Tuesday 31 January 2017

Home Buyers Diaries #2: Gazumped & Heart Broken


stone beach wales llantwit major

I've banged on in about half a billion posts (like my last post and my rambling about being a grown up)  how Martin and I are looking for a house. Which is really cool and exciting and it is pretty much all I think about at the moment. So we found our dream home - a little "character cottage" with a huge stone wall, original fireplace and a cute little garden in my favourite village close to my parents home. 

They accepted our offer and we got a good price - yay! The estate agents rung us EVERY SINGLE DAY asking for updates that we gladly gave. Admittedly, we were slow throughout the process but it wasn't entirely our fault. Any other first time buyers (I hope) would agree it's such a stressful, confusing process, unless you're lucky enough to have a "hassle free mortgage" and have an easy time with a mortgage.

We struggled to get a mortgage because life hates us. But we managed it. We got our solicitor. We booked our surveys. We saved the money. We told our letting to start showing our flat again. We had our quotes for contents and building cover. We had made a list of all the furniture we were buying and had even picked the wallpaper. We were fucking ready.

But we had a phone call on Monday morning saying they had decided to start showing the house again, had put it back on the market and accepted another higher offer. This was after calling them from the mortgage advisors office on THURSDAY EVENING and telling them everything was good. That was our last hurdle and we were ready. "That's great" they told us. So we paid for our survey.

How, in the space of 2 days, can it go so downhill? How can they go from constant communication to conveniently not telling us they were accepting other offers. We would have matched the offer. We would have bought our completion date forward. We would have literally done anything they had asked, but the point is they didn't even fucking ask.

They call this gazumping. Which is a stupid name and I don't think it even begins to cover how heart shattering it is. But yeah, our almost first home is no more. Someone else is going to be living in it in a matter of weeks and it makes me feel sick with sadness.

BUT. It's so important to think that everything happens for a reason. Everyone was so nice on Twitter when I tweeted about the experience, and people said the same thing had happened to them before they found their dream house. I truly think everything happens for a reason, and I can only hope that come June/July, Martin and I will be sitting in our perfect house so relieved that this happened.

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4 comments

  1. Aww it's such a shame reading this especially as you went through all that prep! But it's so true everything happens for a reason - and it just means you are closer to getting your dream home. Best of luck to you Hun xxxx
    Saira
    www.throughtheglitterglass.wordpress.com
    Xxx

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  2. Aww, no, I'm so sorry! I consider myself very lucky, having heard some horror stories from other first time buyers. My fiance and I had a relatively easy time getting a mortgage, finding the perfect house, and putting in an offer. It all went through in about 8 weeks I think! But I know for a lot of first time buyers, things go wrong in the process. It must be heartbreaking - I can only imagine! I do agree, everything happens for a reason. There's a better place out there with your name all over it! x www.aimeeraindropwrites.co.uk x

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  3. So sorry to hear about this! I had no idea that this can even happen and it's such a shame. I'm sure you will find a home that you love, and that it will work out in the end. Wishing you all the best!

    My Lovelier Days

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  4. Oh no, what a shame! I´m so sorry for you! As if buying your first house wouldn´t be stressful enough those people made it even worse for you. But as you said looking into the future with a positive outlook is so important! I´m wishing you all the best luck with finding another dream house (which I´m sure you´ll will). Maybe this was a sign that the house wasn´t perfect for you!
    xx Lisa | Following Lisa

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