Trying to complete, not freaking happening

[Nogodsnomasters]

Honestly feel like screaming. We signed contracts 2 weeks ago and still seem to be in limbo. The latest is the vendor did not provide an up to date gas boiler certificate (handed in a 7 year old one to his solicitor.....) so of course he was informed to have a survey performed, which took 100 years (pissed off exaggeration). And now we've been informed it did not pass the survey and the entire boiler needs replaced, no shit sherlock that's why you didn't want to have the survey done. They will not complete until he has the work done and he lives abroad and the property (which was being rented out) has been empty for 6 weeks now so this dick bag has had ages to sort all of this. And of course I've given notice on my property because we were told completion would be 15th March so I have to be out by 29th. Oh and my solicitor is a slow ass bastard. Anyone feel my pain?!

Oh I'm feeling your pain.
I accepted an offer on 31st October..
And I still haven't exchanged...
And there's no chain..
It's just awful, I've not slept for months.
Hang on there..
Here's hoping for some happy news soon

smart123 omg that is awful, what is the fucking hold up? Excuse the language, I'm just in a sweary mood since being informed of the boiler replacement today during a shite day at work. We had our offer accepted in December and think we're bad because we have no chain either but 31st Oct is a piss take.

Structural survey showed neighbours chimney which is in need of repair, causing damp into my loft..
Neighbours said they'll repair in Summer, buyers would like it in writing, he won't do that, so I guess hold up is how and if they even want to proceed..
I just need to know now, so at least I could get it back on the market.
Lucky I'm not buying anything at the moment or I would of probably lost it..
Feel life is on hold

Have you actually exchanged contracts or just signed them? But late now but until you exchange contracts you shouldn’t give notice as it could still all fall through.
If you have exchanged and then completion is delayed you are entitled to compensation.

I do feel for you though, it’s a PITA if people are dragging their feet.

magstermay we are first time buyers going from renting so honestly we don't have a clue and therefore took our solicitors word when he said you'll complete on March 15th, I now realise how stupid this was. Apparently the vendor has also signed his side of things but that's as far as I know.

smart123 oh my goodness no wonder you haven't slept! I would be absolutely furious over this and it's completely out of your control as its not your property causing the issue!

I really would not trust this vendor to do the work properly, given his previous form. May be worth renegotiating the price to take into account the boiler then organising it yourself, at least then you'll know its been done properly.

Same situation with us about renting. Estate agents acting for vendor were pushing us to give notice on rental to get exchange through quicker. Had we gone through with it we would be currently homeless as still not exchanged, although near to exchange. Stress levels through roof! And with a less than active participant (DH!) who has basically left everything to me re this house buying, and has nerve to tell me this morning how stressful it all is! I had to leave the room and bite my tongue til it bled! Just hold on in there, and fingers crossed all will work out fine.

livelovebehappy I completely feel you on the dh part as I have done everything myself also from December, think my dh has made one phone call to the solicitor in those 3 months and has never spoke to the estate agent.

user148 I feel the same, I am worried about it but unfortunately because we are going 80/20 on co-ownership they are blocking us from purchasing a property that doesn't have functional heating so we aren't allowed to complete without this being done by the owner.

Feeling your pain.

We had an offer accepted around 2nd October and our completion date is set for tomorrow; 22nd March.

Was supposed to be all done and dusted by end of January.

Has been a complete joke.

Very very small chain. No major issues. But a complete joke apparently.

Hoping nothing sets us back again and we can finally complete as arranged tomorrow. Third time lucky!

welpbloop oh dear god, 2 months delayed with no major issues? Your solicitor must be a slow ass bastard like mine! (new favourite phrase). Everyone is a slow ass bastard, I want things done yesterday.

@nogodsnomasters
Love slow ass bastards... Don't think mine is, but the buyers one is..
Messaged mine today she's heard nothing, so messaged Buyer direct, she's yet to reply... 20 weeks I tell you, and another week is almost over arghhhhhhhhh

I feel your pain. I'm selling a small piece of land to a neighbour (I know it's not the same as a house, but...), we agreed the deal on 10th October last year, and I heard yesterday that their solicitors only applied for the searches last week - over five sodding months after we began - and completion won't be happening for another "two or three weeks at least". I'm very fed up.

Sorry to hear the takes of woe on this thread!

I'd forgotten how fucking annoying this whole business was (been 14 years since I last bought/sold).

We are in a short chain - FTB buying ours, us, an old chap selling a house he no longer lives in, so in theory it should be plain sailing..?

