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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 · 22/08/2018 13:40

@HopefullyMoving - such a pain! It seems crazy. You are almost there! Surely it will take much longer (and cost much more) to start the whole process again. Hoping for your sake it's an empty threat!

2moveornot2move · 22/08/2018 13:54

I wouldn't worry too much @HopefullyMoving - for the reasons @JustLurk1ng has said. Frustration has probably driven them to say it. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

HopefullyMoving · 22/08/2018 14:06

Oh I really really really hope so. But for reasons I can't say (in case it's too outing) they are in a position to do so and act on principle. I hope I'm over thinking it.

2moveornot2move · 22/08/2018 16:36

A bit of good news here. Our buyers solicitor has told her that all enquiries have now been satisfied throughout the chain.

So we are just waiting on a signed contract from the bottom now...

Barbara147 · 22/08/2018 17:15

Some good news here too, we’ve finally exchanged contracts and are completing next week. It took 4 weeks of trying (once everything was ready) and we had to threaten to pull out otherwise, but we got there in the end. Our offer was accepted end of May, and we had a chain in place & progressing already. Fingers crossed for good news all round!

Pearlsofmadness · 22/08/2018 22:58

@HopefullyMoving I really hope it’s just an empty threat that they think will get things moving more quickly. Wouldn’t make sense for them to pull out when you’re very nearly there, hopefully they can see that. Keep us updated, fingers crossed for you!

HopefullyMoving · 22/08/2018 23:04

Thank you @Pearlsofmadness. It really is out of our control. The sellers solicitors applied to legal aid agency for the redemption figure on a charge on the property, something they should have done early on. It can take weeks, maybe a month according to my solicitor, to receive and we cannot exchange without it. So we are waiting for an untold amount of time for a third party to provide information. It could come tomorrow; it could come next month. Each day of waiting is driving me insane.

HopefullyMoving · 22/08/2018 23:06

If I knew it would take 2 weeks, then fine. But sellers solicitors are saying it's only 'days' when mine says probably longer, not unheard of it being a month or so.
So who the hell really knows 🤷‍♀️

IKnowThisMuch · 23/08/2018 01:46

Hi all,

I hope nobody minds me jumping onto this thread!

My OH and I are FTBs. Found a house we loved and offer was accepted end of July. Solicitor was instructed soon after. No chain - the vendors are moving into new build. We aren't selling a house and don't have notice to give on a rental.

Four weeks down the line - survey has been completed with no issues, and mortgage is in place. We were given a tentative completion date of around October, but this may be pushed back a few weeks due to building delays.

From your experience, what do you think we should be doing in terms of keeping on top of everything? I'm cautious about getting ahead of myself, but am also keen to not take my eye off the ball - I read this thread from top to bottom, and have really had my eyes opened! I've heard nothing from our solicitor in this process so far, so thinking that might be a good place to start? Or is it still too early to be worrying about that?

Sending good vibes to everyone who's on this rollercoaster Thanks

HopefullyMoving · 23/08/2018 04:33

HiIknowthismuch welcome to the thread.

We had an offer on our house and our offer accepted around end of June. I kept on top of our solicitors, although I needn't have done because I know now how efficient they are but I didn't know that then and had heard stories about how crap some can be.
Make sure all the searches are in and you've had time to review, that enquiries have been raised and responded to and that you have signed (but not dated) the contracts and deposit monies ready to go. I would start chasing on it all now. Good luck!

IKnowThisMuch · 23/08/2018 14:10

Thanks @HopefullyMoving.

Rang the solicitor this morning - they have received our mortgage offer from the bank, but nothing else from the EA (letters etc.) Rang the EA, who said the letters were sent about 3 weeks ago to the solicitors and they should have it on file!

I guess the stories about solicitors are true!

How is everyone else getting on today?

HopefullyMoving · 23/08/2018 14:25

No news.
No news at all.

TokyoSushi · 23/08/2018 14:42

Nope, nothing here today either!

JustLurk1ng · 23/08/2018 14:44

Nope. None here either. Nada.

Pearlsofmadness · 23/08/2018 14:53

@Iknowthismuch Keep chasing the solicitors. It’s the only way anything’s been done for us in this process.

