To be concerned about this house purchase?

[t3rr3gl35]

DH and I have put in an offer on a new house and this was reluctantly, it seems, accepted by the vendor. To put into context, it isn't a conventional property, needs some upgrading and has been on the market for almost 2 years but it will suit us very well.

We offered 98% of the asking price and this was rejected as the vendor wanted an earlier closing date. We walked away at this point.

A few days later, the solicitor acting for the vendor approached us to say that the vendor had agreed to the terms of the offer so we made a formal offer last week. Since then, I have received unsolicited e-mails from the vendor's solicitor inviting us to use a firm that they know, another telling us our solicitor isn't moving fast enough, and another to say that we aren't moving quickly enough on a survey.

Our solicitor mentioned in passing that he had been told by the other side that we had misrepresented our funding arrangements at the outset (not true). We are now being pressured by them to complete the purchase before Christmas and I'm finding it all very stressful. We don't want to lose the house but I'm worried that there is some sort of issue with the property that the other side is trying to rush past us, maybe something that wouldn't necessarily be revealed in standard searches but would come to light in the near future. AIBU to be suspicious and feel like pulling out at this stage?

We had something loosely similar to this when we bought our house, although less extreme. Super aggressive lawyers on the other side who made the entire process a nightmare and made us feel unreasonable when we were just desperately trying to jump through all the hoops they were creating. We, too, were worried that they were trying to rush us past some major issue and although it worked out okay for us in the end, by the end of the process it was so stressful that I wish we'd just dropped it and found somewhere else. I love the house but the whole purchase was tinged with all the negativity before it.

If it were me, I'd drop it and find somewhere else. In my experience, it's only a sign of things to come with the rest of the process, and their lawyers sound really odd. I hope things work out though

I had similar from a vendor using an on line estate agent so I was dealing with her direct most of the time. It transpired that the extension hadn't been signed off with building regs and she was trying to hassle me into an early exchange before I found out.

They seller may just have personal reasons why they need to sell quickly, or they're buying somewhere else and are being pressure by who they're buying from.

We sold sold our house when we was heavily pregnant and wanted to move before baby arrived. So we was always chasing up everyone and pushing them. I don't think there's anyway of knowing for sure, but perhaps if you are getting a bad vibe it may be worth reconsidering

I'd drop it. Definitely.

Another here who would pull out.

I wouldn't drop it (your lawyers and surveyor will find any problems), but I absolutely would not use lawyers recommended by the other side.

Since then, I have received unsolicited e-mails from the vendor's solicitor inviting us to use a firm that they know, another telling us our solicitor isn't moving fast enough, and another to say that we aren't moving quickly enough on a survey.

I think at this stage, I'd send a firm and polite email saying that a. you'll use your own solicitors, b. you also wish to proceed as quickly as possible, but just to lay it on the line now you won't be hassled into rushing everything through until you are satisfied that everything's been attended to properly, including the survey. If they don't like that, they'd better walk away.

Thank you all for your responses. I have made an appointment with our solicitor to discuss our worries and have forwarded the e-mails that we have received so that he can view them prior to our meeting.

We really love the property but will pull out if our solicitor thinks there may be reason to. There are always other properties that we could equally love.

I'd certainly be saying "back off a bit or we will pull out". See if that works

It's professionally improper for solicitors to contact the person on the other side of a transaction directly if they have instructed solicitors. Tell the vendor's solicitor that if they do it again you will have to report them to the Solicitors' Regulation Authority.

I’d assume the buyer wishes to push it through in case you drop out if it’s been on the market so long. I would really not pull out because of it. Let the solicitors do their job. And yes often they do need harried along. Pulling out for no reason other than the other side wants to hurry it up is daft.

As for them wanting you to use their solicitor. Send an email telling them to back off you have a solicitor.

Why not open up a line to the vendor to unofficially discuss timings etc and any issues with estate agents and explain that you are keen to complete but that their solicitor is making you uncomfortable. Often the vendor may not know what the solicitor is doing and you can judge the situation better talking directly to people. If the vendor seems evasive you know to drop it.

The vendor's solicitor ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT be contacting you directly if you have your own solicitor. Ask your solicitor to make this clear to them. Don't be rushed and don't be pressured into changing solicitors if you are happy with the one you have got. Conveyancing is not something to be done on the cheap. Good luck and I hope you end up with your dream home!

Your solicitor will not exchange until they are ready e.g. have all details around building regs for extensions etc. I don't think you can be rushed through and 'miss' stuff any more.

Do you have any idea why it's been on the market for so long? How easy do you think it will be to sell it yourselves in the future?

your lawyers and surveyor will find any problems)

Ha ha good luck with that.

I'm assuming you will have a full structural survey done op?
This should put your minds as rest regarding any possible problem with the house.

do you know any details about the vendor's situation? They may be being pressured by the people they are buying from.

Which country are you in? Unless you’re in Scotland it is most unusual to be dealing with the vendor’s solicitor.

Is there an agent involved?

I absolutely would not use lawyers recommended by the other side.

This. They shouldn't be contacting you unsolicited, about this or anything else. Is there a professional body you can complain to?

In your response I would include something along the lines of..

We will proceed at the pace necessary to ensure that all checks have been carried out regarding the property. In order to ensure that the sale proceeds as smoothly as possible, please ensure that all title deeds, boundary issues, planning permissions and guarantees are in order and available for us to review. Please also ensure you answer all queries from our solicitors promptly and completely and flag up any issues as soon as they arise. From our part, we will ensure things progress as smoothly as possible but will not respond to efforts to speed things through at risk of missing an important detail relating to the property.

I would concentrate on the actual property and its price. Are you happy with it? The rest is less relevant.

Agree with above, choose your own solicitors.

I wouldn't necessarily reject a house because of the sales process as long as you are very clear on prices, content (fixtures and fittings etc). The vendor might not even realise how pushy his solicitors are. He might very well have chosen one recommended by an estate agent...

When I sold a property, I didn't consider the buyer serious until they had at least had a survey done. Until then, it doesn't cost them anything and they can still mess you around completely. They can still change their mind after the survey, but it does show commitment on their side. So pushing for the survey doesn't always mean anything.

the vendor wanted a quick sale, they are just trying to get one. There can be all sorts of reasons for that, many not related to the property but to the people (school moves, divorce, moving country).

All house moves are stressful but just tell them that if pushed too hard you'll withdraw.

Why is the other side contacting you directly instead of going through your solicitor? Do not use solicitors recommended by the other side.

Could it be they have had a few people pull out of the sale so are trying to push it through now?

We had 3 buyers pull out close to and on day of exchange - for no good reason other than pushing a price drop & their mortgage wasn't ready!!!

When we got a fourth purchaser we were probably a nightmare from their point of view, we had them put a deposit with our solicitors before we would take it off the market!!