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Original poster

Waiting to exchange.Anyone with me?

999 replies

DumbledoresArmy · 21/03/2018 06:30

So FTB,
Latest update last week was solicitor waiting for an enquiry raised with sellers solicitor & 1 search to come back.
Almost there!!

Anyone else with me?

OP posts:
JustLurk1ng · 10/08/2018 07:07

Sisters - yay! How many weeks end to end from offer acceptance? We're at 6 weeks now and trying to convince myself there is light at the end of this tunnel!

SistersOfPercy · 10/08/2018 11:45

Lurking, it's not been simple for us as we've had no agent involvement and we've dealt with the sellers directly.
We agreed a price over a coffee bsck in may I think but the house had tenants in which complicated things.
We've had to wait for them to go, were held up by their refusal to let the surveyor in and other small niggles.

The plus side of it there was no chain and any niggles we've just messaged eachother.

Twogirlsonelabrador · 10/08/2018 16:30

Hi everyone.

I used to love Fridays, they were always the best day of the week. Not anymore though. Now they signal another week of disappointment and hanging on in limbo with still no date for exchange on the horizon. Being told one thing by our solicitor and then something else by the estate agents when they speak to sellers solicitor. Only 2 parties in the whole chain, we are renting so no chain and theyre buying a new build. how can it have taken 14 weeks so far. I dont know how anyone copes with this for months on end - I wouldnt mind how long we have to wait as we are buying our forever home, but why cant they just be honest and tell you how long things will take. This time last Friday got a call from the solicitor saying she couldnt see any reason at all why we wouldt exchange this week - and this Friday there are still "ongoing issues" and no end in sight. If we had know how long it would take we would have booked a summer holiday, instead we are living in cardboard box land. Not happy.

RiddleyW · 10/08/2018 16:35

Well after a ridiculous last minute crisis we managed to exchange today! Thank god for that

Fuckedoffat48b · 10/08/2018 17:22

Twogirls I understand exactly how you feel. We finally exchanged this week, 17 weeks after having our offer accepted. We are in a similar situation to you in that it was also chain free (we are renters and the house we are buying is an empty ex-rental property) and the time frame has just been ridiculous. We also chose the house partly on the basis that it was chain-free and everything should have been a bit quicker which we need as I am pregnant, so feel quite duped. We also didn't book a summer holiday and we could have done, so I am pretty pissed off.

I think the expectations around being 'chain free' and it being a 'buyers market' have been mis-sold. Nothing protects you from terribly behaved sellers, unless you are willing to walk away at any stage.

emdude · 10/08/2018 17:53

Also meant to exchange this week, and complete next Friday. Solicitor said their were just 2 queries re: HS2 and Highways agency that should be back v soon. However when we asked about the results of the mining survey we asked for she then said that hadn't come back and she was chasing that too.

I'm seriously wondering whether she actually forgot to ask for it. Can see us completing next week now. Fingers crossed for the week after. Desperate to be in before new school term!!

Twogirlsonelabrador · 10/08/2018 18:12

FOff - when are you completing? When I phoned the solicitor last thing she said we should be exchanging "Early next week" and could complete 3 days later....In theory then COULD be in in a weeks time or 2 weeks tops. I somehow dont believe her though!

Pearlsofmadness · 11/08/2018 11:51

@Twogirls I completely sympathise with you. We’re in a very similar situation and fed up of being fobbed off by the solicitor every week. It’s so annoying trying to plan things around potentially moving- not booking any holidays/making long term plans etc. Haven’t done a proper food shop in weeks, just incase this is ‘the week’.

Maybe next week will be our week. Here’s hoping!

Twogirlsonelabrador · 12/08/2018 08:05

Pearls - totally know what you mean about the food shop lol....We have worked our way through the freezer and not buying anymore! Really is limbo land. Im trying to pretend its like being on holiday - living with a certain amount of clothes, partially empty cupboards etc! Well the last conversation I had with the solicitor on Friday she was CERTAIN we will exchange this week and may complete within 3 days (fine by us as in rented so going to do a staggered move in anyway) - fingers crossed this is the week for us all!!!

HopefullyMoving · 12/08/2018 10:10

I have high hopes for this week!!!
I REALLY need to exchange by Friday as we have plans for the house the following week.
I'll be calling the solicitor early Monday to get an update and to encourage things along.

coffeenwine · 12/08/2018 10:22

Would love your opinion on this: we're in the middle of a chain and I've been chatting to our buyer via email.

