Sellers/Buyers Roll Call No 6

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@Blobby10 the same EA is overseeing the purchase and the sale so that's helpful. Our solicitor says everything's progressing well and there's nothing for us to do atm - apparently they have the contract pack back from our vendors now. Not much of a chain, our buyers are FTB (and had progressed to exchange on another property before it collapsed) and our vendor has moved out already so no onward chain. We're very keen not to be the ones holding everything up!

Makes sense that you want your own space! Feeling displaced is low key stressful, it's nice to be in your place with your own stuff and know you can relax. Not long now though!

Joining in, FTB here and feel a bit clueless about things!

Offer accepted, solicitor engaged and mortgage all approved. Had full survey last week, a few minor things mentioned but nothing of much concern except the boiler. Surveyor tried to test it but it pressure was low; and when topped up he still couldn't get it working.

Not entirely sure of next steps - solicitor has said we should raise with agent and take it from there. Hoping we can just ask seller to get it working! House is owned by a company that basically buys and sells assets, so crossing fingers that they'll be willing to sort it. If anyone has any tips on dealing with that I'd be all ears!

Hello everyone

Welcome @cantbelievemyeyes sounds like you've ticked off a lot of boxes already! My instinct with a asset buying company is they'll either be one of two ways: happy to swallow the cost of getting boiler fixed/whatever or very very stingy! Tbf your solicitor can always ask for a gas safe register certificate or similar which might force them to get it fixed/looked at by a sage safe registered engineer. We had to provide this certificate to our buyer as we had a new boiler fitted a year ago.

Had an up and down few days of thinking we're never going to complete next week and then thinking we will.. and annoyingly it's still not 100%! Our sols received replies yday and today but still aren't totally satisfied and had a few more enquiries which basically have to be answered and settled on Monday so that exchange can happen on that day. We need 3 days between exchange and completion for our mortgage apparently so if we want 31st to be the day it all has to happen Monday! Everything is settled with the sale of our flat so that's ready to go but I feel kind of annoyed that, whilst we're the ones pushing for the 31st, our sols are the ones holding it all up on the purchase side... I can see why our vendors getting a bit antsy.
Anyway despite all this (and impending baby) I have begun packing in earnest and my dreams of the roll top bath are becoming a tiny bit less far fetched.

Any updates from anyone else?

Our update is that all documents have gone to the solicitors this week. took a while to find some documents but now have proof of rewiring, damp work etc.
Have also obtained quotes for a survey on the property we are buying. Our buyers have been round with a relative who's a builder.
Not sure what happens next and whose supposed to be updating us.

That’s so frustrating @MrBobLobLaw but fingers crossed for exchange on Monday.

We’ve finally had confirmation that our buyers buyer (FTB) went in to sign their papers and contract on Friday. So assuming (they better not!) they don’t raise anything further, we’re set to exchange on Monday and complete a week on weds. Still doesn’t feel real... it won’t till we exchange!

Have done NOTHING. 🤣

Things are now moving very quickly for us. We've been given a completion date of Thursday!!

After our buyers have mortgage and insurance issues ticked off they are still not 100% due to an extremely cautious solicitor.

We are now getting a structural survey for our buyers on Tuesday. The report takes 48 hours. I have asked that (all being well and because we don't have cracks in our walls and expect the report to be fine) we can exchange by the end if next week and complete three weeks after.

Fuck knows if it will happen but our vendors are getting anxious too so I'm trying my hardest to push it along.

Deep down I think it's not going to happen after all this, then I get the odd flash of hope and imagine myself in the new house. It's so stressful that it all doesn't seem real and I'm trapped in limbo, unable to plan or concentrate or even think sometimes.

I've not had a drink in almost five weeks though so any potential celebratory champagne will be extra delicious.

*@MrBobLobLaw * keeping fingers crossed for you today! x hope baby is staying put for now.

