Sellers/Buyers Roll Call No 6

[Violetroselily]

New thread

Old estate agents are seemingly incapable of removing the listing so we cant get started with the new. I will let DH leave a review so that I don't end up being sued.

Feel like I've given up. Havent even called the EA or sol this week to chase as I know I'll hear the same old shit. Completely counter productive I know.

Hoping I'll wake up tomorrow ready to kick off at them.

No exchange today too. Hope tomorrow is a better day !

We are definitely due some good luck! Hang in there everyone.
Ashamed to say I had a major tantrum last night, been at this for 9 months altogether since first offer for the place that fell through. I am exhausted and obviously the weather doesn’t help!

So we’ve had some progress re fixtures and fittings. Vendors have offered to sell us the range cooker however it’s a discontinued model and I’m reluctant to pay half the cost of a new one for something that may break down once we’re in and be difficult to repair.

Would it be unreasonable to ask for a gas safe certificate upon removal of the range but before exchange/completion? I know they have to be disconnected properly so would want to ensure this is done right.

Yes we are definitely due some good luck in here!
We have an update - local searches still not back. Expecting them at the end of this week now, so no exchange for this week either. Buyer would like to complete within 10 days of searches coming back - eek!!

Argh with every enquiry that gets answered, another one is raised.

Still no definitive answer to the cost of works being carried out on block. Feel like we've reached an impasse as nothing can move forward until this is resolved

I second the need for good luck!

We are also at a standstill and I feel it may all fall though. We’ve been very flexible and prompt and aren’t getting the same back from the owner.

Hi everyone. Time for me to join this thread. We are STC so impatiently awaiting exchange but the process is only just underway so it could be a long wait. Then we have to decide if we are buying or renting. New PM has made me feel very uneasy about Brexit and buying!

Our buyers have signed the contract so we are officially sold STC! It's been a long 9 and a half months. I actually had a little cry when they put the sold sign up

Now we just need to find somewhere! We'd really like to stay in our current area but there's nothing coming onto the market at all despite there typically being loads when we weren't in a proceedable position! Does the market tend to go quiet in the school holidays?

Great news Tillypea!

Morning everyone. I'm sensing a high level of despondency on the the thread this week. So a quick pep talk.

Thursday is a good day to chase. It's not Friday so everyone is still in work mode (though they may be a bit hot). Phone (don't email) your solicitors and EAs. Make sure you ask them about their holiday plans because that will scupper things.

If things are stuck think about things you could do and make some plans (go into rented, price drop, deals with fixtures and fittings). It's a bugger having to be flexible but someone has to be in this process or the whole thing stalls. Don't get too attached to completion dates as they will inevitably move (a bit like due dates for babies).

Maybe some of the others who have already exchanged have suggestions for what they did to make it happen?

We've signed the memorandum of exhange contract with our sellers, and also the forms for the land registry (first registration as house hasn't been sold since built in 1954!)

Just need our buyers to catch up now. Think our solicitor is waiting for them to raise their enquiries. Still no word of an exact target date but solicitors say completion mid-late August is feasible if buyers are happy. We shall see. Really hoping we can move before term starts as DD is 11 and very helpful to have as an assistant!

@Tillypea make sure you go into EA shops as well as looking on the internet. Our buyer was shown the house, and bought it, before it hit Rightmove. Also years ago I worked in an EA and some people had taken theirs off the market for a few months before trying again but were open to viewers. So, you never know!

Thank you @sandybayley
There is indeed a gloomy feel to this thread these days, was really hoping for some positive news here this week, would give us all much needed hope.
Our sale is delayed by our LA. We have already signed the contracts, buyer's solicitor has reported to them and the only thing outstanding are the searches. The council website now says these can take 10 weeks (!!!!) due to huge backlog. We have been waiting seven weeks now. Not sure there is anything anyone can do.

I think we may go ahead and take a risk and sign the tenancy agreement this weekend and just hope that the sale will complete sometime soon. If we don't we wouldn't have anywhere to move and we would have to pull out ourselves and really don't want that.

@PooWillyBumBum we've been relying on (and refreshing hourly ha) Rightmove etc but that's a good idea, i think we'll try and visit some this weekend.

