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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you be annoyed?

49 replies

Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 17:46

In the process of buying my own property. Luckily for me it's empty as the seller has moved in with her partner. I'm in rented accommodation so no chain either. It should be a fairly straightforward purchase I believe. I completely understand that solicitors are up the wall at the minute. I know I'm not their only customer (before anyone saids!). I do understand that everything, including the searches are slower than usual due to covid etc, but AIBU in thinking this is taking the mick?

My solicitor received all the necessary documents from the other side on the 24th of August and all searches had come back by the 27th. I know it took him over a week just to look at the paperwork as I phoned the secretary on the 1st and was told that the solicitor had only just picked it up and started work. He has still not completed the report. I was led to believe that I would receive it this week, however when I phoned up today I was told it would (probably) be towards the end of next week that he would be finished with it. As far as I'm aware there are no further enquiries apart from one piece of information that was missing from the documents which he received on the 3rd of September after requesting it. Why has it taken nearly 4 weeks just for him to finish the paperwork? I understand all the boxes need to be ticked and all information needs to be correct etc, but seriously, this long?

Am I being impatient or has this not been done in a timely manner so to speak? Would you be annoyed to? I now have to wait another week and it still might not be ready. Feeling extremely fed up at this point.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 18:44

@Luzina I have phoned, emailed and popped my head in when passing the office. It is the secretary that I've mostly dealt with as the solicitor is never there and sometimes doesn't respond to emails either. Secretary is fantastic though.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 18:46

@Palavah we are on week 8 now and nowhere near completion I don't think

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Lemonlemon88 · 09/09/2021 18:59

@cocolocooo we are in NZ. Basically here when you make an offer, its binding but you can add in conditions I.e subject to finance, subject to a building survey. You can't pull out of the sale once you have made an offer unless one of your conditions can't be met like the bank declining a mortgage on the house or finding out it has serious defects, depending on what conditions you put on the offer. You set a date that you will have sorted out those conditions by that the seller agrees to. You also set the day you will be settling/completing on at the time the offer is made and accepted. So it took us 6 weeks to buy a house in total but obviously some people set much further out completion dates then that.

Singlemum90 · 09/09/2021 19:01

We sale agreed on our property last year at the end of July, and moved in 18th December. I was pulling my hair out as we were the exact same position, no forward chain and we were renting so really thought it would be quick. Unfortunately these things just take time 🤷‍♀️ I dont have a clue what solicitors actually do but I assume they have years of training etc for a reason and they will have lots of other work on too. In fairness our solicitor has saved us thousands by picking up things during the process other quicker solicitors on the same street as us did not. It is a pain waiting but I'd say just try to understand hes not being lazy and is doing work for all of his clients. You're not very long into the process to be stressing just yet. I'd say stop chasing and try to just chill a bit or you'll drive yourself nuts. :)

Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 19:07

It's also the summer and people, including him might well have had a weeks leave.

Also remember each conveyancing solicitor will be dealing with dozens if not hundreds of individual sales at a time.

So he's probably flat out busy dealing with other cases whose paperwork came through earlier.

You just need to be patient. Even the most straightforward sale is likely to be four months.

Until you have bought before it's hard to understand how slow the process can be

Laufeythejust · 09/09/2021 19:16

We are in a similar position. FTBs buying ours and we are buying a newbuild. We are meant to complete next week and the conveyancer just isn’t bothered. Works on our case during a specific time slot and no other time (last thing on a friday). It’s so frustrating- why don’t they increase their prices and take on less work? I would pay double to reduce the stress!

jackstini · 09/09/2021 19:17

I would expect around 5 months to complete the process at the moment

We sold a vacant property to a no chain buyer and it took from October to March...

Blossomtoes · 09/09/2021 19:19

[quote Cocolocooo]@Bluntness100 I was given a timescale of 8 weeks. Solicitor was extremely confident it would be done in that time as the property is empty and no chain[/quote]
I know someone who bought in your position. Vacant property, moving from rented and no mortgage. It took 12 weeks in 2018.

Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 19:20

Same here @Laufeythejust. I would happily pay more or try and find the money to if it meant it would speed up the process. If only eh.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 19:23

Can the vendors solicitor provide the contract before the report is completed? Rather than wait for the report to be finished then wait another week or two for the contract to be sent over. Does anyone know?

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Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 19:24

@jackstini

I would expect around 5 months to complete the process at the moment

We sold a vacant property to a no chain buyer and it took from October to March...

SadSadSad
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Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 19:48

@Cocolocooo

Can the vendors solicitor provide the contract before the report is completed? Rather than wait for the report to be finished then wait another week or two for the contract to be sent over. Does anyone know?
Does anyone know the answer to this question?
OP posts:
Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 20:08

I guess not haha!

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Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 20:53

I assume that you are using a normal firm.of conveyancing solicitors. If you wanted a dedicated solicitor then obviously you could have paid for that but likely to be tens of thousands.

Unfortunately it is not a quick process. It is just what it is.

Six months is about average when all is OK. At the moment everywhere in the system there are massive delays.

You just need to sit tight and it will happen.

Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 20:54

It does have to happen in stages. You need the report then comment on it and check that you are happy with everything and then any requirements you have go in.the contract.

Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 20:56

Also perhaps you miss understood the eight weeks, or solicitor weren't clear. Each of the stages should be eight weeks but add in time for sending documents etc and assuming their side does everything perfectly. Plus the post is rubbish at the moment. So eight weeks actual work time interspersed with the waiting time between stages

Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 20:59

@Dishwashersaurous nope, solicitor definitely said 8 weeks from offer to completion. Obviously I was naive to believe him, but equally he shouldn't make promises which can't be kept. I was told by other people that have been through the process that they received the contract the same time as the report. Is that not the case?

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Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 21:02

Well he was clearly not being transparent. No one is completing in eight weeks at the moment.

I suppose it's similar to my consultant saying that I should have my operation within two months and then discovering that the waiting list is actually 14 months at least.

Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 21:03

Report and contract together depends on how the vendor solicitor wants to do it. So can get at same time but not necessarily

Fanfix · 09/09/2021 21:06

Same situation a few months back - completed in just under 3 months which I thought was excellent!

I think you are being unreasonable but I know how exciting it can be. Might just be worth adjusting your expectations Smile

Original poster
Cocolocooo · 09/09/2021 21:08

Would I be unreasonable to phone up tomorrow and ask them to request it now? Apparently we are at the final stages of the report and there are no enquiries but the solicitor is still putting it all together and then needs to post it out. He said he will request the contract once he's finished, but if there are no enquiries I'm not sure why he can't request it now? The sooner the better in my eyes. What do you think @Dishwashersaurous

OP posts:
Dishwashersaurous · 09/09/2021 21:09

It's worth asking. You can also ask that he emails you the report as well as posting

Wondergirl100 · 09/09/2021 21:10

THe way conveyancing solicitors work is a joke. Other countries there are tight time deadlines - in the US for example it just has to get done.

Cam001 · 09/09/2021 21:13

This is why I prefer to use a dedicated conveyancing company when buying or selling property, rather than a solicitor.

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