How do you keep the (buying/selling) process moving?

[1stMrsF]

We are selling our house and buying a new build and must exchange within 6 weeks. It is a long time since we last bought/sold a property and I blanked outcan't remember the process or the best way to keep on top of it. I do remember that just about everyone involved only does something when someone checks that it's happening. What should I expect from my EA? What should I do myself? Have you any tips to keep things moving?

Thank you O wise MN Property gurus!

Will you have a long time between exchange and completion, this could be a problem. We did the same, had to exchange within 6 weeks but our completion date went from March to September !

Yes, at least 6 months. We will need to exchange by July 20 or so, and the house isn't due to be completed until December. So we will have to move into rented. Its a faff for sure.

watching with intrest!

We did this last year. Who are the builders? Ours were Redrow.

They did keep banging on about the need to exchange in 6 weeks. It actually took us about 10 weeks. We just kept them up to date with where our buyers were up to. Your solicitors will be dealing with their vast anonymous legal team. Really don't stress about the 6 week thing.

I'd say a weekly phonecall to your solicitor and estate agents to push things along and make sure that you're not holding up the process in any way is all you can do.

We found using the estate agent a lot made a real difference. Each time something big happened at the solicitor we told the EA, each time the solicitor told us that they were waiting on something we told the EA - just a polite email to them. Saved a good bit of time as so often we found out the purchasers were not aware of something that was stuck at their solicitor or vice versa. Helped us and the vendor stay on the same page without talking direct.

Even up to the last minute where we found out that the purchaser had not presigned the exchange docs so couldn't just exchange with a phonecall. The EA was the one who figured this out for us , our solicitor was just saying they had heard nothing as this was all he knew. But the EA gave them the nudge to get there ASAP!

Ah OK if going into rented not so bad. As another poster has said I wouldn't let the 6 week think worry you too much, I think this is just away for scaring off any non serious buyers, As long as they know your sael is proceeding you will be OK. Stay in tough with you estate agent and solicitor on a weekly basis. A good agent can iron out any problems with solicitors.

Just back from, weekend away, thanks for the replies, they are very reassuring. I will keep pestering in touch with the EA. our builders are Taylor Wimpey. I do think you are right that as long as things are moving it will be fine, but as Canary says, we don't want to be the ones holding things up!

From your side, make sure you've got copies of all guarantees - if you've lost some, try and get a copy before the other side even ask for them. Although, we are selling a house, we have service charges on the estate - I had all the invoices but nothing giving a breakdown of how the sums were made up so I made sure I asked for them when we'd sold the house. If you can think of anything that was raised as an issue when you bought, speak to your solicitor now to see how to overcome it if raised by buyer. If you here from the solicitor, reply immediately even if it's only to say "don't know".

Although the builders may make moans and groans if you can't complete at six weeks, if you are fairly near chances are they won't sell to another purchaser as that could take another six weeks and make not work out anyway.

thanks starfish, that's good advice. I kept everything from our purchase, so should be OK.