....To speak to the vendor

[TheSecondMrsAshwell]

Hi all, another lovely housebuying thread.

I put in an offer on a flat at the end of March, was accepted and got started on the process. My vendor lost out on his first choice of property, but had his offer accepted on the second, so in theory all is under way.

The flat is in the next street and I have met the vendor.

Heard from my solicitor yesterday that the vendor's solicitor is not replying to my solicitor. They wrote at the beginning of June and prodded again this week.

If the vendor's solicitor doesn't reply soon, would I be unreasonable to ask the vendor to contact his solicitor to ask them to get on with it? I am not going to withdraw (I'm renting, so there's no chain), but it occurs to me that if my vendor's purchase goes through, he won't have the money to pay for his new property.

YANBU = Get him to tell his solicitors to get a move on.
YABU = This is normal/your solicitor's job

When I’ve sold houses I always pass my mobile onto the buyers for this very reason - both parties often need to join forces and push their solicitors

No, do not give your mobile number to the buyers. This is what your estate agent is for. Chase your solicitor and agent weekly - what is happening, next steps, what do you need to happen next.

Has the vendor given you their contact number? If not you would be unreasonable to hunt them down. I pay an estate agent and solicitor so I don’t have to have contact with the other parties. It’s a business deal, I don’t want to make it personal. Assume others feel the same.

Personally I would keep my communication through the professional channels of either estate agent or solicitor. Sometimes estate agents can be more helpful than solicitors in moving things along as they are always keen to see the deal finalised.

Get the vendors estate agent to prod the solicitor

Sure, why not. If you have your own cooperative relationship with the vendor definitely use that to facilitate the process, why wouldn't you. My last house purchase only got through because the vendor and I communicated well as so many things along the way went wrong.

Yes contact the estate agent. Their commission depends on the deal going through. Solicitors get paid for any costs incurred either way so I'm afraid it seems you have to keep chasing them.

It is the Estate Agents job to keep the sale on track. Though they will want to fudge any difficulty their client, the vendor, is having. But they will want to keep you on board as a buyer.

Call the EA, e plain about the lawyer silence, say you are now deeply concerned and need an update, and if there is a revised timetable in place you need to know what it is.

If they have had a purchase fall through it can’t find anything ask the EA if they would consider proceeding with the sale and going into rented.

Thanks

This is my first (and hopefully last) purchase, so I wasn't sure what the procedure was. Did not want to wade in and do the wrong thing.

I found our buyer on social media (friend of a friend) and it definitely helped push everything through quickly.

It is the estate agent and solicitors job but people don't always acquit their jobs properly and you and vendor have a common goal so timely pressure from both sides can encourage the professionals along.
If the vendor is of a similar outlook. Maybe they won't be and would prefer to keep out of it, but you will probably be able to sense that if you make an opening move and see what the response is.

Just don't get stalky and emotional about it.

When we sold my Mothers house our solicitors were useless. Luckily we had shown the house to the vendor and been there when he bought his builder round to look at the house When his side hadn’t received stuff back from our end he phoned us and we had to chase. Luckily we sorted things out and he managed to complete on his sale and rent from us until we completed , only a week or so

Just don't get stalky and emotional about it.

Nah, I'll just stand on top of his car in camouflage paint with a machine gun and hand grenades. Total under reaction.

Actually, as I'm renting, I'm just finding the wait a bit tiresome. I decided not to give my notice in until I have have the keys in my sticky mitts (there is a bit of work to do). Also want to avoid a 4-alarm emergency when my vendor's sale goes through (read enough Mumsnet threads to know it could all go pear-shaped).

When we sold my Mothers house our solicitors were useless. Luckily we had shown the house to the vendor and been there when he bought his builder round to look at the house

You were selling the house so you were the vendor.

@OoglyMoogly

When we sold my Mothers house our solicitors were useless. Luckily we had shown the house to the vendor and been there when he bought his builder round to look at the house

You were selling the house so you were the vendor.

Yes and our buyer approached us as we were not aware they weren’t getting information. If he hadn’t the sale might well have fallen through. Approaching the Vendor can save a sale

Agree that you should speak to the estate agents. Once the house is sold they just want their commission. When I worked at a law firm they were despised by the conveyancing solicitors because they chased so relentlessly but it got the job done.