Sellers/Buyers Roll Call 7

[MrBobLobLaw]

Stressed vendors and buyers alike: assemble here to moan about bloody solicitors!

Feel free to join at any point

[housebuyer101]

@MarmsTheSausagedog no I don't think so, the estate agent is well respected and they've had it on the market for a while with it listed as included!

[Hawkmoth]

We agreed to have a structural engineer report done and gave planned dates so they could get everything ready. Report was fine, buyer happy to go ahead and exchange this week for completion in three weeks, already delayed a week from what we agreed.

Now their solicitor has done nothing, not responded until today, only to say it will be at least another week as no paperwork has even been sent.

[Rolypolybabies]

May I join? Just got mortgage approved so hoping all will start to move quickly and smoothly! Just 3 in the chain and we are FTB so possibly in for Christmas? Who knows!

[Blobby10]

@MrBobLobLaw dropped in to say good luck! Hope baby is still snug

@housebuyer101 I second what MrBobLobLaw said - definitely worth contesting and you could always say nah I don't want it and it will be such a fag to take out that they will leave it anyway!

@Hawkmoth some solicitors need permanent rockets up their backsides to get stuff done! You must be so frustrated.

Just to lighten everyone's mood, a faintly amusing story about my seller who hasn't set up a redirection on her post or left a forwarding address. She has asked (through her solicitor to mine) if I could keep the post until some labels that she has had specially printed get delivered and then she will drop them off to me so I can put them on the post and repost it!! Why not just give me the address so I can put any letters into an envelope and post it! I suspect she doesn't want to put me to any trouble but its taking the post to a post box that will take the time rather than just putting her new address on an envelope! Bless her

[Hawkmoth]

The buyers solicitor is going to see what she can do.

Great thanks, proper reassured now.

[Dinosauraddict]

At 11am this morning I had an email from solicitor confirming that he'd a) received all the signed contracts, b) had received my deposit, and c) they'd bottomed out the last couple enquiries with the vendor's solicitor - so we were ready to exchange! I confirmed authority to exchange FOUR HOURS AGO and am now going absolutely mad. Keep refreshing my emails/waiting for phone to ring and nothing. I don't want to nag them as I know completions take priority over exchanges. And Fridays are the busiest day. But I was really expecting to hear some news by now...

[Dinosauraddict]

Update on my last message - I HAVE NOW EXCHANGED!! This was the third house/attempt as two previous ones fell through, so I genuinely think my solicitor is as relieved as I am!

[MarmsTheSausagedog]

Dinosauraddict

Congratulations! That's brilliant news!

Do you know when you will be completing? You must be so relieved!

[Hawkmoth]

@Dinosauraddict congratulations. Hope all goes well.

Our buyers solicitor left at 2 without sending them the contracts.

[Karcheer]

We had another viewing today and we’ve a 2nd (the people who haven’t sold yet) tomorrow.
I guess we won’t hear back on either till Monday.

[Monr0e]

Can I join? We put ours on the market 2 weeks ago. We know it's not the greatest time to sell but just wanted to get the ball rolling. Plus we have seen the house we want to buy which will probably be sold before we get an offer 😔

We had a viewing last week but feedback was it was too small for their family. Then another viewer today so hoping to hear back tomorrow.

And I've just started a new job so stress levels through the roof all round.

[Dinosauraddict]

Thanks @MarmsTheSausagedog and @Hawkmoth. It's a new build/conversion so won't be completing for a few more months, but I'm so glad we've finally got across the line.
Sorry that not everyone's day has been quite so successful!

[MrBobLobLaw]

Sorry I can't catch up with everyone right now but - we're in!!

We completed quite early this morning at 11ish and got the keys at 12:30.
Soooo much to do, aside from give birth in the next few days (yep, still pregnant!), but we're here and we love it and bloody hell I'm relieved it all has happened at long last. 15 weeks since we had an offer accepted on our old place and 8 weeks since ours was accepted on this property. 4 days overdue and doing my best to do as little as possible.

[Hawkmoth]

Having made a list of pros and cons for starting again I think we are just going to keep on with current buyer. They are really keen and it's not their fault their solicitor is so 'casual'.

