Buying a House - Moving Day
It’s been ten years now since James and I moved into our house so I thought I would share with you my experience around the day we got the keys. If you are looking for some tips and first hand advice on what it’s like to buy a house, I have previously posted about my experiences and the links can be found at the end of this post. The day we completed on our house and got the keys wasn’t actually the day we moved in. The electrics needed rewiring so we decided it would be easier to move in after this had been completed to avoid the destruction of it all and give us a chance to tidy up a bit before moving in and start stripping walls.
Waiting for the keys had me on edge all day! I was told it could be any time from 12oclock and I felt like I was just sat at work waiting for the call, I couldn’t concentrate at all! They pretty much called us at 12oclock on the dot to say they had been released but the seller hadn’t got her keys so she was still there. We went to collect them from the estate agents at around 2pm and by then she had gone.
When we got our keys we did want to go and have a good look around straight away to familiarise ourselves with the property after not seeing it for over 4 months! The first thing we noticed was how much the tree and bushes had grown throughout the summer! It felt so strange walking around an empty house.. a house that was our very own! The essentials I brought along were a camera for before photos, camcorder for a house tour (you can see this below), a tape measure, notepad and pen.
The first thing we did after having a look round was take lots of photos so we could see the progression when we start decorating and furnishing the home. We then read all of the meters and took photos of those ready to set up utility bills (which I had no idea how to do by the way!). I also wrote everything down in my notepad and measured up areas where I wanted to put my furniture and the width of the curtains I needed so I could start looking for these little bits. I then called the utility companies to set up new accounts. It was really easy, they just took our meter readings and told us the bill would be in the post shortly.
We were lucky enough to still live at home during this time and also had the advantage of being able to move all of our stuff in the car bit by bit with the exception of a few large pieces of furniture that my step dad kindly brought round in his van. We piled all of the boxes in the living room temporarily until we unpacked. It was amazing, I thought I had loads of stuff but packing up one bedroom and moving it to a three bedroom house was bizarre, we realised how much extra space we really had once the boxes started to clear! Over the year we have definitely filled it up again though!
If anything this whole process has made me realise how strong me and James are as a couple. Buying a house isn’t bloody easy! It is one of the most stressful and upsetting things I have had to go through and when I was told I could also lose my job in the process I literally didn’t know what to do. I was so depressed and there was a week where I cried every day. I must have been a nightmare to deal with – even more so than normal! James stood by me and stayed positive and strong throughout and was always there for me to offer support and alternative options. I was the one who googled the house buying process and clued myself up and he was the one who took the action, chased people, did all of the phone calls and admin when I told him to. There were times when I had no idea what I would have done without him and I am so happy we now have our very own home.
A year on we still have holes in the walls, plugs hanging off, half plastered walls. It is going to take a long time to get it how we want it but it’s ours and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you for reading this series, I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to future home-related posts!
Helpful House Buying Links:
Where to Start
Putting in an Offer
Solicitors and Surveys
Exchange and Completion
Buying a House – The Truth
I thought I would write about my experiences with buying a house and how I REALLY felt. Every time I see someone swooning over their home I wish that I felt the same, I wish I was excited as they were – but is it all a front? This post may not apply to those who have bought a brand new shiny house that has no problems and is clean. For me, buying an older house I have gone through every emotion under the sun.
Before we bought our house we knew the electrics would need doing as it came back on the survey that the original 1960’s wiring was in place. At the time you think “that’s fine, I will sort that when I move in” but the reality is when it comes to it, it’s not all fine. I felt miserable, a full rewire is a lot of work and a hell of a lot of money. Walls and floors were ripped apart. My home did not feel like a home. I didn’t want to live there.
We then decided to get new locks fitted for peace of mind we thought it would be a simple job. When the locksmith turned up he gave us some sound advice about the doors. They were basically on their way out and did not comply with insurance safety standards. Another thing to add to the list of expenses.
When we got the house I couldn’t believe how badly it smelled. It was dirty. I could not see an end, I couldn’t picture it ever being clean. I wasn’t motivated to even start cleaning because I couldn’t see an end. The house was full of crap left from the previous owners. With everything else going on the last thing I wanted to do was to sort through it all. It didn’t feel like it was mine. I craved the smell of my old house, the warmth, the familiarity. This was not a place I wanted to be.
