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Original poster

Is it ok to email our seller to ask what the hold up is?

11 replies

crispycake · 16/01/2015 12:26

We are FTB so this is all new to use.
We found a property end of sep, offer accepted beg of oct of full asking price, which includes a lease extension which the sellers are paying for and sorting out for us before we complete. We've had draft contracts through & fixtures & fittings list but everything has just stopped moving.
Our solicitor has done all searches etc & says she's waiting for paperwork from the sellers solicitor.
When we ring the EA to find out what the hold up is, they either don't answer or do & say leave it with us & they will beget back to us. Obviously they never do.
We have the sellers email so do you think I could email (have met her a couple of times) and just say something along the lines of,
hi (name) sorry to mail you but EA is isnt getting back to us nor our solicitor. We are just wondering what the hold up seems to be as we need to move out of current rented flat by certain date as our landlords selling.
Sorry if this is really daft question :)

OP posts:
Original poster
crispycake · 16/01/2015 12:29

Sorry about typos. I didn't check before I posted Blush

OP posts:
christinarossetti · 16/01/2015 12:29

In your position, I would bypass EAs and ask your solicitor to contact their solicitor to get an update.

Good luck!

Original poster
crispycake · 16/01/2015 12:36

She did do the middle of last week and said she would let us know once she had received a reply, which I don't think she's had as she hasn't been in touch with us.
Shall we just keep on at our solicitor then? I suppose we are paying her :)

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PigletJohn · 16/01/2015 12:51

you can phone or email vendor, but they are liable to lie to you, or avoid telling you that e.g. their purchase has fallen through or there is no PP for their extension.

If you do it often they will find you a nuisance and refuse to communicate.

You could try asking "do you know how things are progressing? Is there anything we can do? I understand our sols have not hear back from yours about the (whatever)

Original poster
crispycake · 16/01/2015 13:34

Thanks piglet john, this whole buying thing is such a headache :)

OP posts:
RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 16/01/2015 15:32

It's a difficult one as some vendors don't appreciate being contacted directly and equally some buyers can become a pain in the arse......

When we were selling at the end of last year though we found it invaluable to have direct contact with our buyers via email. Between us we certainly kept things moving - or at least that's how it felt! We gave each other moral support and egged each other on to exert pressure on our respective solicitors and EA when necessary!

In your case OP, I'd be inclined to test the water as PigletJohn suggests and take it from there.....a quick "how are things progressing at your end?" type query should let you know whether they appreciate the direct contact or not and you can take it from there.

bilbodog · 16/01/2015 15:35

just keep hounding your estate agent - they should be able to find out and they SHOULD get back to you and keep you informed! Sounds like you have been patient for a very long time - may be time to start saying that if nothing positive happens very soon you will have to assume you need to start looking for something else.....................

specialsubject · 16/01/2015 16:19

keep nagging the person who works for you - the solicitor. Phone every hour on the hour if you want. Their job is to find out what is going on. Even a 'sorry no news but am trying' would be a start, ignoring you for 10 days is very poor service.

the EA works for the seller, although doesn't get paid if nothing happens.

Blu · 16/01/2015 16:28

I wouldn't be surprised if the extension of the lease was taking a while, but all they have to do is tell you. It may be that their new house has fallen through and they are trying to delay telling you, as a way of keeping you on board until they have had another offer accepted, but their solicitor should be offering your solicitor an explanation and a revised timetable. Are you at the bottom of a long chain?
The EA should help - but in the end they are working for the vendor, not for you.
House buying is stressful, frustrating and lengthy - don't despair.

If you really do have a landlord's deadline / eviction date you need to tell your solicitor, and get them to make that clear. If the vendors have lost their house, they will be v v keen to keep you on board as buyers because they won't get another offer accepted n an alternative house unless they have an offer on their house - the one you want to buy. So you are valuable to them.

Original poster
crispycake · 16/01/2015 16:30

Thanks everyone.

That's good to know raphaella, I'll do what piglet johns advised and see where that takes us.

Bilbodog thats exactly the thought we have about saying if something doesn't happen very soon we will be looking for something.

It's annoying too as the family who we are buying off are not looking for somewhere else to move to. They are moving in with the in-laws, so there's literally us FTB and them who aren't buying anywhere so we thought in oct we would probably be in there late dec early jan.
From Monday then I shall be ringing up our solicitor everyday to see if she has news.

OP posts:
Original poster
crispycake · 16/01/2015 16:33

Yes we do actually have to be out of here by the end of March very beginning of April at a push. I will make this very clear to solicitor, thanks Blu

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