First-Time-Buyers - Feeling lost & stressed , what steps are left?

[SocksOnTheLoose]

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of reassurance and advice from anyone who’s been through the house-buying process in the UK—or is currently going through it. We’re first-time buyers and started our journey on 7th February.

So far we’ve had our mortgage offer, done our Level 2 survey, paid for the searches (currently waiting for the results), and received the pre-contract documents from our solicitors. We’ve also been told the solicitors have raised the initial legal enquiries with the seller’s solicitors and are now waiting for their response.

Our vendors are still looking for a property, but last week we found out they had put an offer in on something.

We’re using mortgage advisors and solicitors, but I keep stressing about what’s going on behind the scenes and whether I’m supposed to be chasing people more. How often did you check in with your mortgage advisor? Do you contact the solicitors directly, or just wait to hear from them? What about the vendors—how often is too often to ask for updates?

Also, from your experience, what steps are likely still ahead of us before we reach exchange and completion?

We don’t have any family who’s been through this recently, so I feel like I’m just winging it. Any advice would be really appreciated—it would honestly help calm my nerves!

Thanks so much!

At the moment there's not much chasing to do as your limiting step is your vendors. But now that they have had an offer accepted I'd be wanting to hear from their solicitors that they have applied for searches and arranged a survey if they are going to. Is their a chain above them? If so it could still be a while before anything happens. Be ready for them to come back and ask for more money if their are issues up the chain - don't be afraid to walk away. You are the bottom of the chain so essential to everyone else so have a decent amount of leverage.