A few readers have asked how our house sale and purchase is going so I thought I’d write a quick update.We put our apartment on the market in May, there were a flurry of viewings at the beginning but no offers and the summer months, when everyone was away from the city, were very quiet and we were a little worried. But the start of August arrived with four viewings on one day and suitable offer made soon after, which we accepted. The paperwork from our buyer’s solicitor was sent through and was very straightforward. Our estate agent gave us a summary in English and we read the original document ourselves. The handover date of 1 December was agreed.

So far everyone involved in the process has been really helpful, in the main, and things have been going smoothly.

At the time we felt we had a sufficient period in which to find somewhere we wanted to buy but as time went on and we didn’t see much we liked and what we did like we missed out on. In once instance we offered the asking price but someone bid higher and were successful. In Denmark it is not possible to enter into a bidding war so we missed out. The seller can ask all interested parties to submit a closed bid if they wish but most will simply take a high bid and be happy.

We have found a place we like and whilst it is in lovely condition, the same couple have lived there for forty years so there is some work needed and we don’t want to put an offer in until we know how much everything will cost. Also this place won’t be available until February. If this one doesn’t happen there are few options at the moment and we felt the clock was ticking in regard to where we would live after the 1st December.

Luck smiled on us. I was chatting to someone I know who runs a lovely shop in Vesterbro and we were catching up on what had been going on in our lives. I mentioned the slight panic I felt about our living situation come December and by chance a relative of hers was looking for someone to rent his apartment for four months starting on the 1 December. It is only a few minutes from our current place and after visiting on Saturday and falling in love with it, we struck up a great deal. As she said its great when good people find each other. So the pressure is now off. We have our fingers crossed that everything continues to go in our favour.

Once all is finished I shall write a how to post about buying and selling here.