In a chain support thread Sept 2017

[Gizlotsmum]

Hope it's ok to start another one! So we have a week of waiting for surveys etc...

It’s 1960’s I think, ex council, our elderly neighbour can remember them being built and he’s 90.

We don’t come up on a phone book search so must have been given it and told it was ok. They rang as I was sorting the kids tea so I was totally distracted and just kind of agreed to give up the small bit of evening that I have free on a wed. Oh well it will have to be done around us eating and getting ready to go out.

OK if it's 60s it may need some attention. But if they are already paying £1k under asking then that goes some way towards work that needs doing - bearing in mind they know they are buying a 60s property, so it's entirely reasonable that it will need work doing!

I think it was rewired before we moved in ( trunking is exposed not buried) but I think that was done before the previous owners too.. ah well it will be what it is...we can afford to drop a little bit more if it means keeping the sale but if £3k is a reasonable estimate half way would be the £1k already so another 500.

I have come to join you all and vent.

We accepted an offer from people who are in rented 7 weeks ago.

Since then one offer of ours has fallen through (historical subsidence and underpinning and recent, progressive movement came to light in the survey, vendors wouldn't budge on price).

Viewed another, explained our position, asked about vendors' position and was told by their EA they had something they wanted to buy. Made full asking price offer in the interests of not dicking around and at that point EA revealed that they wanted to exchange in 28 days but not move out until end of Jan at the earliest. Some digging by our solicitor revealed that they want to buy at auction and fully renovate before they'll move out. Our solicitor knows the agent and suspects something else is also going on, advised us against it. Regardless, we offered over asking price if they would move out sooner or under asking price and we would wait for them and go into rented (our buyer has to be in by 1 Jan). No dice. Walked away from that because number 3 was in the background...

Number 3 is a head purchase rather than heart. Had already viewed, been told sellers would go into rented. We emphasised we wanted to move asap, they were happy with that. Offer accepted, find out today they are now looking to buy and will find out on Thurs if their offer has been accepted. I'm so fed up. We offered what we did based on a quick purchase, this move is to reduce my commute which is sucking the life out of me and having had the offer accepted I was mentally counting down the days, only to have the rug pulled out from under us now that the chain is no longer complete.

I feel like throwing my toys out of the pram. I know it's pointless and I know starting again would take even longer (plus there's nothing on the market) but I am sick of the whole bloody thing (above version is heavily condensed and doesn't include half of the ups and downs we've been through). I'm annoyed that we're paying X based on a quick completion which now looks unlikely.

Giz if you have any of your previous paperwork kicking about from when you purchased it, then it would definitely be worth having a poke through it to see if there's anything in there about the re-wiring. That way if they do try and ask for more money off, you can point out that it's normal for a 60s house to need maintenance - and that there is evidence that the whole thing does not need re-doing.

Tentative I feel for you, we have had very similar. DH is the one with the epic commute and it doesn't help that the last few weeks have been particularly shit. I would be tempted to go back to their EA and point out that you offered on the basis of a complete chain on the basis they were going into rented. I would allow them 7 days to get the chain complete and for their EA to come back to you with details of how many people are involved and what the top of the chain is doing. If your vendors end up buying from the top of the chain then I'd let it ride. If it's a complex chain then I'd stay quiet and go back and start looking again - and if you find something chain free or less complex then I'd pull out.

Good idea Lazy.. I will have a look later/tomorrow ( head is frazzled today).

Been there! Query from the other side about a bit of paper which turned out to be worth £500 (the amount it would have cost us for an indemnity policy if I'd not been able to find it!!).

Gizlotsmum You should have such a go at your EA for giving out your number - they've breached the Data Protection Act. Our EA merrily gave ours to A RELATIVE of our buyer because they were on holiday (buyer asked relative to rectify a balls-up on their doing) and we went nuts.

Whatwould that’s What DH said...

I'd be fuming tentative If your heart isn't in it, can you pull out and go in to rented? Totally reasonable given that they've moved the goal posts. Or reducing your offer would also be reasonable given the circumstances.

That's weird Gizlot surely they should be going through your EA or solicitors?? Definitely play hell with the EA!

Yoga that makes sense to me - flakey is always flakey! Best off with reliable any day...

Well I guess it's reassuring to know that even the water guys aren't sure if you needed to do the thing that they're saying you didn't do Major! Bloody annoying though I've also been living on Rennies, but I think that's being 38 weeks pregnant

Forthelove that's a nightmare of organisation! Do your vendors not want to sell their house?! Why the hell won't they give the EAs keys??

Munki The cheeky fuckers One of my friend's friends is a property developer, and she was telling me that he's got a nasty habit of dropping his offer £5k on the day of exchange because people are so desperate to get it sorted they'll pay it. I was like 'if I ever meet him, I will spit in his eye'

Perhaps after 19 weeks you deserve ALL the wine

Ness Your friend's property developer mate is exactly why I didn't want to sell to a developer. It's a shit trick to pull and the dishonesty is awful - if you want to negotiate on price then do it when making your offer. Pulling the rug from under people the day before exchange is so, so awful. One can only hope that he ends up with a nasty dose of genital warts!!

Dropping their offer on the day of exchange seems to be the new norm I've spoken to a few people at work who had similar experiences. It's amazing what stories people will tell you whilst making tea and discussing moving house

Give the EA both barrels Gizlotsmum. I hope the electrical query amounts to nothing.