Before we officially moved in my days were filled with anxiety. Being responsible for something that cost so much money, I worried daily if I was going to get broken into in the night because we weren’t living there. I worried people would be looking through the windows to see an empty house – the perfect place to break into. I worried constantly about the neighbours that we hadn’t met. Was the gate secure enough? Had I locked the doors? Were the lights still on? Was I properly insured?
If you are feeling things like this or have ever felt things like this then I can understand but there is an end and it will get better. I felt much more settled when we finally moved in after 3 weeks of owning the house. We gave the main things a good clean such as the bath, sink, fridge/freezer and changed the toilet seat and gave that a good clean too. When I started getting my belongings in place I definitely felt better about the situation. We had more time to clean which was a bonus, more time in the evenings to paint and I could finally see progress and an end in sight!
The first time this house really felt like home was when we moved my cat Biscuit in. It was nice to have some company when James was out and someone to talk to as mad as that sounds. I had a reason to be there, a purpose – to look after my ball of fluff.
Timeline
DIP Received 16/03/16
Viewed House 11/04/16
Offer Accepted 12/04/16
Mortgage Application Submitted 15/04/16
Survey Booked 27/04/16
Mortgage Offer Received (Text) 29/04/16
Searches Paid For 03/05/16
Identity Proven and Solicitor Forms Returned 04/05/16
Mortgage Offer Received by Post – full amount 05/05/16
Advised Vendors Solicitors have sent draft contract to our solicitors – 10/05/16
Chased our solicitors to see if received/can they start searches? – 13/05/16
Draft Contract Received, Searches Started and Enquiries Raised 17/05/16
Some searches back, fixtures/fittings list received 18/05/16
‘Revised’ Mortgage Offer text from Nationwide 23/05/16
Chased Solicitors to see if searches/enquiries are back – there are some delays 31/05/16
Told searches would be back today at some point and final report will be started 01/06/16
Contracts received to sign and send back 17/06/16
Contracts sent back 20/06/16
Exchanged 20/06/16
Deposit and Final Balance Paid 23/06/16
Completion 01/08/16
It’s been ten years now since James and I moved into our house so I thought I would share with you my experience around the day we got the keys. If you are looking for some tips and first hand advice on what it’s like to buy a house, I have previously posted about my experiences and the links can be found at the end of this post. The day we completed on our house and got the keys wasn’t actually the day we moved in. The electrics needed rewiring so we decided it would be easier to move in after this had been completed to avoid the destruction of it all and give us a chance to tidy up a bit before moving in and start stripping walls.
Waiting for the keys had me on edge all day! I was told it could be any time from 12oclock and I felt like I was just sat at work waiting for the call, I couldn’t concentrate at all! They pretty much called us at 12oclock on the dot to say they had been released but the seller hadn’t got her keys so she was still there. We went to collect them from the estate agents at around 2pm and by then she had gone.
When we got our keys we did want to go and have a good look around straight away to familiarise ourselves with the property after not seeing it for over 4 months! The first thing we noticed was how much the tree and bushes had grown throughout the summer! It felt so strange walking around an empty house.. a house that was our very own! The essentials I brought along were a camera for before photos, camcorder for a house tour (you can see this below), a tape measure, notepad and pen.
The first thing we did after having a look round was take lots of photos so we could see the progression when we start decorating and furnishing the home. We then read all of the meters and took photos of those ready to set up utility bills (which I had no idea how to do by the way!). I also wrote everything down in my notepad and measured up areas where I wanted to put my furniture and the width of the curtains I needed so I could start looking for these little bits. I then called the utility companies to set up new accounts. It was really easy, they just took our meter readings and told us the bill would be in the post shortly.
We were lucky enough to still live at home during this time and also had the advantage of being able to move all of our stuff in the car bit by bit with the exception of a few large pieces of furniture that my step dad kindly brought round in his van. We piled all of the boxes in the living room temporarily until we unpacked. It was amazing, I thought I had loads of stuff but packing up one bedroom and moving it to a three bedroom house was bizarre, we realised how much extra space we really had once the boxes started to clear! Over the year we have definitely filled it up again though!
