Buyers sellers roll call 12

[Bells3032]

New thread. Hopefully the last one for us!!

I've been reading this thread for a few weeks and it just astounds me how it seems that nobody in the entire house moving industry seems to be in a rush. Why is it always the buyers/sellers who have to do the chasing?!

Anyway, has anybody got any experience of personal searches? The LA ones are taking over 2 months to come back so we've sought personal ones. They're basically the exact same information but gathered by an external agency rather than the LA but although they're accepted by most lenders, they're at the conveyancers risk. We have got an indemnity policy up to £1million so if the conveyancer dares say no, I'll lose my mind. Everything else is almost in place to exchange.

We are getting there with ours...although I nearly fell out with our solicitor today! She was so rude and condescending to me. She insisted that we had to exchange and complete on the same day, despite me having told her 6 weeks ago that we needed at least a week between. I do understand the risk of having self isolate, but dh has to hand in his notice after exchange. If he does it before and then it all falls through we are stuck with a huge mortgage and no income! I just couldn't believe that she could see that, for us, the risks are far greater if we don't have a gap than if we do (we are moving 200 miles).

Other than that, we are all ready to go. I was meant to be starting my new job (200 miles away) on Monday but have had to delay it, which is making me very anxious.

Our estate agents have been amazing. They are so often slated, but they have been worth every penny we're paying them.

Fingers crossed to exchange next week and complete the following week. It's so tight with christmas and we also have school places that will expire in a couple of weeks! I just want it over...

Our buyers are desperately searching for a survey that can happen sooner than January... I should know more by Monday. Our EA are being pretty good so far too, as are the solicitors up to this point but we're still very early days (I'm not sure when to count it from either but Monday will be two weeks since our offer was accepted which completed the chain)

We have exchanged and are moving on Thursday. It was extremely stressful getting a date as nobody could agree on the move date and or get an actual removal van but two days later we managed it. Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong from now until Thursday.

Hello! Just joining the thread. Offers accepted on our house and the house we want last week, we have a cash buyer and the chain is short (4 in total but the top of the chain are leaving the country). So hopefully it will be fairly straightforward.

Had a nightmare getting a solicitor as everyone is so understandably busy. After a week of ‘sorry, too busy’ responses we ended up going through our mortgage lender’s service and using Enact, set the searches in motion yesterday. But I’m now panicking as our Estate Agent doesn’t seem happy we’re not using a ‘proper’ solicitor, it didn’t feel like we had any other option though. (Typically, after I’d given Enact the go ahead we had a response from a local firm but they were £300-£1000 more than anywhere else we had approached). DH has stopped me googling for reviews now, as he rightly pointed out the ones who have the worst experiences are more likely to ‘shout’ loudest, and the reviews weren’t all bad!

Mortgage advisor meeting on Friday formally arrange porting our current mortgage.

Our buyer and vendors are both older and retired/semi retired so it already feels like we’re the ‘weak link’ who don’t respond quick enough as we’re at work. It all feels very hurry up and wait!

@Anawi crossing my fingers and toes for you too that the 4th dec happens!
We’re still not there yet with ours, our buyer asked for us to pay for another survey for something they’re worried about, and refuses to confirm if everything else is ready or if they have any other issues until they have looked at it

Oh a property information form! Is that just the questionnaire? Perhaps the title information just let's her send off for the local authority searches to get the ball rolling on that, and the PIF will help with other searches/enquiries once it's received?

Yeah the property info form

These personal searches.... would Santander accept them? they sound like a good idea!! How long do they take?

I have just received a form regarding stamp duty and how much we have to pay from our solicitor. Will obviously confirm this with them but I'm assuming this is a formality with the stamp duty holiday and they'd have it in case it goes past March... What do you think?

Agh we are experiencing more pulling out threats.

Apparently the husband never wanted to move in the first place and so if we don't exchange this coming week - it will have been hell 4 months wasted

I could cry with it all. There is no reason not to exchange next week - but that doesn't mean a reason won't pop up from somewhere

@rubyredroo if its under 500k and your only property then just a legal form. It's to check you don't have another property too as you'd then have a surcharge

So much bubble wrap. So many boxes. Send help, or wine!

