How common is it to be in contact with your seller / buyer directly?

[LemonChiffon]

I've seen a couple of posts on MN where people have been able to text / call their seller or buyer directly during the conveyancing process. I was wondering how common that was? In our house move chain, I have no contact with any of the parties, it is all through the solicitors or estate agents. Being able to contact them directly would be very useful! But I imagine there would be downsides to it too.

What's your experience?

We had no contact at all until we all did final viewings just before exchange. All left phone numbers on completion day but had no contact except from our buyer's Mum to say did we know we'd left stuff in the shed. Response was yes, the removal can wasn't big enough so the removal men will be back for it in an hour.

I had direct contact throughout my (first) purchase this year, after having had the viewing also by the seller. I did find it helpful, and we were both courteous throughout, but I think I might have been more comfortable making a lower offer and potentially saving some money if I'd been more detached!

We had direct contact with our seller then he became a prat phoning and texting DP multiple times a day and DP had to block him. Everything through solicitors and agents now.

I had a lot of contact with my buyer. I was desperate to sell and he was lovely so I wanted to make it all as easy as possible for him. He came round and rang me quite often. And then came to our new house with old post. We he eventually sold himself, he sent me a lovely letter with his new contact details. He was lovely - left him a bottle of wine and a bag of coal for the fire when I moved out (January).

We had purple brick as well and the buyer was in contact with me until to the end and even gave them the keys and we also collected the keys from the sale too.

When I last sold, I told my EA that I didn’t want any contact with the buyers and I never met them. I was very emotionally tied to the house and I really didn’t want to hear about any plans the buyers had for it. It was, and in my heart still is, my house and home, I just don’t live there any more. Completely irrational, I know

As a buyer though, I’d always want to meet the vendor face to face as they often let slip information that an estate agent wouldn’t (or at least shouldn’t).

We had a hellish time completing with a divorced couple (he was still living in the house). After the fifth exchange date went by, we heard through our EA that she was taking him to court to push through the sale as our buyers couldn't extend their mortgage offer again.
I ended up finding her on FB and messaged apologising for contacting her, but to say we had evidence if needed of him obstructing the sale with surveys and constant last minute cancellations. We kept in contact throughout and were able to push through various info to solicitors that meant everything went through in the end.
It was a last ditch attempt in all honesty as we had started looking at other houses.

We swapped tel no with our buyers and sellers but all communication about visits to measure etc, or anything else linked to the sale went through the EA. We did all text each other with questions to do with practicalities of living in the house, although this was mostly post move. Stuff like where's the stop cock?!
We all carried on living in the same village so needed to keep things pleasant.

I am in the process of buying now (FTB) and I have my seller's number. Mostly because he's selling though House Simple and the guy dealing with the sale on their end can't understand the lovely Chinese seller. Seller and I get on very well though, and communicate mostly by text. I kind of want to get into do some measuring but don't want to put him out, and we complete pretty soon, so I think it can wait.

We have bought and sold a few times with no contact and it was fine.

We put our house on the market this summer and it was a different story. We received an offer after one couple saw the house just once. I was doubtful how realistic it was as I wouldn't dream of buying a house after one viewing (and with almost a week between viewing and offer). The Ea assured us everything was fine, survey carried out, they did searches etc.

All looked good until the only aspect left was their mortgage valuation. We were strung along for another 3 months with various versions of the dog ate my homework about why their mortgage application had not been submitted. Eventually I wrote them a letter, put it through their door saying what could we do to help them proceed - as our onward purchase at risk. Email immediately from the buyer - want to proceed etc etc etc. So we waited again. More fool us. But if I had met or spoken to the buyers we would have been better placed to judge what was happening.
Eventually we have our our house back on the market and I have said I would like to meet any prospective buyer at some point in the future. I'm happy to the EA to do 1st viewings but 2nd viewing or after offer I would like to be reassured that they are serious. If there is a reason why a buyer cant proceed, I'd prefer to know and not have the uncertainty of holding on from July to November!

As mentioned above - most people are nice but you can make up your own mind if there is some contact! We have had to reduce our price now and start again after thinking we were off in Sept. BTW here is or house. Hoping for a quick sale now to avoid losing our dream property in Yorkshire.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77412869.html
Good luck!