Double checked with our solicitors today that all is in place for 31st August. They’re just waiting for the redemption statement from our current mortgage which they should get today & then we’re good to go, hopefully!

2moveornot2move · 23/08/2018 15:51

No real news here. Our buyers are pushing to complete on 31st but as we haven't exchanged today I don't see how it can happen.

Nicole4427 · 23/08/2018 16:41

I've just come back from many years in Australia and I'm now comparing the whole buying/selling process and quite frankly it's nuts here.
In Australia the onus is on the seller to provide a package of information about the property and houses sell by either auction or private sale. As soon as an offer (or win at auction) is accepted the buyer puts down a non refundable deposit of 10% and a settlement date of 60 days (this can be negotiated) is set and that's it. No changing your mind unless you want to lose money. Any surveys have to be done before offer to purchase or auction date. Added to this the normal auction cycle is about 4 weeks, so the whole process is a lot quicker and people are used to it.
Here I've had to pull out of a purchase after the survey revealed a lot of structural issues and the property was taken off the market.
I'm now going through another set of survey/searches/legal fees and hopefully nothing goes wrong. Two months into the process and no chain on either side.
However I really think something should be done about a system which requires buyers to repeat searches.

PatrickMerricksGoshawk · 23/08/2018 19:32

Evening all! Joining in here...FTB and the threads in here have been keeping me sane the last few weeks!

We had an email from our solicitor today saying searches were complete, her enquiries had all been answered (but not saying what her enquiries were...should I ask??), and she had checked the title to the property.

Any idea how long things could be expected to take after this? Seller is moving into a new build and we’re in rented at the moment.

Thanks 👍

JustLurk1ng · 23/08/2018 21:17

Have you got your mortgage offer? Have you done your survey and got results? Yes you should have a copy of the searches, enquiries etc as you may want to make your own enquiries. Need to check the title deeds, search results, property fixtures and fittings and property info. Once all that is ok, you have signed your mortgage offer and signed your contract then it's just a case of the conveyancers getting on the phone and exchanging.

2moveornot2move · 23/08/2018 21:34

A very frustrating end to the day here. Still no clue as to what is holding things up. Lots of conflicting information - bottom of the chain signed contracts last week... they will sign them electronically ... are in the post, should arrive tomorrow...
Ea has been pretty shit today, told us to get solicitor to chase down the chain, even though she has phone numbers and email for everybody in the chain z solicitor does not. She actually said she was too busy with exchanges and completions, fuming is an understatement! Seeing as she told us we should exchange today or tomorrow I think that is pretty poor!

HopefullyMoving · 23/08/2018 21:48

@2moveornot2move we were in the same boat. Buyers (and me) pushing for completion on 31st but my sellers letting that down. I think here's little chance of exchange tomorrow in which case no completion next week.
That is really poor attitude from EA. I would not be impressed at all!!

@PatrickMerricksGoshawk have to say my friends were buying a new build and their build was delayed by 6 months.... but we're kept being told 'ready next month' and it just kept going on. Hope it works out better for your sellers.

Bubbles121 · 23/08/2018 21:52

Hi everyone! Can I ask a quick question? How long did it take to get out your memorandum of sales out? I accepted an offer last week, Rightmove shows it's under offer but I haven't received anything to say the sale was progressing - no valuation booked in etc - does that sound like a long time with no movement? I'm sure mine went in super quick when I last bought ...

zebrapig · 23/08/2018 22:03

With our first sale we had it within a couple of days, our second was about 10 days and I had to chase it (same ea). Our purchase was about a week but that was because it took us a few days after offering to get our AIP paperwork.

JustLurk1ng · 23/08/2018 22:15

@zebrapig could be they haven't confirmed solicitor details. Have you checked with EA

Bubbles121 · 23/08/2018 22:19

Thanks both. Yes I spoke with EA on Monday who said the AIP was sorted and they were deciding on solicitor - that they had given them some recommendations and they had left them a voicemail to follow up on.

They did say the buyer was quite keen (she was my first viewer and put an offer in the morning after she viewed it so I guessed so) I think I'm just worried that as I haven't heard about a valuation yet and there hasn't been any sale confirmation bits sent out they're rethinking :( (she's a first time buyer)