AIBU to push hard for a completion date?

[Waytooearly]

I'm buying a flat. No chain on either side. I am renting at the moment and I need to be out by 22nd January.
I put on offer on the flat on 22nd November.

I have deposit funds, mortgage offer, all checks have come back fine.

According to my sols we are still waiting for the seller to get hold of some original documents including a marriage certificate (evidencing name change).

We originally had a completion date of 17th January. I've told everyone I need to move by 22nd Jan (though I do have an emergency backup place to stay).

My question, for those of you with experience : at what point do I start pushing hard for a completion date? Getting original documents, including a replacement marriage certificate, takes an afternoon to sort out. I am wondering whether this is a red flag.

At what point do I start saying, 'We need an agreed upon completion date, within x days, or the deal is off.'

Thanks you guys.

I got another email from the estate agent saying, 'well we won't be able to get a completion date because documents...'

I appreciate an agreed-upon date might change, but surely we can put something out there as a goal?

I've emailed the estate agent again saying:

'I would like the vendor to be asked what their intended completion date is. If they intend to complete immediately upon resolution of these last few documents, I would like written confirmation of this.

I would like the vendor to be asked whether they are amenable to exchanging and completing on the same day. '

Jesus. See me using small, little words?

Can I contact the vendor's sols directly?

Can I contact the vendor's sols directly?
you should start by contacting yours first, asking them to chase. The other solicitor is not going to reply to you, but they should communicate with yours.

Estate agents are the ones earning the most, but the ones who are actually doing very little in the process, their only job now is to chase and manage you, they don't seem to be very efficient, as usual.

Thanks you guys.

My sol emailed me and asked me to bear with her today. She said she'd look at my paperwork and liaise with vendor sols and pin something down.

Getting original documents, including a replacement marriage certificate, takes an afternoon to sort out. I am wondering whether this is a red flag.

Yes it does but I’m afraid that your seller’s solicitors and also your own solicitor won’t see your move as a priority so even when that paperwork is sorted out it will sit waiting to be dealt with and then sent on between solicitors.

Expecting two months between offer being accepted and completion, especially with Christmas in the way was optimistic and the reality is unfortunately an extra month on top.

Okay, I concede to that but I still think it's reasonable to know their intentions on time frames.

Christmas and Boxing Day are two bank holidays. New Year's Day is one holiday. I confirmed in advance that all offices would be open, with coverage.

Realistically little work will have been done between Friday 21st and Monday 7th even if they claimed to have coverage (likely to be a receptionist and an on call solicitor for anything urgent which they would not consider an ongoing house purchase to be).

I still think it's reasonable to know their intentions on time frames

I completely agree with you and find solicitors and their sluggishness incredibly frustrating. I hope you are able to agree an exchange and completion date very soon.

Thanks for the advice. It's really appreciated. Would be grateful if anyone wanted to advise further.

Following on from my notes to sol and EA yesterday, I've been copied in on an email from my sol to vendor's sol, essentially saying, 'Dear Sirs, here are all the documents we are waiting for from your side. ..'

Okay. BUT THERE IS NO MENTION OF A TIME FRAME FOR COMPLETION.

It's the weekend now so I might as well take a couple of days to respond. However right now as far as I can see I've instructed my solicitor three times to do something and she hasn't done it (namely, ask the vendor when they are intending to complete and ask whether we could exchange and complete on the same day).

So my options are to:

1. Ask around my old law school buddies and transfer to a better sol (and fire my current sol).

2.Decide that the fault lies with crap vendor who might not be ready to sell/move and just look for a new place (I think there might be another flat in same building).

I appreciate that the typical conveyance can take more than two months but in this case no one has been able to explain to me why we haven't already completed (and when I've asked I've just got bullshit responses like 'because documents' or 'because Christmas').

Is it time to do something drastic like the above?

Regardless of when your solicitor was open, theirs may not have been. The vendors might have been away etc.

Tbh, it isn't taking an unnecessarily long time, and you have somewhere to move to if you need to.

