Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Hello Franbern, just back from a walk to the village and the wind is wild, but not as wild as Friday! So glad the electricity is still on and the drip drip drip drumming has stopped too!

My surveyor is RCIS and did have all the disclaimers, and the giant chair in the bay covered the area perfectly and with the bed in the room, there isn't much space to move it out of the way. The back bedroom 'overwatering' was covered by a chest. The roof did look perfect but thinking about it, I should have made plans to change it once I'd been told it was such a big area of solid resin. Bit like the top of a creme brulee! I do prefer the system in Scotland where the vendor has a survey, so you know exactly what might need doing/should be done.

It was my first estate agent who gave me the overinflated price for selling, and one other said the same. The other estimates were £450 and £350 which I really poo-pooed! Ha ha I remember dreaming about how much I'd get.

I've just treated myself to a take away quiche and salad and a giant piece of carrot cake, looking forward to eight hours sleep!

Just wondering, Shandy, if you have a claim against your so-called surveyor. Not sure how much he charged you, but does not seem have been worth a penny.

He missed DRY ROT...yes I know all about not picking up carpets, etc. But surely a qualified and skilled surveyor can detect dry rot in a room.

He obviously did not put anything into the report alertng you to potential problems with the flat roof. Then, just a couple of days ago, he advised you not to worry about roof coming in as supported by joists, not taking into account that ceilings are BELOW those joists.

Was this the same surveyor who gave you such an unrealistic price you could expect for selling the Station??? For my part I would not trust him anywhere near my property.

Shandy what a dreadful experience!! Very big insurance claim coming up.

Yogi you need to contact all your utility supplier(s) to inform them of your proposed move. Gas and electricity and water (if you have a meter for this last), you will need to take a meter reading as you leave your existing property and then also take these as you arrive at your new home. Best way, is to take phone photos of these, as you then have proof. You will also need to notify your landline telephone company of the date you wish to cancel it at your current home.

Broadband is more difficult. You will need to arrange cancellation of it where you are leaving and to check if the same company (if you still want them), can supply it at your new home. As this will be dependant on when in your new home, landline can be set up for you. In theory it should just be someone somewhere switching it on, BUT in practice it can sometimes take a few days before landline and broadband can be set up for you. Make sure you have plenty of data on your mobile phone ready for this gap.

So much for your surveyors advice that the ceiling wouldn't come down.
Thank goodness you are having a tarpaulin fitted. I hope it works.
Wishing you all the best.

Morning all, I'm very relieved to have men on my roof fitting a tarpaulin, and they've helped me put the electricity back on, although it may trip again at any minute.

About 1 pm last night I was just going off to sleep when there was a huge bang - large piece of the ceiling on the sofa and floor, sofa and carpet flooded with water. Electricity went off at the same time it happened - I've been sleeping with the hall light on, with a torch just in case. I emailed my surveyor and asked if he knew of any other roofers that might be able to help me, and he turned up here at 9 am to say he'd pulled in a favour. Thank heavens, last night I had a panic attack at living like this, we have more heavy rain predicted. I hope the tarpaulin can stand the strain. No sign of the insurance man yet.

I do feel a bit as though I'm on another planet, while I was waiting for the men to turn up I took my dog for a very short walk. I thought I heard a chicken squarking, then thought it must be a pheasant - no a big white hen, running through the gardens. I came back and put my dog in the car, and got my bird catching kit which I carry in the car in case of any hurt seabirds at the beach. Chicken was too fast for me, but she's resting. I did knock at the door of the person I thought owned her but he's at work, hopefully she'll be home soon.

Yogi, when you move into your new place you have to phone the utilities give them your details and continue with what is there, until you decide to change. My vendor told me she was cancelling broadband completely, so I rang Talktalk to tell them I was moving. Keep us updated!

I stand corrected Fran

Fingers crossed for no more drips Shandy dry & sunny here today. So sorry to hear about your neighbours son!

Managed to get our 4 seater settee & sofa bed out yesterday, such a job! My son didn't want me to ask a neighbour to help, so managed on our own. My son just lifted the sofa bed out on his own and pretty much did the same with the settee too! All gone this morning, collected by the council.

Moved all the furniture around and got to have a good clean each time we moved a piece, took more than 1.5hrs, really pleased it's all done as less to do on the moving day, just a quick hoover on the day now.

Silly question; Is the elec., gas and phone line for broadband up and running when you move in? Do you keep your own provider or take on the existing one?

I have midgey, but can't get my head round how to deal with the 'top up' reminders yet, I'm a bit tired tonight.

