Due to exchange but no contact from buyers solicitor

[Chaby]

Since the start of the process our buyer has been putting us under pressure to move quickly to exchange and completion. We got to the point yesterday where we were ready to go but neither my solicitor or estate agent could get hold of my buyers solicitor. My buyer said she would chase them up but we never heard anything back from her. I have been asking for a couple of weeks now for our buyer to get her solicitor to confirm she was ready to exchange. Should I be worried? What if we can't get hold of her solicitor today, how long do we wait? Due to complete end of Nov, offers accepted in June so it's taken a while to get to this point. If it's relevant our buyer threatened to reduce the price a while ago if we didn't exchange in x weeks and we said no.

Our estate agent got hold of our buyers solicitor - they say she has not returned the signed contract even though she told us last week that her solicitor had everything and she was ready to go. Buyer not answering phone. Anything I can do?

how maddening. Unfortunately it looks like something else is going on. You can only talk to your solicitor, not the other solicitor.

your solicitor should also have let you know that he/she didn't have the contract - what are they playing at?

there is nothing you can do except set a deadline and be prepared to remarket. I'm really sorry, but it looks like you've got a professional pisser-about here.

The only thing that you can do is threatening to remarket but, as it's getting to a quiet period for sales, it might be a bit of a hollow threat.

You're being messed around. Tell her you will be remarketing Monday if you dont have the contract returned and exchange by the agreed date.

TBH your solicitor has been shoddy, the draft contract and any questions should have happened at the start. Has she paid for searches

Yes I think all the searches etc have been done and her solicitor raised loads of queries which have been answered. I think you are right that she is messing around and setting a deadline will let us know one way or the other. So worried we are going to lose our dream house.

Our buyer is adamant her solicitor has her signed contract and she is ready to exchange, her solicitor says not. Keep telling her to call her solicitor! Can't decide is she is just really incompetent or playing games.

If she threatened to pull out a few weeks ago over the price then I’d be very suspicious - possible she hasn’t go the funds to move forwards. Talk to your estate agent about remarketing then choose a firm deadline for going back on the market. Sorry.

You need to take charge now.

There is no way your solicitor and her solicitor could be missing a signed draft contract - they want to exchange. You need to be firm with a date for exchanging and let your solicitor and the EA know.

Otherwise youll be sat like this for another 3 months.

Are you using an Estate Agent, can you get them to chase both sides for you? I think this is one case where a final deadline really should be issued and stuck to - June to November is a very long time.

She doesn't have to sign the contract, she can get her solicitor to sign it on her behalf (I haven't signed a property contract in years). If she is serious, she can sign and scan a letter instruct her solicitor to do this and you can exchange tomorrow.

Thanks all - waiting for an update this afternoon. She definitely has the funds as it was a condition of her offer that she showed proof of funds to our estate agent (cash buyer)

Buyer now ready to exchange but having trouble getting the top end of the chain to agree a date. It's an elderly person who is moving In With family, apparently they have a lot of stuff to sort through - would you not start the process when you put your house on the market?? If we manage this one I am never moving house again.

It is very stressful! Glad your buyer has sorted themselves out, but may need to push the lady to start sorting. I know someone who is also ignoring the fact that there is a houseful of stuff to go through