*@lornz * congratulations!! Good luck on Thursday x

@Hawkmoth cautious solicitors are the worst! I know why they do it and yes, in todays litigious society they have to be cautious but I do long for the olden days when an experienced solicitor could apply common sense to an issue without needing proof in triplicate.

I am definitely completing on Thursday but unfortunately removals company are booked up and can't get my stuff out of storage until Monday 4th so have to spend another weekend displaced . Never mind - hopefully both boyfriend and I will have got over our respective lurgies and be able to actually do something outside this weekend.

Thank you @Blobby10! Looks like @lornz, yourself and me are all hopefully completing on Thursday! Is your storage expensive btw? Got a quote today for 2 places and looks like it'll be £100+ even though we only need it for one night... considering trying to find a cheaper alternative. Maybe hiring a much bigger van and using that for storage or something.

Haven't heard from our sols yet today but going to chase them at lunchtime. For now it's my 39w midwife appt  luckily didn't have to bring the toddler this time!

I've felt like that through this whole process too @Hawkmoth, like you can't relax at all as everything is so contentious. Hope the survey comes back okay though, frustrating all round though.

*@MrBobLobLaw * my storage costs are £96 pw plus VAT so its cost me near enough £500 for the 4.5 weeks between leaving one house and moving into the other. Cant see why yours would be £100 for one night as they would just leave the lorry loaded up and locked in the compound surely? Good luck with your MW appt!!

Just had phone call from sellers EA - she wonders if she could leave the outside table and 6 chairs? Snapped her hand off! Also complex negotiations for me picking the keys up as she can't get to the EA to drop one off so has left me specific instructions which pot they are under in the garden. Need to take my torch to pick them up on Thursday after work .

Can I join in the fun? We've been on the market for 7 weeks, 12 viewings but no offers (or any second viewings) so starting to think about next steps - stick it out, reduce, crack on with renovation etc.

We're desperate to move and also trying to factor in school application for DD starting school next year. There are two properties we are v interested in but feels like we're in limbo until we are proceedable!

No exchange 😫

Apparently still waiting for buyers buyer to sign deed of covenant. Which was talked about a week ago and hasn’t materialised. Beyond frustrated.

No exchange here either @Since2016, that is such a frustrating reason!

Ours is due to enquiry replies not being received. Not such an issue now though since my solicitor requested the release of our mortgage funds on Friday in readiness for completion on thurs as Halifax take 3 working days.

However we've had some really fucking shitty news. I texted our buyer this evening just to check in and he drops the bomb that his mortgage funds were only requested today and the funds won't be cleared until next Monday!!! MY FUCKING DUE DATE! he said this alongside saying that completion this Thursday is fine and he can pick up the keys whenever.. I replied to say that completion cannot happen until all the funds have been released and basically many calls are now going to be made tomorrow morning. Our vendors will be seriously pissed off if completion is on Monday as will I because of yknow the entire baby I'm having to imprison in my womb!

Does anyone have any experience of Barclays Bank releasing mortgage funds early? Please say yes! I'm going to ask my mortgage broker if he has any knowledge of the possibility of this too.

Oh MrBobLobLaw* that is such shitty news. Why are people such twats when it comes to buying houses? Is it the solicitors not having a proper standard to work to? Obviously its not all solicitors who are rubbish but surely those in the chain should have some recompense against the crap solicitors who cause such mayhem?

Since2016 I had this with my buyers buyer - buyer and me ready to exchange - buyers buyer - "oh did we need to actually sign and return the contracts?".

picklesticks welcome to the madhouse! Where each and every one of us will truly believe we are either a) going mad or b) the only sane person in a whole mad world!!! Market round me has slowed considerably although now the goons in Parliament have delayed Brexit there may be a rush of people wanting to buy and complete before Christmas so fingers crossed for you

Our shit situation had gotten even worse.. turns out buyers sol hasn't even requested the funds yet and won't until exchange?! Which won't happen until tomorrow so there's no way the funds will arrive in time for Thursday in order to complete. I basically told our sol that this isn't good enough, how can he not understand the urgency of the situation? and to tell him he needs to request them now so we can complete ASAP. Y know.. before I have a fucking baby. I'm trying so hard to not let this stress me out but it's almost impossible not to.

