First Time Buyers. Lighthearted Rant

[Finfintytint]

I’m selling my deceased mother’s house to a couple of first time buyers.

Please tell me it is natural for first time buyers to expect the earth.

As a first time buyer do you expect to obtain evidence of planning permission from a national house builder for a massive urban development that began 30 years ago? ( mum’s house was one of the first built).
Do you want to know the personal contact details and qualifications of an electrician sub contracted by British Gas to fit a new boiler?

Would you want evidence from the council that a main thoroughfare with associated access for footpaths, dropped kerbs, bin collection, lighting for the last 30 years has adopted the road?

I may be naive and they maybe natural questions but I am getting a bit fed up of mindless obstructions.
Apparently they really want the house and want to be in by Christmas but they are stalling the process themselves.

Well, I was a first time buyer in April and yes, I did want to see planning permissions and building control sign offs and evidence about which bit of the lane hedge is mine and which the council handles, but more to the point, my bank wanted it.

And my solicitor would have been in breach of his regulatory and professional requirements if he'd let us exchange without...

Sorry YABU, this isnt the first time buyers this is their solicitors. DS has just bought his first house, all these questions were asked and more including some relating to Victorian covenants from 1880, It is what it is.

It's not the buyer they are following advice from solcitors, family members, work colleagues. It's a big deal and they want to make sure they do the right thing. (Unless you are me and worked in property and know the whole ordeal and just get on with it) grin and bear it.

As probate you probably answer not know to most answers anyway but solicitors have to ask.

I agree it’s probably the solicitors but my goodness some of it is ridiculous. It’s generating irrelevant questions to maybe keep the cash flow for solicitors.

Yabu.

We’re selling to first time buyers and have had queries about similar. Fortunately we have a pack of info which has been handed down from owner to owner - planning permission for work done 30+ years ago, building regs sign off, electrical and gas installation certification etc.

I know it’s probably their solicitor asking rather than the buyers themselves. Not bothered me at all.

Dazed, yes, I get on with it. It was supposed to be lighthearted and I just want to shake them [ grin]

My heart used to drop when they'd ask to bring family round and they'd (the dad normally) knock on the bloody walls like it would tell them secrets. Selling is a pain in the arse!

Gillian, I get that they want confirmation but they want confirmation that those confirming were suitably qualified!

We're selling to first time buyers and the questions have been incessant and nit picking. However, its been fairly obvious that it's not the buyers themselves but their young and inexperienced solicitor, who wants to leave absolutely no stone unturned. As a buyer myself I have no idea what questions my solicitor has been asking, so I assume they are the same.

Didius, suspect you’ve hit the nail on the head. Inexperienced and cautious solicitor.

Planning permission - yes.
Evidence of adoption - yes
Evidence that the boiler was fitted in accordance with CORGI (now Gas Safe) - yes.

Nothing to do with inexperienced solicitor. Everything to do with standard questions that need to be satisfied if a solicitor is doing a thorough job.

Don’t forget the solicitor is also acting for your buyers mortgage lender and has to satisfy their requirements too.

I get that a solicitor is trying to do a thorough job but does anyone actually believe a major house builder didn’t seek planning permission for a massive urban delopment over a thirty year period?

I get that a solicitor is trying to do a thorough job but does anyone actually believe a major house builder didn’t seek planning permission for a massive urban delopment over a thirty year period?

It’s not about “belief”. It’s about having the documents in place to appease the lender and the standard questions any solicitor should be asking.

I wouldn’t sign off a massive purchase on a “belief” that it was all in order!

Well there are hundreds and hundreds of buyers and lenders that have been duped then on this estate. Funny that no one else has questioned this.

Well there are hundreds and hundreds of buyers and lenders that have been duped then on this estate. Funny that no one else has questioned this

So you know literally in every transaction, nobody has ever asked to see the planning permission?

Sure

Well with an average of 12 week turnaround, no I don’t imagine everyone is so needy.

Well with an average of 12 week turnaround, no I don’t imagine everyone is so needy

An average turnaround is 6-8 weeks in terms of the wider market. Sounds perfectly plausible that further questions have been answered if the turnaround is 3 months.

You said in your OP that you might be naive and I think you’re correct. No mindless obstructions - just, refreshingly, a solicitor doing their job.

Just going on average selling times. Who chases 30 year old permissions on an established estate?

Who chases 30 year old permissions on an established estate?

I’ve already explained that.

You’re coming across rather arrogant in your “I know best” mindset. Maybe worth considering that the solicitor knows what they’re doing...

It’s took us 8months to get anywhere in our first time buying a home because they couldn’t provide this information and was always chasing each other.

Don’t be that person just get it done. It’s frustrating for everyone

A solicitor might be doing their job. 6 to 8 weeks is hopelessly naive .Sounds like romantic wish list an estate agent might promise [ grin]

A solicitor might be doing their job. 6 to 8 weeks is hopelessly naive

I was a residential conveyancer. That was our average transaction time

Good for you. Not in Mid Wales. I’m not suggesting the solicitor doesn’t know what they are doing. Just that they have an invested interest in prolonging the process.

Just that they have an invested interest in prolonging the process

That depends. Many conveyancing fees work on a fixed price basis. If that’s what they’re doing it’s quite the opposite of having a vested interest in prolonging the process. The quicker they’re done the better!

No. The more questions they can answer, the more they can charge. No fixed price. More the fool us.