I think I wrote on here some time ago that when I moved in there wasn't a signal inside the bungalow, I have to balance on the front step. I have an Iphone SE from 2016 and to get wifi calling I had to go PAYG, '3' are the only people that provide it. Thing is I get a top up text at 1 am in the morning - I have asked nicely and now complained, I cannot see why they can't change the time. I always keep my sound on in case of emergency.

My aunt always asks me to do things when I'm in a crisis, I've just remember she asked me to research care homes just before I completed!

Shandy Have you thought of buying the phone outright and then getting a sim only deal like giff gaff or Tesco?

He's a local legend midgey, I met him several times on my dog walks.

Tearing my hair out trying to find a mobile phone with 'big buttons' for my aunt with a good contract, at least it's occupying me while I wait for my second hurricane in four days

Wind is picking up a bit here now. How desperately sad to hear about the young man.

The poor young man has been found deceased, so tragic. And we have another 55 mph wind warning for tonight,

I've just discovered one of the neighbours around the corner is missing, his family have put an appeal out on Facebook and the police have been informed. He has cerebal palsy and everyone knows him here, he last spoke to his mother at 8.30 pm on Sunday as he was walking home. It had calmed down here by Sunday, so it's not weather related, although it was icy and cold. Marine unit are out on the river/sea, police searching the hedgerows, helicopter out too. What a terrible wait for the family.

Wishing you the best of luck for your exchange and completion date Yogi.

Are you ready to transfer your funds? I had to do it at £25K per day, it was nerve wracking. At first I'd transferred it all to NS&I because they offer protection on amounts up to a million - then I discovered the FSC had extended the six months to a year with lockdown, and transferred it all back to HSBC. When I finally transferred to my solicitor, I started off with a £10 nominal amount and checked they had received it. You can go into a bank and arrange a transfer, but during lockdown that would have meant a 40 mile round trip for me, I didn't want to go twice within a week.

I hope your wardrobe buyer came. I had to leave all my big furniture for free for the buyer, it didn't sell in time. I've recently discovered a community furniture group and have just missed a 'charming' Charm bedroom set.

Keep us updated.

No leaks for me this morning, now I've said it I'm sure I've tempted fate!

Yogi sure you meant expedited!!!!

Granny Have you contacted any removal companies yet? You do need to do so, explaining to them exactly your situation. They will be quite used to this, but would be dreadful if you got that removal date and then had problems finding a removal company. I can remember one person, on here who that happened to as they were let down by the company they thought they were using. They then had to go for the proverbial 'men with vans' to move them and that caused them so many more problems.

Could I add to 'stuff in your own car' the following items -

ALL you daily/weekly medication. I also found it very useful to put ALL my extension leads into a large bag and have those in my car, so that when I arrived at least these were available to get things plugged in immediately. Have your vacuum cleaner either in your car (f possible), or else the last thing on the removal van, and therefore the first thing off.

Oh so sorry Shandy at least your surveyor put your mind at rest. Have you heard from your roofer, keep phoning him, which no doubt you are.

Granny23 I wish you luck. Yes what a nightmare, I had a moving date for 25th April, then 28th June with my new purchasers. I've been told I could get completion any day now, then most wait at least one week before agreeing a moving date, so bang on Xmas . I will have to let it go through as too stressed with it all to ask for it to be left till after Xmas.

I had a buyer for my big wardrobe till last night, so need to get rid of that plus a big desk, I don't mind giving the desk away, but the wardrobe cost over £1000. It's awful this waiting, putting everything on hold waiting to hear a date.
If I just had a date, even a rough one like sometime next week, but no one can say till the extended lease comes back from Land Registry. They have asked for it to be extradited.

Don't panic Granny23 we are all here for you. I hope everything has now been collected and you can clean the areas they were in.

I think people have already posted about the list of 'essentials' that you need to take in your car, kettle/bedding etc, don't forget the first aid kit and a toilet roll

Good luck and wishing you good weather.

Oh Granny, fingers crossed for you. Do hope all goes to plan. ?

Panic setting in here as Friday 3rd December looms. Had word via solicitor that new owners do not want the semi fitted wardrobes, nor any white goods - Fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer - all going to charitable recycling centre today. Unfortunately they cannot collect ATM so SIL and friendly Gentle Giant (who has a big Transit Van) will shift the items this afternoon, weather permitting. Food from freezer and fridge has been distributed to friends and neighbours, so it will be filled rolls and ready meals for me this week, and a very full laundry basket by Friday.

Also traffic lights and road works now on the road between house and flat, snow and frost forecast, all that we need now is fire and flood. In my ignorance, I expected the move to take place late September, early October, not in dark, freezing December. The keys to the flat will be available for collection "sometime after 12 noon" as long as all goes to plan. The whole thing is a nightmare.

