Buyers Sellers Roll Call 15

[MotherofHeathens]

Because we're nearly at the end of the other thread and still inflicting this torture on ourselves...!

Good luck today cornish!

Keeping everything crossed you exchange BlueCherry 🤞

Well we have offered on another house. Not quite the dream house but it’s on the same estate, in much better condition and space at the side to extend. But guess what it’s next door to my in laws! I’m probably breaking all mumsnet rules but I do actually like them, although wouldn’t have chose to live next door!
I emailed my solicitor last night but anyone have any idea what happens with them and mortgage. I assume the mortgage company can scrap the old application and do another (new house is cheaper). Will the solicitor bill me everything for the first house now or just bundle it altogether? I don’t want to think of what money I’ve lost on the first house.
The new vendor even offered to go halves on a survey. Bless them, they haven’t moved since early 90s. They are moving in with family so hopefully I won’t loose much time.

@tryingtocatchthewind our mortgage broker just amended our application to the new address and we got a fresh offer through.

Our solicitors billed us for their work on the house that fell through, and have presumably set up a new file for the new house.

Thank you @BlueCherryBlossom, it’s a good job we’ve got a little bit in reserve to cover that then!

@tryingtocatchthewind We've been living on the same street as my FIL for years now and it's been great. I like him and his wife and it's nice to know that he's a 30-second walk away. They're nice people and never turn up unannounced so that's been good. My best friend moved next door to her MIL and she's already got her own key and is always letting herself in. Haha.

Actually where we're looking now would be within walking distance from my MIL and her husband, but they are absolutely lovely so it would be a bonus!

Haha to be honest I feel more sorry for them, my kids will never leave them alone!

Just had our first quote back for a removals company - woweeeee! We’ve only ever moved ourselves before but I’ll either be heavily pregnant or have a newborn when we move so my DH will need some help. I had no idea they cost so much! Will need to shop around though in case we unknowingly chose an expensive one!

How soon would people recommend looking at removals companies for quotes? Our chain is ticking along but our buyers have been such a pain the whole way through, I still feel like it's tempting fate to actually believe we might move. If we do, it will be in June and i will be 36-40 weeks pregnant with our first baby so it is critical that we have someone lined up and don't plan to make do ourselves.

We currently have no exchange/completion dates agreed so i wouldn't be able to do much more than just get quotes and gauge capacity at this stage.

@LBee2020 we’re following a really similar timescale to you. Everyone else in our chain of five is pretty much ready and waiting on our buyers to finish searches and raise enquiries. We’re aiming for mid June but I think that’ll be a miracle at this rate.

Anyway, we’ve just started getting quotes from removal firms in the last week and have four to choose from. All of them have stressed how busy it’s going to get in June so we might not have the luxury of choice when we exchange. I would recommend getting quotes in now then at least you have them and can move quickly once you have a firm date.

I should probably mention we completed the chain in mid February so we’re about 3 months in at this point.

I hope today goes smoothly for you @cornishmylovely!

Removals quotes were quite a shock to us to! We originally got quotes in January but then buyer pulled out, so didn't book anything. Thankfully when we exchanged the removals wanted were happy to honour the original quote so didn't need to do the quote surveys again, we just had to pay the deposit. They did mention that their prices have generally increased because of demand and the increased costs of packing materials. We've ended up buying boxes from Amazon as it worked out cheaper (though we store a lot in Really Useful boxes anyway so already have them).

Can I ask what kind of numbers you’re getting for removals @MotherofHeathens and @Cantbebotheredtothinkofaname? I got a quote from one company at the beginning of process to support a budget. Quite vague though as it changes with date, purchase address, off-road/on-road. For 2 days’ work to pack up, move, unpack a 2 bed house including white goods is max £2500 inc VAT and packing materials. I wanted worst case scenario to budget though.

Good Luck for today @cornishmylovely

We heard from our solicitor this morning to say she is sending questions back to the sellers solicitor. Not entirely what questions these could be as we are buying an 8 year old house.

Now they want me to sort our house insurance before we can exchange, but how do I do that when I don't even have a ball park exchange date?

