Moving House at 30 weeks - no completion date

[Dreemagurl]

Hi, has anyone else been in a similar situation? We're currently in rented accommodation, the tenancy of which ends on 27th August. We're trying to buy our first house and had the mortgage approved etc, there's no chain past the sellers who are moving into an empty property but the sale is really dragging on. We've had no idea of completion date from our solicitors even though we are chasing them daily. Does anyone have any advice as to how to make things go more quickly? I'm absolutely terrified that it'll come to the 27th August and we'll be homeless and have to fork out to put all of our stuff (a hell of a lot) in storage. Needless to say, I'm incredibly stressed and I'm sure it's not helping the baby (my first). Any ideas welcome, thanks!

Hasve you spoken to your solicitor and told them it has to be 27th at very latest. You don't need a long time between exchange and completion, can even be the same day (although porbably not ideal in your postiion) . Have you given notice or can you roll the lease on for a month if needs be ?

Have you spoken to the Estate Agents? Depending on the personalities involved and what sort of relationship everyone has with each other, they can sometimes get things moving when solicitors don't. We found the lot who were involved in both the sale of our flat and the purchase of our house very helpful. Plus they don't charge you for every single sodding phone call or letter.... The vendors should realise that if they are chain free and you are chain free, you are in a very strong position and are very valuable purchasers - they should not want to risk losing you! Good luck - really feel for you!

Eurgh, poor you! We moved when I was 29wks - we saw the house and made our offer when I was just 8wks! We had a complicated chain though and it was SO stressful - I really understand how awful it is. But you?re in a really strong position given that you don?t have a chain below you and your seller doesn?t have a chain ? so it sounds a bit like the legal process is delaying things? Have you asked your solicitor outright what?s holding things up? It might be a couple of random documents/searches and you could still push for a completion date regardless?

I?d get tough with your solicitor and with your seller's estate agent - give them a date that the sale HAS to complete by (you are paying them to act on your behalf) and maybe make the estate agent put pressure on his client (in their best interests to because of their commission!) As LIZS said, exchange and completion can happen the same day ? but you just want that end date in writing for the sake of your sanity!!

Good luck, hope it goes well and you get in there soon. I know it sounds clichéd, but once you're in your new home, you really will forget about the hassle of getting in there!

Buying and selling is incredibly stressful and having just done both I can sympathise.

I would suggest speaking to your solicitor and finding out exactly what is holding up the purchase. For example there was some ridiculous legal clause holding up us selling our flat, no ones fault we were all going crazy and chasing but there was nothing we could really do. Or is it that your sellers are being crap? In which case you have more space to speak to the estate agent to get things moving.

Is there anyway you can extend the lease on your current property for a month or so?

The people buying from us were in the same situation to yourselves, minus the baby, and kept pushing for a completion date but my solicitor kept telling me that until all the relevant documents were in order it was a waste of time, and we kept hitting said dates and not moving.

The most important thing for you is to trust your solicitor and get them to tell you what is going on, what needs to happen between now and exchange etc.....and then you know who to chase, if anybody. I did and then was able to call all the relevant people to rush the papers through.

Good luck

I just moved at 35 weeks pregnant so i totally understand your stress!! Am now 39 weeks and have just finished getting everything sorted so just playing the waiting game now :)

As some of the others have said just give them a deadline and say that's the latest you can possibly do and if not you will have to pull out - that should give them a kick up the arse!

Good luck i really hope it all goes through soon x

Thanks for all the replies, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who's been through it. Moving + pregnancy is not conducive to low blood pressure!! Unfortunately we have absolutely no leeway with our end of tenancy date - we had to inform our landlords as soon as I was past 12 weeks as our contract strictly states no children allowed in the flat, and we had to sign a new contract stating that we would leave by 27th August. There are new tenants who are moving in almost immediately. Trust me, I've begged and used the pregnancy card and they didn't budge, so 27th has to be our final date. :( My OH is dealing with everything house-related as the mortgage is in his name - and I just get the feeling he's not really pushing as hard as he should. Do you think it's wise for me to get involved? I'm only getting secondary info from him and it's driving me crazy, but I don't want to piss him off by stepping on his toes. I just feel like he's possibly not being as assertive as he needs to be! Thanks again for the help, I appreciate it. I'm becoming a bit of a mess with the whole thing!

