Sellers/Buyers roll call Part 4 Keep strong everyone!

[alifelessordinary]

Thought I'd start a new thread as previous one had hit 1000 posts and wouldn't let me reply!

@LookingOptimistic why do solicitors have to be so difficult at times? Hope it gets resolved for you soon.

The indemnity policy came through this afternoon, so we're hoping we might be exchanging sometime next week...unless something else crops up!

We've had someone request to see our house but they have admitted they're not even on the market yet and don't plan on listing it until they've found somewhere to buy. This sounds totally bonkers to me?! The way the market is, surely they're naive to think many sellers would be willing to accept an offer and wait for them to sell? We have rejected the viewing on this basis. What's the point in wasting ours and EAs time - are we right to reject?

On a brighter note, we had an investor do a second viewing at the weekend. They have a BTL mortgage in place for £25k more than our house is listed. The house we want to buy is chain free so it could be perfect. They viewed 10am Saturday and still haven't heard anything. Getting less and less hopeful...but maybe still too early to give up hope?!

Got another chain free buyer booked to view on Thursday so keeping everything crossed.

AllHallows when the agents came to value, did they go through other sold prices in the area/length of sale times with you?

There was a £35k difference between our highest and lowest valuations. After checking the sold prices for the last few years we went with one of the lower valuations because the top figure looked ridiculously optimistic.

Were you given a range of valuations or did they all come back much the same?

Good luck for Wednesday!

So I called the solicitors and said are we near exchange. She said she cant discuss exchange dates etc yet, but she envisions that we will be moved by our holiday 3rd may!! We havent even started to pack yet!!

Fingers crossed for you WBWIFE..
I'm still waiting here
Surely my buyers either will accept the reduction or not, or at least say what they want.. Almost 6 months now and it's really affecting me

@Smart123 - this is the ongoing chimney issue? I'm sure they'll go for it. It's a bit ridiculous that sales come down to such things. Keep positive!

Wondering how @Frogqueen13 has got on today. Any more clarity?

Only thing happening with us is that the house we've offered on is now showing as 'under offer'. MOS was supposed to be issued today - we've gone on holiday to Cornwall. Will check with EA tomorrow.

Our buyers are in Australia but are sorting out mortgage from there apparently. We are waiting for them to make progress anyway before speaking to our mortgage company as just need to instruct survey as our mortgage offer is valid to end of July. Have already had initial enquiries from our buyers solicitor so it feels like they are committed .

Ahhh so I phoned the EA today. They told me the local market is buoyant and we have definitely got issues with our house as we are below average for viewings.

I asked what the problem is and they said that we have a ‘from’ and ‘to’ price and the ‘to’ price is too high ie we were £650-675 & tbh I’d forgotten that part as I’ve assumed the property isn’t worth the magical EA version of price.

They’ve now said they will remove the upper price guide.

I’m a bit annoyed because. I feel they should be phoning me and telling me this information before I get to the point of phoning them but hey ho. I told them that as well. Sigh.

So bumped in to the lady whose house we are buying today... she mentioned that we were moving the 15th april so I rang EA who is not aware of this,

I also emailed solicitor and said

1. Have we exchanged?
2. I have been informed we are completing on 15th can you clarify.
3. Has this boundary dispute been resolved, or do we have a time frame.

He replied no not exchanged,
No not moving on 15th, boundary dispute is unresolve and a surveyor is going out in the next few days to assist.

And there is 5 in the chain

So none the wiser to completion but I feel like I know whats going on now

Eeek @WBWIFE exciting! We are packed and ready. Did another tip run today

@Frogqueen13 have you got your completion date now?

Havent packed a thing and could be in within 25 days I'm panicking a bit.

Hopefully it happens, want to get rid of my awful buyers asap

No completion date

I packed clothes first. Everyone has 2 outfits and 2 uniforms, 2 pjs. All other clothes in those big laundrette bags (£1.59 from home bargains) everytone has a different design, then we packed DVD's, books, games etc and meal planned so we use as much food as possible

I packed pictures and mirrors next. Then unused kitchen stuff like cake tins

I have bought new quilts and quilt covers for everyone so they were washed and covers put on duvets and pillows then packed in laundrette bags. And the same with towels

Got rid of all old worn bedding and towels

@Frogqueen13 I need to get rid whilst we pack as it needs to all fit in a garage. We are moving to my dads whilst we renovate. Luckily as we only moved last year, I dont think we have too much to sort. It's just our dsuguteee clothes that takes up a lot of room and her toys!

@abingthing it was between £210000-220000 £220000 was definitely the top end but we figured that we are currently in no rush let’s try it at that first . Maybe wasn’t the best idea but we will see. I’m happy the first viewers want a second viewing just wish we could get some more viewings booked in too.
We still have no for sale board either it’s been a week is that normal and does it make any difference?

@Allhallowseve have you got many houses for sale nearby? Too many boards can be a deterrent as people want to know why so many are moving.

