Made an offer on a house.
Got it accepted with disgusting speed. Now the real fun begins, I believe (never bought a house before, so not really sure what to expect). This grown-up lark is slightly scary.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:32, 38 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Congratulations!
Welcome to adulthood, although you seem to have started much earlier than I did.
( girlinthehole, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:44, Reply)

The really fun part is when you spend a month or so
being really nervous that someone else will come along and gazump you, or the person selling just changes their mind. The moment you exchange contracts and it becomes almost impossible for them to back out is a day of real relief!
(Bazongaloid, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:46, Reply)

yep.
Am trying to stop myself visualising how it'll all look with our stuff in it, and how we're going to make it our own, simply because I don't want to have mapped out this vision of our house only for the vendors to decide not to sell.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:09, Reply)

this is true
hopefully you won't be in a position such as we were, where we had to exchange and complete at the same time, late on a Friday afternoon. Two vans loaded with all our stuff, parked outside the new house, with a van load of stuff still left in the old house.

that was shit. And to add injury to insult he first time I shut our new front door I managed to slam my finger in it. The nail went vivid green immediately...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:22, Reply)

You can expect
several weeks of nothing happening as your or their solicitor does absolutely sod-all. This is apparently standard. I recommend phoning them up daily, and urging the sellers to do the same. It won't help, but at least the solicitors will be as annoyed as you.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:46, Reply)

I got round this problem
by using my sister as my solicitor. She was shit hot at hassling their useless solicitor.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:48, Reply)

God that was the main thing that sucked about
working as a receptionist at a solicitors. All the friggin' paranoid bastards of the world calling demanding to speak to their conveyancer, through fear that things had fallen through on their house plans and then me trying to put through the call and them going 'no no, tell them I'm not in'... great! :(
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:52, Reply)

It's not paranoia
there are so few safeguards on buying a house, it's the most expensive thing you'll buy and yet you are more protected buying a packet of crisps.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:55, Reply)

Meh
I was 19, It seemed liked paranoia to me. Also it seemed to be that the estate agents caused quite a lot of problems too, like when we would need to exchange funds on a Friday they would always be out to lunch forever... I used to be made to walk down to their offices to spy on them... bloody hell that job was crap! :(
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:58, Reply)

Just you wait young lady
when DiT decides to share his unbridled wealth with you and purchase somewhere for you to live, you'll know what it's like.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:00, Reply)

Haha
I think we'll be waiting a while... by the time we can afford a deposit for a house I'll be getting out my pension.
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:02, Reply)

Yes!
Although we're not in a hurry (we have cheap rent at the mo), and due to general busyness we'd rather not have to move before Christmas, so I won't be too concerned if the lawyers take their time. So far all quotes are for the whole thing, not by the hour.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:11, Reply)

it remains
the only sensible thing I've ever done in my life.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:48, Reply)

Hehe
The most sensible/grown up thing I have done to date is to purchase a sofa from DFS on a Bank Holiday Weekend Sale... that was a pretty weird experience, mainly because it was in Romford!
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:19, Reply)

I went to Ikea once
A madman spat in my ex's face. It was BRILLIANT.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:26, Reply)

That's worrying
I presume he spat in your ex's face because he was a bit 'special' and not for any other reason!?
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:28, Reply)

it was malicious
and over some perceived offence caused whilst exiting the car park, not just some over-exuberant drooling.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:43, Reply)

She didn't mention liking David Bowie did she?
Only I can totally understand where he was coming from if she did.
(Bazongaloid, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:51, Reply)

She did mention off-handedly
that 'plastic soul' was an excellent idea - and in no way was it totally fucking weedy and shit when compared with the non-plastic, non-Bowie version...that may well have triggered the attack.

I stood by and did nothing at first, and once she'd wiped her face clean I PUNCHED IT.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 12:52, Reply)

Blimey
Well trying to cram a 3-seater sofa into a Smart Car will enrage some people, its only a matter of time before they kick off at an undeserving strange for a non-existent offence!
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:55, Reply)

Hurrah and congratulations!

(wellgroomedwookiee is a filthy-minded hobgoblin, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 10:52, Reply)

thanks all!
We're busy getting solicitor quotes together - they don't seem to be too outrageous...I mean, I don't need both kidneys, do I? It's all the added stuff like making a will, getting life insurance etc. We'll need to buy a car too. I feel strangely mature. DOn't worry, I'll make a poo joke soon and my maturity levels will sink back to normal.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:08, Reply)

be prepared to deal with the most useless bunch of cunts you have ever had the misfortune to deal with
people will lie to you, they will try and stall you by asking for ridiculous things*, but it is all worth it in the end.


*when I bought my house I sold a flat which is built on what used to be a brickyard. The cunt solicitor for the person buying our flat was insisting they needed a copy of the planning permission for it to be turned into a brickyard in 1936. I got the fucker and had it to them within 2 days, but that's beside the point...
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 11:09, Reply)

It is either going to be
ridiculously easy or monumentally stressful, mine unfortunately was the latter due to the BPHA being involved (incidentally i'm still not paying gas & electricity yet as all the meters in the block are apparently wrong but hey ho) but am chuffed to bits to have my own abode.

Good luck!
(Halfy By light alone, Tue 20 Oct 2009, 12:12, Reply)