You're right yoga - a mum on the school run this morning told me that she had to ebay a load of brand new Laura Ashley curtains a few years back because the chain broke on day of exchange . Seems you're never home and dry until you're.... home and dry.

Drain issues rumble on here. EVERYONE is chasing us now - vendors, buyers, EA's & conveyancers. And we are just at the mercy of the water company, who still can't make up their minds. I could cry. Someone pass the .

I can't believe some people! I hate the thought of them getting away with such shitty behaviour.

Tentative, your vendors have deceived you into making a lower offer. If you don't love the house you're buying would you consider rented instead for a while?

And Munki, I really hope you exchange today. Please tell there won't be a bottle of Prosecco waiting on the side when your buyers move in to your old house.

And Yoga, I agree with you too. Flakey viewers could be flakey buyers. Best avoided.

I've trawled through the sol's report on our purchase and all the associated documentation and made an appointment to sign the contract next Tuesday. I've also had to arrange for a plumber to visit the new house and check the boiler because they couldn't provide a compliance cert for its installation in 2009. Unfortunately the plumber can't do that until next Tuesday either but it shouldn't hold things up. All being well with the boiler check, we will be ready to exchange by next Wednesday.

The rest of the chain is getting there. We and our buyers are nearly ready, the others are just waiting for imminent mortgage offers and a local search, all due any day now.

There is still a chance we can complete 20 or 23rd October. Nobody else has mentioned dates yet though, so I don't know what the rest of the chain's expectations are.

The thought of someone trying any funny business on exchange day makes me bilious. I hope the EAs would step up at that point and earn their fee.

xpost with Major.

Sounds like a nightmare. Isn't there anyone at the water company you can lean on?

Appears not Ann - we're in contact with 2 'technicians' at the water company who appear to be team administrators & don't actually have the authority to make any decisions themselves but prepare the case files & distribute them out to the right people for consideration. We are chasing them daily and, to be fair to them, they are chasing the relevant decision makers daily. Short of ringing them & crying down the phone (drastic measures!!) I don't know how we can push this along any faster.

Oh dear. I hope you get a resolution soon, don't discount the nuclear (crying) option if things get serious though.

Oh my word Major that's sooo frustrating!! Can you march down to the water board in person and stage a sit in?!

I totally agree, people who fuck about on day of exchange deserve all of the bad House buying karma in the future. And preferably some sort of nasty infection. Or bedbugs! Leave them some bedbugs!
Ha! Sorry, just amusing myself at the thought of having some in a tiny cage, and as we leave the house for the last time, ordering 'release the bedbugs' 😆

What a pain Major, everything is just so bureaucratic with the utilities. Not the same but I once faffed around for 4 months trying to get our gas and electricity metres moved from one side of the wall to the other side and in the end I gave up as the wall of paperwork and people shunting you from one department to another just wore me down.

Are the office in any way local to you? Could you try drastically drastic and turn up there, sit in reception and cry very loudly?

Sounds positive AnnPerkins with regard to the boiler can you check the gas safe registration, and the LA will presumably have the building control record - would this be enough to prove compliance?

Tentative - what Ann said. Or reduce your offer on the basis that the situation has changed.

I have everything crossed for you today Munki - really hope you exchange

Neither of our no-shows have been in contact with the EA but I'm not bothered. We have spoken to our vendors EA and they seem okay - vendor is still happy to wait. We have offered a copy of the survey when it arrives. I hope openness and transparency will show keep the vendor on our side but I know he'll only be able to wait so long. We do have a viewing booked Friday tea-time and one Saturday lunchtime, so hopefully they will both show up and like the place!

I am not used to not being in control and am finding this situation difficult so I spent a couple of hours last night creating a database of the other properties in our town which are similar in size to ours - our competition. That way I can keep an eye on when/if they sell. I realise I'm biased but ours should be an attractive option to view as it's the cheapest and best located of all of them. It's also non-estate and walkable to the town centre which most aren't. All our feedback has said it's well presented and in a nice area so fingers crossed.

Nessa Yes indeed! And rub a few stray cats around on the carpets to leave some fleas too! I remember another thread on here suggesting sewing prawns into the hems of curtains That's truly evil.

Two colleagues have now told me that they've had people pull out either on or the day before exchange. What total gits (the purchasers not my colleagues). I realise they are telling me this to try and make me feel better about my own situation but it's really not helping!

We complete on Thursday and move on Saturday, and my 3 and 2 year olds have just come down with chicken pox

Ecureuil oh no! You poor things. I hope they aren't feeling too poorly. Do you have family nearby they could stay with? Or, could you stay with them and a family member or friend supervise the move?

Oh ecureuil that's unfortunate timing, although some kids don't seem to suffer so badly with chicken pox, so fingers crossed theirs is fairly mild for the move.

yoga - totally agree with the not being in control element. I have drawn a 'drain decision tree' this week in a bid to regain some control over the situation. DH looked at me like I was mad .

Unfortunately the regional office for the water company is 50 miles away, so not local enough to pop in. I think we need to ramp up to daily phone calls, not just emails, from now on.

So EA denied all knowledge and was going to investigate ( apparently it may have been on the initial paperwork, will check when I get home) he was meant to be ringing me back when he found out why the electrician was coming round and also to give me a name of who I am letting into my house but nothing yet!