Would anyone like an 'in a chain' support group? (3)

[Spickle]

Assuming all you lovely people in a chain still need a support group? Here it is......

Good luck with that ACat - we have similarly slow coach ftbs and everyone else is going nuts. Chose the slowest possible bank to go to for a mortgage rather than a broker (7 weeks to offer), did not submit searches until offer in (3 weeks), not rather belatedly that have decided they want to do a building survey (1 week plus potentially another to deal with queries). Its tortuous. Who's advising them?

Moving costs have shocked me... one person who came to give me a quote said £3500!! I almost had a heart attack...

The cheapest I've been quoted to move a two bed flat is £720. I'm only moving a mile and a half away but I am just outside of Greater London so things tend to cost more here. Most expensive is £865.

The cheapest with packing has been £850 but I've already done a lot of decluttering so other than kitchen stuff, I don't really have a lot to pack.

The last time we moved house we just had a van hire. And DH and his bro moved it all. Cost about £100 and some beers.

This time we have so much more shite to move & I think we'll need proper movers

We once moved within London and we hired a man & van. The man arrived in a suit, was Russian and refused to help. During the journey across London the Russian drifted from lane to lane, across road markings, back again, through red lights etc. And then refused to help unpack the van at our new home. Even though we paid for "man & van" help!

Hilarious looking back! Not so funny on the day though. he scared me

This is a shout out for Spickle! Spickle, we are told that the building survey for our ftbs is due back on Wed (that finally ordered one 10 weeks in to the sales process). Their searches are due back on 15th (again, ordered late). AIBU to push for an exchange date before the end of the month? If so, what's the best way to do that? We are now well into our 9th month of trying to sell (because of multiple failed chains) and are just going nuts by now. We need to know if we are on a long slow grind to nowhere or not! What do you advise?

Hey peeps

We were hoping to move yesterday. That didn't happen.
We were hoping to exchange yesterday. That didn't happen

I'm so pissed off with the whole process. We moved heaven and earth to exchange contacts last Friday so we could move yesterday but in the end our sellers sellers weren't ready. We were upset but rallied and set on exchanging yesterday to move next Friday. We chased and waited chased and waited and at the 11th hour we found out that our buyers solicitor had not even sent the contract to their client. fuming doesn't even come close to it. We are being bought by housing association so I'm guessing they are in no rush to exchange contracts/complete however our solicitors knew we were chasing our sellers so would have thought they would have chased our buyers earlier but hey ho.

I'm now going to ring our solicitors first thing Monday to push for exchange on Monday (there was mention that our solicitors were going to ask our buyers solicitors if they could sign on their behalf)

I just want to move. We have organised leave and Mail redirection and van hire all for this Friday (probably prematurely but it was looking really positive for this Friday).

Would it be possible to exchange on Monday/Tuesday and move Friday???

Oh dear ocelot, I do feel for you!

You can express your wish to exchange by end of May which does let them know that you're anxious to proceed, so no you are not being unreasonable. However, the solicitor acting for the ftbs will not be pressured into exchanging before they are ready (they have to act in the best interests of their client), so your wishes although noted, will be ignored if it is unrealistic to exchange then.

The survey has a section (I) which lists points to raise with their solicitor.

The searches also may reveal planning permissions, building regulations, any environmental issues etc.

Both of these can mean further additional enquiries and evidence might be necessary.

Sorry, not much help but it's difficult to know how much legal work is still to be done, as the survey and mortgage don't really give an indication.

I think you are too far down the process to walk away and it sounds as though the ftbs are committed, albeit slowly!

Oh no Dobby how stressful! I am so sorry you are going through this. Thanks also Spickle for your reality check - they already know we want to exchange (because we all agreed at the beginning to aim for exchange towards the end of April). I now think they just said that to get the sale agreed because they didn't even order their searches until 10 weeks in. Sounds like there really is nothing I can do other than wait and hope for the best, is there? I am trying to get the contact for the solicitor out of the EAs so at least my solicitor can talk to theirs and find out where they are up to. Fed up with EAs' lies! Is there anything else you would suggest?

Thanks ocelot.
The funniest thing was hubby picked me up from work on Friday and we were having loud exchange of words in the carpark over how annoyed we both were. Nobody shouting at anyone as such just both expressing (me very loudly) over how annoyed we both were. Anyway we went shopping afterwards and hubby got phone call from his brother to ask why he was in the doghouse. Apparently someone saw us in the car park and rang hubbys brother to tell him we were having an argument. We all work in same place so we are known by a lot of people however it still made me laugh how this person felt the need to contact my brother in law to tell him his brothers wife was pissed off!

ocelot are the ftbs buying your property? If not, then your solicitor won't be able to speak to their solicitor. Solicitors will only speak to the solicitor either side of their client.

The EA can speak to all the solicitors/buyers/sellers in the chain but EA does not have access to the legal files so has to rely on what he is told. This can result in chinese whispers. For this reason, I don't think EA deliberately lies, he just doesn't know and will make up stuff to try and satisfy the buyer/seller.

