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Original poster

From local searches received to completion

79 replies

Leigh8721 · 01/04/2021 13:59

Hi I'm getting very bored of waiting now :( does anyone have any idea how long we have left.
Local searches are finally back and only one enquiry left to answer does anybody how long we should have left until exchange/completion?

OP posts:
Original poster
Leigh8721 · 07/04/2021 10:55

I always get the same response when ever I try to call them seems pointless in even trying. I just hope this Survey don't slow us down they are coming to complete it on Sunday just can't believe how late it has been left. Suppose we will have a long wait again now!!

OP posts:
BlueCherryBlossom · 07/04/2021 11:05

It's positive that they are able to come so quickly, we had to wait weeks!

Original poster
Leigh8721 · 07/04/2021 11:31

Just for them to come out to do it or waiting for the results to get back

OP posts:
BlueCherryBlossom · 07/04/2021 12:33

Just for them to come and do it!

BlueCherryBlossom · 07/04/2021 15:23

Finally spoke to our solicitors and they haven't even sent our enquiries back to the other solicitors yet! 🙄🤦‍♀️ Short staffed this week.

If they find the responses satisfactory things could move quickly after that though, apparently. Still a few weeks, the solicitor guessed.

BlueCherryBlossom · 07/04/2021 15:30

Oh and I was asked for a preferred completion date too over the phone! Edging closer.

mummabubs · 08/04/2021 09:44

We had our main searches back last week, apparently solicitor is just waiting on a drainage search to come back. She seems optimistic we can arrange exchange/completion this month. (We're in the middle of a chain of 3- we've sold to first time buyers and the house we're moving into is vacant possession (non-probate) so that might be helping with it going quickly). Have to say I'd love to complete by the end of the month as I'm due to give birth in early May, but will be surprised if we do as it would be 8 weeks from selling our house to finding somewhere else and completing on it all- which would be even quicker than when we bought this house chain free 7 years ago!!

BlueCherryBlossom · 08/04/2021 10:01

Sounds positive @mummabubs!

We've now received a fresh batch of enquiries. Had everything to hand so have replied quickly.

Trying to put it all out of my mind. I was far more chilled earlier in the process, it's this 'so near yet so far' stage that feels all-consuming! All out of our control (until the next batch of enquiries ha!) so no point stewing.

mummabubs · 08/04/2021 11:31

Fingers crossed no more enquiries for you after this @BlueCherryBlossom! 🤞🏻 I feel the same, I think it's because earlier in the process there were things we could actively do to push the process along, whereas now we're reliant on things outside of our control eg removals company availability for us and buyers and other people's moving preferences. We'll get there!

Sweetmelody72 · 08/04/2021 14:43

@CaramelCup

Ours has only been 6 weeks. But our new buyer bought local authority searches and survey etc from our old buyer. So that saved quite a while. And everything else from our house up is ready for exchange
Can I ask how old the searches were to allow them to do this?
CaramelCup · 08/04/2021 19:42

@Sweetmelody72 sorry for late reply.
The local authority searches were valid for 6 months. This validity was relevant to the solicitors and her mortgage offer. They run out end of May so we have to complete by then!!
It’s not common place. But although our previous buyers pulled out, they had the decency to ‘sell’ the searches on. It has saved us (the whole chain) probably 8 weeks. As searches have been taking ages around here

Sweetmelody72 · 08/04/2021 19:57

Thank you! That’s what I read online and just wondered whether it checked out. I am pretty sure this isn’t an option for us but worth double checking with the vendor

CaramelCup · 08/04/2021 20:45

The estate agent first suggested it as he thought previous buyers would be happy to pass on the surveys and searches (they charged £500!! But had spent £1200 on buildings surveys and other things)
Was kind of good for us as the new buyer could then look at everything straight away (a few days after making their offer) and I then knew they were happy with survey.
So was actually surprised it all panned out!
Fingers crossed we are exchanging soon 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼Fed up with the worry/anxious feelings! And can’t wait to move

CaramelCup · 08/04/2021 20:46

I meant surprised it all panned out as I thought solicitors would want to do it all themselves. Not because there was anything dodgy in the survey of my house 😆

PurBal · 08/04/2021 21:01

12 weeks. All surveys done. 4 in chain. All searches back. No indication of date or reason for hold up. We're in touch with solicitors daily and keep getting non committal responses.

