Well, our vendors must be home very soon from their holiday, if not already (everyone has been very vague on when they would be back, apparently not at all an issue that they vanished for up to 2 weeks of their own needed 6-week exchange time).
It's been interesting having this 'time away' from the house-buying process. I mean, we haven't had so much as a sniff of an email from anyone (EA, solicitors etc) for over 10 days, so it feels as though it isn't real any more. Which has actually given us time to reflect - nobody there whispering in our ear that if we don't do everything immediately then the whole process will fall apart.
We know (because our solicitor saw it in the vendor's contract, not because anyone on that side ever actually asked/told us this) that they expect - and need - to exchange within the next 2 weeks. We have told our solicitor we don't care what their solicitor said (cos he's a rude obnoxious idiot) and we want an electrical survey, and the fireplace inspecting (per our surveyor's strong recommendation), before we proceed. The chances of us getting these items, and still exchanging within 2 weeks, are slim. Which is entirely not our fault, as if their solicitor had told his clients this before they went on holiday instead of bickering back and forth with us that they weren't willing to do anything, then they could at least have left a key with a family member or the EA and everything could have been done by now. And the upshot of us having some reflection time is that we don't care any more.
We still like the house and would like to buy it, but not 'at any cost' -
especially when that cost is my family's safety. Either they'll agree to these two additional inspections (we're even offering to pay, ffs) and will negotiate on the fireplace if it turns out to be unsafe, or we will go find another house.
Lovely not to feel stressed about it. And know we are doing the right thing for our family.
Let's see where we are 2 weeks from now 
.