Waiting to exchange anyone?

[Everywhichway2018]

Evening All 😁

Just wondered if anyone fancied a support thread? I'm sure I'm not the only one who is frustrated by this process and it would be good to have somewhere to vent the stress!

My journey so far...

Put house on market late July 2017 - slightly ambitious price to 'test the market.'

Mid August 2017 reduce by £10,000.
Lots of viewings, 3 2nd viewings but no offers.

September 2017 reduce by another £10,000. Viewings slow to 1 or 2 a week but still no offers so removed the house from the market.

December 2017 we return to market with a new agent at the last price. First viewing results in an offer at £10,000 under asking price. However buyer had not sold. We agreed to give them a month to sell their property and stopped all other viewings.

January 2018 our buyer decided they needed to reduce the price on their flat which meant they could no longer afford the offer they gave us. We decided to go back to market with both agencies.

Mid February we got an offer for £5000 under asking price which we accepted. Buyers survey was done by end of February and they have nothing to sell so we thought we were in for an easy ride.

March 2018 buyer waiting on mortgage offer.

Mid April 2018 buyers mortgage offered and they instruct solicitor to start searches.

It seems such a long process and there stilll seems to be a way to go!

How's everyone else finding the process?

So selling to people who are currently renting, us, buying from people going into rented, took 10 weeks.

No mortgage problems and minimal survey issues. Everyone playing nicely in the chain (so far).

Ten whole weeks. Seems ridiculous.

Congrats Easily!

But that does seem a long time when no one was trying to hold the chain up

Congrats Easily! I will be so much happier when we’ve exchanged.

We had a week of our solicitor and buyers solicitor both “arguing” over whether enquiry responses had been sent...and now the buyers solicitor still hasn’t okayd them yet so we can’t exchange until they do.

I don’t understand how this whole thing isn’t just a ducking 5 minute phone call conversation!!

Fantastic news Easily!

Hope those of us waiting start to progress soon. The seller is due in solicitors office today to sign papers so im praying exchange will be today or tomorrow!

Really pleased for you @Easilyflattered. 🎉

Still no news here. I have started pushing for an exchange date, emailed our solicitor- who has emailed their solicitor, but no news. Have also asked my EA to push for exchange but no news there either. I think from now on I'm going to call rather than email.

We are coming up to 11 weeks, only us and our buyers who have nothing to sell, we are going in to rented, and still we are waiting for enquires to start!!! There has to be a better way!!

I know here it’s takong 4-5 weeks for searches to come back, and solicitors won’t usually request those until the survey and mortgage offer are in. Then a week or two for enquiries etc.

Our sellers solicitors have finally bothered to send the contracts! So our searches can be applied for two weeks after we initially paid for them. I'm hoping they won't take too long to come back!

Reading with huge interest, I'm waiting to exchange too!

We are 5 weeks in however hoping to exchange in 2 weeks - we are pushing for a quick conclusion as I'm very heavily pregnant...

We are ready to go, have had everything back re the house we are buying, had some extra checks undertaken (roof, asbestos, damp) & are happy to proceed.

Our buyers are stalling (I should note that they first offered to buy our house 9 months ago so this is not a "quick" decision they have made to buy our house), eventually decided they want the roof checked (fine) but are also asking that we provide 5 separate certificates for various amenities in the house...we have said no & are awaiting their response. They are FTB so I think possibly freaking out a bit. Hoping this moves along today & they respond, rather than waiting a week again!

Good luck to everyone, hope everyone is working quickly for you & communicating well!

@Everywhichway2018 we have found that the only way to push things forward is to be an absolute nag! Ring everyone you can until you get an answer but also propose your own date for exchange/completion? People seem to work better when there is an "end in sight", even if that date changes (several times 😬)

Looks like my pushing has worked. Had enquiries through this morning, looks like the searches are back too as one is mentioned in the enquiries. I had them answered and back within the hour and asked the solicitor to push forward. Unfortunately she has had to contact Land registry with questions so goodness knows how long it will take them to respond!

@Everywhichway2018 🤞 they get an answer sharpish! I have no idea how the process can take so long, I wonder which country has the best selling/buying system? Feel like our system has to chAnge!

We are still waiting. I thought that it would be quick and easy. No chain, funds ready, sellers already moved out when we viewed the property.... Now it has been 9 weeks I met the sellers once and they were really weird... They seem not to care at all, not replying emails or replying just half of the question. I honestly don't know what else I could do.

We are still waiting for exchange too... I’m not currently pushing as our new build is not ready to move into until June 14th

We were thinking we’d have to store furniture & rent a holiday let for a few weeks but at this rate house will be ready!

Only 3 of us in chain, think the hold up is the first time buyer & their solicitor

Whoo hoooo, exchanged late this afternoon! Nearly had a heart attack though when sols called to say something had come up last minute on the bankruptcy search !!!! We've not got any debt and have never been bankrupt! I could have cried! Anyway turns out it was a false alarm and wasn't related to us .......what a day! Completion on the 11th im so excited! How's everyone else doing??

Congrats on exchanging! Do they literally just ring you and say “we’re completing today”? Did you change house insurance over to the new property?

Sorry, *exchanging not completing.

Congratulations!!

New to the thread. I’m waiting to complete. Separating from DH so it can’t come quick enough. I’m going to give the solicitor a nudge today.

@Imelda03 congratulations!! Have you started packing yet?! I keep putting it off until we are confirmed..!

@Imelda03 fantastic news 🎉

Thanks Missclarke86 :) weLloyd we signed paperwork last week so that ment gou g through all the searched and contract with sols. She then said on day of exchange I would get a call to take instruction ie am i happy to proceed and finalise completion date then a second call to confirm exchange has happend. That's exactly how it went bar the panic re bankruptcy search lol! X

Thanks everyone else !!

NC4Now hope you get movement soon!
Alwaysthinkingofsleep minimal packing ie taking books out of book case lol! I need to get a move on!!

Congrats Imelda! We can be moving day buddies Yesterday I spent all day on the phone confirming removals, sending off school applications and telling 101 companies that we're moving.

Today I'm going to walk round my house filling bin liners with junk to go to the tip and charity shop.

Been waiting since Jan. Seller just won’t answer reasonable questions. Also agreed a completion date target of Easter and then just before this date, the seller didn’t even have a mortgage offer! Now won’t confirm the management charge is paid up to date on the property we are buying. Seller knows we cannot find anywhere else so is just a pain. Now wants a quick completion but just won’t answer the question about any debts on the property. Pain in the backside! DD is having to camp out in a friend’s house because he won’t get a shift on and her flat rental expired in the middle of all of this! Nightmare so far! Fingers crossed for exchange this week!

So, spoke to our solicitor at 1pm who said everything was good to go and she would start the process. What now? How long does the 'process' take? I expected to have heard by now.

Probably another 64 years, but I hope it’s sooner 😆