Sweetmelody72 · 09/04/2021 09:12

Interested in people’s views on our chances of meeting the 1 July stamp duty deadline for a house that we have offered on and are waiting to hear back on:

  • Chain of 2
  • vendor has had 2 transactions fall through so paperwork should be in good shape (vendor fell ill during the first so pulled out, and the second buyer fell ill during the second. Property came off the market so I know the previous buyer’s searches will be out of date)
  • Local authority says turnaround for searches is 20 working days
  • we have completed on our sale so have nothing to sell, and vendors are prepared to move out to break the chain
  • we had a previous purchase fall through but received our mortgage offer from Coventry. They have advised that if we are borrowing same amount, the process is relatively simple (‘change of property’ required after valuation then back to underwriters, I’d imagine)
  • we are very pleased with the solicitors that acted for us on our sale but had to use another (recommended) solicitor for our previous purchase that fell through (the vendors wanted to use the same solicitor so we had to switch). Any advantage in sticking with the solicitor from a time perspective on the basis of work already done for the previous purchase and cost incurred? Or should we switch to the solicitor who worked on our sale (better communications etc)

Grateful for any thoughts

Original poster
Leigh8721 · 13/04/2021 10:00

Is anyone getting any closer had dates yet

OP posts:
Original poster
Leigh8721 · 13/04/2021 14:02

@BlueCherryBlossomi how are you getting on with progress any dates getting discussed yet?

OP posts:
BlueCherryBlossom · 13/04/2021 16:10

No dates yet here!

CaramelCup · 13/04/2021 20:56

We are in the stages of enquiries going backwards and forwards... 39 enquiries. Down to 10 now! So making some progress. Everyone wants to move next Friday... but solicitors still say have to wait until everything’s ‘satisfied’ 😩😩😩

mummabubs · 13/04/2021 21:57

We are literally waiting on a final drainage search to come back, which our solicitor chased today. She seems to think that we can very quickly arrange an exchange and completion date within the next fortnight after that as everyone is ready to go. Fingers crossed... 🤞🏻

mummabubs · 13/04/2021 21:59

@CaramelCup

We are in the stages of enquiries going backwards and forwards... 39 enquiries. Down to 10 now! So making some progress. Everyone wants to move next Friday... but solicitors still say have to wait until everything’s ‘satisfied’ 😩😩😩
39 enquiries!?! Bloody hell! Our buyer's solicitors had 5 that were all needing a simple confirmation or one worded answer 🤦🏻‍♀️
CaramelCup · 14/04/2021 02:36

@mummabubs my house is a listed building. But still... I know what you mean! A lot were kind of repetitive.... I think buyers solicitors slightly OTT!!

BlueCherryBlossom · 14/04/2021 07:08

We've had about 20 enquiries from our buyers so far. Just waiting to hear whether they are satisfied with our responses (and whether they have any more enquiries).

I think the EA plans to chase the buyers solicitor towards the end of the week so I'm trying to push it all out of my mind for now! Going into week 11... the time flies by.

Searches due back on our purchase any day. Not expecting immediate news on that front but will contact solicitors early next week if we've not heard anything by then. Only week 7 for that one. Crossing fingers tightly that the results don't raise a load of issues.

mummabubs · 14/04/2021 09:31

Drainage search has come back, so we are hoping to agree dates now for a couple of weeks time (our buyers are renting and completely flexible and our seller doesn't live in the house anymore). If by some miracle we pull it off for an end of April/ early May move it will have been 10 weeks since we sold our house and 7 weeks since our offer was accepted on our next house.

My biggest challenge now is convincing my husband that with a 3 year old, a dog and me being 39 weeks pregnant when we hope to move it makes sense to pay nearly £400 for the removal company to pack our stuff for us. Whilst not a small amount of money, I know how stressed I get just packing for us to go away for a weekend, never mind packing up our entire house which will undoubtedly be left to the last minute and be mostly me doing it 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️