Sellers/Buyers Roll Call 8 and still going

[Fern204]

Hope it's ok to start a new thread.
Bottom of our chain should exchange on Monday and then the top will hopefully exchange a week later. I dont quite understand, something to do with a charge on our buyers house which needs to be released first.
Aiming to complete on 15th July, so hopefully not much longer.
I will never move again, and definitely not in a chain of 10!

We've had the sellers' enquiries sent this morning, nothing too complicated just certificates and questions over our shared driveway. That's got to be a good sign surely, and quick considering they only started this week?

We are currently on hold while the bank does the affordability calculation.. eeekkkkk!!!!

@storymlovesodd

If the emails bounce back, let me know and I'll confirm ive given you the right format. They're usually not advertised on websites for some reason.

Morrisons will happily give away banana boxes too, they're super strong and great for books and stuff.

Hoping to join this thread "officially" soon!
We've literally just placed an offer today - our opening offer was under asking, but less than 5% under.
Met with a muted response by the EA, who seemed rather unimpressed. Told us there are still lots of planned viewings with proceedable buyers and its just a matter of time until they have an acceptable offer.

Just how much of this is psychology and mind games?

Saffaqueen are you putting the offer in yourself? I've done a mix of doing some myself and getting my EA to do some on my behalf?
What are other "movees" doing?

Sellers enquiries answered with all documentation within an hour, I wonder if that's a record?!

*buyers rather!

How often is reasonable to check up on the process with lawyers without driving them mad?

Bells I would say once a week?

@notheragain4 definitely a record! Awesome!

@bells0302 weekly, same day, same time.

Does anyone understand the conveyancing process and what needs to happen? I'm trying to work out how much more we have to do. Initial enquiries (quite simple) answered with documentation, searches gone out, I know I've signed a contract, are enquiries and searches the main thing?

What happens with the searches? Can they lead to more enquiries?

@notheragain4 very impressive!

Does anyone know how much notice you get for an exchange date? Or is it a case of your solicitor just telling you "you have exchanged"? Our Estate Agent told us maybe last week, then he was going to push for this week, if not then definitely next week. Blah blah.
I'm just wondering if I'll get a random phone call or if you get a bit of notice beforehand. I'm working on the basis it's then 2 weeks to completion.

@ kerrymucklowe

Ourselves. How do you put the offer in yourself if you don't know the vendor?

Feel like the EA's are stringing us along. We want to move fast & are proceedable buyers in a good position, but they are so bad in getting back to us / returning calls. Before they submit our offer they want us to speak to their in-house brokers (we already have our MIP) to validate our position ... we've been waiting a few hours now. Can see our offer won't be submitted today.

Thanks. I will email tomorrow then!

@PavoReal you will know when you're exchanging, and I think (it's been a while) you set a completion date for when you exchange, and that is negotiable between you both. So we were told we'd exchange on X date and complete 1 week later but we could have disputed the completion date if we'd wanted longer or less but we were happy with it.

@notheragain4 - thanks. It's been 10 years for me so I have no recollection. That makes sense. I am wanting to go and see my family I haven't seen yet since Christmas before the DCs go back to school. It's 6 hours by road, I don't want to go all that way only to have to cut my time short to get back for completion. This is so stressful.

Nothing from my solicitors yet, I know they’re sitting on a response from the vendors to all the questions we had from their property information form.
I have taken the approach overall of, if I know I’m waiting for something from someone and I think they’ve had enough time, I will chase them every other day or so until they respond. And then chase them again if their response doesn’t actually answer the question I asked looking at you broker . At the end of the day I don’t mind if they think I’m an annoying client tbh, we all deal with annoying people as professionals, maybe they’ll get rid of me quicker if they do! Squeaky wheel gets the oil and all that.

I'm now waiting for two quotes from removal firms. I'm hoping they won't be too much.

Haven't heard from the solicitor since Monday. Think it's too soon to call with an update. I've found a surveyor I think sounds good. Will book him on Monday once I have the approval from the mortgage company! Hopefully that will all be straight forward!

I have been out of the house today for a social distance walk and that has helped the stewing. Going out to the hairdressers tomorrow so hopefully that will help. House is getting sorted out slowly too. I just hope it all goes through now.

Just had a. Phone call from the estate agents asking about dates as they need to redeeem an isa I have said before we wanted August.

We are going to see the property tomorrow with a conservation builder to do a consult on how much it is going to cost to put right. Wish us luck and the surveyor has been too harsh to the property.

I am so tired of feeling stressed I don’t feel able to enjoy the school holidays.

Just got the paperwork back from the solicitor re the house we are buying - fixtures and fittings, property info form. Searches under way. Haven’t heard anything from the person buying ours though but I assume all ok?

@Baldatbirth I just took the kids for a walk round the meadow and duck pond - it definitely helps take your mind off things doesn’t it.

HomeBuyers report just popped into my inbox too. Another thing ticked off the list 👍

Ooooh this seems to be the week of progress for many of us!!

Nada from the solicitor today, they’ve definitely had the response from the vendors’ solicitor since yesterday. Chasing email in the morning

Getting my head around what the rewire will entail - thinking we’ll do it before properly moving in. Which means we’re going to have to make decisions about where we want plug sockets and switches to be and what style switch plates we want almost immediately. Feels like big decisions! I always thought chrome looked best, but now I’m looking I’m thinking bronze/copper might be more contemporary? Probably not white plastic though! Also, we’re planning to take a wall out and re-do the kitchen in a few years, so not sure how that changes what we do with the wiring now. But seeing as the wiring needs a complete overhaul it makes sense to do it first as it will mess up every room in the house as far as I can tell. And possibly the garden seeing as the connection to the garage needs re-doing (it’s a separate building at the end of the garden), and I want some outdoor sockets & supply to a new greenhouse too.

All feeling a bit more real now we’re talking about practical decisions. And the next tenant of my flat has been asking me when she can move in! I’ve not even given my notice on the place yet! It’s through work so she’s heard on the grapevine I’ll be vacating and she’s been promised it. It still hasn’t really sunk in that we’ll be leaving here so it feels weird for someone else to be talking about moving in! This place is the longest (4 yrs) I’ve lived anywhere since I was 18.

Argh just discovered that smart sockets and light switches are a thing as well! More options! We have loads of smart plugs, it would be nice if the sockets themselves were voice/app controllable rather then having smart adaptor plugs everywhere.

So many decisions! Might start a separate thread about wiring and sockets :-)

Our solicitor has just text to say she has sent off the contract to our buyers. We’re aiming for completion in 8 weeks which the solicitor thinks is achievable but I have my doubts that our buyers will be ready in time.