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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Please send good vibes that we can exchange today!!

24 replies

fruityb · 30/07/2018 09:15

This has been nine weeks of pain in the arse conveyancing solicitors, ignoring our wishes such as not wanting the boiler serviced but them still asking for it and countdown to us being out of our rental property! We have to be out of here by the end of the week and we’re both climbing the walls now.

We have no chain, our seller has moved out already so our new house is empty and has been for a month yet no one is moving quickly! Our local authority search only came back last week - five weeks after searches were ordered!

Suffice it to say I never ever want to move again! We have a two year old and the thought of having to go and bunk in somewhere with our stuff in storage while some twat at a solicitor pulls their finger out is not appealing.

Please think of us today!

OP posts:

AntiHop · 30/07/2018 09:25

Surely waiting for searches isn't the solictor's fault? Some local authorities take several weeks.

DerelictWreck · 30/07/2018 09:33

Fingers crossed for exchange today OP. Are you getting a mortgage? Bear in mind some have a required delay between exchange and completion to 'draw-down' the funds. NatWest is 5 working days so you'd already be looking at next week with them!

elfofftheshelf · 30/07/2018 09:56

9 weeks is fast! Good luck for today.

Spicylolly · 30/07/2018 10:23

Good luck 👍👍👍

specialsubject · 30/07/2018 10:41

fingers crossed. did you give notice or did your landlord issue a sec 21? if the latter you dont have to leave.

already nearly too late for post redirect and broadband setup so hope things move.

Original poster

fruityb · 30/07/2018 12:01

Once we’ve exchanged we can move - our seller has been amazing. We gave notice and as much as he said he’d give us extra time if we needed it that offer didn’t actually happen.

We do have a mortgage yes - hopefully things will move quickly there as well.

We’re still waiting to speak to someone - you can NEVER speak to someone at ours you always have to wait for a callback. If I spoke to them I’d get shouty - they have been terrible at replying to the sellers solicitors or responding to us all the way through. We used the banks solicitors as they pay the legal fees so we’ve got them on our side as well.

I’m so frustrated with the whole process - I’m a first time buyer and just cannot believe how slowly things move. It shouldn’t happen in this day and age!

OP posts:

specialsubject · 30/07/2018 12:27

ah, that was the mistake - tie in solicitors. they are crap by definition. tell them that you are paying so they dont shout, they put you through to a manager and sort it out.

Mildura · 30/07/2018 13:29

We used the banks solicitors
I think I may have spotted your problem!

penguinsnpandas · 30/07/2018 13:49

Hope you manage to exchange and complete soon.

Moving is always a bit of a nightmare and each time you say I won't do that again. Then after 10 years or so you forget until its too late

A good solicitor does help. I have an amazing one, got ours through in 6 weeks including her being on holiday 2.5 weeks and I don't bother with other quotes. She's lovely too, checked my children had school places and didn't charge when one sale fell through. She was £700 plus VAT this time but had I not had her my DD wouldn't have a local school place and would be being bussed an hour each way to a less good school so she was worth it. She always responds same day to e-mail and phone, used her three times now.

Original poster

fruityb · 30/07/2018 14:19

Well they’re companies affiliated with the bank - so it’s just the bank pay the legal fees. Not ones employed by them.

They’re officially crap - have done some research into them since we started and reviews not great. Needless to say feedback will not be good.

Still waiting on any news like...

OP posts:

Original poster

fruityb · 31/07/2018 08:44

Fingers crossed for today instead.... solicitors don’t speak to each other despite working in the same office it seems...

OP posts:

Namechanger2015 · 31/07/2018 13:41

We used the banks solicitors

I agree with PP, this is definitely the problem!

The most stressful time I have had with house buying/seller was because of crappy, slow, non-responsive solicitors chosen by my exh because they were cheap

This time I chose a really proficient solicitor, she or her junior reply or call back same day, and always pick up calls, and have been so easy to work with.

You will know for next time at least!

Good luck with the exchange (I am also hoping to exchange this week so I know how nerve-wracking it is!)

Original poster

fruityb · 31/07/2018 14:02

This is the thing they’re not cheap lol! But live and learn I suppose.

We’re on track today however! God this has been horrendous lol

OP posts:

Namechanger2015 · 31/07/2018 14:36

Good luck with it OP, I feel your pain!

My hassle this time has been with the PITA vendor who keeps delaying things. I think there is always something stressful to contend with, with it being such a big purchase.

I should be exchanging this week and completing mid-August and get butterflies whenever I think about it! I hope you manage to exchange - please let us know!

Original poster

fruityb · 31/07/2018 16:18

Contract received, printed and sent back. We expect exchange on Thursday. Our seller has been awesome I have to say - the solicitor will be getting one snarky letter however!

OP posts:

busyboysmum · 31/07/2018 16:20

Looks like you've learnt your lesson here. Never use solicitors tied into banks or estate agents for that matter. Always use an independent solicitor who will have your best interests at heart.

bigsighall · 31/07/2018 16:27

9 weeks, I’m envious. We’ve been 15 MONTHS (so far!!) good luck. Hope it goes well. Moving is bloody stressful!!

Original poster

fruityb · 31/07/2018 16:50

We did ask for assurances it would be done ASAP - that’s why I’ve got so frustrated. Plus we have nothing to sell and the seller has already moved out! They have just been the least proactive people I have ever known!

You’d think they’d be keeping us sweet if they wanted business via the bank like this surely! But yes we know now - it’s my first house purchase so all reasonably uncharted territory for me. I had slightly higher expectations than this - renting was never this stressful!

OP posts:

Original poster

fruityb · 01/08/2018 16:11

We’ve exchanged!! 💃🏻

Good lord what a slow and tedious process that was?

OP posts:

bigsighall · 01/08/2018 16:23

Congrats 🎉

BeeePeee · 02/08/2018 23:05

Well done. Send some of that luck my way as we're waiting to exchange.

MeMeMeow85 · 03/08/2018 08:48

Great news! It is a really stressful process, hopefully now you can enjoy the fun bits of planning a new home 😊

IHeartKingThistle · 03/08/2018 09:18

That's great. But 9 weeks is super speedy! Last time we moved it took from March till DECEMBER.

Original poster

fruityb · 03/08/2018 10:46

We completed yesterday so we are officially home owners 😊 it means a lot as it’s our first home we own together. We’ve lived together in two houses but one was owned by my now husband and his ex which we moved into when his tenants left: he hated the house and so we moved into a rented house two years ago.

I know 9 weeks is fast but we had nothing to sell and the seller had moved out. It was a straightforward move and actually would have been quicker if our solicitors actually spoke to each other in the same office. There were days they were saying they hadn’t received something only it turned out it was with someone else in the office but they didn’t think to look. It was as if they had to be told what to do CONSTANTLY! The feedback will be done later today - I’m just pleased we’re in. I’m trying to ignore the chaos surrounding me right now but it’ll get there! Happily the sellers left the house spotless so not had to do anything there.

OP posts:

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