Would anyone like an 'in a chain' support group? (2)

[AnnaELC]

Seems we reached 1000 messages so I've started a new one!

Thanks everyone. I know how you feel as when we were going through our long drawn out ordeal I got where I didn't want anyone to ask me how things were going as I just felt so upset and angry about the whole thing. I couldn't even look on Rightmove as it just underlined that we were sitting waiting twiddling our thumbs.

You will get there in time. We did

Congratulations nell! Despite my no chain situation it's still taking forever! However vendor gave us a call and said he's sorting out all the bits necessary. I just want to move so badly! The rooms in this house are so tiny I have to put my back to the wall to squeeze past the end of our bed! The kids can't play with toys as there's no room! Boxes everywhere in anticipation of a swift move that's taken months!

Congrats Nell!

We haven't made any progress at all as our buyer has been delaying already. Bloody pisstaker. I doubt she'll move swiftly to arrange mortgage offer and local searches either. Yawn yawn yawn!

Campervanlady I hope your buyer gets her finger out v soon

We gave her an ultimatum yesterday as we have another interested buyer. (Who is excited & switched on!) Hopefully it'll work.

It's a good job we're the tiniest chain. She's chain free & we're moving into rented.

A tiny chain sounds great... we're a chain of five! It's making me really nervous. So far all I've heard is stories from friends of chains of 5 falling apart...

We're not in a chain as such, but in a 'stuck in a hole because the seller's solicitor is a lazy so and so, and they've now uncovered a problem which nobody knows how long it'll take to fix so FIVE bloody months later we still don't have a completion date' situation.

Really feel for everyone, and I'm astounded at how useless the system is 😖

So things seem to be moving forwards as strangely both solicitors have got a few things done which is great. Fingers crossed it might happen soon. Although every time I post a hopeful thought some new giant shitstorm ensues. Let's enjoy our weekends and see what Monday brings.

Scotinoz I feel your pain. We accepted an offer on our house in July 2016 and didn't have a completion date until the 24th of Feb when we exchanged. The whole process really takes a toll on one's trust of others as our buyer had lied stretched the truth a number of times.

So so so stressful.

I was convinced the whole thing would fall apart (and so was our solicitor! Not helpful!). However, in the end we managed to complete on our sale and have a completion date for the purchase on the 9th of Feb.

Good luck!

Thanks EastCoastDamsel.

Seven months?! Yikes! I thought we were bad.

The whole thing is so ridiculous. There's no chain, we have the cash, the seller wants to sell and it should have been done and dusted in 8weeks. Through a catalogue of lawyer fails though, we're up to the wire on rental leases and now just waiting for the Land Registry to do the paperwork (to fix the legal blunders) 😫

It's so infuriating and we're in so deep, we can't just retract the offer and tell them to piss off (which we'd love to do!)

It is awful. And between EA/solicitors/vendors/buyers one just never knows who is actually telling the truth!

Really hope you have resolution soon.

I am NEVER moving again.

Campervanlady - what was the result of your ultimatum? have you a different buyer or is the original one now getting into gear?

We are now in that 2 week period of waiting for our mortgage offer, the AIP was no problem - but its debatable how useful they are! We've had the Authority to proceed from Help to Buy, so the application for the rest of the mortgage is in process, I've had emails and texts from Santander to say its being processed. Gah the waiting!
No idea how the rest of the chain is progressing, I know we all have instructed solicitors but that's it.
Also went and had a nosey at the development yesterday, looks like a lot of work to be done still, they'll have to get a move on to get it completed by the end of march - fully expecting it to slip to mid april...

kilburn yes our buyer sorted it out with 3 minutes before the ultimatum was up. Really takes the piss! Now it's in the conveyancers hands so we're hoping our buyers can't really delay anything now.

Although they have to go and apply for their mortgage properly. In their own time of course. it'll probably take them another 2 weeks to do that.

I will relax when the lenders surveyor phones up to arrange a valuation.

It should be relatively straightforward as it's a new build (2 years old) still under warranty etc.

Campervanlady - your buyer sounds a mare! why is it someone people have no concept of timescales and how it affects others!?

Not much has happened for us, all I know is there is a valuation survey on our new build booked for tomorrow, I only found that out by phoning the Sales Agent and asking if anyone had booked to do one. Not sure if this is a positive step forward for our mortgage application or not - things seem to work depending on the lender these days.

Have my fingers crossed for everyone, moving house is so stressful - that's why we've stayed put for 12 years.

I'm coming to join you
We had an offer accepted on a horse,and accepted an offer on our house last September. Hoped to be in before Christmas. It's only a chain of 3 but what do solicitors actually do?! We were meant to be moving this Friday but haven't even exchanged contracts yet...