He wanted a date to aim for completion, so we agreed one ( 26th August) HOWEVER, i've just found out that he then went and exchanged with his buyer without chatting to us for a completion for 26th! and is now saying that if we don't exchange with him now to complete on that date, he'll pull out as we agreed to the "completion date he offered".
Full disclosure: I had said if there were major delays we would still move, BUT that we would confirm closer.

He's forcing our hand as onward chain isn't ready... what would you do?
I stupidly assumed he knew that all dates were tentative until you exchange especially in a long chain and everyone exchanges together....

Old4new2018 · 12/08/2018 10:30

Keeping my fingers crossed here for exchange next week too 🤞🤞. The hold ups have put us in a different situation which now means we will need to find a rental. The added stress of not knowing where we are going is having a severe impact on us. All the decent rentals are being snapped up and there is no point in us looking without a date. I know we are going to upset our vendor as we said we could move quickly between exchange and completion but as their solicitor has been so slow our plan for our temporary stay is no longer available. I am so scared we are going to end up homeless!!

Wishing everyone good luck for the coming week 😘

Twogirlsonelabrador · 13/08/2018 09:09

new week, new hope!!! come on guys, lets get some of us exchanged this week!!!

havingiraffe · 13/08/2018 09:17

Oh my goodness this thread. I have been in tears every Friday as our solicitor tells us on Monday we will exchange this week then a series of questions, enquiries and delays seem to crop up and by Friday afternoon we are back to square one. Made all the worse by the fact we are buying in Scotland so that whole process was done and dusted in a couple of weeks and just hanging on for our English sale with no end in sight. How are solicitors such incompetent fools?

I'm also pregnant and just want to get settled in our new home, waiting to hear again today but if we don't exchange this week then my daugter is going to miss her first (ever) day at school too.

Twogirlsonelabrador · 13/08/2018 09:33

havingagiraffe so sorry to hear how stressed you are. It really is unacceptable isnt it! fingers crossed you get some good news really really soon!

legolimb · 13/08/2018 11:45

Also waiting for good news this week.

I have put forward our date and booked the removals. So it had better happen.

Packing is ongoing - I know where nothing is! Still more to do. I have realised just how much storage we have at our current house- lots and lots of cupboards, garage, outbuildings. We are going to a larger house but with way fewer cupboards and places to hide junk. There may be a further cull once we move in!

Good luck to all still waiting on news.

mangocoveredlamb · 13/08/2018 12:28

Legolimb, us too.
We’re completing tomorrow! Packers are here and I’m vaguely panicking about how we’re going to make it work!

HopefullyMoving · 13/08/2018 12:44

Exciting to hear people packing. I've started with the stuff we never use under the stairs but that's it. I'm holding off until we exchange which is hopefully end of this week.

We need three things to complete. One has been achieved this morning, two to go!! Fingers crossed!!

mangocoveredlamb · 13/08/2018 13:14

Good luck Hopefullymoving, hopefully you’ll be definitelymoving soon!

Twogirlsonelabrador · 13/08/2018 17:39

yikes - last minute call from solicitor - she reckons good to go and looking to exchange tomorrow and complete Friday!

legolimb · 13/08/2018 18:03

Woohoo!! Amazing news. Star

emdude · 13/08/2018 18:52

@Twogirlsonelabrador Same here! Call from solicitors PA this morning asking us to come in and sign contracts so we can exchange Weds and hopefully complete Friday.

Have absolutely nothing packed and at work all week - starting to panic now!!

blinkineckmum · 13/08/2018 18:53

So what do you do when you've had an offer accepted and find somewhere ypu like better??

HopefullyMoving · 13/08/2018 19:05

End of day 1 (of 5). Countdown to exchange.

No news from sellers conveyancer about enquiries yet. Expecting drainage and water search back tomorrow so still outstanding. Even after it being sent off over a week ago. These two things then we're done. 4 days to go.........Confused

Old4new2018 · 13/08/2018 19:46

How do you guys have dates if nothing is done? We answered 1 last enquiry last Wednesday and was told their buyers had 2 small, easily answered enquiries, so I do not know why we haven't heard anything!

We have got to the point where we feel every day that passes is a day wasted!