Even if we moved close to Christmas and it all was awful, by next year it would be just a story. And we have lots of hats, scarves and gloves so we're not going to freeze.

I might go to the doctor next week and see if she can give me something for either the stress or the stomach pains (or both). I know I'll be fine again once I can start to plan and organise, but until then it's perhaps time to practice a little self care.

[catndogslife]

@MrBobLobLaw so pleased to hear that you have completed at last. Please update when the new baby appears. Hope you have a few days to recover before the birth.
@rolypolybabies that's interesting. We are in a chain of 3 properties too. Our house is in the middle of the chain and we are moving into an empty property so hoping it won't take too long.

[Dinosauraddict]

Congratulations @MrBobLobLaw!
@Hawkmoth as frustrating as it is, that sounds like the right decision.

[AlmaMartyr]

Congratulations @MrBobLobLaw, I'm so happy for you! Have a wonderful time in your new house

@Hawkmoth sounds like the right decision. I think we'll be moving very close to Christmas too so am focused on how I can make a new house feel very Christmassy very fast at the moment. Not ideal but would rather that then put it off (it may not happen in any case).

[Hawkmoth]

@dinosauraddict yes I think so. Kids seem to have accepted another short delay, they'd be less accepting of another long one I think.

@almamartyr agreed. I've been looking places with potted Christmas trees to plant out afterwards (as our very old plastic one fell victim to decluttering). There's something very festive about the house smelling of pine.

I'm still really cross though. We should have moved at the beginning / middle of September.

[Blobby10]

Congratulations @MrBobLobLaw so glad you completed at last!!
@Hawkmoth sounds like the right decision to make. Fingers crossed you get there in the end

[gingerninja99]

Buyers survey is booked in for Thursday, this is in addition to the mortgage valuation. Apparently it's a smart survey so straight online for the buyers. Although I know my house I'm obviously nervous that something will be picked up that even we don't know about!
Hoping as it's online and if it's all ok buyers still happy to exchange this Friday as they wanted. We are not time restricted as no forward purchase but as we're thus far in the process I'm now ready to say goodbye to our family home. Beside which it's a nightmare with a lot of our stuff packed including the kids toys so i'd like to get unpacked at the other end and let them have all their belongings again even if it's just to stop the moaning asking for things

[AlmaMartyr]

@Hawkmoth so frustrating for you! I hope it happens soon. Potted Christmas trees a good idea! We'd been thinking about getting one little one for while we're still here and a big one for once we've moved. I'm a bit obsessed with Christmas trees though! New house has vaulted ceilings so looking forward to having a big one. I've got lots of Christmas scented candles ready and far too many fairy lights.

@gingerninja99 hope buyers survey goes well! I felt really weird with people poking around our home. Still don't know what the survey said but apparently nothing too bad.

[MrBobLobLaw]

Still bloody pregnant! 6 days overdue now... baby is allowed to come now, despite the piles of boxes and bags and crap to sort through.

Glad you've come to a decision @Hawkmoth. I hope it brings some respite. This whole moving thing is just a constant flow of moving goalposts and doing your best to not let it all get too much.

Any update from @Since2016?

All the best to the new joiners and those who are halfway through the process.

I'll update when baby arrives!

[gingerninja99]

@MrBobLobLaw hope baby puts in an appearance soon, nothing like doing all the stressful things in life at once!

[TempestHayes]

We've had an absolute shitshow of it all, and there wasn't even a good reason. Everything's been "done" since September. Offers and stuff were July ish.

The vendor's solicitor suddenly stopped responding in September and went silent for 4 weeks - ghosting both us and the vendor. The case was moved to another solicitor, who was active for about 48 hours, got the final bits done, and then she too went silent, not responding to mortgage brokers and estate agents alike. It's now "been escalated".

Buyers have been ready for some time. We're ready. Vendor's ready. I'd love to say "yay fingers crossed for next week!" but we've been in this position since October.

[TempestHayes]

@Hawkmoth - why so long between exchange and completion? Has someone asked for that, or could you shorten the time?