Exchange of house

[Mylifestartstoday]

After much stress, we were ready to exchange contracts today. My solicitor phoned me, and we were unable to complete the exchange for some reason but she would email everyone to ensure we were ready for 9am tomorrow morning.

I’ve just found out that the bottom of the chain solicitors close for Xmas today, but they are aware that we have all tried to exchange. Their client thinks they will try and complete tomorrow and then close, but I don’t know if that’s wishful thinking on their part.
I suppose what I’m asking is, has this ever happened to anyone, and the solicitor did work an additional morning to ensure exchange, or are we all on a knife edge until January?
I would have presumed all solicitors would have checked closing for Xmas, but the ineptitude of the whole process so far doesn’t fill me with confidence.

It's not inconceivable that their solicitor will go in just to do the exchange as a favour to the client. I guess you'll know in the morning. I feel your pain BTW, we are supposed to be exchanging tomorrow after multiple failed attempts and broken chains. I'll only belive it when I see it.

This has been a mess from start to finish.
My buyers have gone from being lovely to increasingly hostile, and I’ve had to request they stop messaging me. My estate agent is the worst person I’ve ever had to deal with in my entire life, and the whole thing is just a mess.
I hope you manage to exchange tomorrow.

We were due to exchange on Friday then couldn't because of some missing paperwork, told possibly today or tomorrow only to be told the solicitor has now finished for Christmas so we're looking at the 4th Jan. He has requested the funds from the buyers lender though in readiness for the 4th so that gives me something to cling on to.

I was told we were exchanging and completing last Friday, only to find out that someone had failed to check with the rest of the chain that this was happening! I found out Thursday afternoon that someone had cocked up, so this is yet another delay/mistake. I’m not sure my nerves can take much more.
It sounds as though We’re not alone in the madness, although that’s of little comfort to us all.

@Mylifestartstoday with you in solidarity

@Mylifestartstoday. How did you get on OP? Fingers crossed for you. Still haven’t heard anything here for ours.

I’ve not heard anything yet.....my nerves are shattered. I turned to drink last night, can’t say it helped!

Fingers crossed for you.

Also fingers crossed for you.

Solidarity here. Just created a thread to vent my stress at failed exchanges and the process in general.

Fingers crossed. Also waiting to find out if we’re exchanging like NOW or if it’ll be jan

Hope it exchanges and completes soon for you. We were also told pre-Xmas exchange, mid Jan completion and then on Monday, start Jan exchange, mid Jan completion. I'm eating lots of Co-op's polar bear cake , which is helping but I did almost cry at Sainsburys saying there may be no brocolli and cauliflower and stories of turkeys being cancelled. But we are nearly there.

I have exchanged!!!!

After more grief from my buyers, and my rubbish estate agent (a thread in itself), we’ve crossed the line.

It’s not ideal that we spend Xmas surrounded by boxes, but at this stage I don’t care. Now I’m thinking we should isolate so no one is in contact with any virus, although I haven’t been advised to (and I think we will be in lockdown anyway soon enough).

I’ve cried ugly tears, eaten enough Percy Pigs for all of us, and I confess to nearly crying because I couldnt find any ready made cauliflower cheese 🙈.

I hope everyone exchanges and completes soon, it’s the most stressful experience to go through.....and I’ve learnt that most people are arseholes when it comes to buying a house 🤔😂

Congratulations

@Mylifestartstoday hurrah! Chuffed for you.

@SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat we were meant to exchange pre-Christmas too. Now delayed til the 4th Jan. I'll believe it when I see it.

We've just been given a date for completion of 14th Jan and that exchange will be early Jan though I will also believe it when I see it. Thankfully we bought before we sold so house is fairly empty though still want it to go through asap for exchange at least so its certain. Hope you get 4th Jan. Our buyer said they sent through two more questions last week, nothing through to me so maybe my solicitor answered herself or maybe not through yet. Making progress at least.

@SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat

Congratulations

Well done, pleased for you. Ours didn't go through, we're due to try again tomorrow. If it doesn't happen tomorrow that's it, thousands of pounds and 7 months wasted.

Two questions for you:
Did you speak to your buyers at all after you accepted their offer? My buyers got my number from the estate agent, and has inundated me with messages/calls, becoming more hostile as exchange dragged on.
What do you expect your estate agent to do between agreeing an offer to exchange of contracts? My estate agent Is the worst person I’ve ever encountered, and has reduced me to tears a number of times (even though I’m paying them)

No direct contact with buyers at all - messages are sent to and forth via EA (pricing or non-legal) or solicitors (legal). Our EA did sale really and after that I sent updates and sometimes he would reply with updates but quite hit and miss.

@mountains76 hopeful for you today. Are you pulling out if it doesn't go through today?

Fingers crossed if you’re hoping to exchange today

No direct contact with the buyers everything went through the EA. Our buyer lived in Cornwall and we are in Cheshire.
I'd make a complaint against your EA they sound incompetent.