Update on house inspection sale

I learned from the relocation company on Friday that we would not have to actually fix the garage roof or retaining wall prior to selling the house. I will be getting estimates this week on getting both items. The sale price of the house will then be reduced by the value of the estimates.

I also learned that since we don't actually have to go into an office to sign the closing paperwork, it is possible for us to close on the house while in Switzerland. That isn't the preferred option, but it may be necessary depending on when the permits arrive.

As for the permits, the update I received on the 26th of January indicated that the permit would be issued on or before the 25th of January. I'm assuming that the file wasn't properly updated and that it won't take a year to get us the permit

Inspection results and the impact on the selling price

The inspector found 7 items that need to be fixed prior to selling the house.

1. Shrubs need to be cut back from the side of the house. There weren't any indications of bug problems, but they want to be extra careful
2. Roof needs to be cleared off (What do they expect after all the wind we've had the last few weeks?)
3. Dishwasher needs an air cap. I'm not sure what this envolves, but I assume it can't be too difficult.
4. Cracked sink needs to be replaced. We have agreeded that this doesn't really need to happen since it is just a cosmetic crack.
5. Smoke detectors need to work. I'm not exactly sure what the inspectors problem was. We tested it right after he left and it worked fine for us.
6. Gargage roof needs to be replaced. This isn't too big a surprise. It has need to be replaced for a number of years.
7. The retaining wall in the back needs to be reviewed again to see if it needs to be replaced.

I'm not too worried about the first 5 items, but the last 2 could take some time. We are investigating whether we can just get estimates and then reduce the house's selling price.

Visa Update

I've learned that there are three levels of approval to get a visa\work permit.

1. Cantonal Labor Office
2. Federal Migration Office
3. Cantonal Migration Office

They must occur sequentially and the entire process can take 6-8 weeks for non-EU individuals.

My application was approved by the Cantonal Labor office and the Federal Migration office on the 17th of January. They expect final approval to be granted on or before the 25th of January.

Appraisals are in!

It only took a few days longer than expected, but the appraisals are in. According to the two appraisers, the value of the house went up by about 40% since we originally purchased it. It turns out we won't be listing the house ourselves and will just let the company buy it at the appraised value.

I have a meeting to review the inspection results on Monday. We may have to fix a few items, but I'm not sure what yet.

No real update

Another week has passed and we haven't received much of an update. We learned that the company will pay for our February US mortgage and that the house offer should be available by Monday at the latest.

It should be interesting to see how fast things move once the work permit arrives.

I've shut our website down. We'll create a new page once we get setup in Morges with our new internet provider.

Appraisal Update

The appraisers came on Tuesday and things seemed to go well. Each appraisal lasted about 30 minutes. We should find the results on Tuesday.

Pack and Load Update

I expected to find out more information about my work permit\visa today, but all I found out is that no update was available. I have put the pack and load on hold until I get more details on teh work permit.

House Inspection and Appraisals

Today was our house inspection. It took about an hour and there are four key issues.

1. Gutters aren't clean. This should be easy to fix once the wind stops filling them up.
2. Moss on the house roof. It is a good thing the inspector came after I removed 90% of the moss from the roof. He suggested I put powdered Tide on the moss and wait a week.
3. The garage roof. We listed this as an issue when we bought the house and it hasn't gotten any better. The good news is that it isn't attached to the house and is considered an 'out building.'
4. The retaining walls. This could be a real problem. The big was was bad when we bought the house, but was covered by multiple pickup truck loads of ivy and was unnoticed. I'm blaming this on Emily because retaining wall problems seem to run in her side of the family.

Both appraisals happen this weekend, so it will be a busy weekend. Una is bringing her new parents (The Winchells) up to help for the weekend. I should get an update on my work permit\visa first thing Thursday morning so we can determine when we are doing the pack and load.

Apartment Update

Here is our apartment's floorplan. Click HERE to see a larger version.