Contacting the buyer direct

[Pud2]

I need to negotiate a date for exchange and completion. My solicitors secretary told me to do it directly with the person buying my property. Is that what normally happens? I thought that was all negotiated by the solicitors?

Is there an EA involved? That's the kind of thing they do as most will liaise with the solicitors to see where things are up to.

We tell our solicitor and he sorts it out with the other solicitors

is it just the 2 of you?
ours had 5 involved so it had to be sols but me and our purchaser agreed between us what would work for us.

It’s just the two of us in the chain. However, the buyer was adamemt that there would be a quick sale and we agreed a completion date when the offer was accepted. I now think I can’t meet that date (12 days away) as they’ve sent through a long list of enquiries and it’s going to take a bit of time to sort them and I’m also on holiday for a week. I want to delay by a week or two but think they won’t be impressed.

Can I ask my estate agent to negotiate?

Can I ask my estate agent to negotiate?
Yes, absolutely, this is exactly what you're paying them for!

Thank you! Not always sure what the solicitor does and what the EA does.

Next question - on the list of enquiries they’re asking for lots of documents eg, some things about a conservatory I had built 13years ago. I know I don’t have some of the paperwork. What happens if I can’t produce it?

Depends a little on the specific details, but say for example you don't have the necessary planning approval or building regs completion certificates the common solution is to provide an indemnity insurance policy to the buyer, at the sellers expense, that removes the financial risk to the buyer.

These will normally be a couple of hundred pounds, but your solicitor should be able to give a more accurate indication based on your specific situation.

Some conservatories do not require planning approval, and may not be subject to building regs. It varies a bit from one case to another. But there will always be a solution.

Thank you Mildura. It’s good to know there’s always a solution as I know I’m missing some of the documents they’ve requested.