Thanks Monica, I have tried, his voicemail is full up. Very hard frost here but the sun is out now, I've got every dish out on the floor and have finally managed to hulk all my books, they are now on my bed. Can't put them on the bedroom floor because of the mould, I decluttered my books ruthlessly and would be upset if I lost any.

I'd approached my surveyor to design a new roof, he said he'll pop in this morning to look. The roof was sodden, I can't understand why people even have flat roofs, the water can't drain.

He's just been and I feel so reassured, the ceiling won't come in as there are joists every two foot, and the large pointy skylight also rests on joists. The plasterboard might bulge if the water build up becomes too great. Too frosty for him to go up and look but he has recommended I get the new roof insulated, as well as a more defined slope so that it drains properly.

Phew! I stopped drinking when I was 50, but could do with a stiff one!

Ring the roofer up and make clear how urgent his visit is and the danger you stand in

Morning everyone, I'm scared, I've woken up to snow. When it melts it's all going to come pouring in. No sign of the roofer yet to put up a tarpaulin, but his van was seen in the village yesterday. He is a good man and will come, but I don't know if the ceiling will come in before he gets here. I'm emptying the lounge of everything I can lift this morning, so many books

I've also woken up to an email saying my 9.01 train is cancelled - I'd ordered the taxi for 8.15 am so would have been on my way to the station. Bittersweet as I am now getting a refund.

Lots of people here have had power cuts since Friday, and now the water is being affected because the water board went off too and can't pump water. I had sent my kids a power cut kit, battery radio etc, but on Mumsnet last night a woman was worried about her cold water fish - seems you can buy a battery powered air filter.

Seems the village hasn't been gritted and it's very icy, so nervous to drive down, walking my dog down to the post office in his stroller to post a few parcels.

Stay safe and warm everyone

Thank you very much for all your advise ladies. I have sorted the attic and burnt paperwork. Intend to get my spare room sorted out, box up and take items to the charity shops today, the room is full of stuff as I dislike getting into the attic, so throw stuff in there!

Thought I had loads of packing tape, but can't find any. Looked on Amazon and there are packs with the dispenser gun. They had mixed reviews though, some said v.good, others said don't bother. I'll go to B&Q later to get some.

Hope you're doing OK today Shandy and you managed to get a good nights sleep in your spare room. Fingers crossed you get it sorted quickly, good luck.

When we visited Howden's they told us that they sold to the trade only and they would not give us any idea how much the range of units we liked cost, saying they would only discuss that with our builder/installer.

Needless to say we took our business elsewhere, I can understand as a trade only company, prices are confidential between supplier and builder, but we could not even get them to give us a ball park figure, or indication where in the market they stood, low end, middle or high end.

DS and DDiL bought a kitchen from Wickes a year ago and used their fitter and were well pleased with both units and fitter. The stripping, fitting and ancillary work took just over a week.

Franbern just a word of warning against Wickes re your new kitchen. We had our bathroom redone by them and the whole thing was a nightmare. A job that should have taken 3 weeks max took 6 months.
They outsource their fitting and you sign a separate contract for that. You may get a good fitter or you may, like us, have an appalling one. Never turning up or turning up on a Sunday when we were out and breaking into the house. Poor quality workmanship and any complaints to Wickes ignored and just told to contact the fitter. I could go on but you get the picture.
I understand Howdens units are good quality but you need to find a fitter yourself which, quite honestly, I think is a better idea.

Yogin you really need to start packing tomorrow. It takes longer than you think . Also the shed , garage and loft need to emptied. It takes more boxes than you to think you will need . Don't forget the weight of each box once full. You need to be able to lift the box. I know on removal day the removers will do it but in the meantime you need to put them somewhere out of the way. I used both my bedrooms spare rooms. They where full of boxes.

I got my boxes from eBay and brought 2 X 100 metres of bubble of wrap off there . You will be surprised how much bubble wrap you need. Also there is all the rubbish that will need to take to the recycling centre . Plus stuff to sell and give to charity.

Paperwork you no longer need if it has any of your details on need shredding.

In fact to you will be surprised what you have to do.

I told my brother all this and they have been packing since August and moving furniture and boxes to rental storage units they have hired instead of removal firm as its cheaper. Near to the bungalow they are buying. They don't have a date for exchange or completion .

Number every box and write what room it's for and what's in it. Whatever you do don't use Pickford's. I took out all the insurances and got no where when I had to claim.

Like Franbern says you need to contact removal companies now and get estimates plus when they are free and how long the removal will take. My house was my emptied the day before completion.

Whatever you do don't exchange and completion on the same day. A week apart is best.

Hope all goes well.