Anybody know how long once searches are back to completion? We are expecting searches back next week fingers crossed, absolutely everything else is done and we are chain free our end after breaking chain on our sale (I’ve even given solicitor full balance to pay ready). Partner recons solicitor told him on phone yesterday it’s then a further 5 days from searches back for the mortgage lender to approve them?! Our vendors just waiting on us they’re good to go as-well, desperate to be in ASAP as currently living with family in between which is a nightmare with a young child and dog!

@Badgerbadger22 didn’t realise breaking the chain was a bad thing for mortgages? I asked our solicitor weeks ago but she ignored that question so I guessed it was irrelevant? Our EA and no one else flagged it as an issue?

@Oranges555 we’re still not sure either. Our conveyancer was not happy about the suggestion at all of breaking the chain- she said she was 99.9% sure that Santander wouldn’t allow it. I didn’t know the mortgage lender had to approve the searches?

I had heard from an EA that private searches were taking longer.

We were on the verge of Exchanging Thursday, but then there was a lack of deposit to our buyers - so it didn't happen.
I wonder what is going on - it's that end who have really been pressuring everyone.
will we exchange next week?
Can I get a reasonable Removal quote?

@badgerbadger22 hmm had a good look online and can’t see anywhere this would be an issue. Unless you run past your mortgage offer date? Will ask our mortgage advisor now

He may have meant once searches are back that will be how long for solicitor to requests funds. Searches are as important to lender as they are to buyer, but it may be the solicitor acts on behalf of the mortgage for approving those as I’ve read a lot of that sort of thing in the contract

Our broker advised us not to break our chain, I read it as being negative on your credit report.

We broke our chain a few weeks back as it was that or lose the sale. We received our formal mortgage offer from Santander a week later so unless you’re aiming to port an existing mortgage I really can’t see how it’d have any negative impact on anything?!

@Badgerbadger22 I think it was sent signed for. Our solicitor had no idea there was an issue until 5 weeks later when they sent an email asking for enquiries!

We're looking at breaking chain and will be porting a mortgage. I believe we have 6 months to port the mortgage otherwise we pay the early exit fee. Our solicitor said it was easy to do and our lender didn't suggest it would be a problem.

We have broken the chain and ported our mortgage - as long as we buy within 5 months we can reclaim our early redemption fee. This is TSB

Oh wow thanks everyone! We’ll ask the bank this week and see what they say!

We’re coming to terms with not exchanging pre Christmas.

I have this funny feeling that our solicitor is going to be pedantic with enquiries too.

@MollyButton not sure when you’re looking at completing, but we’re working towards mid-December and round here 80% of the removals companies I’ve contacted are totally booked up, and they’re being inundated with requests for quotes.

I'm looking early/mid December. There is son availability, both local to me and the other end, and all of the 60 miles between.
But I am close enough to London that some of the London firms will quote, and there are a lot of them. I also have a friend of a friend who will try to squeeze us in if he has capacity. But I'd like to spend less than £4K if possible.
Of course the one firm that looks best on paper has no capactiry until nearly Christmas.

Well our conveyancer said no to doing “personal searches”. Said the bank won’t like it and it’s a ridiculous idea.

I feel like I’ve been firmly told off by her again - she never used to be like this so I’m assuming she’s stressed

She’s getting the biggest bunch of flowers when we complete. And a huge bottle of gin!

@Badgerbadger22 stressed or not she sounds very rude! I'd never dream of speaking to a client like that

Also nonsense that the bank won't accept personal searches. The majority do providing the company used is a member of a certain scheme (the name of which escapes me) and have sufficient insurance. She might not want to use them, which is fine, but no need to trot that line out.

And I have no idea what she's on about with the bank not liking you splitting the chain, people do that all the time up and down the country. Unless it causes an issue if you're porting (although most banks say as long as the purchase takes place within a certain timescale it's fine), I don't know what the problem is? Like others on this thread I've broken the chain and my lender isn't bothered at all

My purchase is now ready and just anxiously waiting for the sellers to give us a date for completion when they can get removals 🤞🏻🤞🏻 hoping we can get a date agreed next week for probably early/mid December.