot of sellers seem to try it on with stuff they either can't be bothered to move or can't feasibly move. Our seller wanted £80 for the curtains but left them anyhow when we declined - most weren't really reusable anywhere else and some of them were on their last legs and not worth the money anyhow.

HungryHippos · 24 Jun 2019 at 16:47

My seller has a separate utility room with a washer & dryer in, I thought they may have opted to leave them behind as they look like they are getting on a bit.

They are taking them with them, which I don't mind as it gives me an excuse to buy a new fancy washing machine

jimjamuk · 24 Jun 2019 at 22:57

Noted in the paperwork this weekend our seller is open for the water softener to be left and is open to offers. I didnt get a look at it but its a unit under the sink - what would you think was reasonable as I hear these things are £500+ to install these days?

Russinating · 24 Jun 2019 at 23:01

Can that even be removed easily? ie Will they bother?

koolpc · 24 Jun 2019 at 23:02

jimjamuk said:
Noted in the paperwork this weekend our seller is open for the water softener to be left and is open to offers. I didnt get a look at it but its a unit under the sink - what would you think was reasonable as I hear these things are £500+ to install these days?

£50. If a decent one

They would have to pay to get it removed and refitted elsewhere.

fastwunz · 24 Jun 2019 at 23:05

koolpc said:
£50. If a decent one

They would have to pay to get it removed and refitted elsewhere.

This - they are having a complete larf if they think they can take money for it when it will cost them an arm and a leg to remove anyway.

I would make clear that I am not paying for it and if they want to remove it, they are wholly liable for any damage caused by said removal

jimjamuk · 24 Jun 2019 at 23:09

OK thanks - i'll go with a token £20 then just cause they have been a model seller up to now. I guess its just a couple of pipes clamped to the incoming supply to redirect water through the unit?

Semple · 25 Jun 2019 at 15:10

Jumping back into this thread another year later.

We had an offer accepted a couple of weeks ago, i've lined up the solicitor and mortgage broker is ready to submit documents to the lender. I've asked them to hold off until the solicitor comes back with confirmation on the status of the lease (vendor claims it's fixed, but would like the solicitor to check over the lease agreement to ensure it's not an escalated lease, nor having any strange covenants that prevent us doing anything (cosmetic) to the property.

Rroff · 25 Jun 2019 at 15:18

Urgh I hate leaseholds - specially these days seems to lead to all kinds of shenanigans :|

Semple · 25 Jun 2019 at 16:13

Rroff said:
Urgh I hate leaseholds - specially these days seems to lead to all kinds of shenanigans :|

Yep it's an outdated practice that needs to be abolished.

I know there are lots of older houses that were on 999 year leases with something pitiful as £2 a year ground rent charges.

The vendor has claimed it's fixed cost, but i want our solicitor to be sure that there are no escalating terms (i.e. doubling every 10 years), or even these stupid "permission fees". Where i've read some people have had to pay their freeholder £800 to change the kitchen units, and £400 to put up some new blinds.

Tee Hee Johnson · 26 Jun 2019 at 13:06

I foolishly forgot to ask about Fridge and washing machine when purchasing our house last year.

Thankfully I was hoping they would go, as i'm funny with food and smells.

Was relieved that they were gone in the end!

jimjamuk · 26 Jun 2019 at 13:17

Can anyone give me an idea on the time between exchange and completion. I think we are getting to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if an exchange date came along. Just trying to work out realistically how much time we got as I seem to have loads to do

Captain · 26 Jun 2019 at 13:36

jimjamuk said:
Can anyone give me an idea on the time between exchange and completion. I think we are getting to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if an exchange date came along. Just trying to work out realistically how much time we got as I seem to have loads to do

Can vary, I was told to expect 12 weeks as a minimum, I viewed, exchanged and completed in 30 days.

I have a friend who had an offer accepted on the 5th of Jan and he completes Friday so almost 6 months.

toshj · 26 Jun 2019 at 13:46

Second mortgage approved. Getting the full buildings survey undertaken next week, and then that's the big stuff done.

I think my wife and I have agreed to hold off on moving in for a couple of weeks after we buy it in order to put in a brand new bathroom and a temporary kitchen. Then we've got to get our flat up to scratch in order to let out.

The survey could be interesting as the house flooded a few years ago (in 2014 when everything in the area flooded) but hopefully it'll come back well. The previous owners had been in there since 1977, and the house was originally built and owned by the builder who'd built all the other houses in the terrace. You'd have to hope to he did a stellar job on his own property!

Martynt74 · 26 Jun 2019 at 16:51

jimjamuk said:
Can anyone give me an idea on the time between exchange and completion. I think we are getting to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if an exchange date came along. Just trying to work out realistically how much time we got as I seem to have loads to do

I think by the time you exchange the longest would be about a month. By that point, everything is done legally and it's just a case of lining up the "moves". People usually want the process over and are eager to get into their new house.

HungryHippos · 26 Jun 2019 at 21:20

My buyers solicitor has raised an interesting question, and it occurs to me that I don't know the answer.

They have asked about the surface drainage. Initially I thought it was done by Southern Water, but it turns out that they aren't responsible, indeed on the bills it says I am not being charged for surface water on the property. I rang and spoke to them, they said it's not with them.

This either leaves some kind of soakaway, or nothing?

My guttering goes down into largeish pipes dug into the ground, these must let the water out somewhere?

Since I did the garden up with fake grass and a patio with a slight run off to the rear of the garden I have not had any drainage issues to note, including the relatively high volume of rain we had in June. I don't think my current surface water situation should cause my buyer any concern.

Any tips on how I can categorically find out what solution is in place so I can answer the question? I know the planning number for the development, house is maybe 3 years old.