Urgh - I feel your pain! At this point I’d be asking the estate agent to check the vendor is actually serious and let them know you’re going to see the other property....they shouldn’t want to lose the sale. Give the EA a list of what’s missing & see what they can produce - do they want the commission or not?

I realise that buying property is a very stressful time in anyone's life, but I do think you will get further if you change your attitude.
The way you post here (referencing your law school buddies, and pointing out that you are using small words) make you sound arrogant and like you feel superior to everyone else involved in this.

Try getting on the phone to your solicitor, or her secretary. Speak nicely, get them on side. Explain your situation and say that you really need their help to resolve this.
I bet that will get you further that throwing your weight around.

I don’t think you sound superior. You sound frustrated that you can’t get a straight answer. I’d also be tempted to pull out. When they come back begging, agree to buy but at a lower price. Take back control.

Your solicitor can't agree to completion till they have seen the outstanding documents and is satisfied that the property if theirs to sell ( marriage certificate).
Hence there is no point chasing a completion date till your solicitor has the outstanding documents.
How much do you want the property?
How much will you loose if you walk away?

We completed yesterday having made an offer the last week in July. The vendor had always said they wanted to complete the third week of October. The initial part took longer as our money was coming from abroad so we were subject to enhanced money laundering regulations - something we had said prior to offer.
We were ready on the 6th October to exchange they had done nothing and were eventually ready to exchange on 4th January.
House buying can be frustrating, but if you really want the property and/or will loose money you have to be patient.

It's shocking how long it takes. We've sold a flat and are waiting to complete and it's over 2 months now.

• there is no chain
• it's a cash purchase
• he's had the money ready since offer day
• he is very keen to get in and we are very keen for our money
• there are no complications with the flat, it's very straightforward

I feel for the people who are in chains with more complicated issues.

I used to be a conveyancing solicitor.

1. Ask around my old law school buddies and transfer to a better sol (and fire my current sol)

If you said that there would be no problem. Getting your file to a new solicitor wouldn’t be an urgent task though and you would be billed for time spent thus far.

Decide that the fault lies with crap vendor who might not be ready to sell/move and just look for a new place (I think there might be another flat in same building)

Far more likely

I appreciate that the typical conveyance can take more than two months but in this case no one has been able to explain to me why we haven't already completed (and when I've asked I've just got bullshit responses like 'because documents' or 'because Christmas')

Both of those are valid reasons. Completion can’t possibly take place without evidence of name change, your solicitor can only move forward if they’re getting the info from the vendors.

By all means suggest unless you receive a completion date you’re pulling out but be prepared for that to go against you.

Put the pressure on the estate agent - time for them to start earning their commission.

A cash sale on a vacant property usually takes more than 2 months! You’re way beyond unreasonable, OP.

A d exchange complete on same day is highly risky. I’d never agree to that.

Thanks you guys, it's helpful to have the different perspectives.

Yeah it takes time but I still haven't had a satisfactory answer on why the vendors haven't provided basic documents after three requests.

Maybe what I'll do is wait until Monday and then:

1. Have an actual phone conversation with my solicitor and tell her I want to exchange by 25th January, and ask her to chase vendors for time frame. I'll just tell her that in the absence of any other info I am just starting to get the feeling that the vendors aren't ready to sell.

1. At the same time I will ask the Estate Agent about another vacant flat in the building, and ask whether that seller is motivated for a speedy completion.

Yeah it takes time but I still haven't had a satisfactory answer on why the vendors haven't provided basic documents after three requests

You aren’t entitled to one, as frustrating as it is. I would honestly spend less time trying to get answers to questions like this; especially when they’re out of your control!

Your plan of action sounds eminently sensible and a far better use of your time and energy.

Good luck!

There may be all sorts of reasons these documents haven't appeared yet, and you don't have a right to an explanation. If you were 6 months down the line I would be more agitated.

Looking at another flat now is all well and good, but you would be restarting the clock. The agent will know that too, and will know you are unlikely to want to do that given your time pressure.

I purchased my house in 2 months from offer to completion, no chain either side.

We made it clear from the start we had to complete by a certain date or wr would pull out, met it with about 3 days to spare in the end.