Thing is he'd have to request them now and then put pressure on the lender to expedite the funds which I don't think he has the inclination to do, since he hasn't already taken the situation seriously enough.

Fuck. This. Shit.

MrBobLobLaw maybe its time for you to visit the solicitor in question and have an onslaught of 'labour' pains whilst in there just to emphasize the urgency of the situation? . Probably find he will bust a gut getting it sorted out in time

I’ve been waiting to join this thread even though reading about what some of you are going through I’m not so sure any more!

My house went on the market this afternoon and we have 3 viewings booked in for tomorrow. I have no idea if that’s normal or a positive sign but let’s see what comes of it.

Going on the market during half term was possibly not the best idea though. I need to get the kids out at 3 different times and I work from home so will be missing time.

Good luck to you all.

@MrBobLobLaw are there other ways of transferring money more quickly? I have seen something in all our paperwork about different charges for CHAPS and BACS etc.

Structural engineer was great today, all fine. Our solicitors are putting everyone on warning to exchange by the end of the week. God I hope it all comes together. I have various online shopping baskets full of house and garden stuff ready to crack on.

We a viewing tomorrow, some people whose purchase has fallen through, so if they like ours that’ll be good. The people from the Saturday before last are coming for a second viewing but still need to sell, and the people from this w/e loved the location but might want a bigger garden as they want a dog (I’ve two)...

You can bacs up to £20/25k (can’t remember exactly) and it’s free, chaps is anything over that and has a charge (think it’s £25...) @MrBobLobLaw

@MrBobLobLaw just read above and realised my info is useless to you! Definitely get your solicitor to put pressure on there’s... everything is possible, I mean Barclays can sort out personal loans in a day, so they may be able, to do something...

Hi everyone, thanks for the advice. You're all right.. Barclays probably would expedite the funds if our buyer and his solicitor were inclined to ask them, which they've said they won't. Mainly because, on the incredibly small chance that we fail to complete, then our buyer would have his mortgage offer refused and he doesn't want to take that risk. Even though the knock on effect is that now we won't complete until next Wednesday when I'm going to be 2 days overdue. Buyer said he didn't like being 'rushed'. I can't even.

Luckily our vendor was really nice about it when I rang him and basically said the only inconvenience for them is an extra week of storage and an extra week living with his mum. But it's just so annoying that we've campaigned for this completion date for literally months, to avoid the whole scenario that we potentially might have to complete and move with either me overdue, in labour, or in hospital with a newborn, and now we're facing that exact problem.

AND BREATHE. I know I need to stay calm but, facking hell, it's not easy.

How're you getting on @Since2016?

Welcome @MeganChips, sorry if I have put you off! Definitely a good thing having so many viewings, fingers crossed at least one leads to an offer. What's your situation- upsizing, relocation?

Can I just say... I’m so fed up of cleaning!

Thanks for the welcome!

I have 9 viewings lined up between now and Saturday so fingers crossed.

We are looking to upsize and move a couple of miles away due to school locations etc. Our house is a fab first time buyer house but we’ve massively outgrown it. Unfortunately the area we want to move to is significantly more expensive than the one we are in so we won’t get as much for our money.

Oh my god @MrBobLobLaw that sounds hideous! You poor thing I’m not surprised you’re stressed!

Can’t remember when I last updated. Basically we’ve now been told deposit from bottom of the chain has been transferred and we’re now meant to exchange on Friday and complete the following Friday. However we’ve also had our buyer in the midst of this say she can’t and now she can, do the Friday.

Our poor vendors. This should have been sorted a month ago.

I’m not even sure we will exchange on Friday tbh!! I am beyond fed up.