We prayed and things changed... We have a buyer for our house! And it is not just any old buyer, ooh no. The buyer(s) are our newest friends (friends before they were our buyers!). When we put the house on the market, we hadn't even met them. And then when we didn't get any buyers, we joked with them about buying our place. They said that they weren't going to buy anywhere any time soon.
Then, a while later, they decided that perhaps buying a house was a good idea, and looked around. Didn't really find anything suitable. Their circumstances changed, and thus the type of house and area of living changed. And we were in receipt of a phone call last Saturday evening 'please can we come and look round your house?' So we duly met them, and showed them round (its weird, how even though the house is empty and cold, it still feels like my home...). 15 minutes later, they offer us the asking price and the two men shook hands to make a gentlemen's agreement.
And it gets better. As this was a private viewing, and a private offer, no estate agents were involved therefore we have been saved the huge fee that we would have otherwise paid. Also, as the last buyer was so close to exchange, all our paperwork is in order and the solicitors just have to change a couple of names. Also, our new buyers need to be out of their flat (no chain their end either) by end of January, which lends itself to a quick transaction. As long as the mortgage company plays ball.
At the end of the day, it means we only have to pay 2 mortgages for 2 months, and we save ourselves the estate agent fee. And we can go round for dinner in our old place for years to come!
In our new house, work has started on the guest room. We have the plasterer coming on Thursday with the new carpet being put in next Thursday. Between the two, the walls need painting, which is our contribution (along with preparing the room for plastering). Some other friends of ours moved last weekend, and donated us the new wardrobe and chest of drawers that were left behind in their new house. The new furniture fits wonderfully in the guest room, and it is somewhat ironic that the friends who donated the furniture will be the first to use it!
Then, a while later, they decided that perhaps buying a house was a good idea, and looked around. Didn't really find anything suitable. Their circumstances changed, and thus the type of house and area of living changed. And we were in receipt of a phone call last Saturday evening 'please can we come and look round your house?' So we duly met them, and showed them round (its weird, how even though the house is empty and cold, it still feels like my home...). 15 minutes later, they offer us the asking price and the two men shook hands to make a gentlemen's agreement.
And it gets better. As this was a private viewing, and a private offer, no estate agents were involved therefore we have been saved the huge fee that we would have otherwise paid. Also, as the last buyer was so close to exchange, all our paperwork is in order and the solicitors just have to change a couple of names. Also, our new buyers need to be out of their flat (no chain their end either) by end of January, which lends itself to a quick transaction. As long as the mortgage company plays ball.
At the end of the day, it means we only have to pay 2 mortgages for 2 months, and we save ourselves the estate agent fee. And we can go round for dinner in our old place for years to come!
In our new house, work has started on the guest room. We have the plasterer coming on Thursday with the new carpet being put in next Thursday. Between the two, the walls need painting, which is our contribution (along with preparing the room for plastering). Some other friends of ours moved last weekend, and donated us the new wardrobe and chest of drawers that were left behind in their new house. The new furniture fits wonderfully in the guest room, and it is somewhat ironic that the friends who donated the furniture will be the first to use it!
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