Buying a house - when to harass the solicitors?

[InMemoryOfSleep]

So we've had the survey done and mortgage offer through, I believe the solicitors are just waiting on searches and paperwork to be returned from the seller's solicitors. Should I contact them to push for a completion date, or do I need to be patient?! I'm trying to walk the line between keeping a bit of pressure on and not being a total pain in the arse

Pester pester pester - every other day ask for updates otherwise they'll put you to the bottom of the pile

I was a total pain in their arse but everything went through in 4 weeks! I was a ftb and there was no chain but it was still quick

You can't really push for a completion date if the searches and paperwork are still awaited. The whole point of conveyancing is that you are paying your solicitor to check that the property you are buying is sound with no horrors lurking round the corner, so a completion date will not be discussed until all is in order. Many people on here will encourage you to harass the solicitor right from the off, but if the solicitor is busy with lots of clients, rather than push a shouter to the top of the pile, the pile gets bigger and bigger because work is seriously delayed by the volume of calls. By all means call for an update, but harassing is not on.

Pester. Otherwise as ^, nothing will happen.

I didn't want to pester and now 3 weeks in I discover my buyer hasn't actually instructed a solicitor yet 😕 politely pester for sure !

not unreasonable to ask what is going on. Trouble with not pestering' is you risk having a fuckwit solicitor like one on another thread, who goes on holiday without delegating or telling anyone what is going on. This then brings the whole thing to a halt.

if your solictor has basic admin skills and the firm has enough staff and is properly managed, all should be well. None of these are a given. Ultra-low prices do risk overwhelmed staff, but high prices don't eliminate the risk of a lazy high-street dinosaur.

I'm currently chasing weekly as it's not our solicitor holding things up but as we get nearer I'll be chasing at least twice a week. Ime they are unlike any other service so you have to be a pain in order to move things forward. I hate it!

Be a pita - chase constantly. I've found they are never forthcoming with information otherwise
Does your agent have a solicitor liaison/admin person? Ours was invaluable in terms of pushing both sides solicitors and seemed to be better at getting info

I'm a conveyancing solicitor. I absolutely understand the keenness, and I'm totally happy to talk to my clients whenever, but pp's are right, every chat on the phone about completion, when in practical terms completion is at least 3 or 4 weeks away because searches aren't back and enquiries haven't been answered, adds to delays.

I have a large caseload and one of the reasons I like conveyancing, and am very good at it, is the attraction of lots of plates in the air at any one time. I love getting things done for people.

If I have a client who listens to me telling them that it's a bit early to talk about completion at the moment for this or that reason, that's great. Less great are the ones who constantly call, after you have very clearly set out the timetable, asking for the same update over and over again. Then they are the ones who inevitably get arsey and start telling you you never said that when you did etc etc.

Luckily those people are few and far between. Don't be one of them and you will be fine! But please don't call them every day for example, that would be mental.

If your solicitor is waiting on information from the seller's solicitor there's no point in harassing your solicitor, you'll end up with your work at the bottom of the pile. Instead harass the estate agent, get in touch with the vendor if you have contact details, push them to instruct a solicitor and to push their solicitor to send out whatever is needed.

Your solicitor also works for your mortgage company so it doesn't really matter what demands you may be making of him, your solicitor is bound by the CML handbook (council of mortgage lenders) and any particular conditions your mortgage provider may have.

Your solicitor will probably have up to around 300 conveyancing matters at any one time, being a pest to them and their PA/secretary is a guaranteed way in my experience to end up stressed out when they no longer return your calls and aren't forthcoming with information. I always wonder if conveyancing shouldn't be moved from fixed fee to hourly rate (some firms do have clauses to allow them to charge an hourly fee in excess anyway) and then maybe clients would realise that calls, even thirty seconds, costs money.

The odd chaser is fine. Every day or even every other day is not. Once a week maybe?

The legalities of buying or selling a house is a slow business. Your solicitor won't have forgotten about you, it's just that your property isn't their number one and only priority as it is to you. Trust them to do their job, but chasing for the odd occasional update is fine.

Thanks all - I've just emailed her and she's gotten back to me to say she'll be able to send me reports once she's received the mortgage offer (we've already had it so she should get it by today). To be fair she's been great at responding, I've emailed her a couple of times over the past month but not more than once a fortnight, so I don't think I've been too pestering! Just got everything crossed now that it all goes through ok.