Can I ask you all for some advice pleas? So we are on with purple bricks (I know, I know). We thought they were good and trying to save money and all and they are rubbish. We've had quite a few viewings since going back on all with similar feedback, love the house but are viewing others so will get back to us. Another agent has approached us offering 1.15% fees plus half of PBs fees paid on completion. They already have a couple that want to view our house. What would you do? Should we go on with a new agent as well?

Our buyers have asked the EA if they can come round tomorrow to measure the rooms for furniture. We've said yes but i wasn't expecting that quite so soon, the day after signing the contract! Is that normal?

@dimmu - I don't wish to worry you but it's worth being aware that the searches could generate further enquiries and issues. I dont think it's as simple as 'job done' when the searches are back. It could be but not necessarily. But maybe as it's a BTL investor it's OK?

@BeauticianNotMagician81 - you could go on with the new agent but will you end up paying commission to PB as well as the new agent? I'd be sceptical that the new agent does indeed have a hot buyer as we know these EA will say anything to get a customer.

@Tillypea - you've signed contracts but have you actually exchanged? I'm all for being helpful but we went round to measure only after exchange had happened.

@sandybayley yeah I realise there may be further issues coming up from the local searches, just keeping everything crossed that it won't be the case. Our EA sold another flat in our block late last year and there were no issues then, only the stuff that was in the management pack anyway.

@BeauticianNotMagician81 When we were in the market one of the other agents that we asked to do a valuation kept pestering us saying they had people wanting to see the flat. We refused as we had signed a contract with our current EA and didn't want to pay double commission or something. But no idea how that works with PB as you pay upfront don't you?

Thanks for the replies it just confirms what I thought really. The new agent are messaging and calling me constantly. But with such good feedback on our viewings so far I'm hoping it won't be long before we sell.

@BeauticianNotMagician81 if there is a couple keen to see it they’ll have seen it on Rightmove anyway surely? If things are going well I’d sit tight.

We were going to exchange today but it didn't happen, I sat refreshing my email for ages. Hoping we will get an update tomorrow morning to say it is done. Not stressed about it but I imagine the vendors are as they seemed anxious about it all when we spoke with them yesterday (went to measure). Tried to reassure them that we are definitely wanting to exchange asap.

Completion also not next week now but the one after which is fine, we are quite flexible with dates as FTB so are going with what the vendors want. Just really want to be done with it and get the keys now.

Thanks for your post @sandybayley. I think it's hard to see the wood for the trees when everything is going tits up.

I'm not really sure what else I can do. My outstanding enquiries are about the major works being completed on the block. These are estimated at about 5-6k per flat so I need to either renegotiate or suck up that whole cost. I'm not going to proceed until that cost is determined and I then need to make a decision as to whether I negotiate, pull out or incur the cost in full. Every bit of information the vendor has provided so far about this is piecemeal, so I'm still in the dark about exactly what I may be liable for.

My vendor had already refused to hold a retention for last years service charge as the accounts arn't available yet. I'm worried that if I try no negotiate a reduction in asking price, he will refuse seeing as he's already refused a measly £500 retention. My solicitor has challenged this once but he won't budge.

Everyone tells me I'm in the stronger position here as the buyer but it doesnt bloody feel like it!

@Violetroselily your vendor sounds quite unreasonable. I thought it was standard practice for the seller to absorb at least some of the cost of any major works. We are selling a flat with a hefty bill coming up and just knocked this amount of the price. Also agreed to a retention for the service charge.
We as seller's certainly feel like we are completely at the mercy of our buyer, so It's odd your seller is in such a strong position. Maybe he is not desperate to sell like we are.

We’ve been on the market a week , no viewings booked as yet

The property is viewing in some websites as commercial property ( as we run a business ) but we also have a nice farmhouse that we live in , I think it’s worth asking the agent to put it as residential as well

I know the property market is slow ( Wales ) here

How soon do people start ringing the agent asking if there’s any interest?

I know ( head ) it’s going to take a while , but I was hoping ( heart ) someone would rush up the drive waving a cheque !