Has anyone completed houses sale/purchase over this corona period?

[Raaaa]

Just what is says in the title really. We've signed our purchase contract and currently waiting for a completion date, buyers are being a bit slow, apparently their solicitors are really bad (typical) just wondered if anyone has actually completed/got the keys?

Yes me.

Completed on sale of house (after a long drawn out divorce) 1 April.

Then DD and I had to live with ex for two weeks when we were supposed to be on holiday 😫. As you can imagine that was stressful.

Then completed on my house purchase on 15 April.

The relief is overwhelming.

Conveyancing solicitors all working from home so that went smoothly. I was a cash buyer so didn't have to deal with a mortgage company so not sure how well they are operating at present. Removals are a headache at present, you can get them but you have to search a bit, luckily I had my stuff put into storage the day the lockdown started and then they were able to deliver it on 16th. English land registry working digitally so all fine there.

I did exchange pre lockdown though, which meant it was legally tied in and we couldn't get out of it. I believe that those who haven't already exchanged are being told to wait unless they are moving into an empty property. Check out the law society website and CLC website for conveyancing lawyers.

@Vintagevixen I can imagine those were a long 2 weeks! So they're staggering the sale and purchase days of completion?

We're moving into an empty property so I guess that may go through quickly. But our buyers won't be. The stress is real! I hate waiting games

Hi Raaa, I only staggered dates as my buyers wanted to complete on the sale of my house before my sellers were able to move out of the house I was buying. It's nothing official.

I was going to do air B and B, parents and holidays to cover the accommodation gap but then along came the pandemic and I couldn't do any of them (parents are elderly, couldn't risk cross infection)

My ex completed on his house the same day as we sold so was the only accommodation option unfortunately, not even my awful ex wanted his daughter homeless in a pandemic. But yes it was a looooong and tension filled two weeks.....the only compensation being that I will NEVER have to do it again....

@Vintagevixen ah I see makes sense I forgot there are so many links in the chain!
I'm also hoping this is the last time, I'm pregnant and itching to get settled. Another stressful milestone of life

I wish, was meant to exchange & complete 1st May. Sellers want to go into rented til their next project comes up for sale, and are desperate to sell to me as I'm offering asking price. Survey done, mortgage done, just needs to be drawn down. I see absolutely no way of moving soon I'm in rented accommodation and it's twice as much as the mortgage.

@pinkrocker sorry to hear that I guess there is still a couple of weeks and it's a positive sign EA and solicitors are still working. Is there a particular reason you think it wont go through or is it just the corona stuff eg. Social distancing, removal companies not running etc? Best of luck

Thanks Raaaa my solicitor and the estate agent both said "oh the Government has banned house sales from going through" (or words to that effect!) so neither is pushing for it to happen. My solicitor actually said it's a good job my mortgage offer was open til October! I dread to think that!!
I think the main reason could be that the sellers have nowhere to move into (to rent til they buy somewhere) but I have said we could swap houses, they can rent my house if they like! strangely this hasn't been suggested by the EA or the solicitor haha.

We are almost ready to sign/exchange, our solicitor is waiting on an updated doc from the bank. The new house is empty, and we are in a rental at the moment, so we are going to have an overlapping month, so no rush with getting a removal van etc, but would love for it just to be sorted NOW. It has been dragging on for a while now, and the Coronavirus is an added complication!

Keep thinking how handy would it have been to be in a month ago, spending lockdown doing DIY

Good luck to you all!

@AnnieJ1985 I can imagine! How many are in your chain?

Oh fortunately there is no chain. Should have said we are in Dublin - the system is different here, as far as I have figured from my years on MN. It is empty since the elderly owner died last year, we have been sale agreed since January. It is just a very slow process!

@AnnieJ1985 ah ok! At least there isn't the risk of people dropping out? Good luck!

Thanks @Raaaa hopefully it won't be too long! I hope you get sorted soon too.

I work at a solicitors. We, like several others I’ve recently had contact with, are pushing for exchange and completion to take place during the same week. I’m sure that your solicitors are as keen to have completion take place as you are (it’s very frustrating when the other side drag their heels) and I can say (almost with certainty) that the estate agent will be in contact with both sides regularly!

Yes, we moved at the end of March 👍

@Cathy1984 nice to hear!
@GinghamStyle thanks for the advice. I know our solicitor so she is getting the ball rolling and tbf the estate agents are good at keeping in contact. Just frustrating that us and the seller are ready and the buyers have only just had their survey done on our house now we're waiting for a response. I assuming it's ok to physically move?

We were hoping to have moved by now. Everything seemed to freeze at first, but now our solicitors are pushing to get everything through. Really, really hoping we can move in about a month!

@Raaaa, I'm also pregnant. Just want to get in, get sorted! Feel like I can't open the baby stuff boxes, think about what else we need, until we move. Living in limbo!

I'm watching a few different threads on MN about this and some people have managed to get moved. Sadly I'm not one of them.

The current government advice is to only move if the property is empty, you've exchanged contracts and can't agree a changed or you have to move e.g. a key worker moving closer to work.
I'm surprised your solicitor hasn't explained things more.
All our files are on hold unless they fit one of the above.

@MinnieMountain yeah EAs or solicitors haven't given any indication there could be a delay they're acting as normal. We're moving into an empty house so maybe that's why?

But your buyer's not. Are they key workers?

@MinnieMountain I don't believe they are key workers

Hang on, if you're a key worker are you allowed to move house? I haven't seen that one before!

I don't think that guidance about key workers moving closer to work is correct.

We're stuck because our buyer's solicitor won't proceed during lockdown. Our solicitor says it's an unusual stance as most solicitors are fearful of what's coming next so are ignoring the guidance and pushing through as many completions as possible.

@OutComeTheWolves that must be frustrating! Seems like a mixed bag of what people are being advised.
All of a sudden our EA and solicitors have been in daily contact it's almost like they can smell the money and want to get completion done ASAP now