Also need to get our mortgage deed signed and witnessed and posted back.

@BakeOffRewatch we had quotes ranging from £1000 - £1700. We went with £1000 ones, who had also been recommended to us by a colleague who used them recently.

None of the quotes included packing (that was ~£450 on top), the £1700 included all packing materials others you could pay extra. We had four companies quote, 1 national company (Bishops Move, pricey but we used them before so we know they're good), two smaller local firms and we're going with the local branch of Britannia. I think only one came and quoted in person due to lockdown, the rest were video calls.

We're moving a small 3 bed + garage with on street parking to a 4 bed with driveway, so access isn't particularly tricky at either end. We're only going a mile down the road, but that didn't make much difference as they just park up and wait instead of driving I guess. We've paid extra (~£60) key cover incase there's any delay getting access to the new house, and the insurance.

Thank you @MotherofHeathens for the comprehensive reply. Sounds comparable then, when take into account 2 days’ work versus 1. I’m in London and the one quote I got was from a popular, well known firm, I’ll definitely get more quotes and I might not have a choice anyway as choice of dates with the popular firm is limited unless 1 month in advance.

Had our AIP through today :)

Instructed our solicitor today. Waiting for full mortgage to be approved but the mortgage valuation isn’t for two weeks so assume we won’t get a decision until all of that is done

Still no exchange.

Our solicitor hasn't been able to get hold of the buyers solicitor for a few days. The EA finally managed to speak to them this afternoon and apparently they got all the signed documents they needed from the buyers just a few minutes ago. So those will be all the signed documents we were told the solicitors got last week then?

Tomorrow maybe? Won't hold my breath, I'm totally fed up with it all, just want it done!

We got our searches back today, our solicitor has sent 12 queries back to our sellers solicitor. Seems like a lot?

Hoping our buyers arent coming back to us with that many questions

Once this is done, all that's left is exchange & completion. I still want at least a provisional exchange date though, the waiting is killing me!

@mummabubs am I right in saying congratulations are due?

@BlueCherryBlossom they sound like a bloody nightmare. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Time to open the gin, I think.

@MotherofHeathens thanks for the gauge on movers. My quotes were huge swing and I really had no point of reference.

Our buyers mortgage valuation was done today. I felt like I was under investigation at one point :/ here begins the wait to see what it comes back with.
Haven't got a clue where we are with anything else,
Does anyone actually get regular updates from their solicitor? I have no idea where in the process we are, and get one line replies when I do ask.

Off to the solicitors tomorrow to sign everything and then we think we are ready for exchange. Hopefully by the end of the week.

@savemefromsearches we have to constantly chase our solicitors for updates. Its infuriating. They keep directing us to our online portal which has a sort of checklist, but its always so out of date its worthless.

I feel like I should finally 'officially' join this chat, I have been watching the ups and downs of it all for a little while to give me an idea of what to expect!
We are hopefully selling a 1 bed flat with no garden (shhh) and moving to a small 3 bed house with a tiny garden. We're in a chain of 6, and after weeks of pretty much zero communication, we've just found out that some people in our chain have already exchanged. It's the first time I've allowed myself to believe that the move might actually happen. On the downside, we've found out that the hold up is (inadvertently) us. Well, our solicitor is to be precise, no one ever tells me what's happening but I know I've acted on everything I've been asked to immediately.
Best of luck to all those exchanging / completing in the next few days!

@overwork I feel like that's the same situation I'm in. I literally respond to everything with all documentation within minutes, or at worst, within a few hours. But there's no info coming back to me on the outcome or where we are/what we are waiting for

@SpnBaby1967 a portal with checklist sounds like a dream about now - if they would bloody use it
12 queries doesn't seem like very much. Were the sensible questions at least?

@flashbac

Yay! *@Newhousehope*, I hope it works out with the viewing!

We put in an offer half hour after the viewing!

I’m hoping that because they were all set to go, they’ll see our offer and small chain (us and our buyers) and snap it up. And that no one else wants it 🙄

Are there any benefits to us for being in this position if our offer is accepted?
Buying searches was mentioned - but I don’t know anything about searches 🤣