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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think you can buy a house in a chain in six weeks?

44 replies

Pukepukepuke · 20/09/2018 22:56

There are the buyers at the bottom with no chain, our buyers, us, our vendors and then an empty house. Everyone agreed on the same day which was two weeks ago. Searches being undertaken, surgery etc. Could this happen in a month? I don’t want horror stories I know plenty I just want anyone who’s managed it to tell me it’s possible because I don’t buy it...

OP posts:

underthewillow · 21/09/2018 08:28

I absolutely concur with peanuts. I think the majority of our Clients have absolutely no idea what is actually involved in buying a property.

I’m at work now, have been since 6am and will probably still be here at 8pm. I’ll be here tomorrow too. I get paid 9am-5pm. All of my colleagues work weekends and evenings unpaid. We work tirelessly and for little appreciation as we are ‘so slow’ as noted above.

It is so disheartening when you spend six hours preparing a report to a Client, detailing all of the risks involved and reporting to them on specific issues with their title and they don’t read it. The come to sell the house and there is a problem they ‘had no idea about’. You did, it was reported to you in great detail and you didn’t read it... just went ahead and signed the forms....

To the OP, it’s highly unlikely this will happen. You also do not say if the properties are freehold or leasehold or if there are management companies involved...this adds time/expenses/paperwork.

FanSpamTastic · 21/09/2018 08:33

We completed in 4 weeks but with just us selling to buyer who had nothing to sell. We went into rented as we were moving to a completely new area. Even with such a short chain it was only possible with agent, conveyancer and their solicitor working well together.

Redyoyo · 21/09/2018 08:35

We are in Scotland and done ours in 4 weeks. I work in conveyancing though and kept on everyones back.

BlitheringIdiots · 21/09/2018 08:36

We did 5 weeks with no chains. Then recently 9 weeks but I had push at every stage. 12 weeks is the norm

pacer142 · 21/09/2018 08:37

Solicitors are SO slow

Unfortunately, far too many really are too slow. I bought my small office that I was renting on a 999 year lease. There was no chain. The landlord lived above the office - I saw him every day. We agreed terms between us - no estate agents involved. I paid cash - no lenders involved. Yet, the solicitors still took 4 months to deal with the paperwork. It was a catalogue of incompetence from start to finish by both solicitors. We presented both solicitors with a document we had prepared and signed between us confirming all the details, i.e. the share of common costs such as insurance, property repairs, etc, rights of access/light, etc. The first draft of the contract/lease was an absolute joke - they'd clearly just "copied and pasted" another lease and hadn't adjusted it at all for what we'd agreed, i.e. it referred to "flat" instead of "office", showed cost proportions as 50:50 when we'd agreed 25:75, etc. It was bad enough that it took them weeks to send it, but with so many errors, it was ridiculous, then it took them a few more weeks to send a corrected version which was still wrong. The funniest thing though was that my solicitor blamed the landlord for dragging his feet - his solicitor blamed me for dragging my feet, but throughout the process, we saw eachother daily and were showing eachother the correspondence from our respective solicitors, and our replies, and there were no delays from either of us at all. It was just the solicitors trying to pass the blame, when it was them who were slow and incompetent, and they clearly didn't realise just how friendly we were at the sharp end. It was only formal complaints to the senior partners of each firm that actually got the job done in the end.

Peanutss · 21/09/2018 08:37

@Pukepukepuke a couple of things I'd suggest:

On your sale, getting your protocol forms back as soon as possible. These form part of the contract pack your buyers solicitor requires and the 8-12 weeks timescale usually doesn't begin until this pack is received by your buyers. There should be three forms, property information, fixtures and fittings and overriding interest questionnaire. If it's a leasehold you may have another form too.

Pay for searches as soon as possible. But of course remember you likely won't get this money back if the purchase falls through.

If you have a mortgage, keep in touch with any broker you have to chase the mortgage offer coming in if it's taking a while.