Funnily enough, our offer on a horse was not accepted, but one on a HOUSE was

Joining, hope that's ok... would be nice to get some perspective from you lovely (sadly) similarly afflicted people...

Accepted offer end of Nov. Estate agent only tells me things when I ring her. Never rings me. Survey, searches and mortgage have been done by our buyer a couple of weeks ago. Have asked her twice what we are waiting for before we arrange an exchange date, she says she's chasing it up.

WIBU to call her tomorrow and tell her I was expecting to pay her for the service of selling our house? And that so far I have had to request information from her every time? And that we need to get an exchange date in or its going back on the market with a different agent?

Appreciate its only been three months but its a simple chain. And I can't see what is left to do before arranging exchange, maybe its a problem with people below but I need her to tell me that... not sure if I'm being unrealistic about timings.

TIA.

Millimat now thinking I'm being impatient only waiting since Nov... ours solicitors sent contracts before Christmas. Can only assume our buyer is slow...

Joining in with my tale of woe! We sound in a very similar position - accepted an offer from a cash buyer in Nivember, their solicitors have been so slow and my agent us useless. I gave them an ultimatum to exchange by end of Monday or its off - I hope I don't regret it as we're hoping to buy our dream house who gave wen waiting patiently ....
The enquiries were all answered last Wednesday ( my solicitors to theirs) and they have done NOTHING since then ... 'Waiting for some information apparently but hadn't actually told anyone! Lost my rag yesterday with the estate agent who said he might have another buyer lined up - would it be awful of me to drop the original buyer at this stage ? I don't think it's their fault as such - apart from being a cheapskate and going for Internet solicitor (you'd think that with 1/2 million in the bank she could afford s better service!)

Wohmum - the enquiries may have been answered by your solicitor last Wednesday but the buyer's solicitor has to review the responses and decide whether they are satisfactory or whether any further clarification or evidence is required. They may have to revert to their client to see whether some replies are acceptable or not. Then the buyer's solicitor may come back to your solicitor requesting further information or raise further enquiries following on from the original responses. Sorry to say that enquiries do take a long time especially when the responses are not overly informative or vague, this is the worst bit of conveyancing, but once the enquiries are satisfied, then it should be fairly soon after that you sign the contract and transfer and then dates for completion can be discussed.

I would honestly say don't look for a new buyer at this stage. You do need to be patient during the enquiry stage - the buyer's solicitor will need to look carefully at all the documentation provided to make sure his client is buying a good property with good title. If you decide to re-market, you will be repeating this stage all over again with a new solicitor. Legally, a new solicitor has to make his own enquiries and not accept all the work already done by the previous solicitor as he could otherwise leave himself open to a lawsuit if something is missed. Also, your solicitor will have to request all the paperwork back from the original solicitor before being able to draft a new contract and provide a contract pack to the new solicitor.

As an aside, I work for an internet solicitor and we have lots of clients paying us peanuts while buying or selling million pound houses. Crazy.

Thanks , , I really appreciate your reply and you are quite right that it would only hold things up :(
The enquires were very straightforward and I really don't think there was anything there to hold it up. However it does help to understand the wider picture.
It feels like threatening to drop out is the only weapon you have to move it forward
It hasn't helped that today, both estate agents I had spoken to previously are out of the office so I couldn't even get an update - so I had to wait for the estate agent manager to come in. Gave him the whole sorry story and reiterated my deadline . He got on the phone to the buyer and their solicitor - looks like Monday exchange might be possible , and I've said we need to complete by 1st March - should be doable if cash buyer , right? I'm off on hols from Friday night so it's probably a good thing to take my mind off it!

Welcome all the newbies! Lots of tales of woe and slow house selling / buying though

My only update is that our solicitor is now on email and sending documents electronically. We had to wait 3-4 days per letter with the previous buyers. Their solicitors were at the top of the road and ours were at the bottom. Nightmare! I kept saying "give them to me! I'll hand deliver them!"

I'm relieved that they use email now. Phew!

Hi all new folks and welcome! It really is a long and arduous process isn't it! MilliYou might have found buying a horse a less stressful business. There's not one person on this thread that things have been quick for. It's all quiet here so I'm hoping that means it might be going ok. Everytime we hear anything it's further enquiries or delays. I know it's for the greater good but I want to MOVE! Still at least I had a decent buyer-there's some shockers on here. camper I hope it all works out this time! for everyone.

Hi All
Oh dear the tales of woe are coming thick and fast aren't they, fingers crossed our buyers and their solicitors all get a move on soon!.
We have our mortgage offer so fully set to go now, however our buyer has not yet had a survey or anything done on our house yet - so DH has asked the estate agent to find out where they are up to. The entire chain is with the same estate agent so I suppose that helps! - it ends with us buying a new build.
We have been told we're scheduled to exchange on the 16th March - we'll see!....

good luck to all

Meant to exchange today. Not happened...