Unfortunately, unless you are in touch with your buyer and they in turn are in touch with their buyer, it will be difficult for you to find out what's happening. My advice honestly would be to step back and let them all get on with it. When there is progress you will be informed.

Dobby If your buyer hadn't received the contract by Friday, I don't see how you can exchange Monday, unless he returned the contract by hand on Friday and paid his deposit. Whoever suggested that the buyers solicitor could sign on his behalf is wrong (EA?). That won't happen. You'll exchange when everyone is ready and it doesn't sound like they are yet.

No, they are not buying ours Spickle. My solicitor thought she might be able to speak with him because we need to state a date of entry on any offers we make here in Scotland. We can't do that without clear info about what is happening to their sale. The EAs said the survey and searches were done right at the beginning - so as not to hold anyone up

cheeseman They are doing the conveyancing themselves to save money I think. They are moving into a rental until they have built there no place.
I hate that there will be no guarantee of it all going through until its all done! I have to pock everything up and hope for the best!

Stripy ours has taken so long because there is a new build at end of chain that we are all waiting on. The buyers of the new build said they would vacate on a certain date to the estate agent and it's on many emails etc but as I guessed they back tracked and said it would be too difficult.

Shadow yay for exchange.

Mary so pleased you exchanged too. It's good too know exchange actually exists. I'm beginning to doubt it.

Camper good luck I hope you receive the document in speedy time.

Cheeseman Great news glad things are progressing. We are moving ourselves as dh has a large work van. The best movers we had (we've lived in quite a few rentals) were also the cheapest. Two men and a transit van. They took apart and put back up furniture at no extra cost, were super careful with our stuff and speedy. The most expensive we paid for were useless. They started at 7am and kept having breaks as "they needed a rest". We didn't get all moved in until 9pm at night

So last week we were told we would have to set a date in July, accept compensation and exchange this week. Today I've had a phone call to say I once paperwork is finalised it's now looking like moving the end of May and some compensation. Hopefully exchange will still happen this week. I need lots of this

beautician thank you! Hopefully 1 out of the 2 is on its way tomorrow. The 2nd is more complex

I honestly thought today "we are stuck in this house forever".

Thanks- sounds like our removal cost is pretty good then

great news beautician

sorry it sounds like it's dragging and there is just issue after issue for so many of you.

I should be grateful that (so far- fingers crossed) I've not actually had much to complain about, it's just stressful waiting and not knowing what is going on. I tell you- a facebook group for everyone in the chain is the best way forward. Everyone can then as everyone directly about what has/hasn't been done yet, how long waits are, when they want to exchange etc. I don't understand why everyone else keeps laughing at my suggestion!

CampervanLady no, the buyer's solicitors would not advise the buyer's to pull out! These documents are part and parcel of the conveyancing process, nothing unusual about requesting the Section 106 or the long wait for the Council to provide it. The buyer's solicitor obviously needs to see the document to confirm who owns the park, who has the responsibility of maintaining the park and whether you (and other houseowners) have to contribute towards the upkeep. I understand how frustrating it must be but it will have to be provided before exchange, so unless you can persuade the Council to prioritise this, you may have to be a little more patient!

spickle thank you for replying! Our EA is brilliant at scaremongering. His words were "IF the current buyers change their mind then nobody else will want your property either" I honestly just thought we were dealing with something quite normal until he said that!

I'm happy now. As it is normal. (And there's an obvious answer)

It's just the EA and all his doom & gloom over one small simple thing. You'd think he'd know better but I guess he simply doesn't understand the legalities.

It's very solicitor vs estate agent at the moment.

I'm still here, placemarking, and having a nervous breakdown!

Campervan we've been in that situation but well after purchase of our property (builders said Council had adopted communal grounds on the estate, Council said they hadn't but builders had given them one off payment to mow grass / cut back shrubs etc). It came to light when a maintenance issue arose and both Council and builders denied responsibility and it was in our deeds that in that case all homes on the estate were jointly responsible. It ended in high court writs being issued against everyone and was massively stressful, as well as costing us a small fortune in legal fees. It still isn't resolved.

Just to add - with our new house we made bloody sure everything was clarified and we knew exactly who was responsible for what. I think the conveyancer thought we were slightly mad.

I think £900 for three bed semi sounds pretty good. I paid £1,200 for same four years ago, with full pack and four weeks store. And the one I didn't choose quoted twice as much!

This time I'm packing myself (splitting with partner, packing going to be nightmarish!) and using man and van, moving c50 miles, hoping for c£500.

I had a post deleted as I felt it was quite identifying

randomly that sounds beyond stressful! Luckily we know the Council have ownership though. Our solicitor found a letter confirming so in 2015 but apparently it's too old.

How can it be 'too old'? That's weird. It's not like they write to you every year confirming they still own it! And it's only two year anyway.

Where I live now is a private development, still owned by the developers and not adopted, but the council does everything, I suspect the developers pay them but if they stopped (or went bust) there would be trouble!