Tearing my hair out

[jocelyn plummer]

Hey, you guys, all this talk of hallways,swags and tails, kitchens, bathrooms, double thinking on staying, refurbing or throwing in the sponge has made me restless. Turning out my Portfolio made me realise just how much I miss doing my creative stuff, and, to cap it all a house that we DESPARATELY wanted and offered on three times before we bought this one has just been repossesed and is going to be auctioned soon ----- it has the studio, the larder, the proportions of rooms, the original unscathed features, and is in my preferred location within the Town----- also a friend of mine has just completed restoring a John Soane building in our Town and has decided to sell half of it, so I am SPITTING NAILS-----------------.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Put yours on the market quickly!

 

[Jill]

I miss doing my creative stuff(

You could always buy a dolls house to be creative with - thats one of my other passions. Plenty of opportunity for designing, decorating, furniture and curtain making - just on a smaller scale.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, poor Joss. What does hubby say?

If you have itchy feet I think they're likely to get worse, you've not sounded completely thrilled since you moved - though the new house is lovely.

I think I'd be inclined to fight for the one you fell in love with.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Jill, I have a half finished Dolls House it's still in store! The furniture and lighting kit is also still packed but in the loft! Nowhere to put it.

School marm-- I have already primed an estate agent.

Hubby is used to shifting around after 35 years on the high seas.

All I can do at this stage is be objective, 3 lots of stamp duty in 5 years, fees, fees, fees, mortgage penalty, getting older, 3 storey house ( they both are), heating costs, removals again. etc etc

But --- My Son has half our pictures and 3 of our clocks still packed in his flat, we still have a storage unit stuffed to the gunnels, with my books, portfolios,and paint kit.]

Just going for a cherry brandy, I'll keep you posted in due course.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Oooh how exciting is this!

 

[Ushy M]

Oooh Joss - how frustrating! Of course you have to be objective and the fees are ridiculous (and stamp duty just iniquitous :evil: ) and it may be a stretch. BUT.. what's happened to various friends and family members of ours in recent times increasingly make me think we should try and get what we want out of life while we can. But what do I know - shivering at my laptop whilst the North wind howls through the draughty windows and doors? (It's a fab view mind....) Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Moo]

Oh, for goodness sake, Joss - GO FOR IT.
You've already done enough to your present house to make it a very sellable proposition, and you'll kick yourself every time you walk past the one you're lusting after. Especially when you see the new owners doing all the wrong (ie not the things you would have done) things to it.

Your present situation sounds to me very like our last house, which we bought because it was the least worst on the market at the time. We did a lot to it, but I was never happy there; significantly, I used to talk about "when we move", not "if we move".

 

[Penners]

Joss - GO FOR IT.

Seconded - provided you're thinking with your financial head as well as with your heart (I hope that doesn't sound patronising).

But whatever you do, don't tear your hair out. I did that, and just look at me.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Bless you both!

Penners if I look half as good as you do without my hair I'll carry on pulling it out!

Moo, that is what has happened to us the Vendors of this house were the only ones prepared to listen to our offers so yes, we share the same scenario as your earlier one. I bet the people in the repo are kicking themselves now. They were very rude to me when I made my third and final offer ,saying that they wanted the full asking price and no way would they sell for less. They'd already dropped 100k off their original asking price and my offer was only 10k below that new figure.

Anyway, I am going to get this one valued and then be very pragmatic and calculate on figures only. I have been informed that the property is in the hands of a local agent who deals with repos and that in a few weeks time it has to be put on the open market for one month, then, if unsold it will be auctioned in London.
There is a danger that whilst on the open market a local property developer will buy it. He was trying to raise the funds for it last time by unsuccessfully selling off a couple of other houses that he owns.It's difficult in a small Market Town to be quick off the mark when people like that are hovering, and I know that there is quite an underworld beneath the Estate Agents here.

I should be able to gauge the market trend a bit by finding out how many viewings my friends John Soane house is getting, I suspect that it's overpriced at the moment. I'm going to see what he( privately, not thro agent) it on Monday. He's living in the best bit of it.

It's been quite an eye opener looking at the Land Registry and finding the achieved prices for houses that we viewed between Nov 007 to Dec 009. Some have been sold for less than we offered!!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Carpe Diem - especially if a vulturous developer is circling overhead. But make sure it is grounded in sensible figures - thankfully the market does seem to be picking up a little again.

Good lick.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Update.

That house is now on the open market. Our current home 's valuation has come out at 10k below their asking price !! (2 different Agents). We've got 4 beds, and on streeet parking, that one has 5 beds and a garage -- cheap at the price though.

Non starter with all the associated moving costs, plus the fact that the garden is completely paved over, and I understand that all the fitted carpets have been removed as part of the repo.

The selling agent said that if it finally goes to Auction the bidding will start just below the current asking price in order to achieve what they require. therefore we cannot risk selling ours, being outbid and then homeless.

The portion of the John Soane house is greatly overpriced, does not match our budget and not yet fully restored. There maybe lee way with another family member if planning consent could be gained for a small 2 storey cottage on the paddock which is included in the price, however I'm not convinced that the possible future of the paddock might carry an uplift in favour of the Vendor.

Still, strange things do happen, and I have a couple of spies on the ground :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, poor you, how rotten. It's so typical to fall in love with things that are just a bit out of the price range.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

It's a pity they didn't take my 3rd and final offer.I don't think they were quite far enough down the slippery slope to /accept/recognise what the inevitable outcome would be.

 

[AMc]

I realise its scant consolation but anything can happen on auction day - if they're really that close to needing their current asking price it may not sell at all.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Ah well, I'm just waiting quietly in the wings, watching and listening. I have a funny feeling in my bones about all this.