If anything this whole process has made me realise how strong me and James are as a couple. Buying a house isn’t bloody easy! It is one of the most stressful and upsetting things I have had to go through and when I was told I could also lose my job in the process I literally didn’t know what to do. I was so depressed and there was a week where I cried every day. I must have been a nightmare to deal with – even more so than normal! James stood by me and stayed positive and strong throughout and was always there for me to offer support and alternative options. I was the one who googled the house buying process and clued myself up and he was the one who took the action, chased people, did all of the phone calls and admin when I told him to. There were times when I had no idea what I would have done without him and I am so happy we now have our very own home.
A year on we still have holes in the walls, plugs hanging off, half plastered walls. It is going to take a long time to get it how we want it but it’s ours and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you for reading this series, I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to future home-related posts!
Helpful House Buying Links:
Where to Start
Putting in an Offer
Solicitors and Surveys
Exchange and Completion
Buying a House – The Truth
I thought I would write about my experiences with buying a house and how I REALLY felt. Every time I see someone swooning over their home I wish that I felt the same, I wish I was excited as they were – but is it all a front? This post may not apply to those who have bought a brand new shiny house that has no problems and is clean. For me, buying an older house I have gone through every emotion under the sun.
Before we bought our house we knew the electrics would need doing as it came back on the survey that the original 1960’s wiring was in place. At the time you think “that’s fine, I will sort that when I move in” but the reality is when it comes to it, it’s not all fine. I felt miserable, a full rewire is a lot of work and a hell of a lot of money. Walls and floors were ripped apart. My home did not feel like a home. I didn’t want to live there.
We then decided to get new locks fitted for peace of mind we thought it would be a simple job. When the locksmith turned up he gave us some sound advice about the doors. They were basically on their way out and did not comply with insurance safety standards. Another thing to add to the list of expenses.
When we got the house I couldn’t believe how badly it smelled. It was dirty. I could not see an end, I couldn’t picture it ever being clean. I wasn’t motivated to even start cleaning because I couldn’t see an end. The house was full of crap left from the previous owners. With everything else going on the last thing I wanted to do was to sort through it all. It didn’t feel like it was mine. I craved the smell of my old house, the warmth, the familiarity. This was not a place I wanted to be.
Before we officially moved in my days were filled with anxiety. Being responsible for something that cost so much money, I worried daily if I was going to get broken into in the night because we weren’t living there. I worried people would be looking through the windows to see an empty house – the perfect place to break into. I worried constantly about the neighbours that we hadn’t met. Was the gate secure enough? Had I locked the doors? Were the lights still on? Was I properly insured?
If you are feeling things like this or have ever felt things like this then I can understand but there is an end and it will get better. I felt much more settled when we finally moved in after 3 weeks of owning the house. We gave the main things a good clean such as the bath, sink, fridge/freezer and changed the toilet seat and gave that a good clean too. When I started getting my belongings in place I definitely felt better about the situation. We had more time to clean which was a bonus, more time in the evenings to paint and I could finally see progress and an end in sight!
The first time this house really felt like home was when we moved my cat Biscuit in. It was nice to have some company when James was out and someone to talk to as mad as that sounds. I had a reason to be there, a purpose – to look after my ball of fluff.
Timeline
DIP Received 16/03/16
Viewed House 11/04/16
Offer Accepted 12/04/16
Mortgage Application Submitted 15/04/16
Survey Booked 27/04/16
Mortgage Offer Received (Text) 29/04/16
Searches Paid For 03/05/16
Identity Proven and Solicitor Forms Returned 04/05/16
Mortgage Offer Received by Post – full amount 05/05/16
Advised Vendors Solicitors have sent draft contract to our solicitors – 10/05/16
Chased our solicitors to see if received/can they start searches? – 13/05/16
Draft Contract Received, Searches Started and Enquiries Raised 17/05/16
Some searches back, fixtures/fittings list received 18/05/16
‘Revised’ Mortgage Offer text from Nationwide 23/05/16
Chased Solicitors to see if searches/enquiries are back – there are some delays 31/05/16
Told searches would be back today at some point and final report will be started 01/06/16
Contracts received to sign and send back 17/06/16
Contracts sent back 20/06/16
Exchanged 20/06/16
Deposit and Final Balance Paid 23/06/16
Completion 01/08/16