Nope..and to be fair it hasn't been anywhere near as hellish as yours OP, but I am SICK of our buyers asking the same fucking question over and over and over again, and despite having been really patient and helpful, they keep coming back and asking the same thing..in a different way. They're driving me mental.

Also pissed off with the EA who had the cheek to tell me yesterday that us asking for a completion date of end of May (to tie in with the school half term) would probably 'not work for our vendor'!!! WTAF????? He isn't living there/it's been empty for over a year/his mortgage is minimal (apparently)..and we are buying his house which needs extensive renovation, fo a very fair price..have moved on everything as quickly as we can..been dealing with the fanning about of our buyers (same EA so they can take responsibility for that!), which has wasted time.

I said it's either the Easter hols - EA said too soon/not possible..I said fine, or end of May. I am NOT moving into a delpidated house with 2 small kids, over a weekend and then dropping them back to school on the Monday! And I am not taking them out of school either and getting fined!

I told her (as calmly as I could) that we will be sending up to OH's parents for the half term week so we can:

a. Move in, in peace without the added chaos of 2 DC's
b. Move in and get the place looking as homely as possible (particularly their rooms) so it isn't so stressful for them! They have never known another home and my youngest (5) is already getting upset at the thought of leaving her 'home'.

And breathe.....

Sorry this is rambling and rants and probably makes no sense.

It's just I feel we have been really flexible about everything/patiently answered stupid questions from our buyers etc, and now the agent is trying to tell me our completion date 'might not work for the vendor'.

Really..well does he want to fucking start again then and put it back on the market?? We don't HAVE to move..we could pull out and he loses his sale and nice lump sum of £££, and the annoying FTB's who want the world on a stick won't get our place either, which is really well priced for the area and a lovely flat to boot!

Grrrrr...I am drinking a lot of wine these days...

Sorry for all the typo's!

davethecat jesus that really does sound stressful! I hate the idea of being in a chain and making things 100x more complicated than they are already are. I would ask your buyers to just communicate through the estate agent or solicitors because in your shoes I'd be liable to punch them. And the vendor sounds like another slow ass bastard for the list!

smart123 I hate when you ring one of them and they have literally nothing new to say, how can nothing have happened when another week has passed? Though more recently in my case I'm not even letting weeks pass anymore, I am torturing the absolute life out of them every 24-48hrs lol.

abbey44 another slow ass bastard vendor solicitor! Grrrr

Nogodsnomasters - no, not at all - I'm the vendor, and my solicitor is just as fed up as I am. It's the buyer's solicitors that are slow-ass bastards. Either that or just completely inept. I mean, who takes five bloody months to think about asking for searches???

I feel your pain. We had our offer accepted in August 18, our house went under offer a week later. That's the whole chain! All going well and then our buyer pulled out in December. New buyer found in January and still waiting for exchange date. My OH had the audacity to tell me that it hasn't been stressful, yet he hasn't made one call, email or anything. I'm sooo stressed and just want it all over.

I know it's not your point but you can still buy regardless of the boiler, you could have organised your own boiler check and the renegotiated the price based on it being broken and then just sorted out yourself with the savings.

My buyer now is saying that its her sol holding things up, so she is chasing it up, hoping for some news tommorow.. But I'm like that every day..
Thinking of you all going through it, I believe it now when they say its the most stressful thing you will ever do

I know it’s frustrating, but...

There is no need for the vendor to have had the boiler checked or serviced (in the UK) before selling. You’ve asked him to do something he didn’t need to, and he’s done it, even if it was slow.

You’ve not yet exchanged contracts so he can decide not to sell to you and to find another buyer.

As you’ve not exchanged yet you’re still a way away from completing. Giving in your notice was ill-advised, and if you can take it back I would. Completion dates are only fixed once you’ve exchanged.

In a normal situation you would be best to agree you’ll get the boiler fixed - there’s little motivation for the vendor and no guarantee it will be a quality installation. If as you say you can’t exchange without it being done, then you should arrange for a check to be done before you exchange (by an expert if you don’t know what you’re looking at) to make sure you’re happy with the work carried out as you’re committing at exchange to buying and have no recourse after that point.

House buying is stressful. Most things take way too much time and solicitors work in a world of letter, paperwork, and only contacting when there’s news. The simplest purchases often take the most time. There’s nothing you can do but keep your eyes on the end goal.

Good luck.

(And by in the UK inof course meant to say in england)