PS - well done katiecubs, I completely empathise with all the stress you must have been through, and hope you are having fun nesting and getting ready for your new little one. Good luck and I hope he/she makes a timely appearance :) xx

We are in a similar position. I am 30+4 and accepeted an offer on our flat this week and had an offer accepted on a house too! We have been advised to keep phoning solicitors and estate agents to keep them working as quickly as possible. There is a tiny chain (our buyers are cash buyers, and the people we are buying from are moving in with parents so the best chain possible!) and we hope to move in 8 weeks. So I'll be just over 38 weeks! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Fingers and toes crossed for you NoTea! We're still chasing all parties involved but our estate agent (who is just an angel) seems very confident that we will just about complete in time. Wow, I never want to move house again!! Hope your move goes well :)

It all sounds very worrying. We're in a similar-ish position and it has been really stressful. We're moving the same weekend as you and I'll be 36 weeks.

A few weeks ago the dates became very muddled and we had a combination of the person we're buying from being very slow to sign paperwork, then went on a 3 week holiday and our landlady threatening us with legal action. We had to get really tough and threaten pulling out (which we would have done rather than be homeless) to wake the seller and lawyers up and equally tough measures with our landlady. DP rang the council who were really helpful in giving us advice as to what the landlady can and can't do.

So my advice - get tough, get assurances on the exchange of contract, get your DP to hassle lawyers and hassle lawyers to communicate with each other. It sounds straight forward - but for you but the sooner you can exchange the better you'll feel - I imagine. Also, don't feel guilty for getting DP to communicate everything with you but let him take the stress, as you are pregnant and we need to take care of ourselves even in stressful situations.

I've just gone through this - moved into our flat last Saturday after exchanging and completeing the day before! It was so stressful and horrible even though looking back it didn't take as long as some sales do (we were first time buyers and there was no chain for the sellers either). It was held up by lots of silly little things.

Best advice I can give is just get on your solicitor - ask for daily updates in necessary. I'm 29 weeks pg now and have gone from being a highly organised person who has always co-ordinated all house moves and big events, to being a wimpering mess who cries at the drop of a hat. My DH has had to do most of it himself as I was incapable (a bit learning curve for him as he was used to me doing everything before).

We also packed as much of our stuff as possible beforehand so it was ready. That helped a lot. Then you are ready to go no matter what happens.

Good luck and hope it goes well.
ps Your current landlords sound awful - no children allowed in the flat? That's just mean!

Fingers crossed for you liquorice, really hope it all goes through for you. We haven't even seen our contracts yet! Our solicitor (the most RUBBISH solicitor in the world, have I mentioned this??!) has been banging on for the past few weeks about some "big pack" they've supposedly sent us that we have to sign and send back. Not once did they say that oh, by the way, it's the contract. Found that out today. They've now promised to send it to us Special Delivery (why couldn't they have done this in the first place as our local post is RUBBISH??!) Tis making my blood boil! But my wonderful DP is faithfully chasing them daily (after a few histrionic tantrums from a very hormonal Yours Truly) and we have been told that "we are very close now" whatever that means. Totally feel like they've cornered us though, as if there are any problems with the contact, e.g. fittings and fixtures etc, we feel like if we complain there will be a further holdup which we absolutely cannot afford, so we feel we'll just have to sign whatever they give us which is ridiculous. Thanks for the tip Piesey, have started throwing things into boxes now - it makes sense to be prepared. I too have turned into a complete gibbering wreck so I feel for you (and your DH!). Hope your new house is sorted and ready for your new LO :)

Good luck!!!

Just as an update to anyone in a similar position who's reading the thread - we have finally (after daily hassles of solicitors and estate agent) got some confirmed dates. Exchange of contracts happens tomorrow (fingers crossed everyone) and completion next Friday - yes, the 27th, the day we have to move. So talk about cutting it fine! We will be those people who are all packed up and waiting in our removal vans in the driveway of our new house waiting for the keys!

I just wanted to update to let all those of you who are similarly stressed and worried that it CAN work out - even at the last minute - so keep the faith (and the daily hassling of solicitors etc), and it will all be ok.

Thanks all for your support! Can't wait to go on maternity leave and start nesting in earnest :)