Estate agents are really very useful for chasing things. We can't contact your seller/buyer directly due to conflict of interest whereas they can. So it's helpful if the other sides solicitor isn't being responsive to get the agent to chase the client directly.

Hope it gets through asap x

londonrach · 21/09/2018 08:39

It us possible but vvvvvvvv unlikely.

Prestonsflowers · 21/09/2018 08:39

We were cash buyers and completed the whole process in 2 weeks. So yes, it definitely can be done.

1Wanda1 · 21/09/2018 08:40

I have bought a house in 6 weeks but only because there was no chain under me and no chain above my vendors.

I doubt you'll be able to do it in 6 with a chain, even if everyone does agree at the start to the deadline. Problems invariably arise somewhere.

chewbacca83 · 21/09/2018 08:41

I'm due to complete next week and it will be 6 weeks. But my buyer is a first time buyer and I'm in rental so no chain. I think you'll be lucky if I'm honest!

2BorNot2Bvocal · 21/09/2018 08:43

Doable but unlikely. We were aiming for 6 weeks as our buyers were cash and we were buying an empty house. We were staying with same bank and only borrowing 25% but it was 2 weeks before appointment with them (I said I would take any time any day) and then it was another 2 weeks before survey (no available appointments again, could go anytime as house was empty). Our solicitors were fab and we completed in 8 weeks.

MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 21/09/2018 08:43

Anything is possible but I'd say it's very, very unlikely. Even if everyone in the chain is "motivated" to get it done, there are usually unexpected delays somewhere along the line.

Peanutss · 21/09/2018 08:43

Also if any of the properties happen to be a flat, arranging a sales pack (LPE1) from the management company is very important and something you should do at the start.

Unfortunately they also charge pretty extortionate fees for them which can be a shock.

pilates · 21/09/2018 08:47

Depends do you want the job done properly with a good saleable title when you come to sell? Slow isn’t always a sign of incompetence. If there is a problem with the title it will need to be rectified and that can sometimes hold things up. If you are getting a mortgage a solicitor will need to confirm good title to the lender and if there is a problem in the future a solicitor can be sued for negligence. It really isn’t as clear cut as you think it is. But in answer to your question highly unlikely. You are making one of the most expensive purchases in your life and so you need to get it right.

Washedwithrain · 21/09/2018 08:48

I think the reality is that some solicitors/conveyancing firms are really slow, and some arent. The one we use is outstanding, does everything by phone and email where possible and generally rushes everything along. Our buyers' solicitors this time were awful, slow, disorganised and not remotely reactive. They are one of the large online firms and apparently they are renowned for being slow and inefficient.

When I worked in financial services, we once did offer to completion for a client in 7 days. There wasnt a chain, she was a solicitor who got a colleague to do the legal side, she did the searches in person (not sure if you can still do that?) and mortgage companies undertook fewer checks.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 21/09/2018 08:49

It's possible, though I would think certainly uncommon.

A dd's first house purchase was all wrapped up from offer accepted to getting the keys in 6 weeks. TBH I was astonished, having told her from experience that it would probably take 3 months.

She did use the EA's recommended solicitor (knowing no other) and their mortgage advisor (having found the same deal online and got him to match it). And although previously I'd never have thought it the best idea to use these, I am sure they helped to speed it along, since it was in all their interests to speed it along and pocket their fees.

anotherBadAvatar · 21/09/2018 08:51

Totally, but everyone has to be super motivated and on the same page.

I did 7 weeks (England):

FTB > us > our sellers > seller's sellers > new build

What helped was that everyone was clear from the outset on the potential completion date, no one fucked around, and there were no untoward problems with the houses.

It was still bloody stressful though!

Peanutss · 21/09/2018 09:09

@underthewillow yes!!

And the 'id like to instruct you to deal with my conveyancing which needs to be completed in two weeks because my wife's about to give birth but we also need to give notice on our rental and can't complete on a Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday or Friday morning due to personal reasons. Oh and you're in over Christmas right?'

intheairthatnightfernando · 21/09/2018 09:19

Did it in just under six weeks, yes (Scotland)

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