If you've asked for a board then just ask again, doesn't usually make a whole lot of difference. Only to people with no access to internet and walking by j guess!

@wbwife one 5 doors down which is sold and no others at the moment .
Yes I didn’t feel it would make any difference . However we have had a few family members asking why haven’t we got a board yet it’s very important etc etc.

Just ask the estate agents I'm sure they've got some spare

@Allhallowseve it sounds sensible to do that since you aren't in a rush. A second viewing already sounds very positive!

Our EA had a board up within 24 hours but we only wanted it because our neighbours two doors down were also selling, and you have to go past us to get to them. We hoped it would get viewings that way because they were on with a different agent. Lots of people don't have them (including our neighbours)

We also went multiagency but, probably because the market here is slow, they both agreed to do this for their single agency fee.

We are still waiting to exchange on the sale (offer was accepted early Nov)
our solicitors are at loggerheads and entrenched in their positions over a clause in the lease. My solicitor says that the buyers solicitor doesn't know what they are on about, has not advised their client correctly, etc.
The buyers solicitor says they will not exchange without written confirmation about something from the freeholder.
All other enquiries have now been satisfied.
My solicitor is resistant to pursuing the freeholder any further as they are impossible to get hold of and do not respond to emails. It takes up hours of his time and they do not get back to him.
He says the written confirmation is completely unnecessary and the buyer is only insisting on it as they are entrenched and unwilling to compromise because they've backed themselves into a corner.
I said - just call them and talk! Make a human connection. He has reluctantly agreed to do it.
We will have to remarket the property if we can't proceed now. We would probably lose our purchase (at early enquiries stage currently).

TiddleTaddleTat that must be so frustrating there must be a way forward. I suppose conveyancers get paid a fixed fee so might be reluctant to go 'above and beyond'. Could you offer them more money to pay for the extra time/calls they will have to make. If it falls through then, at least you can say you've tried your best.

Will this issue come up again if you have to re-sell?

Thanks @MrsPatmore I'm not sure about offering more money, firstly I think it could be good money after bad if the sale fails anyway (my solicitor assures me that this request is genuinely unecessary) and secondly I'm not sure a sol could accept additional money for this. Feels a bit like a bribe? Though I would try it if I thought it would work, believe me.

Feel for you Tiddletaddletatt..
Similar time scale to me.
I'm still waiting on chimney gate, honestly you either take the grand off or tell me what you want, my life is in limbo, this whole experience has just been horrendous and it shouldent of been

Sorry to hear that @Smart123
I remember the issue with the neighbours chimney.
What is the latest on that?
I am really hoping that solicitors actually speaking to each other on the phone can draw out some compromises on ours
Ultimately, people have to be willing to compromise and 'take a view'! (The parallels with selling a property alongside the whole Brexit process are amusing at times)

@TiddleTaddleTat your solicitor could set out the position to the estate agent who can then pass it over to the buyer directly. I've done this before when a buyer's solicitor has got the wrong end of the stick. Then, the buyer can take a view (or ask their sol to report the issue to the lender - you can take a view when you have a mortgage).

I've done this before.

Frankly, the selling solicitor's remit is getting the fucking answers and then giving them to your buyer's solicitor. Whether it takes him more time than he thought is tough titties. We have all been there, it's irritating but that's conveyancing. Who's the freeholder and why are they so hard to contact? Can you sell with an absent freeholder policy instead?

What clause in the lease has everyone's pants in a twist?

Why have the sides taken such solid positions?

Why aren't the Solicitors calling each other and saying "how can we get around this snaffu?". What is the snaffu?!!

Thanks @MinecraftMother
The issue is that the lease has a rent review section which appears to simultaneously state that the initial ground rent is both £100 and £200.
Originally we agreed to a deed of variation and provided an undertaking to the freeholder of £1700 (obscene).
After a month the freeholder still hadn't agreed to provide the DoV or instructed their solicitors.
Our solicitor sought advice from a senior partner who said actually there is no error in the lease, it's just a bit unclear. Ground rent is £100 and after 25 years it becomes £200 plus RPI.
Buyers solicitor agreed Ok no DoV needed. But have insisted that the freeholder provides written confirmation of how the lease should be read.
My solicitor has emailed them repeatedly and over the last week still no reply from the freeholder.
He has provided copies of other leases in the development showing it is the same.
Therefore no need for clarification.
Buyer says we have to have written confirmation from freeholder but they show no sign of (ever) agreeing to do this and are non responsive.
What to do?

Urgh. What a pain in the tits.

Perhaps as the other side if they'll accept an absent landlord indemnity? The risk appears to be small anyway. Be sure your sol looks for one which doesn't say it has to be 3months plus since you last tried to contact the freeholder. They are out there...

Then tell your sol to explain all this to the estate agent.

Explain one last time, with the policy to the buyer's sol, and tell them that's as good as it's gonna get. They have til the end of the week to agree to move on or you'll remarket.

That will get things moving, one way or another - you can continue like this.

@MinecraftMother thank you, I will suggest that. Appreciate it, and will report back!